There is a precedent. Remember Russell Wilson’s interception in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks should have handed the ball off to Marshawn Lynch, the best player on the field. Instead they wanted Wilson to be the ‘face’ of the victory. Lynch? He’s as pretty as Al Sharpton.
Calvin Ridley a WR with the Atlanta Falcons was suspended for all of last year for gambling on football, supposedly he wagered $1500 total, yet the NFL encourages gambling allowing owners to take financial interests in companies like Draftkings and Fanduel..
The popularity of the NFL has a team located in Las Vegas, a large portion of their appeal is based on gambling, the league is totally hypocritical when it comes to passing out punishment.
Watson’s BIG problem:
Tony Buzbee
It’s all about image. The nfl has to protect its image.
Do you want to walk around with a team jersey on that has the name of a sex addict on the back? Do you want your sons to?
And then there is the Trevor Bauer case. MLB suspends him for two full years because of the accusations of one woman. Watson has had about 24 accusations thrown at him and we’re looking at a max of eight games. Doesn’t seem fair. But this is 2022.
Did he rape anyone? Seems to me he just showed some massage therapists his schlong. Al Gore did the same thing, and then groped her, and chased her around his hotel room. No conseqences at all professionally (Tipper left him). He is still on the board of mega-zillion$ NGOs earnings megubux.
Sadly, when they come into the NFL they get a training session from NFL security & legal during rookie camp about these kinds of threats & issues. They’re told they are now a target and given practical suggestions for staying out of trouble. Teams get updates every year in spring drills. Most teams have additional sessions from the team’s security people.
Some listen, some don’t.
Learn or burn.
“...Watson won’t get the kind of significant punishment that many had believed he’d experience...”
What’d he do?