Yesterday afternoon, the New York Times posted a report regarding the Shaw Watson situation

several interesting angles there, the headline that we first leaned from it, evidence developed

by Jenny Ventus of the Times based upon reviewing evidence from the cases that are moving forward

and other sources show at least 66 women providing him with massage services privately over the past 17 months.

Now, remember the allegation was made in lawsuit number 24 that he's had more than 100 random strangers on Instagram, providing massages.

I've asked Rusty Hardin's office to comment specifically on whether or not they agree with that statement they have not yet given me a definitive response.

But according to Ventus, it's 66. We thought before this week it was 40. And again, it's at least 66. She's identified 66 over a 17 month period.

And remember early on, Chris, Rusty Hardin's explanation was that the pandemic disrupted the Shaw Watson's normal massage habits and availability. Well, according to Ventus, he started this before the pandemic.

Right. This wasn't something that the light bulb went off. Hey, I need my massages. The pandemic is restricting my usual access. So I'm going to go get all these strangers on Instagram to give me massage after massage after massage.

The COVID excuse is dead. Yeah, it didn't hit that hard in Texas anyways. So to where I think it would really affected that either way, but go ahead, keep going.

And I mean, but the bottom line is that was an early line of defense. And I'm a firm believer in the bad beef stew analogy that when you find a piece of rancid meat in a pot of beef stew, you don't set it aside and keep eating the stew.

The question is how rancid a piece of meat is the idea that he started doing all this because of COVID. I mean, maybe that's just the first lie that was told the first of many lies that have been told about what he was up to as he tries desperately to conceal this potentially if these allegations are true, kind of bizarre fetish lifestyle that he had.

The Ventus article goes in depth and adds to what has been a bad eight days, a very bad eight days for the show wants into the court of public opinion. The court of public opinion matters because again, the entire personal conduct policy is a tool aimed at allowing the NFL to punish guys in a way that will placate public opinion.

They care about what guys do away from work, even when they have months of an off season where they're not under the jurisdiction of the team at all because fans expect the league to care because we as the NFL, not we, but the NFL expects fans to give them money and time and attention. So that's why they care, but that's why PR matters.

And that's one of the big fights you'll see on social media. Well, he still wasn't indicted and he still hasn't been found guilty of anything or responsible for anything, but that doesn't matter when the court of public opinion seems to be swaying so heavily against the guy as more and more comes out.

His team isn't doing enough to push back in a persuasive and effective way. The battles lost at that point as it relates to what the NFL is going to do because I just I feel like what's happened the last week makes it far more likely than it was previously that he is going to get a significant suspension at some point, Chris.

Definitely, I mean, you said it right. I mean, yeah, public opinions are huge part of this process, definitely in how the NFL looks at it. This last week or 10 days has been the worst part. I mean, to me, the worst 10 days for the Sean Watson rusty hearted that they've had throughout this whole process other than when the news first broke of this whole situation.

I mean, to me, this was I mean, these are body blows they've taken almost every day here for the last week straight. And yeah, I mean, again, it's it's only adding to the conversation of he seems gross.

Oh, he has issues around the country. It doesn't matter where you go. It doesn't matter. I have a conversation or two every day about it. No matter where I go, the gym yesterday.

I mean, it gets people just, oh, man, Watson, whoa, I mean, what the hell? I mean, so yes, it's it's it's not. And I know again, I I still yes, with this, there's there's an issue there rusty hardens not doing the best job of framing things to help to Sean Watson out.

And you know, this is a big time below for the New York Times. I still get to the question too. I just have a hard time thinking the Houston Texas didn't know some about this as well.

Well, that's where that's one of the angles. That's one of the angles. And I had it on my list to get to later. Let's get to it now.

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