No criminal charges for Deshaun Watson; civil deposition 3/15

[Richard Noggin]

54 minutes ago, IronMaidenBills said:

We have players in the league that have actually been convicted of domestic violence and other violent crimes. We had a team with such behavior similar to Watson, cough Pittsburgh. The league is making more money now then they ever have even with questionable characters. Nobody and I mean nobody is concerned about this in the NFL circle as long as no legal issues exist. 

One could easily argue that the crimes the recently retired Pittsburgh QB was accused of are far more heinous and violent than the pattern of behavior (not sure what to label it as apparently it wasn't "criminal") Watson is accused of. Watson might be a huge creep. Roethlisberger might be a repeat rapist. And yet teams will be judged harshly for pursuing Watson, while I never really hear criticism of Pittsburgh for sticking with their alleged predator. 

[Thurman#1]

37 minutes ago, IronMaidenBills said:

We have players in the league that have actually been convicted of domestic violence and other violent crimes. We had a team with such behavior similar to Watson, cough Pittsburgh. The league is making more money now then they ever have even with questionable characters. Nobody and I mean nobody is concerned about this in the NFL circle as long as no legal issues exist. 

 

 

Yes. We have players in the league that have been convicted of domestic violence.

 

Are you actually trying to say that this did not have major negative effects on the players and the teams? Because it did. Plenty of guys never even got the chance. Remember Ray Rice?

 

Please don't pretend that any of your arguments above don't mean that dealing with those abusers didn't have negative effects. It did. As for Roethlisberger, whose name is still consistently misspelled so that the first four letters come out as a sexual crime, he was hurt by that. A lot. So was the team. Your argument that the league is doing well and therefore there were no negative effects from the various domestic violence and sexual violence crimes is completely without merit. Of course there were bad effects. Luckily the league also has many good things going on generating good publicity and good will. Luckily for the NFL, among the large number of NFL players, very few have had these.

 

For every Roethlisberger, there's a Josh Allen. In fact, for every Roethlisberger there are a host of Josh Allens, Lamar Jacksons, Matt Staffords, Harrison Phillipses, Fred Jacksons, Lorenzo Alexanders, Brian Moormans, and on and on. It's not a mistake that the NFL spends so much time publicizing the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award nominees and winners. They are actively trying to mitigate the damage that guys like Desean Watson do to the NFL's image and brand. How many times do we hear, "considered the league's most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton ..." It's very prestigious, but it's not the most prestigious award. The Lombardi trophy, the MVP, there isn't a player who wouldn't trade those for a Walter Payton. But the NFL flacks that award like crazy. Specifically to give the idea that despite the Watsons and Henry Ruggses and Phillip Adams's, there are also a lot of really good guys out there. They're out there selling that award to fans desperately. But it's the Watsons and Rices and Ruggses who get the headlines and hurt the brand.

 

The Steelers suffered got less bad publicity than whatever team picks up Watson will get, because they could already say, "He's been with us for four years. We love the guy, we've developed a relationship. What we've seen" Much less blame-worthy than a team with no relationship with the guy bringing him in saying, "Yeah, we don't know him personally, I mean, we know he's probably a total perv but he is a good football player, so we're willing to accept any effects this has on the women of our city."

 

But we still see articles today speaking to the bad effects the Pittsburgh thing had. Here's one from the Guardian titled, "Roethlisberger was easy to admire as a quarterback, but not as a man."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/18/ben-roethlisberger-pittsburgh-steelers-quarterback-nfl-sexual-assault-allegations

 

[MJS]

8 hours ago, section122 said:

He will be on the Panthers by the start of the new league year.

 

Maybe the hiring of Flores pay immediate dividends for the Steelers? Giants and Lions as complete longshots.

 

Colts are out as they are in the division.

 

QB spots aren't as plentiful as they were just a week ago.

 

edit forgot about the Seahawks.  Imagine going from squeaky clean Russ to Deshaun lol

I hear the Panthers as a destination a lot, but why would Watson want to go there? He has a no trade clause and the Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild.

[Ray Stonada]

I am surprised no one mentions the Texans, as if this all happened to Watson in a vacuum.

 

Just before these cases came up the news was all about the team's questionable decisions. They refused to hire the general managers their consulting firm recommended. Cal McNair had to apologize for racial slurs against Asians at a golf tournament. His dad was quoted as we "can't have the inmates running the asylum" about players taking a knee. Bill O’Brien, their coach, was talking about DeAndre Hopkins having too many “baby mamas” and then traded him to Arizona for peanuts. J.J. Watt said he had lost the team. Just a blizzard of bad-sounding stuff. 

 

Then the Texans didn't hire Eric Bienemy, who Watson wanted, and he started to engineer a trade to the Dolphins. He was making them look incompetent, which they were. Then the cases pop up, all brought by the same very powerful Houston lawyer, Tony Buzbee. Very weird timing.

 

 

[GunnerBill]

3 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yeah, he'd be nuts not to settle. And yet if he'd been operating in his own best interest, he'd have done so long since.

 

He can't want these women to testify in open court. Some of them will be very believable. If he's smart, he'll settle and do it soon. But again, he hasn't been operating in his own best interests so far.

 

No, no the sensible play was to make sure you don't face criminal charges first and then settle the civil claims out of court. Because while it is never determinative you don't want to give a criminal prosecutor the additional line of argument in front if a jury that "this man is trying to use his power to make this go away and it is the act if a guiltt man."

I'd be surprised if settlement doesn't happen rather quickly now.... unless of course this really was a great conspiracy by a bitter Houston attorney from the start (which to be clear, I very much doubt) in which case my advice to him would be take this to trial and the evidence will collapse and you (Watson) will come out looking like the victim of a brutal hatchet job.

