Bobref

And a very accomplished and well-respected attorney at that. https://www.duedoyle.com/attorney-profiles/robert-j-doyle

He’d be perfect with the Patriots, if they have a roster spot.

That 1% may be pretty significant. The Celtics are going nowhere and are again underachieving. I wonder how much patience Ainge is going to have. Clearly, without a solid indication, IU can’t wait until the NBA season is over to fill that vacancy. But I wouldn’t be surprised if, come June, Stevens is looking for a job.

Love Kiper ... in that he has become sort of a caricature of himself. Got to hand it to him, though. He basically created a niche, filled it himself, and has become very successful.

The NFL free agent signing period is open. The draft is less than 5 weeks away. Trade rumors abound. Two franchise QBs are in unsettled situations, one of them will be lucky to be wearing a uniform, as opposed to an orange jumpsuit. This is the most interesting and active off-season in recent memory. Post your draft/trade/free agent observations, comments, wishes, hopes and dreams here. I think the most interesting question right now is what the Jets will do with the #2 pick. Go for a potential franchise QB? Keep Sam Darnold and trade back to accumulate more picks? Keep Darnold and draft him some help, like the TE from Florida, Kyle Pitts, or the WR from LSU, Ja’ Marr Chase? Maybe trade the pick for Russell Wilson? What they decide about Sam Darnold will start the dominoes falling.

What’s your preference. Hot? Sweet? BBQ? Buffalo? By the way, no ranch dressing at our house. Only blue cheese.

He has played well at times. But he’s a luxury the Bears can’t afford. Montgomery and Williams give them a better than average running back position.

Illegal equipment includes “Electronic communication devices used to communicate with a player except during an outside 9-yard mark conference.” Rule 1-5-3(c)(2).

He just “unretired.”

🤣😂😅 The next tackle he breaks will be his first.

My general feelings about large conspiracies — and that’s pretty much what you’re describing — is that they never work. Just stop and think about the number of people who would be involved in/aware of such an undertaking. Keeping it secret while orchestrating all that is simply impossible. That’s not to say that “copycat” claims don’t exist. And there are lots of stories about municipal bus accidents and bystanders jumping onto the bus in order to make claims as passengers when the investigators got there. But an organized fraud of this scope is not manageable.

The 9th Circuit has long been known as the most “liberal” of the Circuits. It’s also the most frequently reversed. A study from 1999 - 2008 showed that SCOTUS overruled the 9th Circuit at a rate about 30% higher than any other Circuit.

Oh, there’s plenty of gray areas for a defense attorney to work with. My understanding is that most of the appointments were made over Instagram. One of the first things the defense will do is find out who else these women have had “appointments “ with in the past, and track those people down to find out what their experience was like.

