"Wonder what his opinions of Ray Lewis are" - NFL fans call out Ravens HC John Harbaugh over comments about Deshaun Watson's suspension
The verdict on Deshaun Watson has finally been revealed. The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
In the time since the suspension was announced on Monday (August 1), the entire NFL zeitgeist has sounded its opinion. Fans, pundits, and even tacticians, including Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, have given their views on the ruling.
According to Jamison Hensley on Twitter, Harbaugh revealed that he had a lot of thoughts, but could not provide them to the public. Put simply, he left it up to the league's judgment.
"I do have a lot of opinions on it. I'm not at liberty to share them at this time. That's for the league to decide."
John Harbaugh on Deshaun Watson suspension: "I do have a lot of opinions on it. I'm not at liberty to share them at this time. That's for the league to decide."
NFL fans were not pleased with his non-response. A Cleveland Browns fan questioned what Harbaugh's opinion was on controversial linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with the stabbing deaths of two men in 2000 following a Super Bowl party in Atlanta.
"Wonder what his opinions on Ray Lewis are"
@jamisonhensley @LndsPatterson Wonder what his opinions of Ray Lewis are
One NFL fan claimed the head coach was unhappy about being the first guinea pig to face the quarterback when the two teams play in October:
@jamisonhensley @MaryKayCabot Dude just mad he’s gonna have to play him in his first game back. A very motivated Deshaun Watson
Another NFL fan dismissed the Ray Lewis controversy, but did raise an eyebrow at how the schedule lines up for the Cleveland Browns:
@jamisonhensley It is a little curios that the Browns get Deshaun back right before they play the Ravens and Bengals. Right before their toughest stretch of the year. Ravens Bengals Bills Buccaneers Miami. Also all the Ray Lewis stuff was before Harbaugh
One football fan called for the quarterback to add assault to his list of problems:
@jamisonhensley @MaryKayCabot I hope Watson lights up the Ravens, then at the end of the game flips the ball at Harbaugh
One Pittsburgh Steelers fan expressed disappointment at the Browns for supporting Watson.
@jamisonhensley @MaryKayCabot The Browns organization should be ashamed from the owner to the players for supporting this predator!!!!
A Ravens fan called Watson a "sex pest QB":
@2StreetGenie @RyanIammarino @jamisonhensley @MaryKayCabot And good luck to you as well with your vastly overpaid sex pest QB who hasn’t played a single down in a year and a half
One Browns fan claimed the Ravens had their own controversial past, which they have worshipped.
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@Brutscherfl @jamisonhensley Harbaugh is still employed by the team that has a statue of Ray Lewis. So not only did they let him continue to wear their uniform, they immortalized him.
Another fan claimed that the Ravens' head coach has an excuse for associating with Lewis, but the Browns do not with Deshaun Watson:
@jamisonhensley He inherited Ray Lewis 8 years after what happened in Atlanta and well after he had been cleared.The Browns signed Deshaun while he is defending lawsuits from 24 women. Big difference! 2 situations while Harbaugh Coach Ray Rice and Earl Thomas were dealt with immediately
This NFL fan still believes Ray Lewis is guilty and therefore John Harbaugh is not much better:
@jamisonhensley He means zero tolerance after Ray Lewis stabbed 2 people to death in Atlanta after their SB.
One NFL fan claimed the statement meant something else:
@jamisonhensley Code for saying "I think he is a POS"
Deshaun Watson's turbulent year
At the beginning of the year, Deshaun Watson was facing criminal charges. More than 20 women sued him over sexual misconduct during his time as a member of the Houston Texans.
He was eventually excused from criminal court.
Soon after that, the bidding war for the quarterback began. After fielding several offers, the Houston Texans elected to move him to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns paid Watson $230 million of nearly entirely guaranteed money with a clause that allowed him to lose just $1 million if he were to get suspended.
Over the next few months, he continued to whittle down the number of civil lawsuits down to one, eventually settling them all out of court. Meanwhile, the NFL worked through their decision on how many games to suspend the quarterback.
Roughly 18 months after the initial lawsuit, Deshaun Watson received a six-game suspension. With an appeal still possible, the story has not yet concluded.
Will the quarterback escape court purgatory before the start of the regular season? Only time will tell.