Okay.
Ownership has
a role in all of this to the Browns are the ones who traded
for Deshaun Watson. And I suspect at the end of the day,
despite having a chief strategy officer and a general manager
and a head coach
Jimmy has some saw an opportunity
to go out and add a franchise quarterback. They didn't have to
rely on the draft when
they
took guys like Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel they didn't
have to do that.
But they did go after a guy franchise player
with this baggage. Here's Jimmy Haslem on giving second chances
to quarterbacks like DeShaun Watson.
In this country and hopefully in the world, people deserve
Second Chances. Okay? I really think that. And
I struggle a little bit. Is he never supposed to play again as
he never supposed to be part of society? Does he get no chance
to rehabilitate himself? And that's what we're going to do,
okay.
And you can say, well that's because he's a Star
Quarterback. Well, of course, but
if he was Joe Smith, you wouldn't be in the on
the headlines every day. So
we think Deserve a second chance we gave cream hunt
a second chance, okay? And that's worked out pretty well. Okay,
we're hoping this will work out and we have strong belief that
will that doesn't mean we don't have empathy for people
affected and we will continue to do so. But we strongly
believe strongly believe, people deserve a second chance.
We believe DeShaun Watson deserves a second chance.
Well, the show Watson doesn't believe he deserves a second
chance because he doesn't need a second chance because you
didn't do anything wrong. See, that's the problem here. Kareem
hunt.
Who initially lied to the Chiefs, which is why they cut him
after the Chiefs
confronted, him about the allegation of
misbehavior, which coincidentally happened in
Cleveland and then the video comes out which contradicts
what Kareem hunt had told the Chiefs, they cut him,
the Browns, give him that second chance, and that's fine.
And look, look,
something that I've said many times as it relates to
a football team that has 53 roster spots,
every guy that gets a second chance takes away someone else's.
First chance someone else on the team who's never gotten in
any trouble loses their job. When you create a roster spot
for a guy who gets a second chance and the guys who get
the Second Chances Are The Talented players. It's the old Jimmy
Johnson, example,
guy, falls asleep in a meeting, I cut him. What if Troy Aikman
falls asleep in a meeting? I get him a pillow. That's
the reality. And Jimmy has some kind of acknowledge that. If it
was just some run-of-the-mill guy, they wouldn't have
bothered with it.
They see the opportunity, I have a quarterback. Who's 26
years old, he's going to be there for a long time. They're
willing to deal with. Um, some short-term pain, they're
willing to hold their nose for now
because they understand it's going to be 10 years, maybe longer
that they have something that they haven't had for a very
long time, in Cleveland a quarterback, who can continue
to play at a high level
for season after season after season, so that that's fine,
but it all collapses upon itself. If he refuses to acknowledge
that, he's onto chance. Number two,
You know what, I suspect Mike,
I suspect teams like the Saints, the Panthers,
the Falcons. The Dolphins were watching this yesterday
and saying, thank God. We didn't end up with DeShaun
Watson. Thank God that he's in Cleveland and not here based on
everything that happened yesterday. I think those teams
that were in the running to get DeShaun Watson
were thanking the Browns for stepping in and given him
a fully guaranteed contract. So they didn't have to go through
To what the Browns went through yesterday with this guy. And
that is what it's all about.
He said it, it's about the future. It's about finding that
franchise quarterback. And perhaps, they've done that, but
they're going through a lot of stuff right now
to get there. Mike, and
I don't know if they expected. They said they would do
the same thing over again, but I don't know if they expected
everything that's happened since they signed traded for
and signed to Sean Watson to that. That big contract. Would
they really do it over again?
I don't know. I don't know that they would Mike.
And of course, they, they will insist that they would, because
they have no other alternative at this point. But, you know,
the fundamental question comes down to
this.
What what did the NFL expect this settlement to be?
Is it like the standard civil settlement? Where the defendant
always includes language saying, this isn't an admission
of guilt.
I admit nothing.
This is just a business transaction aimed at resolving. This
in an amicable way
to bring closure to both sides.
Or did the NFL expect him to cry? Uncle, that's really
the philosophical question.
