Deshan Watson has been suspended for six games, or put another way: eight or nine pass attempts for every woman who says he harassed or assaulted her. thinking about him. Oh! you Rubbing your genitals at a massage therapist trying to do his job, You have to sit out a two-minute drill at the end of the first half. It’s a strange pun, and it reinforces what has become clear since Brown made him the face of his franchise last winter: It’s our job to hold Watson accountable.
These charges should remain on Watson for the rest of his career. It’s up to journalists, analysts, and fans to see him not only as Deshan Watson, the star quarterback, but as Deshan Watson, the star quarterback who has been sued by 24 women and 23 of them. have compromised. That is his cross to bear. bear it.
no one else will do. The legal system is poorly equipped for these types of cases, even though there are many of them. The NFL targeted a one-year suspension and lost. The NFL Players Association defends its dues-paying member, as do unions. The arbitrator, former federal judge Sue L. Robinson, was limited by the personal conduct policy and failure of the legal system.
Then there’s Brown, who sold his soul to get Watson and then used the proceeds to land him a new contract. They broke Watson’s old deal, signed him a new $230 million deal, and loaded it back so that if he were suspended this season, the financial penalty would be minimal (Brown denies this). We do).
Six-match suspension means Watson will now be paid More Compared to the snap per se he would have been without any suspension. He loses a total of $345,000 in game checks.
Cleveland claims it did its due diligence on Watson, who has denied all allegations. whatever. The Browns don’t care about Watson’s demeanor, and are counting on their fans not caring.
The facts here are easily overshadowed by the public’s tendency to view sports figures as TV stars rather than real people, so forget for a moment that he’s a star quarterback. Think of a man walking beside him.
you meet him He is clearly smart, friendly, seems quite nice. Then you learn that he settled lawsuits with 23 women who described misconduct ranging from forced groping to verbal admission. His old company, which saw him as a star employee, settled the lawsuits 30 women. So you do some more digging, and you find that this man, who claims he needs massage for physical therapy, met 66 massage therapists in 17 months, something a reasonable person wouldn’t do if he wanted to. that he be someone who can give a professional massage.
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What would you think then?
That’s Watson. Remember him every time you say his name. Force the Browns to own it. Don’t talk about him on TV the way Stephen A. Smith did about Floyd Mayweather, who was convicted of domestic abuse three times.
The game is an escape, and a lot of fans (especially in Cleveland) may be tempted to view Watson as just a football player. It’s easier that way and a lot more fun. But it’s important to remember that he is the same person who hired all those massage therapists without defense and hurt many of them.
It matters because the way we see Watson isn’t Just about Watson. This is a sign for the millions of survivors. Society needs an implicit understanding that these types of crimes are serious, no matter how well you do your job, how much money you make or how famous you are.
We are making progress. Major League Baseball suspended disgraced pitcher Trevor Bauer for two full seasons without criminal conviction due to horrific accounts about him. Bauer is charming. But between this suspension and his previous paid absence, he has already missed more than a full year of his career, and most telling that some of his fellow major leaguers have defended him. If he ever comes back it will cause his market to fall. A generation ago, Bauer’s story would have played out very differently.
The NFL is oblivious to public perception and has certainly noticed the disparity between Bauer’s conviction and Watson’s conviction. But different leagues have different procedures in place with varying limits on those fees, and the NFL may have to live with a six-game suspension.
You can understand why Robinson decided to have a six-match suspension. You might think Watson is on the field. You can also understand why the Browns looked to the hypercompetitive NFL marketplace and thought that if they didn’t acquire Watson, someone else would. But those accounts should still follow Watson wherever he goes. Brown made his choice. You can make your own.
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