DeShaun Watson Situation Not Unfolding Well

"Tin Indian wrote:

I think that is what is making this such a problem for the league, Kraft got off with a wrist slap and set a bad precedent.

Was it ever alleged that Kraft did more than solicitation though? People keep trying to compare the two but I don't get it because they aren't comparable.

"Fireland wrote:

Was it ever alleged that Kraft did more than solicitation though? People keep trying to compare the two but I don't get it because they aren't comparable.

If I remember the coverage correctly, Kraft was on video in the massage pallor getting a happy ending. I assume it was consensual since that's the type of place it was, but still...the services were illegal where he received them (in Florida).

Watson's case is different, but there was zero punishment for Kraft and that situation was a proven criminal act. There's also obviously different punishments for owners versus players, and this should all be a part of a much larger conversation. Is prostitution and/or sexual assault okay in any situation? Should the rules be different if you're a celebrity in the NFL or a billionaire owner?

To me, that's the real problem here...the perception that all of this is an acceptable part of society. Think about Jeffrey Epstein and that whole saga- it's not like things weren't reported or authorities didn't know what was going on a decade before Epstein saw real jail time. People in authority just didn't care enough to stand up for the victims...and many of those victims were 12 and 13 year old girls.

Personally, I want "justice" from this entire topic. When I worked in the prison system, rapists and pedophiles were routinely beaten half to death...how is it that criminals understand these topics better than our elected officials?

"KeyFin wrote:

If I remember the coverage correctly, Kraft was on video in the massage pallor getting a happy ending. I assume it was consensual since that's the type of place it was, but still...the services were illegal where he received them (in Florida).

Watson's case is different, but there was zero punishment for Kraft and that situation was a proven criminal act. There's also obviously different punishments for owners versus players, and this should all be a part of a much larger conversation. Is prostitution and/or sexual assault okay in any situation? Should the rules be different if you're a celebrity in the NFL or a billionaire owner?

To me, that's the real problem here...the perception that all of this is an acceptable part of society. Think about Jeffrey Epstein and that whole saga- it's not like things weren't reported or authorities didn't know what was going on a decade before Epstein saw real jail time. People in authority just didn't care enough to stand up for the victims.

Kraft situation should still only be compared to players who who were arrested or accused of a similar offense. I just don't think you can compare this situation at all as Watson is accused of something much worse. I don't think consensual is a "but still" situation because that does change everything. If it Watson was accused of paying for happy endings and nothing more we wouldn't be talking about this at all.

Whether people should find a soliciting a prostitute to be a worse thing morally than they do is a different argument. Personally I don't care at all as long as both people are able to consent.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2022/08/In-re-Deshaun-Watson.pdf

The full Judges response.

Here is Judge Robinson's full findings:

585077592

She essentially found him guilty on all accounts but felt that 6 games was the maximum she could suspend him. What's interesting to me about that is she basically treated this as a single case rather than multiple infractions.

"Galant wrote:

A feasible outcome in the Watson case: #NFL could appeal Sue Robinson's 6-game suspension, with commissioner Goodell or designee splitting the difference between 6 games & a 1-year indefinite suspension, settling on 11-12 game suspension with automatic reinstatement in November.

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 1, 2022

Yeah, that won't happen. They use an arbitrator to avoid having to pass judgement themselves. They're not going to challenge the arbitrator that just took all this time to find that the max she could impose is six games.

If that was the maximum punishment allowed, then the Code of Conduct needs to be re-written. Immediately.

"Fishhead wrote:

If that was the maximum punishment allowed, then the Code of Conduct needs to be re-written. Immediately.

Problem is the league doesnt have a precedent for something of this scope. The league never thought they would have to deal with a player with 24 civil cases for sexual "assault". That's where she chides the league for not being forward thinking. Based on precedent as an arbiter she felt the maximum she could go is 6 games. The league was pressing for a year and could still. Frankly a year is not enough.

"Vertical Limit wrote:

When it comes to women,.....They're viewed as objects, slaves, like they're suppose to serve the man.

So you're saying that's wrong?

"Galant wrote:

If Deshaun Watson's 6-game suspension was given the NHL treatment, it would calculate to:

1st Offense: ($46M/123 days)*6 = $2.24M forfeited
2nd Offense: ($46M/17 games)*6 = $16.2M forfeited

Watson would have never signed the new contract.

2/2

— Spotrac (@spotrac) August 2, 2022

I wonder what the suspension would be for the 24th offense? Or maybe nobody has counted that high yet.

