Social media exploded at a supposed hypocrisy of the Browns franchise disciplining a fan for throwing a plastic bottle at owner Jimmy Haslam, while trading for — and signing — ex-Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson to a fully-guaranteed, five-year $230million deal.
Cleveland are reportedly set to ban a fan, who has since been detained, for throwing a bottle at team owner Jimmy Haslam on Sunday as the Browns lost 31-30 to the New York Jets.
While Cleveland traded for Watson this offseason before giving him the fully-guaranteed deal notwithstanding 24 civil suits where he was accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
Watson has settled 23 of 24 civil lawsuits filed by the women, who accused him of everything from indecent exposure to claims of forced oral sex.
Haslam was seen exiting the field toward the player’s tunnel when an object was thrown at, and hit, the owner.
According to police documentation, reported by TMZ, Jeffrey Miller was arrested for allegedly throwing the bottle at Haslam.
Per the report, police were able to identify Miller as the perpetrator before he left the stadium although he ‘didn’t stop after authorities attempted to detain him.’
Police eventually escorted Miller to a ‘police room’ where he reportedly admitted the bottle ‘never hit the field.’
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Cleveland Police detained a Rocky River, OH. man who ‘appeared to be intoxicated’ upon leaving FirstEnergy Stadium.
Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam was hit by a plastic bottle prior to his team’s loss in Week 2
He was summarily booked on three misdemeanor charges; disorderly conduct, assault and failure to comply with a lawful order.
Pelissero released a video showing the incident, in which Haslam seemed to get hit in the thigh region, and said Cleveland ‘have identified and plan to ban’ the spectator.
Replying to Tom Pelissero, one user wrote ‘sounds like the fan was remorseful and should be given lifelong season tickets free of charge or get 230 mill dollars [sic] from haslam since that seems to be his thing an [sic] all.’
The Browns released a statement Tuesday, which read: ‘Fan, player and staff safety is the top priority in our building and behavior that puts others in danger will not be tolerated.’
‘Luckily no one was harmed in this incident and as a standard practice, we’ve cooperated with law enforcement authorities and security video footage of the object being thrown is in the appropriate hands. We will have no further comment on this matter.’
Twitter users took their opportunity to remind the Browns franchise of the lucrative contract they gave Watson.
The former Houston quarterback was handed an 11-game suspension and $5m fine last month.
Haslam (pictured left of center) was initially startled before pointing to the alleged perpetrator
‘I thought Jimmy Haslam was all about second chances and people improving themselves? If anything he should be invited to join Haslam in the owners [sic] box next week, where he’ll receive $230 million of season ticket vouchers for his clear remorse,’ said Mike Malone.
Another user said the fan ‘should only be banned for 11 games imo,’ cheekily suggesting he should receive the same punishment as Watson.
‘I’ll continue to stand on my innocence, just because you know settlements, and things like that happen doesn’t mean that a person is guilty for anything,’ Watson said in the press conference following his ban.
Social media reacted largely in exasperation to the Cleveland’s plan to ban the spectator
‘I feel like a person has an opportunity to stand on his innocence and prove that, and we proved that from a legal side, and just going to continue to push forward as an individual and as a person.’
Despite his innocence claims, Watson still expressed remorse, and when pressed on that apology by a reporter, the quarterback responded: ‘For everyone that was affected about this situation, there was a lot of people that was triggered.’
When asked if he apologized to the accusers, Watson said he has, ‘apologized to all women, so anybody that was affected, even yourself, everything.’
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended 11 games following two dozen civil suits accusing him of sexual assault as the NFLPA and NFL came to a resolution last month
Browns owner Haslam told reporters last month that Watson had ‘done everything we have asked of him and more.
‘And he has been the person, the leader that we expect him to be and I think he understands where he is in his life, it’s a pivotal point, and we as an organization are going to do everything we can to help him not only be the best football player he can be but more important to be the best person he can be,’ Haslam said alongside his wife, Dee, and Browns GM Andrew Berry.
As fate would have it, Watson will make his Browns debut against his former team in Houston, where Cleveland will face the Texans on December 4 – 700 days after his last regular season game.
Fan interactions with NFL personnel were already a topic of conversation following Week 2 after Kyler Murray was hit in the face following Arizona’s incredible comeback win over Las Vegas.
Murray was high-fiving front-row spectators at Allegiant Stadium following Byron Murphy Jr.’s game-ending fumble return on Sunday when a man appeared to reach out and smack Murray in the face with an open hand.
Video showed Murray appearing to be stunned, but uninjured, before he attempted to identify the attacker within the mostly happy crowd.
Officer Larry Hadfield, a Las Vegas police spokesman, confirmed that a battery complaint was made about 6:30pm at the stadium. The report was not immediately available.
Watson will play football this season for the Cleveland Browns , but only after serving an 11-game suspension and paying a $5 million over sexual misconduct allegations, according to a settlement announced last month
Hadfield did not name Murray as the reporting person, but confirmed the allegation was that ‘a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player.’
Hadfield said a suspect was not immediately identified and an investigation was ongoing.
Cardinals spokesman Mark Dalton declined to comment Monday. Although, head coach Kliff Kingsbury spoke on the matter at his press conference and came down hard on the fan.
‘I think the guy is a low-life, whoever did it,’ Kingsbury said Monday. ‘I hope they arrest him and he gets fired and he never can go to another game.’
Police in Las Vegas said Monday they’re investigating allegations that a fan in the stands struck Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray amid celebrations of Arizona’s 29-23 overtime victory over the Raiders