News for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sportscaster Dale Hansen Blasts Dallas Cowboys For Signing Greg Hardy

YouTube/WFAA
WFAA-TV sports anchor Dale Hansen sounded off on the Greg Hardy situation Wednesday night.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Dale Hansen sounds off on the Dallas Cowboys signing Greg Hardy; the controversial Trinity Parkway project continues to be controversial; how a single accident can create a traffic headache for thousands; and more.

The Dallas Cowboys have signed defensive end Greg Hardy, who’s in the news for domestic violence charges. And that’s generated a lot of strong reactions, including a commentary from Dale Hansen, the longtime WFAA-TV sports anchor known for speaking his mind. Hardy was arrested last year and charged with assaulting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend. He faces an NFL suspension for violating the league’s domestic conduct policy. “Just when I begin to think the Cowboys can't possibly sink any lower … they can't fall from grace any more than they have ... they find another shovel and dig a few feet deeper,” Hansen said on Wednesday night’s 10 p.m. newscast. “I don't care how good he is. I don't care if the Cowboys made a great deal. And I absolutely don't care about the argument so many of you make that what he does off the field just doesn't matter if he can help you win on the field. Is there no line you won't cross? Is there no crime you won't accept? Is there no behavior you will not tolerate?” Hardy’s one-year deal is worth at least $11 million, ESPN reports. [Associated Press/ESPN/WFAA]

Watch Hansen’s commentary here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWiB54tXemc

  • The Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects jumped into the hottest debate in town Wednesday. KERA’s Courtney Collins reports the group came out against the controversial Trinity Parkway, saying the project will “divide the city and destroy the park’s unique potential.” Chapter President Bob Bullis told KERA: “It just doesn’t make any sense to us to build a four- or six-lane highway that’s going to disconnect the neighborhood from the park itself.” The 9-mile toll road is planned for inside the Trinity River levees next to proposed park land and lakes. The AIA move comes just days after Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings wrote an op-ed piece for The Dallas Morning News defending the project. Rawlings, who is running for re-election in May, argued the road will help connect south Dallas residents to jobs. He dismissed the project’s critics as “a passionate, loud minority.”

  • How does a single accident snarl traffic in Dallas for tens of thousands of motorists? Blame the Mixmaster, the group of highways near downtown Dallas. KERA’s Sam Baker and Krystina Martinez explain. “Anytime you get this many highways together, it doesn’t take a whole lot for one incident to really affect traffic for quite a long time, in some cases,” said Tony Hartzel with the Texas Department of Transportation. “We have I-30, I-35E, Woodall Rodgers, and even I-345 all coming together in the downtown area.” Learn about Dallas’ traffic woes here.

  • Plans to hire of hundreds of new troopers for the Texas-Mexico border is part of sweeping border security measures tentatively approved by the Texas House. The Republican-controlled House on Wednesday continued making quick work of heightening border security, which is a priority under new Gov. Greg Abbott. But closing a $300 million gulf with the Senate over how much to spend on more troopers and border technology still remains. The Legislature is approaching the halfway mark of the 140-day session and the border security package is among the first bills passed by the House. The bill overwhelmingly advanced 131-12. Vastly outnumbered Democrats, who for years have hotly opposed calls to "militarize" the Texas border, mostly sat out this fight and let the bill pass without fireworks. [Associated Press]

  • Join KERA tonight for a preview screening of Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies. It happens at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the KERA studios in Dallas. KERA reporter Lauren Silverman will lead a conversation with producer and director Barak Goodman. The documentary airs on PBS later this month. And get a behind-the-scenes look at KERA's new Breakthroughs series, Growing Up After Cancer. Thursday’s event is free, but RSVPs are required. RSVP here. In Growing Up After Cancer, follow the journey of one North Texas boy and his family through his cancer diagnosis and recovery. Explore the series here. Goodman will also speak with Krys Boyd at 1 p.m. Thursday on Think on KERA 90.1 FM.
Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.