Why Greg Hardy will Never Be a Seattle Seahawk
Friday, November 13, 2015
Just a few days after his season ending neck surgery, Lockette was heading home with his family from Dallas to Seattle when he came upon a group of homeless individuals. He asked his father to double back to a local fast food restaurant, purchasing 100 cheeseburgers to distribute to the group. (It’s not every day that I thank TMZ for their relentless reporting, but I’m glad that they did pick this up). A few days before, photos emerged of the 2014 domestic violence incident implicating Hardy, where his then-girlfriend was shown with bruises and contusions on her neck, back, arms and feet. Disturbing stuff, and more disturbing still that this case was settled via a bench trial and that Hardy is back on the field as a “leader” for the Dallas Cowboys. Hmm.
It's interesting to think about the Seahawks team, the ethos they have cultivated, from the front office, to the coaching staff, and how that plays out off the field. Russell Wilson devotes “Blue Tuesday” to Children’s Hospital, raising spirits and spreading encouragement to both patients and hospital staff. Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, and Cliff Avril are among a cadre of Seahawks seeking to empower and improve the community where they live and work through their respective foundations. In many ways, it is reflective of their hometown. Seattle was recently called out in the New York Times for its progressivism, and its philanthropy. I feel like this trickles down into the mentality of our football team—humility, vulnerability, and a willingness to learn from mistakes are part of the Seahawks ethos. Even during the gut-wrenching aftermath of Super Bowl XIIX, there was only an inward looking, self-aware ruefulness, not a finger-pointing blame game, emblematic of Seattle’s culture of politeness.
That's why I have concerns about players like Jimmy Graham, and I anticipate he'll go the way of Percy Harvin. By and large, the Hawks have fared better by growing the team from the ground up, finding draft picks that mesh well—athletically and socioculturally—than with flashy trades. Graham has experienced visible struggles to fit into the team, expecting a role with the Seahawks that was as outsized as his role with the New Orleans Saints. He comes across as more of a “me hawk” whereas Lockett, Russell Wilson, and Michael Bennett are truly “we Hawks.” Those are the kind of leaders I want.
Related Slideshow: Oregon’s Top Pac-12 College Football Players
Here are some of the Oregon players who have managed to make it into the 2014 Top Pac-12 Players List.
Related Articles
- Seattle Seahawks Shut Out Chicago Bears for First Win of the Season
- Seattle Seahawks To Russell Wilson: Here’s To Four More Years
- Seattle Seahawks: Looming Showdown With Arizona Will Make Or Break Their Season
- Spotted In Portland: Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman
- Seattle Seahawks Salary Cap
- Seattle Seahawks Marshawn Lynch Finally Receives $75k Media Fine
- Seattle Seahawks Back-up Defense Showcase Talent in Preseason Games
- Seattle Seahawks Draftland: Where the First Round Doesn’t Matter
- Seattle Seahawks Face Criticism Over Draft Pick
- Seattle Seahawks Lose Game In Overtime to Cincinnati Bengals
- The Grudge Match: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
- The Leading Contenders to Replace the Seahawks’ Pro Bowl-Sized Hole
- Training Camp is a Must Go for Seattle Seahawks Fans
- WATCH: Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor Forces Game-Saving Fumble
- Which Seattle Seahawks Players Belong On The Team’s Mount Rushmore?
- Why Supporting the Seahawks Out of Solidarity is Wrong
- Three Things The Seattle Seahawks Are Doing Wrong
- The Seattle Seahawks’ Newest Solution to an Old Problem
- The New NFL Siberia: Playing Guard for the Seattle Seahawks
- The Seahawks Don’t Need an NFL Wild Card
- The Seattle Seahawks Are Back In Command
- The Seattle Seahawks Look at their Defensive Line Options
- Seattle Seahawks are a Team in Transition
- Seahawks Vs. Packers: An Improbable Win
- He Said / She Said: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks
- He Said / She Said: Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
- He Said / She Said: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals
- Grand Central’s 12th Man Loaf Celebrates Seahawks’ Super Bowl Appearance
- Game Review: Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers
- Carolina Panthers Vs. Seahawks: What to Watch For
- Game Preview: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions
- Game Review: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions
- He Said / She Said: Seattle Seahawks’ Second-Half Outlook
- Here We Go Again: Green Bay Packers Visit Seattle Seahawks
- Red Robin Offering Free Burgers to Seattle Seahawks Fans
- Seahawk’s Receiving Core Looking Much Improved
- Seahawks Get Beat in Overtime - See How the Rest of the NFL Performed
- Player Profile: Seattle Seahawks WR Rookie Tyler Lockett
- Only One Thing Can Stop a Seattle Seahawks Dynasty in 2015
- Kam Chancellor Needs to Honor His Contract with the Seattle Seahawks
- New England Patriots Defeat Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX
- New Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham Clicking with Russell Wilson
- On the Bright Side… Thoughts Through Week 6 About the Seahawks
- 3 Things to Watch in the Seattle Seahawks’ 1st Preseason Game
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It