What a week this day has been

The GIST: The NFL is investigating a new lawsuit filed on Monday accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback (QB) Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and battery. Of note, this suit is unrelated to the other 26 civil suits filed against Watson in 2021 and 2022, accusing him of similar sexual misconduct. So horrible.

The context: Watson was first accused of sexual misconduct in 2021 and was inactive for his then-squad, the Houston Texans, that entire season due to these allegations as well as an ongoing contract dispute with the Texans.

• But in March 2022, very aware of the multiple, public lawsuits plaguing the QB, the Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed $230M deal — the league’s biggest guaranteed contract at the time. Hmm.

• In August 2022, Watson was suspended from the NFL for 11 games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. At that time, Watson was facing allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment from two dozen women, largely massage therapists in the Houston area. Watson settled 23 out of 24 of the civil lawsuits filed against him that year.

The latest: On Monday, an anonymous woman filed a civil suit against Watson for sexual assault and battery under Texas’ five-year statute of limitations. She claims that Watson asked her on a date in October 2020 and agreed to come to her home for dinner, but he called her before his arrival angrily screaming because he could not find her apartment.

• After she finished putting on her makeup, the woman left her bathroom and found Watson naked, lying face down on her bed and demanding a massage before sexually assaulting her.

• No criminal charges have been filed and Watson has not publicly addressed these new allegations.

What’s next: The NFL will investigate and decide if Watson’s alleged actions (yet again) violate their personal conduct policy and will consider disciplinary action from there. As per his contract, Watson is still owed more than $130M from the Browns.

Zooming out: As discussed on the latest episode of The GIST of It, many pundits believe Watson has underperformed since being picked up by the Browns, causing some to speculate that the organization might leverage this suit to remove themselves from their five-year contract with Watson.

• Unfortunately, this case may perfectly illustrate a sad reality in sports: Entities exploit off-field factors to their advantage — protecting top players while using it as a pretext to cut underperformers. When will it end?

The GIST: After Sunday’s roadside stop resulted in controversial Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill being forcibly placed in handcuffs, Hill’s agent has called for the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) officers involved in his detainment to be fired. Here’s the latest in this developing story.

The details: While a bystander’s cell phone video flooded social media immediately after the incident, the MDPD released the body cam footage from all six responding officers on Monday. The footage shows Hill, who ultimately received citations for careless driving and a seatbelt violation, was forcibly removed from his car, handcuffed, and had an officer kneel on his back.

• Two of Hill’s Miami teammates — tight end Jonnu Smith and defensive end Calais Campbell — arrived on the scene shortly after Hill was detained.

• Notably, Campbell, a former Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner (a prestigious honor given to an NFLer who exhibits a commitment to philanthropy and community impact), was also briefly detained for “failure to comply.”

• Despite the pregame altercation, Hill showed out on the field in the Dolphins’ 20–17 Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, amassing 130 yards and a touchdown that he celebrated pointedly.

The response: The MDPD has since launched an internal investigation and placed at least one officer on administrative leave following the altercation. Both the Dolphins organization and Hill’s agent have requested that additional action against the other responding officers be taken.

What’s next: When Hill was asked to comment on the situation potentially being racially motivated, he said, “it’s hard. I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets iffy when you do.”

• With tomorrow’s pivotal 8:15 p.m. ET AFC East matchup against the Buffalo Bills looming, Hill is scheduled to address local Miami media later today.

The GIST: The 19th edition of the Solheim Cup, one of women’s golf’s most anticipated tourneys — and inspired by the men’s drama-filled Ryder Cup — will pit Team USA against Team Europe when it officially opens tomorrow at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.

How it works: The biennial tourney features a three-day match-play competition. The first two days consist of foursome (alternate shot) and four-ball (best ball) matches, while the final day is one-on-one singles matches.

• Each team consists of 12 players, points are awarded for each match, and the team with the most points at the end of the event will be named the winner. If the tournament ends in a tie, the reigning champion (Europe) retains the cup.

• Normally a biennial affair, the event is happening in back-to-back years to account for — stop us if you’ve heard this one before — pandemic-induced scheduling issues.

Key storylines: Though the squads tied in Spain last year, Team Europe is technically the defending champ having won in 2021, putting pressure on Team USA to avoid four straight losses. Everyone loves an underdog.

• Led by captain Stacy Lewis, the red, white, and blue will rely on big swingers Nelly Korda (six wins in 2024) and Lila Vu, and the resilience of Solheim Cup rookie Sarah Schmelzel to reclaim the crown.

• As for Team Europe, vice-captain Anna Nordqvist is playing in her field-leading ninth Solheim and will look to veteran Brits Charley Hull and Georgia Hall to defend the trophy.

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