UPDATE: Watson Suspended 11 games and fined $5M

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Not standing for Watson but from a purely legal standpoint D-Hop has been proven to have taken a banned substance. Watson hasn't been convicted of anything.

Had he been convicted then an indefinite suspension with minimum 1 year would have been likely. Without a conviction 6 games was always likely. In fact past precedent was used to conclude 6 games based on what the NFL have handed out previously for allegations without conviction. 6 games is what Big Ben got (reduced to 4). Winston got 3. Pacman Jones got 6. I don't think anyone has ever had more than 6.

Relying on poor precedent results in continued crap accountability.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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Man that’s some heavy context

 

[Chris_Sanders]

So D-Hop gets the same punishment for a trace amount of a banned substance as a dude who raped a bunch of massage therapists. Cool.

Absolutely a joke.

 

[jmt]

Pathetic.

 

[Garthshort]

Roger has 3 days to appeal a longer suspension.

Either way, F the NFL.

Y?

 

[AustrianCardFan]

Say about Kyler all you want (and I have also critized him numerous times) but man, I am really glad that we "only" have to worry about leadership and questionable studying habits instead of this mess. I gotta be honest, I would have a very hard time rooting for the Cardinals if Watson was on our team.

I am also really wondering how all of this is perceived in the Browns locker room.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Say about Kyler all you want (and I have also critized him numerous times) but man, I am really glad that we "only" have to worry about leadership and questionable studying habits instead of this mess. I gotta be honest, I would have a very hard time rooting for the Cardinals if Watson was on our team.

Same.

 

[TRW]

Say about Kyler all you want (and I have also critized him numerous times) but man, I am really glad that we "only" have to worry about leadership and questionable studying habits instead of this mess. I gotta be honest, I would have a very hard time rooting for the Cardinals if Watson was on our team.

I am also really wondering how all of this is perceived in the Browns locker room.

Same

 

[BritCard]

Agreed! And the facts are that he is now the best paid player in the League, so that whole theatre last year didn't hurt him or "punish" him at all IMO.

He was paid $10.5m last year. He could have earned $40+m.

Im not crying for the guy but again it's a fact he probably lost 30m.

 

[AustrianCardFan]

He was paid $10.5m last year. He could have earned $40+m.

Im not crying for the guy but again it's a fact he probably lost 30m.

Ok and how does this qualify as a punishment? Did the league ever state that he was not allowed to play? Sorry but I just don't see a reason why you would consider last season.

 

[Russ Smith]

He was paid $10.5m last year. He could have earned $40+m.

Im not crying for the guy but again it's a fact he probably lost 30m.

They could have traded him to Cleveland at any time last year if they wanted to. The reason the trade didn't happen is nobody would touch him with a 10 foot pole at that time. so it didn't cost him a penny IMO because he was untradeable at that point.

 

[THESMEL]

Watson does not have my benefit of the doubt. Too many women - too long- it was a sick sexual game to him, as a predator with resources. I was a Browns fan prior to Cards coming to Phoenix, now they seem to willing to eat their own children for wins.

I never let Big Ben off the hook either - or the 2 off duty police officers who protected The pig while he took advantage of the young lady against her will. Both are on power trips and are very dangerous.

I don’t forgive Dhop for PED cheating either, I ain’t buying his excuses. Just don’t. I still consider myself a forgiving person. but don’t think he is or never will be honest about it. that is where real change starts to happens. Maybe he is in private? Who knows.

I retired from social work, in my career I case managed many sexual predators, I stopped a lot of crime before it happened. Others would refuse to serve these most difficult disgusting clients. But I always considered it the most valuable service to my community.

The cards player that still bugs me is Eric Greene, raped a transvestite in season, don’t know if he was in to that , or pissed when he found out? It was the cards Super Bowl season and he was our best corner. Very much missed on the field, as he shut down the likes Steve Smith regularly. others not so much, I think he defends Antonio brown catch to end the super bowl.

still think if we ran edge like we did when we won in the playoffs wouldn’t need a hero at the end, would of, could of. Should have. 10 freakin Carrie’s in the super bowl. Geesh

 

[RON_IN_OC]

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[Shane]

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Another full season? So 2023 as well?

 

[Jetstream Green]

Watson makes the NFL money by playing... the NFL is just a PR stint when they address moral/ethical issues

 

[BritCard]

They could have traded him to Cleveland at any time last year if they wanted to. The reason the trade didn't happen is nobody would touch him with a 10 foot pole at that time. so it didn't cost him a penny IMO because he was untradeable at that point.

He was untradeable because of the allegations. Therefor this "situation" cost him $30m last year. It's pretty simple.

 

[Russ Smith]

He was untradeable because of the allegations. Therefor this "situation" cost him $30m last year. It's pretty simple.

But you're acting like he was an innocent bystander here. it's very obvious that the NFL thinks he did something just like it's obvious Houston thought he did something and that's why they chose not to play him. So HIS actions cost him that money.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday who said how come all these women on my FB feed are mad about this guy Watson, she only follows Denver and not closely knew nothing about the case. I gave her the ESPN story on my phone and as soon as she got to the 65 women part she said "so he wanted happy endings if not more, something's clearly wrong."

There's just very few people either big NFL fans or not at all who are going to look at this situation and say poor Watson lost 30 million bucks.

