Fox Sports 1 sportscaster Katie Nolan is mad as hell, and she’s not going to take it anymore. And that’s a good thing. Way too many sports websites give the NFL a relative free pass when it comes to negative press. And way too many especially turn a blind eye to serial perpetrators of domestic abuse — Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Greg Hardy is just the latest in a long line.
While Hardy was convicted, then cleared on appeal in court, an independent NFL investigation concluded that Hardy used physical force against his girlfriend “at least four times.” The NFL’s own press release afterward details it here:
“First, he used physical force against her which caused her to land in a bathtub. Second, he used physical force against her which caused her to land on a futon that was covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles. Third, he used physical force against her by placing his hands around Ms. Holder’s neck and applying enough pressure to leave visible marks. And fourth, he used physical force to shove Ms. Holder against a wall in his apartment’s entry hallway.”
Hardy’s original 10 game suspension was covered here months ago, but it has since been reduced to only four games. So he was free and clear to return to the field last week and lead the Dallas Cowboys with two sacks of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, as well as a forced fumble. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be playing for the rest of the season and earning most of his huge salary.
However, the real fumble was letting him back on the field so early — period. His baffling comments in his first interview since the suspension ended were almost the absolute worst thing possible he could say. Nolan rightfully gives him hell for using the term “guns blazing” after it had come out that part of his abuse was tossing a woman onto a bed of guns. If that wasn’t careless enough, more comments objectifying women came right after.
“I love seeing Tom Brady. You seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game.”
How tone deaf can one man be? How tone deaf can the entire National Football League be? It’s baffling to me, as well as Nolan. It would be great to see her serious, heartfelt take cause change in the NFL or even the Dallas Cowboys organization, but I won’t hold my breath.
Nolan is a bright spot at Fox Sports, standing out amid the usual stable of ESPN castoffs. See her great three minute opening segment below, from last week’s episode of Garbage Time with Katie Nolan.
Featured image via Facebook.
