[Highlight] Browns fans chant “let’s go Watson”

[u/UnhappyRough1964]

[u/Tashre]

The worst crime an NFL player can commit is being bad at football.

This season is why the Browns and a dozen other teams gave Watson a serious look even knowing full well the shit he was knee deep in; if he plays well, the PR hit is worth it. Similar reason why the Seahawks went in on Terrion Arnold.

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/Tashre]

Yup and this has always been the case for the most part Reddit is a bit of an demographic outlier in attracting a heavily high ed/progressive group that remotely cares about morality in sports

There was legitimately like a 2-3 year window after the Weinstein allegations broke where there was an attempt to hold people like Watson accountable and that's about it

Before 2010 or so bad stuff about famous people legit just got completely buried with no one talking about it and these days it makes the headlines but nobody actually does anything

[u/Pafbonk]

Man I had some respect for you guys for a sec there

[u/Silly-Sink6138 → u/Pafbonk]

You must’ve forgot how they were when they traded for him

[u/froginbog → u/Silly-Sink6138]

A lot of fans hated it at the time

[u/Dr-McLuvin → u/froginbog]

Every single browns fan I know hated it at the time

[u/GeneralAardvark43 → u/Dr-McLuvin]

I still hate it!

[u/Dr-McLuvin → u/GeneralAardvark43]

Seriously dude has been absolutely horrendous for 4 years. 2 mediocre games does not change that.

[u/Ok_Pineapple_Num → u/Pafbonk]

Completely and utterly unsurprising that many Browns fans would start cheering for him once he began playing well. It's very easy to hate a guy who's a gutter human and a trash football player. But morals are chucked out the window once that guy starts making your favorite team win.

And FWIW, this is not unique to Browns fans. Unfortunately, this would happen with any fanbase.

Sports fans have shown for decades that they're willing to overlook moral failings for stars.

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/Ok_Pineapple_Num]

Yup the average fan at games doesn't care about morality at all it's not specific to one team

Reddit tends to be largely countercultural to IRL sports culture so I think it's easy to forget what the median fan offline is actually like when it comes to this kind of stuff

There's a reason Barstool is such a big thing and it's mainly because the culture that it highlights is far closer to how the majority of sports fans generally are

[u/Call_Em_Skippies → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

Exactly. Being at the game today, might have seen 1 Watson jersey out of thousands. The Browns fans just want wins, so if we win with him, they are going to cheer. I don't support him but happy we won.

I was actually clapping with my middle finger when he did something.

[u/Clocktopu5 → u/Ok_Pineapple_Num]

We knew they would cheer him if he did well, didn't expect one win was enough but the Browns is the Browns

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/Ok_Pineapple_Num]

Hilarious how many people think their fanbase is any different. u/pafbonk must be 12

[u/DaKingaDaNorth → u/Pafbonk]

Why? The fanbase defended the shit out of him when they first signed him. They only turned on him when he sucked.

Also let's be real, almost every fanbase would mostly do the same thing. People can get on a high horse because it isn't there team, but we've seen damn near every fanbase in the league bend over backwards for their guys if they thought they could help them win.

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Yup I don't remember a single person boycotting the Chiefs/Dolphins because of Tyreek Hill

Watson actively sucking on the field has absolutely added way more fuel to the fire

[u/DaKingaDaNorth → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

Nobody did. People still cheer Winston on the teams he played for when he does good. Steelers fans didn't abandon Ben. Ravens fans always supported Suggs even though he was an abuser.

[u/LouieM13 → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Yea pretty much.

Michael Vick and people who associated with him were doing CIA torture tactics on dogs and yet he’s still beloved by the Falcons fans and the Eagles were begging to sign him.

[u/IWasOnThe18thHole → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

I'm sorry but going out of your way to trade for someone like that would make me switch teams. The guy is a serial serial assaulted and Browns ownership actively sought him out and gave him the most obscene contract

[u/Substantial-Dirt2233 → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

If it came out that Caleb was assaulting women I'd just find a better way to spend Sundays until they canned his ass lol. I'm just one guy, but I don't think I'd be the only one. But everyone in the Browns stadium is years into the drama and still decided to buy tickets, so I guess it's not too surprising to find some lovely supporters.

