DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Deshawn Watson News

First, the league will probably state that they investigated Houston's role while investigating Watson.

Second, how would anyone prove Houston was aware of sexual misconduct?
DeShaun: "Yo, I need some place off-site to get massages. Don't feel like going somewhere where a bunch of other people are getting treated during Covid. Also, since it won't be here, hook me up with an NDA so no one tries to railroad me."

Third, I think it's hilarious that many of the same people that insist DeShaun did nothing wrong want Houston nailed to the wall. For what, exactly?? lmao.

That was my point earlier. The NFL has been investigating Watson for a long time and they still have not concluded the proceedings. The suit against the Texans was a recent announcement and insiders like Shefty are saying that the NFL is done w/investigating the Texans and they did not do anything wrong. It's more bias and inequitable treatment in regards to owners vs players.

I think it's hilarious that many of the same people that insist that Houston did nothing wrong want Watson nailed to the wall.

Name one.

For the record, I really don't want to see Houston punished. I'm not a person who is obsessed w/punishing others. Who is really going to be hurt if Watson or the Texans are punished? The fan base of Houston if the team loses draft picks. The fan base of Cleveland if Watson can't play. Both the Texans and Watson are set financially for life.

My reason for pointing out the NFL not going after Watson is to highlight how the league is biased and unfair when making decisions on how to follow their own Personal Conduct Policy. Treatment of those who violate the policy should be treated equitably. I thought that was something Americans stood for? Maybe not?

For my own part in the conversation, I never said Watson did nothing wrong. I do want to know what he did.

The NFL wants to set down an unprecedented punishment under some fairly dubious circumstances. If that ends up being appropriate to what Watson actually did, then I'm totally in favor.

Compare their stance to Watson (unprecedented punishment) to their handling of the Texans (nothing to see here, pay no attention to what NYT said... except for the Watson stuff). They've been investigating Watson since March (and likely earlier since the allegations started percolating). The part about Texans enabling came out like a month ago and they've already cleared the team? Obviously, thats a load of crap.

Now, what happens to the Texans doesn't really change Watson's and the Brown's situation. They are on the hook for their roles that they played. But if this conduct policy is STILL a joke, then screw it. Let Watson play and give him all the money. Punishing bad behavior but turning a blind eye to the enabling behind it is ridiculous.

There are none. Once again you have people believing a media report. The accusations against the Texans are fairly new. But since some reporter heard the NFL is done investigating the Texans it must be true and the outrage begins. It has taken many months for the NFL to investigate watson. A much longer time period than it has been since the news about the Texans involvement has come to light. Stay tuned....

Mostly j/c... although Oob stated as fact and Pit did as much by saying "recent " above...

Why is everyone so quick to assume that since the Texans news broke in the media recently, that the NFL had no idea 'til they saw it on ESPN??

The NFL has been investigating for over a year, I'm quite certain they ran across the fact that NDAs were being used, and probably provided by the Texans, looong before our beloved media stuffed it in our faces.

Everyone acting like the league just found out last week, and Rog waved his pimp hand and told everyone to brush it under the rug.

Exactly, who's to say with total confidence that the Texans have been left off the hook? The vast majority of the above posts are upset because the Texans are allegedly being unpunished in the Watson saga yet those same people want Watson to receive no punishment for his part. The Texans were drawn into this freaking mess by the actions of Watson. They certainly appear to have guilt in their part and should be dealt with and eventually might but it doesn't change the fact that the main tumor, the cancer that has brought this all on any numerous people is Watson. You can't have the Texans guilty of anything and say Watson is innocent. IMHO, the Texans statement says it all when they say they are wanted to "settle out "amicably" in a stance against "any form of sexual assault and misconduct."

In a case where now 30 women have been identified as having alleged sexual misconduct and/or sexual abuse thrust upon them by Watson in a level of misconduct that is so extreme that it dwarfs the comparisons of any precedent case to such an unprecedented level the NFL has ever witnessed. Now, the Texans have basically corroborated these facts without admitting guilt on their part in a case the NFL has never witnessed at this type of level in its history. The Texans should absolutely be punished for their part in this but let's not forget that the king pin, the person that has created this all on his own is Watson and he should be dealt with accordingly no matter what.

