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Is Deshaun Watson Done in Houston?

Vic Mackey

By Vic Mackey
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Gatorubet
Gatorubet

Why do you hate the institution of marriage?

PilotsError
PilotsError

People have been fired for merely supporting Trump. Turnabout is fair play and should be encouraged.  Of course all the lib writers are upset.  They'd be rejoicing though if it was reversed.  

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tx ind

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Murfdogg21

Murfdogg21 4550

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14 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

His brother Don looks just like Pat.....after being hit in the head with a shovel.

image.jpeg.79dee820cd6e1328580b07c8b575d7c7.jpeg

It's going to get nuts out there, fellas, right? We're going to be out on open ocean, right? Anything can happen out there. No laws, right, boys? Just us and our tasty treats!

 

(^ Deshaun also probably utilized “the implication”)

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Brothahorn

Brothahorn 10096

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On 4/12/2021 at 12:13 PM, Nicole44 said:

IN HIS LAWSUITS and in two news conferences at his office atop the Houston skyline, Buzbee has described Watson's alleged modus operandi as systematic.

Watson, he says, reached out to most of the women on social media, primarily Instagram, and insisted that they be alone when he showed up. He occasionally would seek appointments with women who told him that they'd never even done massage. "Well, can you do a massage?" Watson would ask, according to Buzbee.

In some instances, Buzbee says, Watson asked for photos of the therapists or dictated what he wanted them to wear during the sessions. In screen grabs of a direct message exchange Buzbee provided to reporters on Tuesday, Watson appears to comment on the image of a woman wearing a sports bra and spandex shorts.

"Something like this is fine," reads a direct message said to be from Watson to the woman. "It's hot here."

Often, according to the lawsuits, Watson would insist that no one else be around during the sessions. Watson would frequently insist on being covered only with a towel during the massage sessions rather than draped with a sheet, as is customary, Buzbee said. And, in some instances, he brought his own towel, which was closer in size to a "small washcloth," Buzbee said.

He asked some of the women to sign a nondisclosure agreement either before or after the massages, and Buzbee provided reporters a copy of that two-page agreement.

At least once he is said to have gone to unusual lengths to book a therapist he found on Instagram. In August 2020, according to one lawsuit, Watson purchased a plane ticket for an Atlanta-based therapist and flew her to Houston. A direct message released by Buzbee, said to be from Watson, includes the woman's itinerary, along with heart and rose emojis.

Another message sends the therapist an address for the Houstonian hotel.

"We will [meet] here," the message says. "I have a suite."

"Ok. Find table?" the woman asks. "Yep, Got one from my team," the reply says.

All those who have sued Watson mention in their lawsuits feeling threatened when, they say, Watson unexpectedly appeared naked during massages or became sexually aggressive. Beyond his physical stature, they say, his influence wasn't lost on them.

Lauren Baxley, the other plaintiff to make her name public last week, shared a statement through Buzbee that was addressed to Watson.

"With your millions of fans and followers, with your resources and income I felt both powerless, and trapped," Baxley said. "My work contract with my building was tied to my lease, and at the snap of your fingers I knew my good reputation, my home, and my career might be lost."

nelly.gif&f=1&nofb=1

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mr. sunshine

mr. sunshine 2852

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Watson would frequently insist on being covered only with a towel during the massage sessions rather than draped with a sheet, as is customary, Buzbee said. And, in some instances, he brought his own towel, which was closer in size to a "small washcloth," Buzbee said.

Dammit. This was my move back in the day 

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Gourmand

Gourmand 7778

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As more Deshaun Watson accusers go public, their attorney rails against quarterback’s response

Spoiler

HOUSTON — The phone call Tony Buzbee had been expecting came one night in mid-March, he said, as he was driving to dinner.

