UPDATE: Watson Suspended 11 games and fined $5M

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unseenaz

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20 of the 24 women have apparently accepted proposed settlement terms. if the other 4 accept, will this quietly go away allowing watson to play?
 

SoonerLou

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Willing to bet the league told him either he settles or he'll be put on the exempt list. Which would still allow him to be suspended in 2023.

This allows for him to either play a few games at the end of the year or not have 2023 impacted.
 

RON_IN_OC

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Willing to bet the league told him either he settles or he'll be put on the exempt list. Which would still allow him to be suspended in 2023.

This allows for him to either play a few games at the end of the year or not have 2023 impacted.
He will have 2022 impacted, regardless of settling. If he doesn't settle, then yes, it could spill into 2023, because any trial wouldn't happen until after 2022 season.
 

SoonerLou

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He will have 2022 impacted, regardless of settling. If he doesn't settle, then yes, it could spill into 2023, because any trial wouldn't happen until after 2022 season.
Oh for sure. He's missing time this year. Just a question of if he plays in December or not. Otherwise he'll have to wait till 2023.
 

Jetstream Green

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The Browns are soooo stupid for giving him that contact. Might be the worst trade in NFL history.
I think that stupid arse contract is the only thing stopping the NFL from banning him from the league now. The Browns did a bonehead thing, but they also represent the NFL. If Watson was not a potential top five QB with the largest guaranteed contract being in a spotlight which the NFL cannot hide, but say a second string CB, the NFL would have already quietly kicked him out
 

Cbus cardsfan

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In Watson's defense, other than for PR purposes, why should he be suspended? He's not been convicted of any crime. In fact, 2 grand juries didn't indict him. Civil suits are money grabs.

I'm not saying he didn't do anything wrong, but the law and 2 grand juries say otherwise. If I was Houston, I would've played him last year. Was Robert Kraft suspended or punished? He was on video, and I believe, was actually charged. I can't remember anything happening to him.

Rapelisberger settled a civil lawsuit and I don't recall him being suspended.

What did Kareem Hunt get for throwing a haymaker and knocking out a women, 6 games? Also on video and much worse in my opinion.
 

TRW

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In Watson's defense, other than for PR purposes, why should he be suspended? He's not been convicted of any crime. In fact, 2 grand juries didn't indict him. Civil suits are money grabs.

I'm not saying he didn't do anything wrong, but the law and 2 grand juries say otherwise. If I was Houston, I would've played him last year. Was Robert Kraft suspended or punished? He was on video, and I believe, was actually charged. I can't remember anything happening to him.

Rapelisberger settled a civil lawsuit and I don't recall him being suspended.

What did Kareem Hunt get for throwing a haymaker and knocking out a women, 6 games? Also on video and much worse in my opinion.
With the number of accusers (so far) and the nature of the accusations it would be highly unlikely that the NFL would ignore the situation and not suspend him. It is reported that the league wants to suspend him for the entire upcoming season. My guess would be that he gets 8 games.

Grand Jury decision to not file criminal charges does not exonerate Watson, they simply didn't see enough evidence to go forward with a criminal trial.

Rothlisberger was originally to get a 6 game suspension but was reduced to 4 games, which he sat out.

Kraft was charged with a misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution and the charges were dropped. The NFL did not issue a punishment.

Hunt was suspended 8 games.
 

Russ Smith

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Note the NFL specifically said the settlements don't change their decision at all whether to suspend or not.

We know before he offered 100K per case so I think we can assume he wound up paying more than that.

Solis the person who went public first and went on tv did not settle. The lawyer said they're working on settling other cases too.

At this point I think he'll miss at least half the season, settling was probably the "right" move but it's going to be much harder to push a I didn't do anything wrong and I wasn't indicted defense when you've paid out several million dollars to over 20 women. I just think the NFL understands how bad it would look if they don't suspend him for at least part of the season.
 

splitsecond

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There are a lot of good points being raised in this thread.

I think 8 games makes sense. I think the Roethlisberger case is the best comparison, but I think Ben would have received 8 games if his transgression happened during current times.

The Kraft thing certainly throws somewhat of a wrench in that the NFL can do. Watson’s team will argue that the old white billionaire got preferential treatment in any appeal process. And do you really blame them?

It seems abundantly clear to me that one or both of the following is true about Watson: (1) he likely has some level of sexual addiction or dysfunction, and (2) somewhere along the line he grew to believe this behavior was normal and accepted. The sheer number of massage therapists he sought out screams psychological problems. That does not excuse his behavior, but no one seems to be talking about this. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child. Again, doesn’t make it OK but the psychology of this whole thing has bothered me since the total number of masseuses he sought out during that 17 month period became public. That number is far past normal and is a red flag for sex addiction or dysfunction.

As far as the grand jury, I would guess the issue with indictment was less about the jury’s perception of any moral culpability, and more about the fact that there really isn’t a law that covers this behavior other than solicitation of prostitution, which isn’t possible to charge here under the circumstances. Should there be some sort of catch all sexual misconduct charge to protect massage therapists and others? Probably. But I doubt one exists.

The sad reality is that Watson is likely far from the only person who engages in attempting to get extras from a massage. This is something that is probably taught in massage therapy school. Unfortunately men are what they are and often think they can get away with this behavior, and it is likely a tolerated hazard of the field (not saying it should be). But you don’t see Tony Buzbee recruiting clients at the massage parlors that are in damn near every strip mall in Mesa…
 

RON_IN_OC

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In Watson's defense, other than for PR purposes, why should he be suspended? He's not been convicted of any crime. In fact, 2 grand juries didn't indict him. Civil suits are money grabs.