"The_Dark_Knight wrote:

Roethlisburger and Watson. Watson had 22 MORE allegations, criminal complaints and lawsuits than Big Ben had and Watson gets the SAME 6 game suspension?

In my opinion, not dropping the hammer on Roethlosberger may have come back to haunt them in this situation.

The Judge’s report does little to clear up the situation.
My thoughts in no particular order.
1) Watson’s behavior legally wasn’t criminal - the grand juries decided not to indict. That limits what the NFL can do.
2) I have talked to some female physical therapists and massage therapists I know. They all say they would not acknowledge or return a message of the sort Watson sent because it was obvious he was not seeking genuine therapeutic treatment. It’s a common issue in the profession and one that practitioners take steps to insulate themselves from.
3) If we start suspending professional athletes for weird sex behavior then you’ll struggle to a starting 11 on any team. I don’t know about the NFL personally but I do have knowledge of what professional soccer and rugby players in Europe get up to, and Watson’s behavior is pretty tame compared to other stuff I know has gone down.
4) The lawyer for the complainants has struck from the beginning as being shady as hell and nothing that has transpired has moved my suspicion index down regarding him.
5) I think the NFL is going to sweep this under the rug. Letting it fester and drag on in public will hurt their brand more than a week or so of people saying it’s the wrong decision.

"Pauly wrote:

The Judge’s report does little to clear up the situation.
My thoughts in no particular order.
1) Watson’s behavior legally wasn’t criminal - the grand juries decided not to indict. That limits what the NFL can do.
2) I have talked to some female physical therapists and massage therapists I know. They all say they would not acknowledge or return a message of the sort Watson sent because it was obvious he was not seeking genuine therapeutic treatment. It’s a common issue in the profession and one that practitioners take steps to insulate themselves from.
3) If we start suspending professional athletes for weird sex behavior then you’ll struggle to a starting 11 on any team. I don’t know about the NFL personally but I do have knowledge of what professional soccer and rugby players in Europe get up to, and Watson’s behavior is pretty tame compared to other stuff I know has gone down.
4) The lawyer for the complainants has struck from the beginning as being shady as hell and nothing that has transpired has moved my suspicion index down regarding him.
5) I think the NFL is going to sweep this under the rug. Letting it fester and drag on in public will hurt their brand more than a week or so of people saying it’s the wrong decision.

Hence why they dropped the Miami investigation the following day. It made the Watson story old news.

"KeyFin wrote:

Hence why they dropped the Miami investigation the following day. It made the Watson story old news.

Bingo! All the hand wringing and gasps of shock by the media (particularly ESPN, which has been biased against Miami since the Chris Berman days) have served to drive the Watson story from the top NFL story.

"Fishhead wrote:

Bingo! All the hand wringing and gasps of shock by the media (particularly ESPN, which has been biased against Miami since the Chris Berman days) have served to drive the Watson story from the top NFL story.

Plus the media which has spent most if the last 18 months ignoring the Watson story have an excuse to go silent again.

Well the NFL are appealing the punishment recommendation so this story isn't over just yet.

Jeff Darlington @JeffDarlington
·
3m

I'm told NFL is appealing for an indefinite suspension that would be a minimum of one year. But perhaps more significant given the structure of Watson's contract, source tells me the NFL's appeal will also include a monetary fine. Money is now a significant part of the equation.

Hes done goodell finally decided to pick up his hammer

"Wilkimania wrote:

Well the NFL are appealing the punishment recommendation so this story isn't over just yet.

Jeff Darlington @JeffDarlington
·
3m

I'm told NFL is appealing for an indefinite suspension that would be a minimum of one year. But perhaps more significant given the structure of Watson's contract, source tells me the NFL's appeal will also include a monetary fine. Money is now a significant part of the equation.

Its the right move by Goodell. Regardless if the appeal loses out, it saves face a bit that the NFL tried. Next time, cut the bs and just lay the penalty yourself. You get paid 50 million a year to make these decisions, dont let someone else make that decision.

"Vertical Limit wrote:

Its the right move by Goodell. Regardless if the appeal loses out, it saves face a bit that the NFL tried. Next time, cut the bs and just lay the penalty yourself. You get paid 50 million a year to make these decisions, dont let someone else make that decision.

I wonder if this is what Goodell wanted. A chance to reset the penalty boundaries by giving it to a third party who then slam you for your own precedents, then you can lay down the law and claim that this is the new reality of the NFL, try to claim something like to protect the integrity of the league that there will be no more slack punishments and then you're free to do what you like again without people complaining about older punishments that handcuff you to lighter punishments.