Buzbee is the wealthy, flamboyant civil attorney who just days earlier had announced via Instagram the first in a wave of lawsuits accusing Deshaun Watson, the Houston Texans’ star quarterback, of harassing and assaulting women during massages. He answered the phone to hear the gravelly twang of the lawyer famous sports figures in this city turn to when they are accused of wrongdoing: Rusty Hardin.

 

The men exchanged pleasantries, Buzbee recalled, and then Buzbee made an offer.

“Your guy’s got some kind of weird problem ... alleged problem,” Buzbee said he told Hardin. “This is already spiraling in a bad direction. ... Why don’t we try to resolve this now?”

 

Buzbee had filed three lawsuits against Watson by then, and he told Hardin he had another four ready to go, he said. Buzbee had tried to settle weeks earlier, he told Hardin, but had been rebuffed by the quarterback’s management at the firm Athletes First, whom Buzbee characterized to Hardin, he said, as “arrogant, dismissive jackasses.”

 
 
 

According to Buzbee, Hardin asked to have until 5 p.m. the next day to confer with Watson and his management. At 7 p.m. the following day, Buzbee said, he got a text from Hardin informing him there would be no settlement.

“And away we go,” Buzbee said during an hour-long interview Wednesday, in which he offered the most detailed account to date of the legal battle behind the scandal that has engulfed the career of one of the NFL’s most promising young stars.

 

Hardin, in a brief phone interview Wednesday, disputed the veracity of some of Buzbee’s remarks but declined to get into specifics, citing a wave of legal filings he plans to make next week.

“There are many inaccuracies in what Tony has said, but I would rather address them in court filings than in an article,” Hardin said.

The legal wrangling intensified this week, with Buzbee refiling most of 21 lawsuits, initially made anonymously, with the names of the accusers. The women all provide similar accounts, alleging the star quarterback contacted them via Instagram over the past year to arrange massages in which he then attempted to get them to gratify him sexually. The accusations against Watson range from exposing himself and forcing his penis against women’s hands while making suggestive remarks to masturbating and, in two cases, forcing women to perform oral sex on him.

Three more of Buzbee’s clients recently spoke to Houston police, Buzbee said Wednesday, bringing the publicly known total of accusers involved with the law enforcement investigation of Watson to five. A spokesman for Houston police declined to comment.

Watson and his legal team have denied any allegations of wrongdoing with women. Hardin has acknowledged the quarterback arranged massages over the past year via Instagram, which the attorney partially blamed on the coronavirus pandemic shutting down Houston’s spa industry. But he said any sex acts that may have occurred during massages were consensual.

 

Ashley Solis, the first woman to come forward, contacted Buzbee’s firm in late January, he said. While Buzbee rose to legal fame and wealth primarily through large cases against oil companies, his firm routinely handles civil sexual assault cases against universities, corporations and prominent local figures, he said.

 
 
 
 

“Most people know that if I’m involved, they probably want to resolve the case,” Buzbee said. But he said that in his initial conversations with Scott Gaffield, general counsel for Athletes First, it quickly became clear that Watson’s management didn’t take the case seriously.

“I said: ‘Let me tell you how this is going to go down: I’m going to file the case. The press is going to pick it up. It’s going to be a circus. ... He’s going to have to hire Rusty Hardin.’ And here we are,” Buzbee said. “This guy was so clueless about how things work.”

Presented with Buzbee’s version of events, Gaffield declined to comment Wednesday, referring a reporter to an earlier statement in which he said: “We did not think that the facts showed that Deshaun did anything wrong with their client. ... We expect that this matter will be resolved in court.”

 
 

Buzbee said he initially suggested the sides enter in private, confidential mediation. Gaffield rejected that, Buzbee said, and asked for a demand letter outlining what Solis wanted. Buzbee offered to settle the case for $100,000, he said, which Gaffield also rejected.

“We don’t believe that the alleged facts show that Deshaun did anything wrong ... but we are nevertheless happy to continue the conversation around a reasonable settlement figure because we believe he can learn a lesson about having put himself in this situation,” Gaffield wrote Feb. 19 in an email Watson’s legal team publicly released this month.