That I'd love to get the answer to
that. I don't expect to get an answer to from the NFL. I asked
him yesterday. Does Deshawn Watson's commentary at his
press conference impact in any way.
This agreement of course, they don't respond. They don't want
to respond. I don't think they know what to do at this point,
but I think the real question, is this for, Roger Goodell
for Jeff? Pash, for whoever from the league was involved in
Go shading. This thing
is this, the standard
civil settlement agreement, where
the person who was facing something worse.
Accept something less than that. And says,
I reserve the right to say I didn't do it,
or
is it a situation where the NFL expects
an acknowledgement that there was something done that
justified? Required necessitated a suspension,
a fine.
And evaluation and treatment and that's the key.
The expectation that there will be evaluation and treatment
tells me. This isn't the hey I get to still say I didn't do
anything wrong type of a settlement.
This is the I did it. I'm throwing myself on the mercy of
the shield and I'm happy to only be suspended for 11 games
because I'm going to go make this, right? I'm going to get
my
evaluation. I'm going to get my treatment. I'm going to fully
embrace my Reckoning and be grateful. My second chance
because that's clearly not what they're getting. I think that's
the core
question and I think we know the answer.
yeah, you know, I
I think I've watched the press conference Alyssa, the press
conference twice and I don't know, and it just dawned on me
that this was a key question to ask, you know, do you even
think you need counseling based on
on what you just said?
Because if you're innocent, what do you need counseling
for? If you see yourself as innocent. So you know I think
there's
if they do get to ask those questions, Mike the next time
they talked to DeShaun Watson
and
he
It's going to answer them. I think that's it is, is why do
you think you need counseling? The NFL obviously thinks you
need counseling. Why do you think you need counseling or do
you
not think you need counseling
based on what you said in your press conference?
And I don't think he does. I don't think he thinks he needs
counseling or treatment because he thinks he did nothing wrong
in this entire
Saga. That's lasted a year and a half now. So,
They've got a big project here with him
in counseling, whoever's going to handle that. And I don't
think we know the answer to who's going to handle that. And
how that's going to work out and where he has to go and who
he has to see? But
they've got a big project on their hands with DeShaun Watson.
I just sent an email to Brian McCarthy the league spokesman
that I deal with. When he feels like dealing with me, sometimes
he doesn't feel like dealing with me and sorry. Sorry, be
Mac. You got the Short Straw.
I want to talk to somebody on the record.
And I guess if I have to talk off the Record I'll do it. But
I want to talk to somebody from the league about this, what
I want and I think it's a fair question. If everybody from
the Browns is going to parade in front of the microphone
yesterday
to talk about this, see the league,
the league did the league was smart. They didn't say anything
and they probably won't say anything
privately or publicly, excuse me,
privately. They may be saying some things
but I think it's fair to
to get their side of the story.
I think it's fair to find out what they contemplated in all
of this and whether it's unfolding the way that they had
expected, here's Jimmy, how's I'm again talking about if they
expected this outcome when they
made the decision, not just a trade for Deshaun Watson, but
to give him a five-year fully guaranteed 230 million dollar
contract
I don't think we had any way of knowing, I don't think anybody
knew how many games does Sean might miss something. We didn't
know until definitively till today.
Okay, I think it's important to remember the Sean is 26 years
old. Okay. And it's a high-level NFL quarterback,
and we're planning on being our quarterback for a long time
and that's his, that's his Stark as you can get it. Hey,
folks, we don't give a s*** about any of that other stuff.
We got us a quarterback for the next 10 years. So,
leave us Alone, with all we knew. We knew we were buying
into a mess. We knew it was going to be a mess. We didn't
know how big of a mess, it was going to be, but will
happily mop it up because we got a guy under quarter
under contract for five years that we intend to keep
indefinitely. So, leave us alone, please? I mean, that's
the attitude and that like they, they
hey, when they did the deal, they sold their soul,
they did it. They so
this is just another step along the way they knew
when they made this transaction.