Not to mention, that's 30 out of 66 known over a 17-month period. I can easily imagine that number is much higher, and they either wouldn't come forward or just haven't yet.

So from my understanding...the thought towards the NFL should go after the Texas was over Salary cap violations...because if those "hotel rooms" were not a part of Watson's contract then that is extra money that is not being counted. They settled it isn't an admission of fault...it is a business decision. One that is made daily by businesses all over the country...Anything else would be extremely hard to prove (as it pertains to the NFL)

Now I am just going to play devils advocate here...Mr. Conspiracy.....Just throwing it out there....

Buzbee only goes for cases that will make him tens of millions of dollars....You can read articles about him saying that very thing...in fact he brags about it...How much money do you really think he could get out of this case against Watson? For him to make the money he is used to...Watson would practically have to hand over half or more of his guaranteed salary...Do you really think this is 100+ million dollar case that he would have to have awarded for him to get paid. In fact his firm denied Solis when she first went to him...Sure he could be doing this for almost pro bono or because he is altruistic as some on this board would like you to think...But everything I have ever read about the guy would suggest he is the type of lawyer that gives lawyers a bad name. Even if he is good at his job...

OK that sets the table...So Solis was originally turned away by his firm...Then Watson has a tiff with the Texans...Watson calls McNair a racist...He says he isn't going to play another game for Houston....and this messes with McNair's PR and more importantly his pocketbook. I mean who is going to watch Houston Play in this situation as the public would be on the side of their Golden Boy(who was considered an angel at this time)....Then all of a sudden...Buzbee is on board and there is speculation that McNair and Buzbee are friends....neighbors....Buzbee says he doesn't even know who McNair is...But we will get back to that...The point is now all the legal troubles start for Watson...

As the saying goes...follow the money...now who is going to have more money...Watson, or the Texans??? So having them a part of the lawsuit is not surprising...

Buzbee says he does not know who McNair is....This is practically impossible. Buzbee runs for mayor of Houston and doesn't even know one of the most powerful persons in the State of Texas? A person he would have to do business with as mayor and McNair owning the Texans...I am sorry, I don't buy it. Buzbee may be a scumbag..but he isn't stupid.

We know Buzbee has political aspirations...taking Watson in high profile fashion would be a big feather in his cap as it is such an emotionally charged situation. Could a quick settlement by the Texans be considered payment to Buzbee for "handling" a problem for McNair???(told you it was conspiracy...lol) Could it have been set up ahead of time??? Could Buzbee taking a case, that is so far below his usual monetary standard, be because McNair will back him in another political bid??? Why is it that Buzbee is the ONLY lawyer taking these cases...you think all of these women can afford his legal fees???? These would be somethings to keep an eye on...

See it is easy to make accusations without proof...That is a comment toward society and our board members and not about the women in this case....The above COULD have happened..It isn't that crazy...But how many of you have even considered the above? While at the same time condemning or exonerating Watson??? I just don't get why you have to draw a line in the sand NOW(or months ago) There is so much wrong with this case and so much closed minded behavior in how we are dealing with it..both on this board and as a society...

We don't know ... Either way. Either hypothetical is as likely I suppose ...

What I will say, in response to your first paragraph and how you framed the discussion about Houston settling ..... We've heard for weeks how DW settling was no admission of guilt and can't be viewed unfavorably, but I constantly see those same posters frame the HOU settlement as if somehow it IS dodgey and casts a shadow over the organization .... Funny that don't you think ?

I agree w/you that the Texans settling the cases isn't an admission of guilt, just like it wasn't an admission of guilt when Watson settled. Or when anyone settles, for that matter. My issue is that once again it appears the NFL is not treating the owners/teams in the same manner as they are treating the players. Now, we do have Baker fans defending the Texans and the NFL while lambasting the Browns and Watson, but that is just sour grapes. I maintain that if you are going to have a Personal Conduct Policy, you should follow it no matter who violates it and treat each group equally while evaluating their case.

