THOME FAMILY: COUNT US OUT
Wife of ex-Sox slugger cancels Browns tix over Watson deal
Adding to the chorus of longtime Browns fans upset about the team’s decision to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is facing 22 civil cases alleging sexual harassment and assault, another prominent Cleveland sports family is boycotting the team.
Andrea Thome, the wife of Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome, announced on her Twitter page Friday that she canceled the family’s Browns season tickets after the introductory news conference the franchise held to announce its acquisition of Watson in a trade with the Texans.
‘‘Officially cancelled our Browns season tickets today and asked for a refund as they were paid in full,’’ Andrea Thome wrote. ‘‘Very sad after 40 years as a fan, but this is my line in the sand. I believe women. Especially when there are 22 of them. That press conference did nothing to change my mind.
‘‘They may not give us a refund. But I sent the letter today. If @Browns won’t refund — I will auction off every single game and publicly donate every cent to different women’s crisis charities in N.E. Ohio, raising awareness week by week during the season.’’
Jim Thome, a five-time All-Star first baseman and designated hitter who played 22 seasons in the majors — including 13 with the Indians and nearly four with the White Sox — won the Silver Slugger award in 1996 and hit 612 career home runs, eighth on the all-time list.
In a series of subsequent tweets, Andrea Thome said she had written the letter to the Browns requesting the cancellation of the season tickets a week before but let it sit in her draft folder ‘‘until I cooled off.’’ It was the news conference that prompted her to send it.
She added in another message that her husband had surprised her with the season tickets for Mother’s Day.
Watson denied any wrongdoing at the news conference, saying: ‘‘I know these allegations are very, very serious, but I’ve never assaulted any woman. I’ve never disrespected any woman.’’
Earlier this month, the Browns traded for Watson and gave him a five-year, $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
Watson, 26, sat out all of last season amid his trade demand from the Texans and a series of allegations of sexual misconduct during massage-therapy sessions, including 22 civil lawsuits. On March 11, a grand jury declined to indict Watson on any of the nine criminal complaints against him.
Then Thursday, a second grand jury in a different county in Texas also declined to indict Watson related to a case against him involving a woman from 2020. In Texas, a grand jury is required to find enough evidence of probable cause that a crime was committed in order to return an indictment. Anything less than that can result in no indictment.
Watson still might face discipline from the NFL upon the conclusion of its own investigation into the cases.