Deshaun Watson’s lawyer ‘not optimistic’ about HBO’s handling

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Tuesday night, HBO The Real Movement of Bryant Gumbel A story will be launched that includes Interview with “several” women Blame the Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson Sexual misconduct during massage therapy. Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, didn’t have high expectations for the finished product.

“I don’t know what it will be like, but i am not optimistic,” Harding told Mary Kay Cabot Cleveland Plains Dealer“I’m sure they’ll go public with these women’s allegations rather than trying to see what merits they have behind the scenes.”

Harding have tried in the past Bringing the media attention to the merits of specific allegations. His efforts didn’t work. He eventually stopped trying.

“What I’ve always done is that we’re not going to win the public opinion war,” Harding told Cabot, without mentioning the way he did try to influence the media and fans Watson in 2021 with multiple press conferences and presentations. This fact could undermine the evidence of the allegations, such as text messages. “My goal has always been to have law enforcement review these cases, and I’m a firm believer that well-trained investigators will eventually conclude that there is nothing wrong with them from a criminal standpoint, and that’s something I’ve been focusing on. “

The problem, frankly, is that attorney Tony Boudsby has seized on the early momentum in the court of public opinion. When Watson’s faction tried to join the fight, the battle had been lost in many ways. So now the story becomes, the strategy has been to forget about public opinion and focus on the strict legal principles that determine whether or not wrongdoing occurs.

“I think that’s the biggest concern for NFL teams, other than Miami, that’s true,” Harding told Cabot. By going head-to-head with Miami, Harding alluded to the Dolphins’ refusal to trade Watson in 2021 unless all 22 civil cases are resolved.

Whatever the reason for Harding’s abandonment of any effort to win in the court of public opinion, the fact remains that public opinion ultimately fuels public opinion Every Decisions made by the NFL in accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy. The vast majority of U.S. businesses will not take action against employees for off-duty misconduct, especially without an arrest or conviction. Even so, for most violations, most employers allow employees to remain employed as long as the employee is physically able to show up for work.

The NFL’s oversight of players’ private lives is purely PR considerations. Fans and the media expect a certain action to have real consequences, whether or not it has nothing to do with the player’s job responsibilities. So at the end of the day, public opinion and fan/media expectations will influence the league’s decision.

For example, the cowboy runs back Ezekiel Eliot Never been arrested or even charged. He remains suspended for six games in 2017 based on domestic violence allegations. Why? Because it happened three years after the commissioner nearly lost his job because it was thought he wasn’t aggressive enough in punishing former NFL running back Ray Rice.

Commissioner, explain in detail exist organizer, will not make the same mistake again. Therefore, no matter what happens in court, the decision of the Court of Public Opinion will have a great impact on the Commissioner. Anyone who doesn’t realize this has no idea how the NFL achieves its particular brand of grill justice.

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