1:02pm: If Robinson does hand Watson a six- or eight-game suspension, the NFL’s patience might be tested. Refuting the AP’s report, Cabot notes the NFL would not accept such a ban if that was Robinson’s decision. A league appeal would follow. Considering the consistency associated with the NFL’s punishment aim — a year-long suspension or an indefinite ban that covers all of the 2022 season — it is not surprising the league would use an appeal to secure it. This hearing may last into Thursday night, Cabot adds.
9:31am: The Deshaun Watson hearing will continue Wednesday in Delaware, and Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes it could drag into Thursday. While a decision from disciplinary officer Sue Robinson is expected this week, post-hearing measures could further extend this drawn-out process.
An appeal from either the NFL or NFLPA would move this well into July, but the league is aiming to avoid such a move, according to The Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi (on Twitter). This could mean accepting a Watson punishment lighter than the NFL’s targeted year-long ban.
The league has the back-pocket tool of Roger Goodell (or someone the commissioner chooses) presiding over an appeal, which would enable the NFL to ultimately achieve its desired punishment goal. But the league would prefer to abide by Robinson’s decision, even if it means Watson is banned for only six or eight games, Maaddi adds.
Given how long the Watson saga has been a headache for the league and considering the combination of reports and additional accusations to emerge after the quarterback’s 2022 trade to the Browns, a six- or eight-game suspension might not be viewed as sufficient. But a ban that allows Watson to play in the season’s second half appears on the table, though it is not known if Robinson will be on board with a compromise that appeases the NFLPA.
The NFL leaking its desire to not appeal could be perceived as a tactic to prompt Robinson to impose some form discipline, rather than deeming Watson did not violate the personal conduct policy at all (which would negate an NFL appeal effort), Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers, noting the league could then appeal. Members of the league office have voiced opinions Watson should not be allowed to play until at least 2023, Florio adds.
That said, if Robinson agrees with the NFL that Watson should not be permitted to play in 2022, Cabot adds the NFLPA will appeal. The NFL, which interviewed 11 of Watson’s accusers and spoke with women who did not file suit against him, views Watson’s behavior during massage sessions as a “disturbing pattern,” Cabot notes. A New York Times report earlier this month indicated Watson received massages from at least 66 women from fall 2019 to spring 2021. Nearly 30 have accused him of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault, with the Texans now being hit with suits. Although two grand juries did not indict the Pro Bowl QB, the NFL’s personal conduct policy does not require charges for suspensions to commence.
The best punishment is that when this guy is able to play again after his lengthy but probably too short suspension is he has to play for the browns, in Cleveland. He deserves it
I’d play for the Cleveland Browns for 230 million.
I’d play for the Browns for 23 even 2.3 million.
Possibly even 230,000.
Me too
I’d do it for 23/hr
I’d do it for the health care!
But he originally said he wouldn’t, even with very little leverage and this circus hanging over him. It wasn’t until the geniuses offered that ridiculous contract did he agree to go there.
Ooh, how original. “Has to play for the Browns” cracks are as original as knock knock jokes.
I’m a Sacramento kings fan, I am not punching down. Don’t get so butthurt
The Lakers stepchild I see. The only time the Kings were any good, the Lakers were better
Yup got jobbed in 02 and never recovered.
I rooted for them. They were the Cincinnati Royals at one point and then went to KC.
17 games
12 games if he completes a program
10 games if he completes a program and donates 5%-10% of his contract to different women’s charities and what not
8 games if he does a program, donates money, and signs an agreement with the league saying he will only get massages from male masseurs from now on.
Start at full year and knock it down based on certain criteria he has to go through.
How many games if he goes through emasculation?
He’d have to be a man first.
What kind of program is there for a rich athlete who likes sex?
Sex anonymous meetings like AA and therapy.
I like the tiered punishment.
No suspension, Cleveland just surrenders all their draft picks each season he plays.
This is stupid. NFL wants to suspend him for a season. NFLPA says, “Nah, no suspension at all.”
BS. Get out of here. No special privileges just because of a certain thing. Anybody else would already be in jail.
Like Ben?
That’s not how you spell Deshaun.
Not really, 2 judges have declined to press criminal charges against him meaning there wouldn’t have been enough evidence to convict him in a court of law since I’m guessing most of the trial would be circumstantial/ he said-she said.
The NFLPA wants to go through the arbitrator so the NFL cant try to make an example of him and make an egregious punishment like Rob Manfred did to Trevor Bauer.
He should have an example made of him:
IF YOU DO ILLEGALLY THINGS MULTIPLE TIMES YOU WILL NOT PLAY IN THE NFL.