At some point, there's going to be a final decision
on On on how long he's out, they knew at some point they're
going to have to stand up and say
what they said yesterday
and they, they go back to counting the days
until DeShaun Watson can help take the Browns
to places. The Browns have never been,
or at least, haven't been
in years AFC Championship. It's been a long time
since the back-to-back games against
the Denver Broncos,
87 and 88. When they almost got to the Super Bowl, never been
to the Super Bowl. And this this is why I continue to feel
bad
for Browns fans who are caught in this
in this weird spot
that the team has made. They're trying to deliver a quarterback
who can take the team to the Super Bowl and bring
championships to Cleveland. But at the same time,
they've brought this baggage on to the franchise
that we thought was going to be shed yesterday, to a certain
extent. And based upon the way Watson handled himself, it's
still there and it's still fixable, you know what to Jean
Watson. At any time, could have another press conference
at any time could post a tweet. At any time, could go on
the record with someone saying, you know, yesterday things are
happening pretty quickly. I now, I understand, I've talked
to some people, I understand,
I understand and I do acknowledge, I don't even,
I don't even know that that would work now because once you talk
out of both sides of your mouth,
when you talk again, people don't know which side of your
mouth, you're talking out of
Well, and that's why he needs to wait until he does go to
counseling, Mike and you're right. He needs to say, oh,
I've, you know, been through counseling and figured out that
what I did was wrong and I am now ready to move forward with
my life and my career
based on this won't ever happen again.
And, you know, you're right, Mike, he could talk at any
point. It's going to be a long time till we hear from him,
but I do hope that we have some of those answers from him. I do
hope that counseling helps him. First, and what he did and what
he said were wrong flat out wrong that there was no
apology. There was no accountability.
There was no remorse fulness. There was nothing there that we
expected to here yesterday, and, you know, if I'm those
women sitting there watching that I can't imagine, I can't
imagine that. How they felt hearing Deshawn Watson's word
yesterday because it was
Obvious that he feels like that. What he did to them was
okay that that that's how it came out what he did to them
was okay.
Tony Busby, chimed in yesterday because he always does but he's
relevant in this because he's the guy that got this all
started by
taking on the Ashley. So least Case by trying to get it
resolved by justifiably be coming pissed-off as he said at
a press conference a couple of weeks ago when he got
stiff-armed by Deshawn's Representatives when he was
trying
to resolve without filing suit. A legitimate claim.
You don't we see it all the time. That's a frivolous
lawsuit. That's a money. Grab. Well you know what?
How many times do we hear? It's a money grab and then
ultimately the person who is on the wrong end of
the accusations grabs, their checkbook and writes
the settlement check.
That's what happened here. Oh it's a money. Grab well.
Okay well it's frivolous okay Tony Busby had this to say
about the NFL's, final punishment of the Shah Watson
by settling
the matter. The way he has Roger Goodell is proven
one of two things. Either his recent rhetoric was utter baloney
or his bark is much worse than his bite. My belief is that he
is nothing more than a paper tiger.
The message today, to all victims is clear. If you
believe you've been sexually assaulted by a powerful person,
keep your mouth shut and go away. The NFL has certainly
demonstrated, its ownership and the organization don't care to
all sexual assault survivors. Do not allow this recent
punishment to
deter you keep speaking up. And speaking out your voice
matters, you are making a difference. We stand with you.
Look I hey
I don't know what he's talking about here. I think,
I think you need to have a more measured response to. This is
they are suspending. The guy for 11 games, they are getting
five million dollars
out of his pocket.
In addition, to the somewhere, between 1 million, and ten
million that he's spent on legal fees and settlements,
with Tony Busby mean Tony Buzz be settled.
The NFL settled. So
I got no problem with the guy speaking out but I think that
he's maybe going a little too far here. Should the NFL have
just gone ahead and suspended DeShaun Watson for a full year
well based upon what to Sean said yesterday yes
but there's none of that
in this statement from Tony Busby
he's just basically saying
by agreeing to 11 games and five million, the NFL didn't go
far enough, I think that that's pretty far. If you're dealing
with someone who is truly willing to accept the Fact that
that what happened shouldn't have happened and is committed
to figuring out how to avoid similar predicaments in
the future Cherie.