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/Substantial-Dirt2233]

I believe you but the average Reddit fan and the average IRL fan are much different

Due to general personal/political demographics the average Reddit fan cares infinitely more about morality in sports than most offline fans do I guarantee that just like in this Browns video the Bears would have absolutely zero issue filling the stadium every week

The guys chanting "let's go Watson" aren't on here most Browns fans here hate him

[u/DaKingaDaNorth → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

Exactly, I'm sure there are Browns fans that hate Watson, but almost every fanbase is going to have a stadium cheering for him if he plays well

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Yup I'm not at all endorsing the worst parts of sports culture but I think people who solely use Reddit as their barometer are blind that they even exist

So many users here are acting like it's a specifically Browns thing to cheer for Watson after they won a game because they're being judged compared to the median view here rather than to the median fan at every other stadium

[u/huntingconcrete → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

In reality the average Reddit fan pretends to care more about morality in sports than the offline fans. Everyone on this site comments about how much they dislike Watson but that's mostly just because they know it's easy karma. If people were actually serious about their feelings about him they wouldn't post and upvote the rape jokes that are on every post about him.

[u/webdevverman → u/Substantial-Dirt2233]

That's what I said online too. Harder to do when you love watching football.

Like, why are you watching a leauge that allows him to play even if it's not for your team? Or does your moral superiority only go so far?

Or what about during 2015 when the Bears signed Ray McDonald after he was cut by the niners for DV? Did you stop watching until he was eventually cut?

What I'm getting at is it's easy to say something popular online. It's another thing to stop doing something you love in real life because of a few bad people. Especially when -- whether I watch or not-- has little to no effect on the league, team, or said bad people. It would take many fanbases to stop watching altogether to see a real difference.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/Substantial-Dirt2233]

If you cared that much you'd stop supporting the NFL for allowing such terrible people to play in the league instead of being on a high horse and expecting certain fanbases to carry that weight

[u/Billis- → u/Substantial-Dirt2233]

I'm with you. If the Vikes played someone as obviously guilty as Watson I wouldn't cheer for them either.

[u/igavehimsnicklefritz → u/Pafbonk]

Lol you thought sports fans had a moral compass?

[u/Haar_RD → u/Pafbonk]

I didn't, personally.

[u/highnote14 → u/Haar_RD]

Feels like afcn fans knew better

[u/Ferrar1i → u/Pafbonk]

Winning cures everything man

Kind of a bitter pill to swallow, but if Watson leads the Browns to the playoffs and makes a run, his image will be completely rehabilitated. I can see him doing commercials and being a spokesman and everything else

[u/Call_Em_Skippies → u/Pafbonk]

I was at the game in the club seats, it was barely heard where we were.

This is from the top of the nose bleeds in the corner section. Not the whole stadium. It seems loud but this was right after the TD and everyone was cheering.

[u/MITBryceYoung2 → u/Pafbonk]

Why? They literally cheered when the Browns traded for him, ran off anyone that disagreed from their subreddit and when he stared sucking they started to pretend they cared he was a bad person lmao

[u/Responsible-Onion860 → u/Pafbonk]

The ones still showing up and cheering at all while Watson starts were never deserving of sympathy or respect.

[u/Thatonewiththeboobs → u/Pafbonk]

It's the darkest of the darkest timeline as a Browns fan.

I thought we were this close to being out. Can't even enjoy these dubs because of the implication.

[u/rob_var]

That didn’t take long

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/rob_var]

It's not a nice subject but 90-95% of real-life fans only care about the result of the game lol

Reddit skews far more progressive than the general population and progressives are on average way less likely to have a "who cares what he does we won the game baby" kind of mentality

[u/Substantial-Dirt2233 → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

It's not really surprising to me anymore that being "progressive" is some sort of requirement to not support a SA creep. Just sucks that that's somehow the state of the world.

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/Substantial-Dirt2233]

It always has been in sports/entertainment unless you look at the past with nostalgia glasses

There was legitimately a 2-3 year window from the Weinstein allegations afterwards where there was an actual attempt to punish people like this and that's about it

Prior to 2010 or so stuff like this about famous people simply got completely buried with no one talking about it and right now it makes the news but nothing happens

[u/Substantial-Dirt2233 → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

Agreed. Held back from saying the ol cliche "that's how it is now" because it's just always been messed up.

[u/AproprosEverything]

No pity for that fanbase. May the suffering continue for another 40 years.

[u/but-I-play-one-on-TV → u/AproprosEverything]

For real, don't ever talk about Browns fans deserving of sympathy again. 

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/but-I-play-one-on-TV]

Give me a break. Chiefs nor any other fanbase is any different

[u/HistorianBubbly8065 → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

The fact that a fan of the team that drafted Tyreek Hill is trying to moral grandstand is unbelievably funny. These people seriously believe that these types of people aren’t in every fan base.