One more thing.........I've heard Stephen A Smith and some others talking about how it is wrong for the NFL to act like a legal system and handle their own investigations and hand out punishment because they are NOT the legal system. This policy of punishing people who have not been charged or convicted of actual crimes reeks of unfairness that go against the laws of our land. To compound the problem, it is extremely obvious that the NFL's decisions for owners and players who have allegedly violated the conditions set up in the policy reeks of bias and extreme prejudice in favor of the owners.

LIke I mentioned....I don't understand those drawing a line in the sand with alleged information...and settlements don't tell us anything...I have seen too many slam dunk cases for the defendant settled because it costs less for the Business in both money and PR than to fight to know that a settlement doesn't have to mean there was guilt involved...So I won't imply either guilt or innocence based on settlements...just me...

I really haven't seen many people implying guilt or innocence based on the settlements. OCD did say that Watson settling implied guilt. Maybe Flo? No one on the other side.

The issue isn't about the settlements, it's about the biased rulings of the NFL when it comes to owners vs players when they are accused of violating the terms of the Personal Conduct Policy.

j/c:

I feel like this could be the week when we hear from Robinson.

How in the hell can anyone answer that? Well, I guess if you are looking through the lens of 'right now' and basing your decision on the transaction vs the suspension one can, but that seems short-sighted as far as the overall trade is concerned. I'm guessing Watson will be on this team for several seasons. I'm more interested attempting to address a question like this well down the road when it seems more reasonable to do so.

I don't think so. Acquiring a top-tier qb is extremely hard to do if you don't draft him. Heck, it's hard to evaluate college qbs and it's hard to draft one. Acquiring a proven top-tier qb is even harder. Brady went to TB after he became a FA. The Rams gave up a haul for Stafford. Denver did the same for Russ. Both guys are older. Watson is actually younger than Baker. Even if Watson is suspended for the year, the Browns could have him at QB for the next decade. The Browns gave up a lot for Watson, but other teams agreed to the same trade conditions. I think the Browns were smart to make the move because they are likely to have one of the best qbs in the league lining up under center for a long, long time.

My conspiracy theory was just thrown out as an exercise in looking from another perspective or at another angle... not to exonerate Watson...not to condemn the Texans...or anyone really...But it appears I am not the only one to consider it...LOL For me, it was to point out how we can make suppositions, assumptions and draw lines in the sand on bad, unconfirmed, alleged information. We seem to try to make things Black or White when a situation is grey...And we don't even know how grey it is...we only have speculation. So I cringe at people calling Watson "Rapey" just as much as I do with those that completely exonerate him...

As a Browns fan, I HOPE he is exonerated...That would mean that one, he can play football for the Browns...And MOST IMPORTANTLY...that a sexual assault did not (or I should say, most likely did not) occur. Isn't that what we all should be hoping for??? That a sexual assault did not happen. Isn't it a better world in that scenario? But instead, I see people trying to frame this in any way for the opposite to be true. This is why I am trying to stay neutral...I want to see how grey things actually are...because no matter how much we want...it will NEVER be revealed in a Black or White context.

People have to make decisions with bad information...Generals, Global leaders, etc....But we are none of those things. We have the luxury of time to get better information. And no one's life is at stake (aside from maybe Watson's with the stigma that will be forever attached to him)I don't see the need to be firmly on one side or the other and really like the discussions we have where there is no "judgment" or "emotion" associated and we are just speculating on what MIGHT happen...

I don't think so. We wanted a upgrade at QB and got one. We knew there would be some flack and possible suspension. As for the price, that seems like a going rate to me.

We have already paid one of those 1st rounder s and seem to have had a good draft, so I don't think the loss of the 1st rounder hurt anything for this year, but any weakening probably won't be felt for 3-4 years from now...if that happens. To counter that, I would expect we will be fairly active in free agency as the cap increases.

