Crew fans show support for women suing QB Watson
During the 22nd minute of the Crew's 1-0 loss to Nashville SC Saturday at Lower.com Field, fans in the Nordecke supporters' section held up 22 two-stick banners that read “We believe Jane Doe,” in reference to the Haslam family's decision to trade for and sign Deshaun Watson to a 5-year, $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns.
Saturday was the first home game since the Haslams, who are the Crew's majority owners, and the Browns made the move to acquire Watson after two Texas grand juries declined to indict the quarterback on criminal charges of sexual misconduct.
But Watson still faces civil lawsuits from 22 women who accuse him of misconduct during massage appointments. Watson and his attorney have denied any wrongdoing.
The allegations against Watson include that Watson exposed himself and touched massage therapists with his penis without consent, and that he tried to force an accuser to perform oral sex.
In a press conference, Jimmy Haslam said he gave his wife, Dee Haslam, who has been the face of Crew ownership, and daughter, Whitney Johnson, veto power over any potential deal to acquire Watson. Jimmy Haslam said Watson was “widely vetted” before pursuing him.
A Haslam Sports Group spokesperson said the Haslams plan to discuss the Watson acquisition with Nordecke leadership.
“We respect our fans' ability to express themselves as long as they follow club policies and procedures,” the statement read. “Last week, we scheduled a meeting with the Nordecke board and our investor-operator group to discuss this topic as well as others, as we continue our intentions to create a constructive, positive and transparent relationship to best support our Crew players and fans.”
Nordecke communications director Jeff Barger also provided a statement: “Nordecke supports our members' right to express themselves. We have been invited to sit down with ownership to talk about this along with other projects and we look forward to that conversation. Go Crew.”
The meeting has yet to take place, but Jimmy Haslam was in attendance for Saturday's game.
The signing of Watson has received significant pushback, ranging from a flood of donations to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, to some fans deciding to cancel season tickets, including the wife of Cleveland Guardians Hall of Famer Jim Thome. jmyers@dispatch.com @_jcmyers