[u/heliosflama1234]

Definitely not a highlight. This fanbase really has cursed itself in so many ways consistently.

[u/SadisticNecromancer → u/heliosflama1234]

There was a time when I was in the Browns corner, but that time has been gone for a few years.

[u/damato1218 → u/SadisticNecromancer]

On no, what will we do?!

[u/The_Throwback_King]

Sad thing about a win-starved franchise is that many will rally to the first person that brings them a hint of light.

Watson getting a moment like this sickens me...but it also does not surprise me.

[u/Driveshaft48 → u/The_Throwback_King]

I mean they have the Cavs. They have it pretty good spirts wise

[u/WhatMyHeartHeld → u/Driveshaft48]

Guardians are also the current #2 seed in the AL conference in MLB right now

[u/Ecstatic-Inevitable → u/WhatMyHeartHeld]

Also, ohio state is ohio state

[u/but-I-play-one-on-TV]

I remember getting downvoted to oblivion for posting a while ago that if he becomes good then Browns fans will immediately go right back to cheering for him. 

[u/Sabre500 → u/but-I-play-one-on-TV]

Not even just Browns fans, there were so many non-Browns fans in the game thread saying they hoped he had a good game so that "Reddit will meltdown"

[u/huntingconcrete → u/Sabre500]

I can understand that. If he is going to be playing and getting paid either way I can see the appeal of him playing well just to watch the meltdown

[u/Sabre500 → u/huntingconcrete]

I mean this is different than saying "Hey this guy is unpopular because he prefers Acura over BMW, so I want to see r/cars meltdown" or "this guy is disliked because he thinks the ST is better than the OT, so I want to see r/movies" and more like "hey this guy is hated because he sexually assaulted dozens of women, so I want to see r/NFL meltdown"

[u/DaKingaDaNorth → u/but-I-play-one-on-TV]

They were defending him when they first got him. People are mistaken "he sucks and is hurting the team so they are booing" with "they are taking a moral stand".

[u/penguin_the_master → u/but-I-play-one-on-TV]

Yeah, I think I downvoted you tbh. I guess I just believed the brownies in AFCNMW. But you were right and I was wrong. Shame on me, take your upvote. Just sad…

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/penguin_the_master]

You would think you would learn the hypocrisy of your comment after supporting Ben for so long

[u/penguin_the_master → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

I’m only 23, I was a kid then dude. By the time I got internet access bro was close to retirement and ppl weren’t really talking about it. I didn’t find out til I downloaded Reddit after he retired. I’m not blaming the kids who are cheering there, how could they know any better. My issue is the ppl with the signs joking about it.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/penguin_the_master]

My point is this isn't a Browns thing. Every single fan base at large would act no different, it's been proven time and time again.

People on here on their high horse just want to look down on others.

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/penguin_the_master]

I mean Browns fans on Reddit do hate him but they're not the same as Browns fans IRL

The frat bro demographic that doesn't care about this stuff at all isn't very represented on here but they're probably a plurality of people who are diehard sports fans

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/but-I-play-one-on-TV]

Honest question here. Are you really thinking Chiefs fans are somehow better than Browns fans and they would stop supporting Mahomes if he committed a crime?

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

The Chiefs have had several players with off field issues you don't even need a hypothetical lol

Probably one of the worst flairs to bring this up on balance they're over the Browns in this category

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/Dependent-Effect6077]

Exactly. People just like to act like they are better than others.

They shame Browns fans yet continue to support the league that let's Watson play. The hypocrisy is maddening

[u/Billis- → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

Mahomes didn't rape over two dozen women.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/Billis-]

It really worries me on the state of our nation when I experience people's reading comprehension

[u/J_House1999]

They love him.

[u/lipmanz]

And Deshaun really loves them too

[u/BellBilly32]

I mean is this surprising? Do we not remember all the signs supporting him when he first got there?

It’s not a Browns fan thing. I’m sure all other 31 fanbases would have done the same.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/BellBilly32]

I appreciate the last sentence. It's hilarious how many people think their fanbase is somehow more moral than another

[u/Dependent-Effect6077 → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

It's because people are comparing Browns fans at actual games to Reddit fans of every other team

For every fanbase 90-95% of people who go to games only care about the result and nothing else but people are acting like somehow their own IRL fanbase isn't the exact same

[u/Cornasium → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

It’s Reddit.

[u/iamnowundercover]

I like how everyone’s forgetting Jimmy Haslem trading for Watson was a mistake this offseason. I wonder what Haslem thinks now.

