One More Thing Before I Go

I know I’ve already devoted (wasted) 2 posts on the whole Deshaun Watson situation, and I should probably just let it go, but I’m still really furious at the NFL, the Browns, and all those ignorant fans who don’t seem to grasp some of the basic facts about this fiasco.

So, here goes my current rant!

I’m really sick and tired of hearing, “Well, he was basically suspended all of last season already.” NO, he wasn’t. He demanded a trade and chose to sit out and not play! Houston Texans fans have a completely different perspective on that particular issue. The truth is that he quit on his team, got paid $10.5 million, and sat home by choice when he wasn’t out looking for massages.

I’m really sick and tired of hearing, “Why should he get a year-long suspension or more? Other NFL players have done worse things and gotten comparable suspensions.” NO, no one else has ever committed such a huge number of incidents as Watson. He didn’t just commit one or two violations. He did it over and over again.

Consider some of the other frequently mentioned players. If Ben Roethlisberger had been accused of sexually assaulting 24 women (instead of 1), would he have gotten more than a four game suspension? If Calvin Ridley had placed bets with 66 sports bookies in a 17 month period, do you think he would ever set foot on the field again? And what about Ray Lewis? If his incident had resulted in 24 people dead (instead of only 2), do you honestly think he would be in the NFL Hall of Fame? Some people (IMHO) just don’t seem shocked enough by the sheer number of incidents we are talking about!

And finally, I’m sick and tired of hearing, “He might be innocent. There were no criminal charges.” Face facts! Regardless of the arguments about the penalty (how many games or how big a fine), here’s the often overlooked reality. The INDEPENDENT arbitrator (former federal judge Sue L. Robinson) found him guilty of violating the league’s personal conduct policy “by engaging in sexual assault; by engaging in conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person; and by engaging in conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL.” She looked at the evidence (very little of it actually), listened to Watson and his attorneys’ side of the story, and was convinced that his behavior was “egregious” and “unprecedented.”

Even after the final settlement, Watson is getting off light (in my opinion and that of many others). A $5 million fine is just a tiny fraction of the guaranteed $230 million contract he was given. And he still gets to come back this season. It’s a joke!

So, when the vulgar signs, and shirts, and chants from opposing fans start up again in Week 12, the NFL will get exactly what they deserve. Which is more than I can say for Watson himself.