Inviolable. This is how Deshaun Watson must have felt this week. The message that the Cleveland Browns quarterback got from pretty much everyone was: If someone is rich and famous, plays spectacularly and successfully enough, then they hardly have to fear any consequences for their actions off the field.
25 women accuse Watson of sexually assaulting them at massage appointments between March 2020 and March 2021: For example, he is said to have presented his erect penis when the towel “accidentally” slipped. Or he is said to have ejaculated in the direction of a therapist. Watson is said to have pressed another woman’s head in the direction of his privates to encourage fellatio.
The criminal investigation in Texas – Watson was playing for the Houston Texans at the time, so he was considered virtually untouchable in the US state: hired by a Texas jury. The District Attorney then said clearly that this did not mean an acquittal. In 23 civil lawsuits, Watson settled out of court with the plaintiffs for undisclosed amounts; one lawsuit has been withdrawn, one is still open.
A mediator from the US football league NFL wrote on Monday that his behavior was “a serious threat to the safety and well-being of another person”; the penalty was only a six-game ban at the start of the season. Due to the structure of his contract (230 million over five years), Watson would only have to forego $345,000 – a joke.
The NFL appeals
So: someone who apparently laid hands on several women without permission received a light slap on this hand. Watson himself announced through his lawyers that he has no regrets about what happened during the massages. He continues to wash his hand in innocence.
But now the news: No, the NFL does not accept this verdict, they are appealing. League boss Roger Goodell can now decide on a penalty himself or appoint someone to do so. The NFL had asked for a ban of at least one season from the start. It was heard from those around her that she preferred an exclusion “indefinitely” and only wanted to let Watson run again after he had admitted his guilt and apologized to the alleged victims. The second demand: a fine of at least eight million dollars. It is said that the NFL is still seeking that verdict.
The times have changed
The NFL’s objection is a departure from the way it (and also the other important US sports leagues, which largely manage themselves without an association structure) has dealt with scandals up to now: Although it wants to come across as having integrity, so as not to lose any viewers who are are disgusted with actors who commit crimes or do morally reprehensible things. However, she wants to have the likes of Watson on the pitch at key moments of the season, not off it – so as not to upset fans who pay to see the best. This led to penalties and bans that left neutral observers scratching their heads in amazement.
The objection shows that the league wants to retain the sovereignty of interpretation in this case. The excitement was then too great that someone who apparently endangered the safety of others and did not even publicly regret it got away with a joke of punishment. There is no telling what will happen now; especially since the players’ union apparently plans to sue the NFL for this objection in federal court.
It’s about the message sent to the unrepentant Watson, but likely to reverberate through sports-pop culture America. Times have changed and even very rich celebrities are certainly no longer untouchable.
