Why winning isn't everything

I DID A RADIO show this week on the outrageous amount of taxes Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford has to pay on his $12,985,000 annual salary. John George at Philadelphia Business Journal reported that Bradford will pay a little more than $6 million in taxes. He is subjected to nearly $97,000 in outrageous "jock taxes" for playing games in Atlanta, Massachusetts, Detroit and North Carolina. Given how Bradford has performed, I know many won't shed any tears over this extreme taxation.

However, I'm more interested in why Bradford or any NFL player is paid that much money. I made the point that when the Eagles win there is a much better feeling and pride in the area. The Eagles represent us. Their names might be on the uniform, but the uniform also says "Eagles."

So in addition to performing well on the field, most fans expect that players will be decent human beings or at least not criminals. Chip Kelly has talked about a culture he is building with the Eagles that requires high-character individuals. He has traded or cut people like DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Evan Mathis and others.

Some Eagles fans have resisted this and argued that they just want to win. All this brings me to the case of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy. Hardy had been convicted of brutally beating his girlfriend when he played for the Carolina Panthers. He appealed and the woman no longer cooperated with authorities and he was able to walk. The NFL suspended him for most of last year and some games this year, but Jerry Jones, in a craven attempt to win, signed him for the Cowboys.

Because of his current behavior, the consensus of NFL pundits is that Hardy doesn't appear to be repentant at all. This all came to a head when the sports website Deadspin.com released photos from the police file of the injuries that the woman suffered from Hardy's attacks. They are extensive and horrific.

So the Hardy case now heads into Ray Rice territory. Once the public saw the video of Rice's attack, the NFL had to respond. Their broadcasts are filled with public-service announcements decrying violence on women, often with current and former players talking about it. How can they continue to let Hardy play?

Of course, Jerry Jones and others are already saying this is really about giving worthy people second chances. Isn't America about second chances? Stop it already, you clowns! This is only about winning, nothing else. In an additional cynical note, Jerry Jones' daughter is the head of the league's domestic-violence committee. That's a nice touch.

Would we in Philadelphia be happy if a Greg Hardy were here and he led us to a parade down Broad Street? I don't think so. My colleagues at SportsRadio 94WIP have already raised thousands of dollars for a women's domestic-violence shelter in Dallas. That's a good sign.

I think it also sends a good message to kids who follow pro sports. I know what Charles Barkley has said about athletes not being role models. I've countered that they are being paid in part to not only perform on the field but also to not bring scandal to the team. I think we're lucky in Philadelphia that the four pro sports teams, with rare exception, have followed that.

So it will be very interesting to see how much heat is turned up on the NFL and the Cowboys. I predict that these photos and this story will make their way from this sports website into the mainstream media. Jerry Jones is a particularly obnoxious figure, but I think he'll have to relent. In the meantime, I hope Chip Kelly wins every game and Philadelphia sports teams continue to employ great athletes who are decent people.

Teacher-turned-talk-show host Dom Giordano is heard weekdays

9 a.m. to noon on WPHT (1210-AM) Radio. Contact Dom at www.domgiordano.com.