Message sent. The NFL tried to clean up their image in regard to women and sexual assault/abuse/violence. That’s why Ray Rice and Greg Hardy got lengthy bans even though neither of them were convicted criminally.
Let this be a lesson kids. Book Happy Endings from Escorts and not Instagram Thots.
There needs to be a poll conducted in which NFL players are asked how many different massage therapists each player utilizes. I read somewhere that the typical player goes to 1 maybe 2 therapists. Does anyone out there know of such a poll that’s already been conducted? You’d think that that info, if in fact minimal therapists are the norm, would somewhat serve as a reason to condemn Watson’s actions.
And those people are either on staff or contracted by the team to do the work and do it at the facility. To have an arrangement to have one player peruse social media to fly them in from out of town, show up at a hotel and sign an NDA is so far from the norm it’s ridiculous. And to have that done dozens of toilets is even more ludicrous.
I had heard that PH, and thx for the response. I’m assuming your last sentence was supposed to read TIMES and not TOILETS but maybe not LOL.
Yes, times, not sure why autocorrect went with toilets, but it is Deshaun Watson were discussing so it’s not far off.
And the Browns
Watson says he doesn’t know what he did wrong…and I believe him. That is why he needs a lengthy suspension. So he has time to figure out what is wrong with his behavior.
He needs counseling and he’s getting help. 6-8 games seems fine to me
Well…as long as you are fine I’m sure his 25 victims will be too. It doesn’t sound like the league is fine with 6-8 games because it sounds like they are asking for a full season and perhaps an indefinite ban.
The indefinite ban actually helps the Browns. It rolls his contract according to the Cleveland writers. Somehow I think his victims will be fine
That’s because he didn’t whip it out and ask you to finish him off. Somehow, I think that would change your mind…or maybe not based on how much you defend him.
Would you be that offended if a woman lifted up her top at Mardi Gras? I’m guessing you wouldn’t contact her boss and want her fired
Did she agree to a conduct code with her boss?? Would she have paid 20 men for damages in a lawsuit?? I would need more information. Do men whip it out at Mardi Gras? I think they would be arrested for that? I’ve never been.
What’s the difference? Both are exposing themselves. In fact the women do it in public. Don’t you think the women should be arrested at Mardi Gras too? This is no big deal
Do you need attention that bad?
One is indecent exposure. The other is sexual harassment/assault. There’s a bit of a difference there. And yeah, that is a big deal. 20+ big deals. He is a habitual abuser. The NFL has numerous problems and they need to clean this up. Abusing women, abusing drugs, running drugs, killing people while drunk driving or just reckless driving, gang activity, gun violations. Then when they get caught, if they are biog enough “stars” they get away with it.
Needs to stop.
Bud, you have someone comparing exposing themselves to forcibly touching someone in a sexual manner. It’s either that he’s dumb or he is trolling.
He’s never been accused of forcibly touching anyone. Learn the facts about what he’s accused of. You really need to go to the authorities with your proof.
20+ women already did.
My question was do men regularly pull out there junk at Mardi Gras? I think they would be arrested. I’m not sure about laws in the south?? I’ve never been.
I don’t know but my question is would you be offended if a woman lifted her top up at Mardi Gras? Exposing himself was wrong and so was propositioning some of the women. Some said yes by the way and they’re still suing him. I just don’t think what he did amounted to anything criminal. Inappropriate? Yes. Just like flashing at Mardi Gras is Inappropriate. He’s not a rapist and has never been accused of that either
If the women at Mardi Gras had agreed to a code of conduct with their employer, and the employer felt that they had embarrassed the organization and violated the conduct code, then yes they should suffer the consequences of not living up to the code of conduct that they previously agreed to adhere too. I believe a man pulling out his junk at Mardi Gras would be arrested for indecent exposure. I guess it is just one of those double standards that men have to live with in this society. A women at Mardi Gras is sexy and gets beads, and a man in a massage session is creepy and has to pay his victims. Deal with it.
I didn’t know that laws were written for different genders. I’m guessing the Supreme Court might disagree with you. Again, not very intelligent people on this site
I told you I also didn’t know the laws of the south. I’m assuming that men pulling out their junk is illegal at Mardis Gras. I think the Supreme Court and I would disagree about a lot of things, but in this case they are disagreeing with Louisiana and their laws that allow women to show breasts at Mardi Gras, but prohibit men from flashing their genitals at the same event. The law might allow both men and women to show their breasts and neither men nor women to expose their genitals? I just don’t know enough about Louisiana law to say one way or the other, but that might resolve your Supreme Court gender issue? I guess if I were more intelligent I could answer all of these questions for you. JP
You are freaking weird dude
Finally, something we can agree on!