“He wanted us to bid against ourselves,” Buzbee said. “And I was done.”

 

Buzbee expected more accusers would come forward, he said, but even he was surprised at the flood of calls. He has five attorneys working on the cases, he said, and every client has been vetted for some proof they dealt with Watson, most of them with messages exchanged with the quarterback via Instagram.

 
 

Buzbee declined to provide any of his clients for interviews, however, and asked The Washington Post not to contact them. He praised Solis as “a warrior” for ignoring his advice to drop the case, out of concern for the duress inherent in a high-profile lawsuit involving accusations of sexual wrongdoing against someone wealthy and famous. He said Solis endured harassing comments on social media, including a few death threats, after she spoke at a news conference April 6.

Watson, as Buzbee expected, hired Hardin, the criminal defense attorney whose long list of high-profile cases includes those involving former Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens, former Houston Rockets Calvin Murphy and Steve Francis, and accounting firm Arthur Andersen. In his first extensive public remarks about the case last week, Hardin criticized Buzbee and his clients for engaging in a “new kind of extortion using social media and salacious innuendo.”

 

Buzbee laughed and mocked this defense and other remarks Hardin made last week.

 
 
 

“Rusty and I get along smashingly. ... He’s a fighter, he’s smart, and he’s good on his feet. … But I think he’s been dealt a bad hand here,” Buzbee said.

To Hardin’s explanation that Watson turned to Instagram to arrange massages because of the pandemic?

“Because of covid, he was reaching out to dozens of different people on Instagram? For massages? ... Because of covid, you would think he would have one person who had tested negative,” Buzbee said.

To Hardin’s argument that any sex acts that occurred in these massages with Watson were consensual?

“So you’ve just told the world who’s watching that your client paid for sex? … My grandma always said: ‘You’re digging yourself a hole already. Stop digging,’” Buzbee said.

 

Minutes later, Buzbee walked out of his office on the 73rd floor of the tallest building in Texas, past walls decorated with press clippings celebrating his legal career and conference rooms with door handles shaped like sharks. He joked, toward the end of the interview, that he would be willing to bet $100,000 that Watson’s managers wished they had settled with him back in February.

“This has gone pretty much the way I thought it would so far, but we’ll see where it goes from here,” he said. “I’m encouraged and optimistic.”

WaPO article

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Murfdogg21

Murfdogg21 4550

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Latest plaintiff claims she was sexually assaulted and harassed during massage at his house in September, and then again at his house in November? If it was moderately inappropriate why would you go back or keep him as a client? If it was lawsuit-worthy, why in the hell would you go back?

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Nicole44

Nicole44 22206

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49 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

21/22 women refilled with names attached.  Things not going well for Watson.

 

18 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

I guess Hardin thought they wouldn't refile. Man he's getting worked hard.

5 of the accusers have now spoken to HPD. So yeah, things do not appear to be going well for Watson at this point.

Per Will Hobson of the Post, five of Buzbee’s clients have spoken to the Houston Police Department regarding Watson.
 

From the tiny article from WaPo linked above in thread. 

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closetohumping

closetohumping 17783

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On 4/10/2021 at 5:46 AM, MirrOlure said:

Hardin should return his retainer and jump ship immediately. He’s going to get his ass handed to him if this clownshow is in any way a precursor to his defense strategy.

Can you imagine someone as respected and esteemed as Hardin getting his ass kicked by a guy like Buzbee?

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Gourmand

Gourmand 7778

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55 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Can you imagine someone as respected and esteemed as Hardin getting his ass kicked by a guy like Buzbee?

Like Buzbee said, Hardin was dealt a shit hand and overplayed it. Besides, it's not as if Buzbee is some slouch attorney who can't win a high profile case. They're both good attorneys but Hardin is going to lose this one. 