 

[BritCard]

But you're acting like he was an innocent bystander here. it's very obvious that the NFL thinks he did something just like it's obvious Houston thought he did something and that's why they chose not to play him. So HIS actions cost him that money.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday who said how come all these women on my FB feed are mad about this guy Watson, she only follows Denver and not closely knew nothing about the case. I gave her the ESPN story on my phone and as soon as she got to the 65 women part she said "so he wanted happy endings if not more, something's clearly wrong."

There's just very few people either big NFL fans or not at all who are going to look at this situation and say poor Watson lost 30 million bucks.

I'm not acting like anything. I'm dealing in facts.

He hasn't been convicted of anything and never will. Victims can't have all the money AND all the justice.

Had they not taken the money and testified to the NFL he likely would have been banned for longer.

As it is he's been banned for 6 games for asking for sexual favours without threat or favour to 5 women and lost about $30m last year.

Everything else isn't a factor because they took the money.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'm not acting like anything. I'm dealing in facts.

He hasn't been convicted of anything and never will. Victims can't have all the money AND all the justice.

Had they not taken the money and testified to the NFL he likely would have been banned for longer.

As it is he's been banned for 6 games for asking for sexual favours without threat or favour to 5 women and lost about $30m last year.

Everything else isn't a factor because they took the money.

Him being suspended longer wasn't necessarily the justice they wanted. The state of Texas chose not to prosecute so they already felt like there wasn't going to be any justice. At that point I would have settled for money too, if he wasn't going to get criminal charges yeah I'm going to make him pay civilly.

I get that the NFL has rules and negotiated policies but I think they're being intentionally coy here it's pretty apparent to me that the suspension is likely because of the Covid restrictions he violated not the massages. The NFL asked for 1 year, the NFLPA asked for nothing, the arbitrator ruled 6 games and we were told it was because he violated league rules. I think that was their coy way of saying he violated Covid rules(at that time) and so we're going to suspend him for that.

I think people would be MUCH more angry if that were announced, we're not actually suspending him for the stuff with with the women.

 

[BritCard]

we're not actually suspending him for the stuff with with the women.

5 women.

I don't blame the women for taking the money but as soon as they did those cases were gone from a legal standpoint. But you want both. You say you don't blame the women for taking the money but at the same time want the NFL to further suspend Watson for those cases which no longer legally exist.

And yes, he might well have been suspended for breaking the covid rules because I can't imagine how it would break NFL policy for Watson to ask 5 women for a happy ending without threat or favor and for them to politely decline. They probably get asked 20 times a year. I imagine it's an occupational hazard of being a massage therapist that does home visits.

Everyone is free to think Watson is a douche bag. But legally there is nothing more they could realistically do than what they have done.

 

[Zalixar]

I'm not acting like anything. I'm dealing in facts.

He hasn't been convicted of anything and never will. Victims can't have all the money AND all the justice.

Had they not taken the money and testified to the NFL he likely would have been banned for longer.

As it is he's been banned for 6 games for asking for sexual favours without threat or favour to 5 women and lost about $30m last year.

Everything else isn't a factor because they took the money.

They take the money because justice is rarely given. Many SA survivors get nothing but trauma as their payment.

 

[BritCard]

They take the money because justice is rarely given. Many SA survivors get nothing but trauma as their payment.

Never said otherwise. Good on them. Still, can only have the money. Can't also have the justice.

 

[Russ Smith]

5 women.

I don't blame the women for taking the money but as soon as they did those cases were gone from a legal standpoint. But you want both. You say you don't blame the women for taking the money but at the same time want the NFL to further suspend Watson for those cases which no longer legally exist.

And yes, he might well have been suspended for breaking the covid rules because I can't imagine how it would break NFL policy for Watson to ask 5 women for a happy ending without threat or favor and for them to politely decline. They probably get asked 20 times a year. I imagine it's an occupational hazard of being a massage therapist that does home visits.

Everyone is free to think Watson is a douche bag. But legally there is nothing more they could realistically do than what they have done.

I don't get your point the legal standpoint ended when the state of Texas declined to indict him.

it's not like they chose money over an indictment.

The fact that the NFL asked for a full season suspension tells you they believe he did something wrong, he didn't just "ask" for happy endings, if that's all he did they wouldn't have asked for a full season suspension.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

The NFL’s opinion of women attacked/accosted/etc by its players is just pathetic and has been for some time. It evidences its opinion in how weakly it punishes those that perpetrate crimes against women.

This decision isn't from the NFL but from an independent judge. A female judge. Judge Sue L. Robinson.

The NFLPA already has said it will accept Judge Robinson’s decision, and the union has called on the league to do so as well. While it eventually may, the league has yet to reach a decision.

 

[BritCard]

I don't get your point the legal standpoint ended when the state of Texas declined to indict him.

it's not like they chose money over an indictment.

The fact that the NFL asked for a full season suspension tells you they believe he did something wrong, he didn't just "ask" for happy endings, if that's all he did they wouldn't have asked for a full season suspension.

They could have cooperated with the NFL, seen him suspended indefinitely and likely ruined his career and they sued him in civil court. They settled and signed NDA's instead. Which is fine, I'd likely do the same, but still those are now done. You can't expect the NFL to make decisions based on incidents that no longer legally exist.

The NFL asked for a full season suspension based on the overall weight of allegations against him, and even then it was likely a publicity stunt, because the Judge could only use the evidence in front of her and previous precedent on suspension.

Look at it this way.

If the whole story was "Watson asked 5 massage therapists for sexual favors" and the details said he asked nicely, they refused, he paid them and off they went. Would you be asking for even a 6 game suspension?