I'm not saying he didn't do anything wrong, but the law and 2 grand juries say otherwise. If I was Houston, I would've played him last year. Was Robert Kraft suspended or punished? He was on video, and I believe, was actually charged. I can't remember anything happening to him.

Rapelisberger settled a civil lawsuit and I don't recall him being suspended.

What did Kareem Hunt get for throwing a haymaker and knocking out a women, 6 games? Also on video and much worse in my opinion.
Big Ben got suspended I think 6 games, then appealed down to 4. That was huge at the time...but now the league is different and I don't think Watson will get anything less than 8 games.
 

oaken1

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Man fellas this story just keeps getting jucier.
Texans are being sued because they knew all along what watson was doing and organizational security even protected him from one of the girls fighting back.
Apparently when the team massage therapists wouldnt play Thats when watson started looking for outside sources.

Tony Buzbee​


I screwed the link up im sure but you can google the lawsuit.

If the team knew and were complicit....

Seems to me the trade can be voided by the league and cleveland can get out of that contract....since they were the only ones negotiating in good faith.
 

Russ Smith

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So it turns out they're now saying there's at least 30 people who may end up filing complaints so even though he settled with most of them already, there's more waiting in the wings so to speak which is why the NFL is saying they reserve the right to change things because they know there's probably more complaints coming soon from more women.

The Texans were clearly in coverup mode they knew something was going on but it appears they were trying to get out the other end of it so they could trade him and Cleveland took the bait I guess.

And yes if you read the stories he was having sexual relations with at least 2 of the women that were working for the massage therapy company that contracted with the Texans. It sounds like he just decided hey if I can get 2 from that company how many more can I get if I go outside to non professionals. ESPN reported that the company that did the massages contacted the Texans and said he's being very dangerous, he's going to get Covid, and/or get in lots of legal trouble, you need to tell him if he needs a massage he should just go through us as contracted not go outside.

I go back to what Ryan Clark said when this story first broke. That is he knew several players in the league who were saying one of the big issues they were having with Covid is they had groupies in every city they played in and because of the lockdowns they couldn't do that and they were struggling with it. he suspected that was probably the case with Watson so DeShaun decided to replace groupies with massage therapists. His problem is somewhere along the way it appears he lost track of what consensual means, if you read the ESPN story the Houston police inspector said she was quite confident crimes had occurred they were very unhappy when the DA declined to press charges.

Honestly reading some of what's being said now I almost wonder if his career is over.
 

RON_IN_OC

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So it turns out they're now saying there's at least 30 people who may end up filing complaints so even though he settled with most of them already, there's more waiting in the wings so to speak which is why the NFL is saying they reserve the right to change things because they know there's probably more complaints coming soon from more women.

The Texans were clearly in coverup mode they knew something was going on but it appears they were trying to get out the other end of it so they could trade him and Cleveland took the bait I guess.

And yes if you read the stories he was having sexual relations with at least 2 of the women that were working for the massage therapy company that contracted with the Texans. It sounds like he just decided hey if I can get 2 from that company how many more can I get if I go outside to non professionals. ESPN reported that the company that did the massages contacted the Texans and said he's being very dangerous, he's going to get Covid, and/or get in lots of legal trouble, you need to tell him if he needs a massage he should just go through us as contracted not go outside.

I go back to what Ryan Clark said when this story first broke. That is he knew several players in the league who were saying one of the big issues they were having with Covid is they had groupies in every city they played in and because of the lockdowns they couldn't do that and they were struggling with it. he suspected that was probably the case with Watson so DeShaun decided to replace groupies with massage therapists. His problem is somewhere along the way it appears he lost track of what consensual means, if you read the ESPN story the Houston police inspector said she was quite confident crimes had occurred they were very unhappy when the DA declined to press charges.

Honestly reading some of what's being said now I almost wonder if his career is over.
I wouldn't be shocked.
 

Russ Smith

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Report out yesterday saying it's now possible he won't be suspended at all. It appears there's no negotiations going on right now and the NFL is possibly going to not suspend him. The adult son of one of the victims is on tape saying his mom was originally "positive" about her experience massaging him but later changed her mind, the son said he doesn't know why. It's believed that tape was presented to the NFL and the NFL is now seriously considering no suspension because they have concerns if they suspend him they will get sued by the players association.

The judge who's hearing all this apparently it's been confirmed through her office that the NFL presented no evidence of forced contact or violence and that it's possible the NFL is even asking her for no suspension.

Really weird case there's still no obvious explanation for why he had so many different massage therapists other than he was using them as a hookup. But it appears while the NFL is aware they're going to get huge backlash if he's not suspended, they're just as concerned they will have issues with the NFLPA if he IS suspended.
 

dreamcastrocks

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Report out yesterday saying it's now possible he won't be suspended at all. It appears there's no negotiations going on right now and the NFL is possibly going to not suspend him. The adult son of one of the victims is on tape saying his mom was originally "positive" about her experience massaging him but later changed her mind, the son said he doesn't know why. It's believed that tape was presented to the NFL and the NFL is now seriously considering no suspension because they have concerns if they suspend him they will get sued by the players association.

The judge who's hearing all this apparently it's been confirmed through her office that the NFL presented no evidence of forced contact or violence and that it's possible the NFL is even asking her for no suspension.

Really weird case there's still no obvious explanation for why he had so many different massage therapists other than he was using them as a hookup. But it appears while the NFL is aware they're going to get huge backlash if he's not suspended, they're just as concerned they will have issues with the NFLPA if he IS suspended.
That was my thought all along when saying that I doubt he gets suspended...
 
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