The Cowboys signing of Greg Hardy has been a hot topic in Dallas lately, and everyone seems to have an opinion on it.
After Hardy signed with the Cowboys on March 18, the mayor of Dallas called the signing a "shot in the gut," while also adding that adding Hardy wasn't a "good thing."
A local Dallas sports anchor also took the Cowboys to task, saying the Hardy signing was the lowest the Cowboys have ever sank to add a player.
One person who's not willing to pile on the Cowboys decision though is Tony Romo.
During an interview with KESN-FM in Dallas on Wednesday, Romo told the radio station that he believes in second chances for guys like Hardy. Romo's not just backing his new teammate either, the Cowboys quarterback also said that guys like Ray Rice also deserve a second chance.
"I think that we all know that because [Hardy's] a talented player he's going to be afforded more opportunities in the National Football League," Romo said, via the Dallas Morning News. "At the same time, even if he wasn't, I still think Ray Rice and Greg Hardy deserve another chance, just because I feel like everybody has their skeletons in their closet. If everything was shown over everyone’s head, no one would be given a second chance. That's part of the way I think we think."
Romo also got kind of philosophical, saying that if we would all probably hate each other if we didn't give people second chances.
"If every time someone did something wrong everybody turned the other way and didn't like anybody on this planet, really in general, I would think that none of us would like each other," Romo said. "I just think with some people, stuff ends up getting found out about and they have to deal with it and take responsibility for it, especially when you're in the public eye. I just think that everybody deserves a second chance. I think that's just part of what we should be doing as people and as teams."
If you're Hardy, this is exactly what you want to hear from your new teammate, who also happens to be the highest profile player on the team.
On the other hand, if you're Rice, it's probably nice to hear that someone supports you, but in the end, it doesn't mean much if there aren't any teams willing to sign you.
As for Hardy, he might have signed with the Cowboys, but that doesn't mean he'll be playing for them in Week 1. Hardy is still facing the possibilitiy of a suspension from the NFL, a punishment that will likely be handed out soon.
On Wednesday, the NFL was granted permission to look at several photos from Hardy's domestic violence case in North Carolina.
