A large number of Browns fans have sold their souls for wins defending Deshaun Watson
Opinion by Tim Shirer
In just under one month the NFL regular season will begin and if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson will not be part of the festivities.
The range of emotions I have witnessed from Browns fans has been from “This is a horrible trade; I don’t want this guy representing our city.” To “The women are liars, Watson is my QB, better than being a Baker Bro.”
The latter group is the group I have a real problem with. Do these people really believe that all of the women, 24 are lying? Come on these people can’t be that far gone, can they? These are the same people that believed the two woman that accused Ben Roethlisberger of rape. I have questioned a lot of Browns fans on this and sadly received the answer that went something like, “Well I only believed them because Roethlisberger was on the Steelers, and I hate the Steelers.” Seriously, that is the only reason you think he might have been guilty. Even though he was never charged, Browns fans ripped him every single time the Browns played them and every other chance they got. Roethlisberger deserved every single bit of it, because I believed the woman because pretty much everything, I have heard is Roethlisberger is a pretty poor excuse for a human being or at least was at that time, could he have changed, yes.
But for a group of fans to think a guy is guilty or not guilty of assaulting a woman just because of what sports team he is on is probably the weakest possible reason, I can’t think of an excuse weaker really.
I have asked a number of Browns fans who not only are glad that Watson is the Browns QB1 but defend him how much does a soul go for nowadays? Because if you are completely discounting 24 women’s allegations just because your QB1 can get you some wins you have indeed sold your soul.
I also have been amused in this sad pathetic situation that Jimmy and Dee Haslam created by trading for Watson that people attempt to justify that the six-game suspension aligns with other suspensions in the past. The six-game number does not even come close to the number if you compare Watson to Roethlisberger and current New Orleans Saints QB Jameis Winston when Winston was suspended for fondling an Uber driver.
When Roethlisberger was suspended it was for allegations that were never prosecuted, and he settled lawsuits out of court with two women and he was suspended for four games. Winston with his case and the Uber drive was suspended for three games.
So, Browns fans and some in Cleveland media who defend Watson and portray him as being treated unfairly if the precedent was set with those two cases which are most like Watson’s case, then if we go by the Winston case than Watson should get 72 games, no you read that right 72 games. Winston got three games for one woman, Watson has been accused by 24 and already paid off 23. If you go by the Roethlisberger case than Watson should get 48 games. Roethlisberger paid off two women and was not charged. Even I think those penalties are unrealistic, but if you go by precedent, a new word Browns fans have learned during this saga than Watson should go away for a long time.
The behavior by Watson was “predatory” that was one of the words that Judge Sue L. Robinson (I will call her by the named she has earned unlike some of the hacks on talk radio in Cleveland who respect no one) used when she handed down her 16-page ruling of a six-game suspension. Why didn’t she sentence him too more? I’m not sure. Some judges are soft on punishment, this seems to be one of those cases.
Browns fans of course are upset that Goodell and the league are appealing, but NEWSFLASH Browns fans it’s in the CBA that the NFLPA agreed to that Goodell, or the players had the right to appeal Judge Robinson’s ruling.
Stop whining Browns fans and realize that the precedent was set with Roethlisberger and Winston, and you are lucky that Goodell is probably only going to ask for a one season suspension and not 3 to 5 years.
It’s time that Browns fans WAKE UP and realize that there are two people and two people to blame for the whole mess right now and their names are Jimmy and Dee. They traded for Watson and gave him the $230 million guaranteed over five years. You can’t blame Watson for coming here. You can and should blame him for his actions with the massage therapists, but you can not blame him for the trade or the contract. Once again as has been the case for nearly all of the 10 years Jimmy and Dee have owned the team the blame lays squarely on them for another dumpster fire and most likely another lost season.
POSTED 08/12/2022 14:34
Lake County Sentinel
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