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Deshaun Watson allegations keep piling up without a word from the NFL (Nobody has been protected by the NFL like this)
SBNation ^ | Jun 9, 2022 | James Dator

Posted on 06/09/2022 3:06:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway

An NFL player is in the middle of one of the largest controversies the league has ever seen, and the silence from key figures has never been more noticeable. New allegations against Deshaun Watson are coming in, and a lawsuit against the quarterback has now expanded to include the Houston Texans, but you’d never know anything was happening if you only paid attention to the NFL directly or the Cleveland Browns.

On May 24, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league’s investigation into Watson was winding down. As recently as last week it was reported that the league had completed its probe. Now there’s seemingly no end in sight, even though the NFL has reportedly been investigating Watson for the last 15 months.

Throughout this process the NFL has held the line that it won’t comment on an ongoing investigation. This is fair for something that would last a few months, but this has been dragging on for well over a year. How much more time is needed? Surely the NFL has learned enough to give a process update, or issue preliminary findings — even if more allegations roll in. As it stands the avoidance feels like an attempt by the league to shield Watson and the teams involved from scrutiny, rather than find the truth — which is the entire point of an investigation in the first place.

Deshaun Watson found the perfect team that doesn’t care about the allegations against him In the last two weeks we’ve seen two fresh accusations on HBO’s Real Sports. The New York Times published a wide-ranging and detailed investigation of their own into Watson’s actions. Still, the NFL remains silent. Watson has made his Twitter account private, the Browns refuse to comment on the issue — kicking the can down the road to the NFL — and where the buck stops with Goodell and the league office, nobody is willing to talk.

This is absolutely unacceptable. Fans deserve answers with the start of the NFL season around the corner. The buying power, not just of Browns fans but around the league, helps protect, pay, and shield Watson from scrutiny — because that’s the system established around the quarterback. Every person asked simply passes the buck, and the public doesn’t really knows where it stops; the Browns refer to Goodell, Goodell refers to the disciplinary committee, and the committee is silent.

The behavior around Watson is not normal. This is not how investigations have been handled in the past. Calvin Ridley was suspended for a whole season for gambling $1,500 after a four month period. The league’s investigation into domestic violence allegations against Greg Hardy lasted two months in 2015. The Ray Rice scandal lasted seven months.

Three major NFL investigations combined took less time than has been devoted to Watson. It feels like the league wants to drag this out as long as possible so Watson can take the field for Cleveland this fall, and none of this makes any sense. Rice was suspended indefinitely, pending the league’s investigation. Hardy was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, once again pending investigation.

Watson has been allowed to participate, as normal, in all football activities for the last 15 months. A trade market was allowed to take place. The Browns were allowed to make him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, and shield Watson from financial harm from a possible suspension by reducing his 2022 salary and paying him more on the back end.

There has never been wider, more ranging allegations against a player. More than two dozen women have now come forward accusing Watson of sexual assault or harassment. It’s unclear why players like Rice and Hardy were suspended pending investigation, while the only punishment Watson has faced is being pressured into hiding his Twitter account.

Keep in mind, Watson’s treatment also goes against the league’s own personal conduct policy. Internal NFL documents clearly show that players who are being investigated by the NFL will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list pending the completion of the investigation — which Watson never was.

If we read between the lines it seems the NFL is saying that despite having an investigation that concluded a week ago, at no point did the league find “credible evidence” that a violation of the personal conduct policy occurred by Watson. If they did, then the exempt list should have been triggered. Again, from the NFL’s own policy:

“The NFL will follow a fair and predictable process for investigating the incident and ultimately taking disciplinary action if a violation has occurred.”

Has the Watson investigation been fair? No, because numerous accusers say the NFL never contacted them.

Has the Watson investigation been predictable? No, because he has received special treatment based on past investigative processes.

We are now in early June, with the schedule released, training camp to take place soon, and as it stands a man accused of sexually harassing and assaulting over 20 women will take to the field like nothing ever happened. This has been a colossal failure by the NFL. It feels intentional to shield Watson and the Browns while hoping the public forgets, while devoting unparalleled time to the process with zero indication of findings or progression.

The NFL should be ashamed, but that requires an entity of being capable of change. Now it’s time for fans and sponsors to demand answers. This has gone on long enough.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Sports
KEYWORDS: browns; cleveland; deshaunwatson; football; houston; nationalfelonleague; nfl; sexualassault; texans
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To: nickcarraway

Touche’...you got me there!


21 posted on 06/09/2022 4:08:15 PM PDT by woweeitsme
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To: nickcarraway

No one cares, I haven’t watched a game in 35 or more years. Oh I started to watch again then they took the knee. So goid-bye


22 posted on 06/09/2022 4:09:22 PM PDT by stockpirate (Where Justice Ends Tyranny Begins...Repression Breeds Violence)
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To: nickcarraway

Ok the idea that the Ravens are a “status team” is completely laughable. And you include the Pats in that ridiculous list completely forgetting deflate gate. There are no status teams. I actually think the 2 game suspension was fine, nobody ever bothers to do schedule math on suspensions, they call 2 game NFL suspensions short and 20 game MLB suspensions long and they’re actually identical. 1/8 of the season is a good suspension.

Part of the problem with the Watson situation is that it’s constantly evolving. This time last year it was 20 odd women. By the end of the season it was 50+ now it’s 66. If they’d suspended him at 23 would they have to increase it at 53? More at 66? Or is he punished already?

