Sports

Football Is Different Than Your Job, Hardy Is Different Than You

October 27, 2015 / 12:28 PM CDT / CBS Texas

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DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Greg Hardy isn't the leader you think he should be. He's the leader from the other side. Problem is, that's what many can't understand.

We seem to love gladiator sports, the numbers prove the NFL is the most beloved. MMA is quickly gaining steam, boxing still draws big time money and in hockey everybody wants one thing to happen when they show up to the rink, fights.

Now for some reason, we expect when guys are hitting each other on the field, they shouldn't get emotional. They should always be mild mannered and tame.

But that's not the case is it?

I understand this is Hardy we're talking about here. And yes, there have been crazy psychopaths playing in the NFL who have committed heinous crimes. But that hasn't seemed to deter people from watching the sport.

That might be the biggest problem right?

The mass appeal of the NFL allows players to live a different lifestyle than those who have an everyday 9-5, or even a cushy job sitting on a high horse in front of a TV camera or behind a keyboard.

These guys have different rules than we do. They don't have the same worries we have. They get in trouble, and millions can get them out of it. We get in trouble and we don't have access to the same lawyers who have the same deep pockets and connections.

Here are a few differences between real life and football life:

Office: When you have a problem with your competition you offer better rates or pitch differently.

Football: When you have a problem with your opponent you hit them.

Office: When you go after their CEO you might use tactics like campaigns and ads.

Football: When you go after their quarterback you sack him.

Office: Meetings involve sitting through slideshow presentations of pie charts and value variables regarding the fiscal year.

Football: Meetings may involve pie but often involve pancake blocks, huge hits and Marinelli Madness.

Office: If you get in legal trouble you might get fired.

Football: If you get in trouble you might be suspended with pay while the league tries to protect itself by helping cover it up.

Office: When a woman wants revenge she puts something mean about you on facebook

Football: When anyone gets mad they might try to extort you for millions by posting pics of an event that seemed great at that time.

Office: You fill out your yearly annual open enrollment forms on time or you are screwed.

Football: That crap is done for you by somebody, while you're busy playing Xbox.

To expect all of these players to have the same etiquette as you do in your office is completely naive and irrational. Heck, I'm sure you've seen plenty of office blow-ups worse than what you saw on the field Sunday with Hardy.

What do you do in those instances? Let HR figure it out? Take one of them out for coffee so they can vent?

As for Jerry Jones' idea of leadership involving Hardy.

Jerry is right.

In the NFL, when you have a locker room of guys who are naturally drawn to a guy, it's for a number of reasons. He's relatable, he's a competitor, he knows how to lead men, or maybe he buys everybody in the locker room the new Jordans.

It's definitely not because he has a Pulitzer or he graduated top in his class at Columbia or Syracuse.

Every leader is different.

Watch Band of Brothers, every one of them has a quality that makes them unique as a leader. The guys who aren't leaders are the ones who cower in the face of adversity.

In Game of Thrones a guy poured molten gold on another guys head and the group of warriors rallied around him.

Troy Aikman did different things than Roger Staubach. Michael Irvin was far different than Jerry Rice. Every locker room has a group of leaders and none of them are cookie cutouts of each other.

The Cowboys aren't winning and the defense was doing its job holding the opponent to 10 points. The rest of the team didn't and a player got mad. Because it's Hardy, it's a national story of outrage.

I get it. You don't think he has the honorable leadership qualities that Superman has. But he isn't Superman. He's Lex. He's the bad guy and he doesn't hesitate to point that out.

He relishes the bad guy role. We hate that guy in movies. We are supposed to because good should always triumph over evil.

I bet you never rooted for Dexter? You never thought Tony Soprano made the right move?

You were torn rooting for a terrible murderer to win.

I know, that's entertainment, it's not real life.

So is football.

But you keep telling yourself it's not while you earn a check talking and writing about it.