Greg Hardy's Dedicated To Being "Kraken"

We've previously highlighted Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy and his tendency to dub himself "Kraken," but maybe we didn't realize the two might be overlapping personalities. Kraken's apparently not as disposable as one of Clinton Portis's alter egos.

Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer got the details on the line between Kraken and Hardy, but according to the man himself, there is none.

"That is the real Greg Hardy. It's all me, man – the fun, the seriousness," Hardy said last week. "There's a time to play and a time not to play. Just don't catch me on a bad day or you're going to get something that you're not going to like."

[...]

“Same Kraken, the same Greg,” Hardy said. “You make me mad, I’m going to be (really mad). If you make me happy, I’m going to make you smile.

“If you’re on the football field, I’m probably going to try to hurt you. It’s just how I play. Nothing more, nothing less. I wear it all on my sleeve. I say whatever I feel like saying.”

For today's game against the 49ers, Hardy plans to wear eye black, "Kraken" written on tape on the back of his jersey during the team intros, and possibly cat-eye contacts. Considering the pressure he's created for Carolina's defensive line, his teammates won't say anything if he wears a ten-gallon hat and tutu before the game, as long it helps them.

Mike Mitchell, Hardy's teammate, gave the best quote about Kraken:

"He might be a couple tacos short, if you know what I'm saying. But he believes it," Mitchell said. "He puts his headphones on and his contacts in and Greg's out the door, and now you get to see the Kraken. I believe in him."

[ Charlotte Observer]

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