It’s not hard to see why the Browns waited until the very weekend to introduce Deshaun Watson to the press. On Friday, people start looking towards the weekend. A few hours later, they have less nose on their phone. This saves them from deciphering the approximate explanations of a player still accused in civil proceedings of 22 sexual assaults. This avoids talking too much about it.
A few days after his transfer and the signing of the biggest contract in NFL history, Watson was therefore in front of the microphones for the first time in over a year. Even before he spoke, Andrew Berry, the manager, had to speak to explain that he understood that this signing had shocked a lot of people. Atmosphere.
Journalists therefore asked Watson about the charges against him.
“I know these charges are very, very serious,” assured the new Cleveland quarterback. “But I never assaulted any woman. I have never disrespected a woman. “
To each question on the subject, especially when asked why we should believe him in front of more than twenty people, Watson always came back to this answer.
On the side of the Browns, we obviously swore that all the research carried out revealed that it was reasonable to sign Watson. Andrew Berry’s words are still cautious.
“I would say the investigators we hired were able to get a full perspective of all the cases. I won’t go into the details of everything the investigators did, but they had a full perspective of all criminal and civil proceedings. “
Berry, however, clarified that the investigators in question have not spoken to any of the women who accuse Watson. According to him, this was advised to them so that a possible interview would not be considered an obstruction of justice.
Watson gets lost in his explanations
The criminal charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. But Watson is still sued in civil proceedings. And there are facts. For example: why did a professional footballer contact more than 40 masseuses claiming the need for sports care? Professionals are generally treated by the physiotherapists on their team, and constantly changing practitioners is rarely part of their habits, as former NFL doctor David Chao explains on his site.
A journalist therefore asked the question clearly: why not find a physiotherapist who suits him and be followed by this person rather than contacting 40 people?
Watson’s explanation is…complicated.
“Well, I never… As for the team, and when I say my team, I’m not talking about the Cleveland Browns, but my agency and things like that.” Forty is over time. It’s not over a period. I was in Houston for five years, so you’re going to see different people, and that’s how… Like I said before, I can’t really go into detail, but with the people who work, and when you move, and meet different people, and people have different schedules, you meet people over time. “
In a completely different register, Watson was also questioned about the guaranteed 230 million of his new contract. He was hardly more convincing.
“It had nothing to do with the contract,” he said of his coming to Cleveland. “I didn’t know about the contract until I told my agent that I wanted to come in and be a Cleveland Brown. It was secondary. This was after I spoke on the phone with Andrew Berry, Kevin (Stefanski) and the Haslam family. It had nothing to do with me picking the Browns. “
It is therefore a happy coincidence that this contract is, in addition, structured in such a way as to cause him to lose almost no money if he is suspended. Berry therefore assured that the structure of the contract was a decision entirely related to questions of managing the franchise’s payroll.
Browns owner is already hedging
The most honest words of this sad spectacle ended up being spoken by Berry.
“We think he is one of the best players in this position. He is in his best years and we believe this is the most important position in the team. “
And that’s why the Browns signed him. Not because they think he didn’t assault multiple women.
The prize for courage goes to owner Jimmy Haslam, physically absent, but who made an appearance on video. The opportunity to distance himself directly from Operation Watson, if things ever turn sour.
“It was an operation designed by our workforce managers,” Haslam assured. “I can tell you it was approved across the organization, including at owner level, but it was dreamed up by our football managers. “
We never know.