This article is about the claim of “Jane Doe 15” and it speaks to some of your concerns. The gist of the article is that, of the 16 lawsuits, this one may be the most problematic for Watson, including criminal concerns. It not only included contemporaneous reports of the events before any other allegations were public, but the behavior described is virtually identical to the other reports that became public later. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-lawsuit-that-is-most-problematic-for-deshaun-watson-014827728.html The lawsuit that could be most problematic for Deshaun Watson Dan Wetzel ·Columnist Wed, March 24, 2021, 8:48 PM·5 min read Sixteen women have filed civil lawsuits 3accusing Deshaun Watson of varying degrees of sexual assault, putting the Houston Texans quarterback’s future in doubt. Watson denied any wrongdoing in a general statement last week. Amid the pile of lawsuits though, one that was filed late Tuesday afternoon in Harris County, Texas, could prove to be the most problematic for Watson. It includes a potential criminal act, possible physical evidence and multiple counts of contemporaneous reporting that experts say is critical in these kinds of situations. It also mirrors many of the other allegations and potentially bolsters them due to the date of the act and the woman's real-time reporting. “This is clearly the one with the most credibility to it and clearly the one that could present criminal problems for Watson,” said Craig Mordock, a New Orleans-based attorney who frequently handles sexual assault defense and has also represented victims of sexual assault in civil and criminal matters. Much of Jane Doe 15’s allegations are similar to those by other women, each of whom Watson hired to provide massages. In May of 2020, she said Watson contacted her via Instagram seeking a massage that would focus on his “‘groin area’, his ‘glutes’ and his ‘lower abdominals.’ ” Doe 15 was surprised that a famous NFL quarterback sought her out. She alleged that she informed him that she was a licensed personal trainer, not a massage therapist. She could help with post-workout muscle therapy, but “massages were not her specialty.” Watson was undeterred and scheduled her to come to his house on May 28, according to the lawsuit. She arrived and Watson led her to the theater room, where she set up before Watson returned wearing just a towel. Doe 15 alleged in her lawsuit that when Watson “eventually flipped over onto his back, the towel fell off [and] … Watson was completely naked and exposed his penis to the Plaintiff. Watson also moved his penis onto Plaintiff’s hand. Watson had pre-ejaculate leaking out of his penis, which got onto Plaintiff’s hand. Plaintiff felt like she wanted to vomit.” Doe 15 said she was confused and upset and chose to end the massage session. She stated she left soon after. Watson’s actions are a potential violation of 22.012 of the Texas penal code — indecent assault — which is punishable for up to one year in prison or a fine of $4,000. “If what happened is as it’s described in the lawsuit, then it is absolutely indecent assault,” Mordock said. Watson could face more serious felony sexual assault charges based on the allegations by Jane Doe No. 3 and No. 9 concerning forced oral sex, however those civil lawsuits do not indicate a level of contemporaneous reporting that Jane Doe 15 does. “When Plaintiff got home that day,” the lawsuit reads, “Plaintiff immediately called her mom and her best friend to tell them what happened and said she was traumatized … Plaintiff also received a text message from Watson that same day asking her if she was OK. Plaintiff did not respond. For weeks afterwards, Watson repeatedly contacted Plaintiff asking if he could book her again. Plaintiff either ignored the requests or said she was too busy.” The fact that Doe 15 alleges to have told two people — her mother and her best friend — that very day about what allegedly happened could provide significant credibility to her claim. Her story is on the record. Both individuals could be called to testify in either a criminal or civil claim. “That is a contemporaneous report,” Mordock said. “It is the key to these cases. It signals that the alleged victim in the matter knew that it was severe enough that she had to tell someone right away. They knew something was wrong right away. “Then you have him following up asking if she is OK?” Mordock continued. “That is not a particularly good fact for Watson. And then she refuses to engage with him.” The lawsuit did not include any of the alleged direct messages or text threads between the two. There would, however, be records of any communication between them if they did in fact take place, as Jane Doe 15 alleges. Jane Doe 15 is, as the moniker suggests, the 15th woman to file a lawsuit against Watson. All of the plaintiffs have the same attorney, Tony Buzbee, which Watson’s team has suggested undermines their credibility. While it is not known when Doe 15 contacted Buzbee, the timing of her lawsuit, a full week after Jane Doe 1 first made her allegations public, suggests she joined up after the news broke. If that is the case, then her contemporaneous report on May 28 would potentially offer proof that she isn’t just mimicking the stories of the other massage therapists. In fact, she established the story before any of them began telling very similar ones. Hers would be the first known report, and since what she told her mother and friend would be unknown to the others, it in turn makes their ensuing stories more believable. “It matches up with pretty much every other description, but she reported it in May, when she knew nothing about any other women or any other complaints and no other women knew about her,” Mordock said.

Coach Hudak is a nice guy, and has one of the more interesting “side jobs” of any coach I know: he’s an emergency room nurse. I wish him well. I wonder which provides the stranger stories, dealing with beat up and shot up drunks in the ER, or working with high school boys?

He played for the Chiefs. Opted out last year. But had 133 yds. from scrimmage and 2 TDS in the Super Bowl the year they won.