Edited March 12, 2022 by GunnerBill

[Doc Brown]

1 hour ago, Ray Stonada said:

I am surprised no one mentions the Texans, as if this all happened to Watson in a vacuum.

 

Then the Texans didn't hire Eric Bienemy, who Watson wanted, and he started to engineer a trade to the Dolphins. He was making them look incompetent, which they were. Then the cases pop up, all brought by the same very powerful Houston lawyer, Tony Buzbee. Very weird timing.

Yes.  The organization thought the prudent move would be to drive down Watson's enormous trade value by having a local lawyer convince all these women to file lawsuits against him alleging sexual misconduct, assault, etc...  Take the tin foil hat off please.

[eball]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

I hear the Panthers as a destination a lot, but why would Watson want to go there? He has a no trade clause and the Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild.

Why would he want to stay in the QB-heavy AFC? If he really wants to win an NFC destination is the answer. 

[Chandler#81]

Back in MY day, Dammit.

 

[simpleman]

5 hours ago, IronMaidenBills said:

People still watch the NFL and go to the games with other more shady characters that are currently employed. I sincerely doubt Watson is going to be what keeps ticket sales down. 

I mean after all, you are talking about modern day gladiator viewership. People in Rome watched murderers fight to the death for entertainment. Not that much big of a difference to be honest. 

Exactly.

Hey, he chose to pay to get lucky. Would I want him to date my daughter or sister? No. But do I hold his questionable sexual preferences against him? NO. This whole thing was about getting easy money out of him by exploiting his dubious preferences. The lawyer that organized this financial shakedown and the women that jumped in for the easy extra cash will all be happy to now take the money and run.

Few professional athletes are squeaky clean. He is just another typical self centered, entitled, arrogant jerk,  like some other very talented star QBs like Rogers. Now let's Play Football!

[ProcessTruster]

14 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

It's got to be Seattle right?

I'm thinking Carolina; with his Clemson roots, he'd be a fit for the fan base there and would sell tickets like crazy.  Fans there are very loyal to the college guys who play in that area.   Dolphins in second slot.   Seattle has the draft picks to offer for sure, tho.

[Ray Stonada]

6 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Yes.  The organization thought the prudent move would be to drive down Watson's enormous trade value by having a local lawyer convince all these women to file lawsuits against him alleging sexual misconduct, assault, etc...  Take the tin foil hat off please.

That’s the thing: they don’t make prudent moves. Trading away Hopkins for nothing? Alientating Watt and Watson, their other two stars? Why do you assume they are prudent professionals instead of the clown show they show every sign of being?

PS I don’t think Watson did nothing shady, but I hardly think he’s the only player—or coach or owner—who has. And most of them never face lawsuits by the dozen like this. Pretty sure a lawyer with an agenda could cook up a bunch of suits against Bob Kraft alleging that his touched masseurs’ hands with his… you understand.

[billsfan_34]

20 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Actually sexual assault is one of the least prosecuted crimes whoever is involved and that is because it is often, as in these cases, one person's word vs another, with no independant witnesses. 

OK cool 😊

[Saxum]

17 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

He's going to have to settle all the civil suits to make this all go away.

 

It could be 2M per hand*** but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do

 

That is a lot of handshakes.

[NoSaint]

12 hours ago, MJS said:

I hear the Panthers as a destination a lot, but why would Watson want to go there? He has a no trade clause and the Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild.

a) Watson IS the rebuild if you get him 

b) after all he’s been through, he might give consideration to things beyond just the absolute best roster today- he’s potentially a 10+ year piece

 

im not saying the panthers have anything particularly appealing but I guess as a Clemson guy maybe it could be a softer landing spot where he has some goodwill?

[Orlando Buffalo]

2 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

a) Watson IS the rebuild if you get him 

b) after all he’s been through, he might give consideration to things beyond just the absolute best roster today- he’s potentially a 10+ year piece

 

im not saying the panthers have anything particularly appealing but I guess as a Clemson guy maybe it could be a softer landing spot where he has some goodwill?

Charlotte to Clemson is like Buffalo and Syracuse, a lot of people love the get players from there. I would not be surprised if that is his preferred destination from a PR standpoint.

[Saxum]

17 hours ago, DrPJax said:

Our legal system is terrible, and I have seen many unbelievable things while testifying in malpractice cases as an expert ( facts get twisted or ignored and evidence can be disallowed etc)  and even in contract disputes from a business standpoint where corporations or individuals with money work the system against those who can’t afford to hire high paid representation, so all I am saying is where there is smoke etc!  I a sure the high morality NFL will have a place for this guy and he will continue to be enabled because of his ability to play football.  Just for a comparison , I wonder how many women Josh goes to for massage and how many suits will be filed against him for this type of behavior ?  Yeah , I am betting  it never happens because his pattern of behavior is the antithesis of this guy.   Good luck to the franchise getting him because behavior is a hard thing to change and good luck with the chance this never happens again.

 

New England with its owner seems to be perfect team for him.

 

 

[MJS]

39 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

a) Watson IS the rebuild if you get him 

b) after all he’s been through, he might give consideration to things beyond just the absolute best roster today- he’s potentially a 10+ year piece

 

im not saying the panthers have anything particularly appealing but I guess as a Clemson guy maybe it could be a softer landing spot where he has some goodwill?

The Clemson thing makes sense.

[BillsMafi$]

 

[SoTier]

On 3/11/2022 at 4:42 PM, DapperCam said:

I thought that you could indict a ham sandwich?

 

Apparently some ham sandwiches aren't quite as indictable as others.

[Bronxbomber21]

Watson traded to the Eagles