Sportsgreg hardyDale Hansen domestic violence

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings Isn't Happy About Cowboys Signing Greg Hardy

'As a Cowboys fan, this was a shot in the gut,' he said.
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By 

General Assignment Reporter, HuffPost

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Another high-profile figure is speaking out against the Dallas Cowboys' acquisition of Greg Hardy, a former Carolina Panthers defensive end accused of domestic violence.

In a video posted Thursday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings told the Dallas Morning News that he roots for the team, "but at some point being a sports fan gets trumped by being a father and husband and wanting to do what's right for women. This is not a good thing by me."

He added later, "As a Cowboys fan, this was a shot in the gut."

Earlier in the week, Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen, of ABC affiliate WFAA, excoriated the team for signing Hardy, saying, "Now you can beat a woman and play with a star on your helmet."

Hardy, a former All-Pro defensive end with the Carolina Panthers, was arrested in May after his then-girlfriend called 911 to say he had thrown her, dragged her by the hair and threatened to kill her. He was found guilty of domestic violence by a judge in July but appealed for a jury trial. Charges were dismissed last month when his ex-girlfriend would not testify after reportedly reaching a financial settlement with the player.

Rawlings, a vocal crusader against domestic abuse who disclosed in 2013 he knows close family members who were victims, said he will remain a Cowboys loyalist, "but that doesn't mean I have to agree with every play that's called and every person that's hired."

In a statement to The Huffington Post and other outlets, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team had carefully vetted Hardy over the last few weeks.

"Obviously a great deal of our study was dedicated to the issue of domestic violence, and the recent events that associated Greg with that issue," he said. "We know that Greg’s status remains under review by the National Football League. Our organization understands the very serious nature of domestic violence in our society and in our league. We know that Greg has a firm understanding of those issues as well.”

Watch the entire Rawlings interview, above.

H/T CBS Sports

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Before You Go

Celebrities Domestic Violence
Halle Berry(01 of07)
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In a recent interview with NBC, actress Halle Berry opened up about her experience growing up with domestic violence. For much of Berry's childhood, she watched her father abuse her mother and older sister. The cycle repeated itself in Berry's own relationships -- after a beating from a boyfriend, she lost 80 percent of the hearing in her right ear. Today, she's an advocate for victims of domestic violence, and is involved the fundraising efforts of the Jenesse Center, a domestic violence shelter in Los Angeles. (credit:paparazzo2/Flickr)
Bill Clinton(02 of07)
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Former President Bill Clinton's autobiography, My Life, details the domestic abuse he witnessed as a child. Clinton's mother remarried when he was just 8 years old; and his stepfather was an alcoholic prone to violent outbursts. Bill finally stood up to his stepfather when he turned 15, demanding that he never hit his mother or half-brother again. Clinton has said that this moment changed the entire trajectory of his life. (credit:Getty)
Robin Givens(03 of07)
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"I didn't understand how a man could say that the best punch he ever threw was against his wife," actress Robin Givens said about her ex-husband, boxer Mike Tyson. The couple was married only for a year, divorcing in 1988. Since then, Givens has devoted much of her time to helping others who have suffered the same abuse. She recently spoke about her experience at the Knock Out Abuse gala benefit -- a charity that provides funding for domestic abuse shelters. (credit:Getty)
Tina Turner(04 of07)
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Tina Turner wasn't always the name that this iconic singer went by. Before she met her ex-husband, Ike Turner, she was Anna Mae Bullock -- until Ike insisted she change it. "[It was] so he could own me," Tina told the Huffington Post in an interview, "Ike was smart. He wasn't an educated smart man, but he had common sense." But Ike was abusive, and Tina decided she'd had enough of that, leaving him in 1976. Today, she still goes by the name Ike gave her, but now it stands for a strong, independent music legend who reclaimed her life. (credit:Getty)
Christina Aguilera(05 of07)
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Many singers will say that their music is their escape, but it's especially true for singer Christina Aguilera, who used singing as a way to cope with the pain of growing up amid childhood domestic violence. Christina told E!, "Growing up I did not feel safe. I turned to singing as an outlet. The pain at home is where my love for music came from." (credit:Getty)
Charlize Theron(06 of07)
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Actress Charlize Theron's childhood sounds like something out of a horror movie. Her father, a violent alcoholic, was abusive toward Charlize and her mother, and often threatened to kill both of them. As it turns out, those threats weren't empty -- Charlize's mother shot her husband in self-defense when Charlize was just 15. The actress now serves as a U.N. messenger of peace in her home country of South Africa. (credit:Getty)
Mariah Carey (07 of07)
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Mariah Carey met her first husband and former manager, Tommy Mottola, when she was only 18. The couple married in 1993, and divorced 5 years later -- but it wasn't until 2009 that the pop sensation spoke publicly about the abuse she experienced during their time together. She told Larry King, “Abuse has several categories -- emotionally, mentally, in other ways. For me to really get out of it was difficult because there was a connection that was not only a marriage, but a business where the person was in control of my life.” (credit:Getty)
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