Crew fans hold 22 signs protesting Browns' signing of Deshaun Watson: 'We believe Jane Doe'
A group of Columbus Crew fans spoke out against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson during a match over the weekend in a demonstration at Lower.com Field.
In the 22nd minute of the Crew’s 1-0 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday, a group of fans held up 22 signs reading, “We believe Jane Doe.”
The signs are clearly a reference to Watson, who is facing civil lawsuits from 22 women who accused him of sexual assault, misconduct and more. The Haslam family, which owns the Browns, also owns the Columbus Crew.
“We Believe Jane Doe” times 22. #Browns #Crew96 pic.twitter.com/xFVWV8VFl4
— Keith Naas (@knaas) April 2, 2022
Two Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson last month, which paved the way for the Houston Texans to trade him to the Browns. Watson then signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal in Cleveland — which marks the highest guaranteed money sum in NFL history.
Watson is still facing civil lawsuits and a possible suspension from the NFL.
Among other things, Watson was accused of exposing himself to massage therapists, touching them with his penis and more. One of those massage therapists called out the Browns and their fans directly late last month.
“A failure to charge or convict of a crime does not equate to innocence,” Lauren Baxley wrote. “Watson, his fans and the Cleveland Browns pretending it does is not only ignorant, it is evil.”
Watson has denied the allegations against him, and said in his introductory press conference that he never “assaulted” or “disrespected” any women.
Dee and Jimmy Haslam also defended Watson.
“I think we got comfortable in the legal process,” Dee said. “We have to trust in the legal process. And again, learning more and more details about Deshaun as a person we felt good about Deshaun as a person.”
The Haslam Sports Group also said it spoke with Nordecke, the Crew’s fan group, leadership.
"We respect our fans' ability to express themselves as long as they follow club policies and procedures," the statement read, via The Columbus Dispatch. "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."
Though Browns fans haven’t had the chance to protest yet, as it’s only April, it’s clear that fans of at least one of Haslam’s teams are not happy with the move.