Prostitution is illegal and so is hiring a prostitute.
So we agree that Kraft should have been suspended and fined?
I am talking about Deshaun Watson. Try to keep up.
If he propositioned money for sex, that right there is a crime. Engaging in sex for money is another crime.
So yeah, he’s a saint. Why should he be punished at all?
Mardi Gras and being hired as a professional massage therapist are two different things.
Both were subjected to unwanted nudity. He hired massage therapists and exposed himself.
I can see you don’t get it. Have a nice uninformed life.
The NFL can kick Gruden in the can, but they fear Watson
SMH
Jon Gruden resigned
If he didn’t he would have been fired.
By the Raiders, not by the NFL. Any other boss in any other job would have been fired or forced to leave if they sent similar emails. That is called EVIDENCE. Let me know of the EVIDENCE there is on Watson. He’s admitted to having consensual sex with those women. As I’ve said many times before, I’m not advocating for no suspension but I’m definitely against some of these idiots on here that want him kicked out of the league without ever being charged with a crime or even a video of a crime taking place. There are multiple players and owners on video committing crimes that got nothing or not much
The Raiders didn’t want to fire him. The NFL would have forced the Raiders to fire him. I’m not going to debate with a person that isn’t playing with a full deck.
Not to mention it was convenient his emails were discovered when they were going through the 100s of thousands of WFT emails. Convenient scapegoat and a nice smokescreen from what they were actually looking for.
Doesn’t matter if the Raiders wanted to fire him or not. He resigned. No debate about that. He would have been suspended like Payton was. He wasn’t forced out. No matter what job you have, if proof of those types of emails got out, the employee will get punished, especially a person in a position of authority
Just like Deshaun Watson should get punished for what he did.
6-8 game suspension
You don’t get to say. His employer gets to say.
I still get an opinion. The employer is the Cleveland Browns. I doubt they want any suspension
His employer is the NFL. The Browns have no say in this.
Employer is the company that employs you and pays your salary. That is the Browns. I agree the punishment is from the league but the league doesn’t employ the players. They employ officials. I think the final suspension will be 6-8 games. Not fining or suspending Kraft, Jones and Snyder for sexual violation of the Code of Conduct is a great argument for the NFLPA. I could see Watson suing the league for racial decriminalization and unfair equal punishment. According to the Code of Conduct, all three owners violated it
I see you don’t understand how the NFL works. Have fun living in delusional world.
Who pays his salary? You’re not very mythical. The Browns pay Watson, not the NFL. He’s a member of the NFL but an employee of the club. Explain why you think he works for the NFL
Because the NFL can terminate his employment at any moment. When a player signs a contract it is called an NFL contract, not a Browns contract. The NFL has a code of conduct PLAYERS have to follow.
Exactly what I said. The NFL can punish him. If yours was the case, why aren’t the women suing the NFL, instead of the Texans? If Watson was an employee of the NFL as you say. If a repair person raped a woman when he was at her place doing work,I guarantee you that his employer will get sued. The NFL has never been sued over one of their employees (players). Look at Andy Reid’s kid, the Chiefs and him were sued. We’re agreeing that the NFL has the right to punish because it’s in the Code of Conduct for all teams but not because they employ the players
They are suing Watson.
Colin Kaepernick sued the NFL.
Brian Flores is suing the NFL.
It is an NFL contract. Not a team contract.
Why would the NFL give Watson a 230 million dollar guarantee contract?
Good question, but I guess the NFL can’t stop the Browns from being stupid.
Well, apparently the NFL gave him the money since they are his employer. You lose. You are a myth
I guess you don’t understand how contracts work and how the structure works in the NFL. This isn’t like your part time sales job type of deal. Grow up and learn a little.
If a lawyer works for a firm, does he work for the firm or does he work for his state’s bar association? That is literally the same thing. The bar association can suspend or revoke his law license but he is employed by the firm. Stick to fantasy football Eddie
I know they’re suing Watson. Why are they suing the Texans instead of Watson’s employer, the NFL. Flores is suing teams and the NFL. Watson may also sue the NFL. You can’t allow owners to get away with violating the code of conduct without any punishment
They might sue the NFL for allowing it to happen. But, they are going after the person who committed the act first.
They go after the deepest pockets. You have a lot to learn Eddie
If Watson gets a year suspension he could change his name to Josh Gordon and get reinstated in a month.
That only happened when he played for the Patriots. Gee, I wonder why. Spygate, deflategate, prostitutiongate.