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Doc Reeves

Doc Reeves 6434

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58 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Can you imagine someone as respected and esteemed as Hardin getting his ass kicked by a guy like Buzbee?

Shit man, it happens. Seems like DWs team just didn’t see this as a credible thing and told Buzbee to fuck off. Not entirely a dumb move if they put a lot of faith in their clients character. 

Let this be a lesson, if you’re in that life get the bullshit that comes with that life paid off quick and quiet.

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Lhorn

Lhorn 5080

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The amount of money he’s going to lose in legal fees, settlements, loss of endorsements, salary lost from anytime he doesn’t get to play, when compared to what his new contract would have been had none of this happened must be staggering. Tens of thousands perhaps. 

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Murfdogg21

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Mike Florio was on John and Lance show yesterday and said he was told the original settlement offer from Buzbee was $100k each for one or two accusers, meaning he likely would have settled for around $50k. Deshaun’s people blew him off and got him pissed, which set this circus show off and caused the other 20 women to come forward after the publicity it got. Deshaun is well into Rusty’s $1M retainer already, and the settlement may end up being 20x what he could have paid a month ago. 

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TexasGolf

TexasGolf 5387

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13 minutes ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Mike Florio was on John and Lance show yesterday and said he was told the original settlement offer from Buzbee was $100k each for one or two accusers, meaning he likely would have settled for around $50k. Deshaun’s people blew him off and got him pissed, which set this circus show off and caused the other 20 women to come forward after the publicity it got. Deshaun is well into Rusty’s $1M retainer already, and the settlement may end up being 20x what he could have paid a month ago. 

yep.  heard it was around $30K 

and then he did it again with another masseuse.  he thought he was above all this. 

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Stella Link

Stella Link 535

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19 hours ago, Gourmand said:

Like Buzbee said, Hardin was dealt a shit hand and overplayed it. Besides, it's not as if Buzbee is some slouch attorney who can't win a high profile case. They're both good attorneys but Hardin is going to lose this one....all the way to the bank. 

fify

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TonyTexas

TonyTexas 10684

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12 hours ago, Lhorn said:

The amount of money he’s going to lose in legal fees, settlements, loss of endorsements, salary lost from anytime he doesn’t get to play, when compared to what his new contract would have been had none of this happened must be staggering. Tens of thousands perhaps. 

Try tens of millions 

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Murfdogg21

Murfdogg21 4550

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An NFL team would turn down a top 5 franchise QB because they are concerned their fan base will be appalled that the guy asked his Instagram massage ladies for a handy more than they (the fans) would want the franchise QB in lue of Bridgewater, Fitzpatrick, Lock, Darnold, or whatever shitty QB they have? The type of people that will raise hell about it are not jersey wearing season ticket holders. 

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Slacks

Slacks 7027

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IDK how it will shake out but it appears Buzbee's strategy is to win the PR battle while Hardin will handle it the traditional method. 
PR is how you get the settlement number up and the threat of going to trial down.
Teams signed Vick after he went to prison.
Dog vs Cat

One dies in all movies, C&W songs, and books. The other is undefeated.
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HtownHorn

HtownHorn 15243

Posted
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23 minutes ago, Murfdogg21 said:

An NFL team would turn down a top 5 franchise QB because they are concerned their fan base will be appalled that the guy asked his Instagram massage ladies for a handy more than they (the fans) would want the franchise QB in lue of Bridgewater, Fitzpatrick, Lock, Darnold, or whatever shitty QB they have? The type of people that will raise hell about it are not jersey wearing season ticket holders. 

Right, tell that to MLB, who had to move their AS game because a bunch of people that don't watch baseball got upset. You guys keep pretending that #MeToo didn't happen 2 years ago and that this is the same environment that allowed Vick, Kobe, and Ben to continue playing.

 

Though this will be the ultimate litmus test for sure of the #MeToo movement and the NFL.