Nice pickup for the Bears here. https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2021/03/24/chicago-bears-sign-damien-williams-one-year-deal/ Bears agreed to terms with RB Damien Williams on one-year deal Nick Wojton March 24, 2021 1:04 pm The Chicago Bears added to their running back room on Wednesday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears signed Damien Williams to a one-year deal. Williams previously was with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week, Williams was released by KC in a bit of a surprise move which saved them $2.2 million against the salary cap. In 2020, Williams opted out of playing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the season prior, Williams averaged 4.5 yards per carry with the Chiefs in 11 games played. He also added five rushing scores. The 28-year-old is known for the pass-catching abilities as well. He had 30 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns in 2019. Williams notably caught headlines in a pretty big game that season: The Super Bowl. That outing saw Williams put up 133 total scrimmage yards with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The Chiefs took home the title with a 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Williams had the go-ahead score and then the final one which iced the game. Undrafted out of Oklahoma in 2014, Williams signed with the Miami Dolphins and played four seasons there. Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor held that same role with the Dolphins in Williams’ first two pro seasons. Williams joins a Chicago backfield with David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen.

Lather - rinse - repeat

I actually heard that the whole thing was orchestrated by the Texans primarily to render him untradeable — through no fault of theirs. Secondarily, to “put him in his place.” Love the conspiracy nuts.

My experience with juries is somewhat different. Juries can detect phonies very well. If he’s not genuine, they will punish him for it.

And that sword cuts both ways. Cross-examining someone who claims to be a victim of a sex crime is a very dicey matter. Really have to be concerned about a potential backlash from jurors who may identify in some way with the victim. It’s a real challenge. Not so cross-examining a big, tough, football player alleged to be a sexual predator. You can really take off the gloves in that situation.

His problem, from a tactical standpoint, is that he’s fighting a 3-front war: civil suits, potential criminal prosecution, and NFL discipline. His best defense from a criminal standpoint is probably that the acts were consensual. But to make that defense he will basically be admitting to multiple violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Another potential issue that I haven’t heard anyone mention yet is his contract status. Most player contracts have some sort of a morality clause in them. He could find himself at odds with the Texans over his contract as a result of this situation.

The tally of lawsuits is now up to 13, with one of them alleging conduct that occurred as recently as only 18 days ago. This story summarizes the allegations of the lawsuits. Watson is in real trouble here. The allegations made by all of these women, who didn’t know one another, are disturbingly similar. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31113664/summary-lawsuits-deshaun-watson If true, the allegations indicate something terribly wrong with this guy. Think about it. If it was only about sex, it doesn’t make sense. This guy is a 25 yr. old, handsome, fit, black man who is a celebrity and makes $40 million/yr. I sincerely doubt that if it were just about sex he’d have to resort to hiring massage therapists. Face it, this guy can get sex pretty much anytime he wants to. If these allegations are true, they speak to some sort of pathology or deviance. The money he’s going to have to pay to settle these lawsuits is going to be considerable. But it will pale compared to what this could cost him in terms of his career. The best case scenario I see coming out of this is making the lawsuits go away by paying them off, a lengthy suspension by the League, and him skulking out of Houston under cover of darkness (which he wanted to do anyway). Right now his primary goal should be avoiding criminal prosecution. If he has to stand trial for criminal sex offenses, in the current climate, I think his career is over.

So, is Porter Moser of Loyola someone on IU’s radar screen? Going to the Sweet 16 after beating #1 seed Illinois. Got to the Final Four in 2018.

Today’s update: The attorney for the alleged victims says he will turn over affidavits from his clients and other “evidence,” to the cops and the DA on Monday. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31103625/lawyer-representing-women-plans-submit-evidence-affidavits-deshaun-watson-case-monday The upfront offer of affidavits from his clients — in lieu of police interviews — is a nice strategy at this point. He has 100% control over the substantive content of the affidavits and, just as importantly, how it comes across. Not so in a live interview session. There was no description of what he meant by “evidence.” I’m guessing he’s referring to text messages, social media posts, e-mails, etc. Although, if you were inclined to give vent to your imagination ... More troubling (to me) is that the attorney has “requested” the DA to convene a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against Watson. I do not know Texas criminal law or procedure. The Rules of Professional Conduct forbid a lawyer to threaten to initiate criminal proceedings in order to gain advantage for a client in a civil matter. I can’t say that occurred, but the news accounts made me raise an eyebrow. Today’s real loser? Let’s just say that the Commish sweated through his suit jacket before noon at the prospect of one of the League’s brightest young, black, solid citizen, outspoken on social justice issues, face-of-a-franchise players being charged with multiple sex-related felonies. The pressure is going to mount on him to do something.