Twenty-two accusers. No, that’s just it, make it 23. Wait, it’s 24 now.
Should the NFL suspend Deshaun Watson, the $ 230 million quarterback who reached a $ 230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns, even though he has been accused of harassment and assault by a growing list of masseurs?
Of course, the league could do it, and given the amount of allegations, it would not be surprising to do so. But should I do it?
If you go to the Browns’ message boards, go on Twitter, or just talk to some women, a lot of people argue that Watson, the former Houston Texans quarterback, shouldn’t throw a NFL pass again.
A suspension for a certain number of matches this coming season, according to them, is not enough. It’s not a season either, not even two. If the most popular sports league in the United States is to live up to its promise to support women and victims of abuse, Watson must be banned.
Watson “shouldn’t play in the league at all,” says Brenda Tracy, a prominent victim rights advocate who travels the country to advise college and professional athletes to fight harassment and abuse. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t understand how far these leagues will go to protect these men. He needs to go there.”
Of course, this move would be unprecedented. Watson vigorously proclaims her innocence, especially now that two Texas grand jurors have decided not to prosecute, although this is not uncommon in cases where women report sexual harassment.
If banned, it would surely push the league to restore it. Maybe even sue. Let him try it.
A signal would have been sent: the NFL is no longer willing to put games, myth and money ahead of absolutely everything.
I write this with a stomach ache. I’m still digesting the latest revelations about Watson discovered by Jenny Vrentas of The New York Times, whose reports this week showed the 26-year-old quarterback behaved more questionably than anyone noticed.
Watson, as we now know, visited at least 66 female massage therapists for 17 months, from the fall of 2019 to the spring of 2021. Among them were strangers he located on Instagram and women working in a spa next door. of a road. .
Aware that their bodies are their life, the best NFL players usually find only a few massage experts to loosen their limbs.
Having 66 massage therapists is no crime, but it is, in fact, a galaxy far from the norm.
Of the 66, some defended Watson, saying publicly that he had done nothing wrong. But last week, two more women filed lawsuits in civil court, raising the current number of prosecutors to 24. Some women who massaged Watson did not call a lawyer or police later, but until and they all told The Times that it looked like Watson was looking for more than just pain relief. The numbers turn upside down and representations of the aggression and Watson’s right are creepy.
The woman who filed the most recent lawsuit claimed that Watson masturbated during a massage, and ended up in a way that satisfied him and degraded her.
A woman who decided not to sue or complain to police told Vrentas that Watson repeatedly asked for sexual acts during the massage, including “begging” him to put his mouth on his penis.
“I had to say specifically,‘ No, I can’t do that, ’” the woman said.
Watson and his well-connected legal team have continually denied any wrongdoing. They admit that sex occurred on three occasions, but only after massages, and always at the instigation of women. “I understand the seriousness of the allegations,” Watson told a news conference in March. “I’ve never assaulted a single woman. I’ve never disrespected any woman.”
His innocence was boosted when the Browns, a formerly proud team now so desperate for a championship that has lost all dignity, gave him a better deal than Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson: 230 million of dollars, every penny insured.
Meanwhile, NFL investigators are investigating the allegations and Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to decide soon on the possible punishment of Watson. The story is not encouraging.
In 2014, Goodell, under pressure after the publication of video evidence, admitted to having mishandled Ray Rice’s domestic abuse case and vowed to do better. But what has changed apart from empty promises and marketing campaigns aimed at seducing female fans?
Understand recent NFL controversies
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A wave of scrutiny. The most popular sports league in the United States faces criticism and legal issues on several fronts, ranging from discrimination to injuries to athletes. Here are some of the recent controversies facing the NFL, its executives and teams:
Allegations of possible fraud. A former Washington Commanders executive said the team reduced revenue from ticket sales to be shared with the rest of the NFL and withheld fan security deposits. The franchise has sent 102 pages of documents refuting the claims to the Federal Trade Commission.
Sexual harassment claims. Commander-in-Chief Daniel Snyder is under investigation by the NFL after former employees made sexual harassment allegations against him. In July, the league fined the franchise $ 10 million following an investigation into allegations of harassment at the team’s reception.
A demoralizing culture for women. Following the 2014 Ray Rice scandal, the NFL stepped up its efforts to hire and promote women. But more than 30 former staff members interviewed by The Times described a stifling corporate culture that has made many women feel left out. Six attorneys general warned the league that it would solve the problems or could face an investigation.
In 2018, Kareem Hunt of Kansas City, then one of football’s most promising runners, was videotaped throwing a woman to the ground and kicking her. The NFL suspended Hunt for eight games even though the woman did not file charges. Guess who signed Hunt after Kansas City sent him to pack.
The Cleveland Browns did. Clearly, mid-season suspensions send no real message.
It’s hard to see how anyone can take the NFL seriously when it says it cares about women and the behavior of all members of the league. Not after his gentle responses to Rice and Hunt. He did not allow Antonio Brown to play in Tampa Bay and star in the 2021 Super Bowl, as he faced allegations of sexual harassment and a lawsuit accusing him of rape. Not when the league doesn’t properly punish Washington commanders, a team full of harassment complaints that have even caught the team’s owner, Daniel Snyder.
The league should send the strongest possible message that sexual misconduct will not be tolerated.
I know banishment may seem to some like a radical and too harsh a punishment. An important part of the NFL fan base says Watson should not be punished at all. Innocent until proven guilty, say these apologists, part of the club who care more about bread and circus entertainment than about doing the right thing.
But the NFL can do whatever it wants.
Imagine Watson was running a car dealership. Imagine her bosses found out she was facing 24 civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct. How long would you have a job?
Imagine that Watson was an internship player in the NFL that few had ever heard of. Would he have second chances from the teams and the league? No. Companions have no second chances. It’s different for the stars (unless you’re a star who kneels during the national anthem and leads the protest against police abuse of black people).
If you really want to imagine something, imagine that you are a massage therapist who trusted a rich and famous client you had never met and ended up so hurt and humiliated that you quit your job forever, as one of the accusers did. of Watson. Maybe that’s all you need to imagine.