And let’s keep in mind they’ve gotten in trouble in the past for overreacting. Pacman Jones got suspended often for incidents and then NONE of those even resulted in charges, forget convictions. Punish first hasn’t really worked out for them.

The only thing I’d really fault the league for is silence. What they should have done last year when it became clear this thing complicated and evolving they should have announced that this was wait and see. Yes they would be investigating but the situation is changing too regularly and quickly for them to act until they truly have a scope. Which might not be quick.

Everybody acting like it’s already done and Watson won’t get punished is jumping the gun. This ain’t done. And it ain’t gonna be. Not this year. Let it play out. That’s the smart move


23 posted on 06/09/2022 4:10:43 PM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: nickcarraway

Why would a young woman, who has no license, go up to a naked guy’s hotel room to give him a massage? It seems to me she would be very likely be mistaken to be in another business.


24 posted on 06/09/2022 4:13:40 PM PDT by alternatives? (The only reason to have an army is to defend your borders.)
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To: discostu
And you include the Pats in that ridiculous list completely forgetting deflate gate.

You must not be informed, if you don't know about "Deflategate," which proved the Pats status.

Even Kraft was okay with the Deflategate punishment - for a reason.

In 2007, Goodell destroyed all the evidence and gave the Pats a slap on the wrist over their video cheating - which made a lot of NFL owners angry.

When the Deflategate incident happened. Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, got a group of owners together. They made it clear that if Goodell refused to take strong action against the Pats again, those owners had enough votes to out or not renew Goodell. There was a lot of intense anger against Goodell.

So. Goodell had no choice to, but to do something, and of course, Kraft realized it was better to give on this, rather than loose his asset.

Brady wanted to challenge the punishment, but Kraft told him he had to take it, for the good of the team.

25 posted on 06/09/2022 4:22:08 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

My take is that Goodell is Lucy, Watson’s the football, and the Browns are about to be Charlie Brown!


26 posted on 06/09/2022 4:24:25 PM PDT by parmamenian (and so it goes!)
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To: discostu
Everybody acting like it’s already done and Watson won’t get punished is jumping the gun.

He will get punished, it will just be a slap on the wrist. He isn't being treated like other players.

Ezekiel Elliot was suspended 6 games for hitting his girlfriend, even though the NFL's own female investigator said he was not guilty.

Calvin Ridley was suspended "indefinitely" for making a $14,000 bet. And the investigation was immediate. You think making a single bet is worse than what Watson is accused of?

The NFL has goe out of it's way not to investigate, for example not interviewing the victims.

27 posted on 06/09/2022 4:28:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: parmamenian

You must not be paying attention. Goodell is Mr. Magoo.


28 posted on 06/09/2022 4:28:44 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

I’m a Browns fan...just anticipating the next QB disaster. It will happen!


29 posted on 06/09/2022 4:40:01 PM PDT by parmamenian (and so it goes!)
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To: nickcarraway

Let’s face it, the Deflategate punishment was really for letting the world find out the league’s pregame handling procedures were idiotic. If they’d had real procedures, like every layer of college football, it could have never happened.


30 posted on 06/09/2022 4:40:35 PM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: nickcarraway

Ezekial Elliot proves exactly why the league is being hesitant. It seems unlikely at this point but what happens if they do punish Watson and everybody recants? Going fast has done the league no favors.

And within a sport gambling is ALWAYS worse. That’s the crime that attacks the integrity of the sport, and with it all the money. It’s self serving sure, but that’s what the rules are for, to serve the sport.


31 posted on 06/09/2022 4:44:45 PM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: nickcarraway

“The NFL should be ashamed”

Take a knee. Oh that’s right. Ug ug. We’ll be right back after this message
We’ll be right back
We’ll be right back
We’ll be right back

Dead.


32 posted on 06/09/2022 4:55:18 PM PDT by Varsity Flight ( "War by the prophesies set before you." I Timothy 1:18)
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To: nickcarraway
well he's black...protected...can't say anything about him.....

but the Tebow guy...disgraceful.....

33 posted on 06/09/2022 5:02:49 PM PDT by cherry (;)
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To: nickcarraway

Hmmm, A member of the National Felon League is suspected of committing criminal acts?

In other NEWS today, Police found 2 dogs Barking in their yard


34 posted on 06/09/2022 6:10:27 PM PDT by eyeamok (founded in cynicism, wrapped in sarcasm)
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To: kjam22

What did he do?


35 posted on 06/09/2022 6:13:55 PM PDT by Chickensoup ( Leftists totalitarian fascists are eradicating conservatives)
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To: nickcarraway

Yeah…since February.


36 posted on 06/09/2022 6:44:29 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: nickcarraway

Video cheating. You must be a jets fan.

The difference between what the Pats did and every other team…they filmed from the field. Six inches up a stair, and it would have been legal.

Bunch of sour grapes morons who listen to sports talk radio.


37 posted on 06/09/2022 6:47:27 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: nickcarraway

That article sure is dragging out what he is being investigated about! All the paragraphs posted did not describe what!


38 posted on 06/09/2022 7:00:58 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: discostu

“Everybody acting like it’s already done and Watson won’t get punished is jumping the gun. This ain’t done. And it ain’t gonna be. Not this year. Let it play out. That’s the smart move”

Now just what do you think you’re doing asking for patience and common sense? #:/)


39 posted on 06/09/2022 7:23:33 PM PDT by oldvirginian (The CCP is the world's largest criminal organization. The FBI is the second largest.)
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