Agreed, I don't think Watson's behavior meets that criteria either. Nor do I think this is something people should necessarily be arrested for, as there will always be gray area as to whether or not there was a consensual/transactional nature to these encounters. But it is predatory/sex-offender type behavior and he's way too big of a public figure/persona to be THIS rampant. If he mis-led investigators as to the extent, or he simply lied at any point in the deposition, THAT is now the grounds for legal action as well as possible voiding of his recent deal.
John M still thinks he is only going to get 6-8 games........at this rate if the NFL doesn't drop the hammer on him this will go on and on and the public will be pissed at 6-8 games. I agree this isn't something he would or should be arrested for but dam it does fit the profile of a sexual predator with some serious issues and that in itself should get at least a year. What if he came out today and said "I`m sorry", I need help and I want to settle with all these women whom I have wronged.......would that put him on a path to get some resemblance of his character back? at this rate I don't think he can salvage any credibility.....but this is the NFL were talking about, they don't give a dam about anything other then making $$$$$$$$$ Oh yea.....Thanks the LORD he isn't our problem anymore..........Thanks Cleveland!!!!
This situation is a "John's" nightmare. Sex workers teaming up with a scumbag lawyer. You're right, Watson can't ever get his character back. He is what he is which is a sex addict chasing his next sexual encounter. This story is devoid of honorable people. That includes the Texans staff who aided Watson.
That allegation sounds really far-fetched to me. If Watson was really paying the spa owner for that reason, why wouldn't she supply him women that are willing participants?
It seems like it is all a gamble hoping they can convince the league to not drop a significant suspension. If he had settled with everyone, all 66 women who he has supposedly had massages from over that time period (assuming kind of worst case here) and the average settlement was the $100k that was reported to be on the table that was almost agreed to, then he would have been out $6.6MM and whatever reputation damage he would have experienced. The league may have still suspended him but I think they would have felt good about that suspension being in the neighborhood of 4-6 games. But if the NFL drops the hammer and suspends him for more than 1 year, the loss in salary will FAR outweigh the $6.6MM in settlement costs. And I have no idea how much he will end up paying Rusty Hardin's team by the end of this but it won't be minor. Plus this has stretched on long enough that his reputation feels unsalvageable, so I would imagine he can kiss goodbye the hopes of every getting any product sponsorship again (outside of maybe Astroglide). If the league still only suspends him for 6-8 games, he may end up with less money out-of-pocket than settling, but it is definitely a gamble, and the press coverage and general public outrage may be enough to influence the league to hit him with more than just the 6-8 games.
What's harder to believe is that some INCREDIBLY STUPID people actually think it was the TEXANS that got robbed in the deal!
If Watson used logic and common sense he wouldn't have an entire baseball roster of women claiming he sexually assaulted them.
It's crazy to have two dozen women claim that a man sexually assaulted them and bury your head in the sand - but here we are.
Tony Buzbee feels "duped" by news of regular contact between prosecutors and Deshaun Watson's lawyer - ProFootballTalk
Isn't the NFLPA cap on suspensions 6 games? If they go over that threshold the lawyers will come out of the woodwork.
There’s an important caveat. While the Commissioner has the power to “overturn, reduce, modify or increase the discipline previously issued,” the Commissioner cannot alter a decision to not discipline the player at all. The league office has indeed confirmed that, if the Disciplinary Officer finds that there should be no discipline at all, the case is over. ... Thus, the Commissioner continues to have full and final say over all discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy. The Commissioner’s powers become short-circuited only if/when the Disciplinary Officer concludes that the player should experience no discipline. If any discipline is imposed, the Commissioner can change it in any way that he wants. With no appeal rights beyond that. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...ing-discipline-under-personal-conduct-policy/ More stuff in the article.
Since the beginning of the story, I think most believe that there are several categories of women. There are women that nothing inappropriate happened to. There are women who wanted to bang. There were women who wanted to bang for money. Then there's the stuff where the women didn't want to bang and he wanted to bang. Maybe he convinced some and then they had regrets. Maybe he didn't convince some and way crossed the line. There's definitely a power dynamic problem, but whether that rises to civil liability or not is the issue. And there is one that said he raped her, but I don't think that one is credible because two grand juries declined. He probably got off on getting his butt fingered by some women who didn't like it, and then pulling moves on them in hopes of taking it further. At what point are the moves he did inappropriate (mostly all), illegal (maybe some), and assault. What details the jury believes will go along way in determining liability. He's definitely in the Louis CK and Pee Wee Herman category of fetishes.
Hard to see him not getting punished in some way, shape, or form at this point. The trick is going to be when that happens and if the NFL allows him to play up to that point. Imagine being a Browns fan with him being forced to sit out 2022-23 (paid, but sitting) and then getting popped with a big fat suspension.