Edited by HtownHorn
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Murfdogg21

Murfdogg21 4550

Posted
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12 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Right, tell that to MLB, who had to move their AS game because a bunch of people that don't watch baseball got upset. You guys keep pretending that #MeToo didn't happen 2 years ago and that this is the same environment that allowed Vick, Kobe, and Ben to continue playing.

 

Though this will be the ultimate litmus test for sure of the #MeToo movement and the NFL.

The players of one political persuasion pressured MLB to move the game. Are players, coaches, owners, or agents going to pressure teams not to trade for or sign Watson? My point was most of the people who protest such a move are not NFL customers anyway. 

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Eskimohorn

Eskimohorn 5677

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Right, tell that to MLB, who had to move their AS game because a bunch of people that don't watch baseball got upset. You guys keep pretending that #MeToo didn't happen 2 years ago and that this is the same environment that allowed Vick, Kobe, and Ben to continue playing.
 
Though this will be the ultimate litmus test for sure of the #MeToo movement and the NFL.

One President just got elected with some #MeToo allegations. The previous President shits #MeToos for breakfast. When you read the room around NFL, it is not Hollywood. There’s not a single openly gay player or coach. Woman are just dipping their toes into the coaching ranks, some more progress as refs. The owner of the washington football team got rewarded with sole ownership after presiding over a hostile culture of sexual harassment. The NFL’s owners have the players union by the balls, adding a 17th game. We pay for their stadiums.

If Watson doesnt get a 2nd chance, its because he’s serving serious prison time and he’s no longer a viable talent.
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boilerhorn

boilerhorn 1604

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A settlement would require a payout and an NDA.  IIRC, Watson already had NDAs with the majority of the accusers.  Is it possible that Watson's attorneys advised him that a settlement with NDA would be meaningless?  The accusers already violated 1 NDA; chances are they would violate again. 

Let's say he settles with one for $100k.  It's not like it's the end of the problem.  Once she runs out of cash, she could try again.  NDA be damned.

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BurntOrange&White

BurntOrange&White 41656

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19 minutes ago, boilerhorn said:

A settlement would require a payout and an NDA.  IIRC, Watson already had NDAs with the majority of the accusers.  Is it possible that Watson's attorneys advised him that a settlement with NDA would be meaningless?  The accusers already violated 1 NDA; chances are they would violate again. 

Let's say he settles with one for $100k.  It's not like it's the end of the problem.  Once she runs out of cash, she could try again.  NDA be damned.

Those NDA’s, if all women who came forward signed one, will likely be what saves Watson. I suppose it all depends on how they were written though. Maybe @TwiceHorn could opine. 

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boilerhorn

boilerhorn 1604

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4 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

the women in your life must be proud of this post

Valid point.  It was bad.

It was a stream of consciousness that sounds horrific when I reread it. 

I was attempting to cast it as a possible part of the advice he was receiving from counsel. NOT trying to cast it as my opinion of the character of the women involved or to discredit them. 

I would see if there is some way to edit the post to clarify, but it is too late, as folks have already quoted it.

Sigh - thanks for the msg.

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BurntOrange&White

BurntOrange&White 41656

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3 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

A NDA cannot be enforced to conceal criminal activity. 

Unless the activity wasn’t criminal at the time but rather consensual. Especially considering the claims of black mail by a few of Buzbee clients. 
 

Id be interested to see what’s going on behind closed doors with Buzbee and Hardin. Ofc Buzbee is trying to win the public. 

Edited by BurntOrange&White
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Lhorn

Lhorn 5080

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Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

Try tens of millions 

I was being facetious. 
With regards to playing again, my guess is that he doesn’t play for a year, likely imposed by the league unless there are criminal convictions which prevent him from playing.  After a brief hiatus, he declares that he’s a changed man, has sought counseling, yada yada yada.  The leagues says that he’s paid his debt to society and the court of public opinion and he plays many more years. Just a guess but this scenario seems likely IMO.  My guess is he plays in 2022.

Edited by Lhorn
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