But again, no, we weren't suckers as much as you might hope for that. We weighed everything and decided it was a good deal. I agree.

Fate,
It very well could be the case that the Texans were under investigation this whole time. That was not my assumption, though (this is me saying take it FWIW). We've known about what the NFL was doing regarding Watson just about every step of the way by way of announcements (official/public and otherwise). We haven't heard bupkus about anything regarding the Texans except for the Times article and then the "nothing to see here" statement by the NFL from this past Friday.

I said it before in an earlier post, but there are so few actual facts that are public you won't be able to paint a picture without engaging your brain to connect some of the dots. Plus, this is the NFL we're talking about here. Their discipline process making some sense would be the most surprising thing.

steve,
The NFL was the one who's letting the Texans off the hook when they said they didn't find anything in their investigation.


I was really annoyed at the news from Friday (probably more than I should've been). I stand behind (most of) what I said and if I have to eat crow later then so be it.

I'm still going with the week of 7/25.

My message to Judge Robinson...

j/c:

One thing that I noticed is that more and more Browns fans are getting fed up w/the NFL and are supporting Watson. Read the comments after some of the articles and videos that are being released. While some in the media are telling us about how some fans are leaving....and I am sure that is correct.......more and more are talking about "free Watson," "money-grabbing," and how the NFL's stance on discipline sucks!

That seems to be the prevailing line of thought when this will go down.

So, this question is for everyone: If you were Watson, what's the magic number that you would agree to or would you hold out hope for zero games?

I don't know why, but I don't see an odd number of games being targeted. That probably makes no sense, but I just have that feeling. If I were Watson, I would settle if it were 2 games. I would strongly consider it if they offered 4 games. Anything more, and I would fight w/vigor.

I find the idea that the person that is new to the job of dealing with player punishment is could be looking to punt on the first go a little disturbing.

Get in there and put your stamp on the job.

I've been saying this all along. Even when some said the idea was ludicrous.

mac...I am glad you looked and found the Florio article...I am not saying I believe my story...I made a lot of jumps in suppositions and large assumptions...just want to make that clear...like I said it is a bit conspiratorial...lol...But I wanted to illustrate how close minded we are being by not even considering other scenarios....But again...glad you looked into it!!! (you actually found more than I was expecting and or knew of...LOL)

In theory yes, it could have been a set up...in theory, yes all of the women could be lying, In theory, yes, there could be misunderstandings as some of these women were not professional sports therapists....In theory, yes, Watson could have been using massage therapists in place of prostitution...In theory, yes, Watson could have done every single nasty thing that has been said...

But hearing just one side by a biased media with an agenda doesn't make ANY of those theories FACT no matter how much we hear it. (it is one reason why I am highly anticipating Robinson's written opinion being the first person to neutrally hear both sides)

One thing about the Houston Fans ok with the trade(which you mentioned)...remember this attitude towards Watson is AFTER the legal troubles started and public opinion war was being won by legal representation...before the legal troubles...they were a bit confused that this "saint" as he was seen as then...would be calling his owner a racist and declaring not to play another game for him...there were many on Watson's side at that point...

I don't know if the settlements will have ANY effect on Robinson's ruling as it was not evidence presented in the hearing. And I don't know how much power it will have in the civil cases, although I do expect Buzbee will try to use it to his advantage...I think it is a relative unknown...It comes down to the jury (if it goes that far)...If I am on the jury...I would think it pretty weak(the settlements that is) and I have discussed why....But I won't be on the jury...It is one of those things that can go either way...

It was done to attack and undermine Buzzbee who was awarded Attorney of the year in Texas some years ago. Who has sued major corporations with much success for their wrong doing. This is being done in order to make it sound as if justice isn't why these women sued watson and that Buzzbee and the women are underhanded and only out for a money grab.

It isn't some new or untested conspiracy theory. It's an underhanded tactic that's been being used since day one in all of this.