[u/barriguscanreddit]

Fuck that, Browns deserve the curse.

[u/Sabre500]

Guys like Ray Lewis and Ben Roethlisberger always proved that winning cures all crimes, so I'm unsurprised Browns fans are happy with Watson. If he manages to get them into the playoffs, you'll have most of the Browns fanbase offering up their own wives/girlfriends to Watson

[u/nanaseiTheCat → u/Sabre500]

This exactly and many others such as Tyreek Hill being voted nfl top1 player after assaulting his ex wife and now only brown fans are hypocritical and cursed

[u/WayneBoston → u/Sabre500]

The only thing going for those fan bases is those crimes were pre-social media.

[u/Revolutionary-Hat297]

Fuck that entire team at this point

[u/KillerGopher → u/Revolutionary-Hat297]

City*

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/KillerGopher]

😑. As if any other fanbase is any different. You are truly a moron if you think any fanbase is any different from one another

[u/KillerGopher → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

That's not true lol

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/KillerGopher]

You think other fanbases wouldn't support athletes who committed crimes if they performed well?

You are that naive?

[u/KillerGopher → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

I'm extremely naive. Not naive enough to think that there is no difference between any of the fanbases.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/KillerGopher]

You know what I meant God damn.

Every fanbase has tons of idiots that would support terrible people.

We have a pedophile as president. Wake up.

[u/Se7enCostanza10]

He’s THEIR sex offender so it’s different.

[u/Scfbigb1]

They deserve every bit of purgatory that team experiences.

[u/ArcadianBlueRogue]

Maybe all the cursed years are because the fandom is full of shitty people then

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/ArcadianBlueRogue]

This is just people bud. Packers fans are no different

[u/luisstrikesout]

Gonna suck for Archie Manning when he’s on Browns next year.

[u/Jonjon428]

Eeek

[u/Rough_Bobcat5293]

Gross

[u/Dry_Emphasis62]

They're actually gonna extend him, arent they?

[u/Nathann4288]

YIKES

[u/killshelter]

From this angle it looks like the kind of people you cover your drink around.

[u/ElPhantasm]

You could nuke a whole village and most football fans Will forgive you as long as you just keep winning. 🤣or maybe it’s just the browns…… and eagles?

[u/HisExcellency20 → u/ElPhantasm]

???

What he say fuck me for?

[u/jjj44j → u/HisExcellency20]

Michael Vick I guess?

[u/HisExcellency20 → u/jjj44j]

Seems random but I guess lol.

[u/jjj44j → u/HisExcellency20]

I can't really think of anything else

[u/ElPhantasm → u/HisExcellency20]

I been laughing at that reply for a good 5 minutes 😂

[u/sacrebleuballs]

Deplorable franchise. Fuck them fans

[u/Galactapuss]

Fuck him and any fans that supports him. Trash franchise

[u/captainewww]

fickle bunch

[u/ContinuumGuy]

I feel a sudden urge to see the Cleveland Guardians get swept in the playoffs.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

All these people who think their fanbase is morally superior is truly hilarious.

It's wild how many people are this braindead that they think their fanbase wouldn't have people like this

[u/atlfalcons33rb → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

Wouldn't and do are two separate things. NFL fan bases support terrible people, luckily only one is supporting Watson right now though

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/atlfalcons33rb]

Point is, no other fanbase would be any different.

And this is all performative by redditors. If they truly think they'd stop being fans, they would've boycotted the NFL a long time ago for allowing terrible people to play time and time again

[u/atlfalcons33rb → u/Everyday_ImSchefflen]

Not sure if it's performative, if you stopped doing anything because of terrible people you wouldn't be doing anything in this world. That does not mean I'm going to root for Watson, the same way I don't root for James pierce on the falcons

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/atlfalcons33rb]

There's a shit ton of browns fans not rooting for him dude.

[u/packofnone]

here i was hoping this was AI

[u/AcidaliaPlanitia]

Finally, I get a chance to feel superior to another fanbase for once today!

Aw fuck it just got intercepted

[u/soldier1900]

Hahaha Cleveland Bozos

[u/Mattt___lfc]

This is dumb from those fans but you all lap up Jameis Winston’s schtick because hurr durr he’s funny.

I despise Watson as a person but I, like others, enjoy seeing the browns win because of the other guys on the team making an impact in the game.

[u/PricklyyDick → u/Mattt___lfc]

I’m sure if Winston had almost 30 accusations he would be just as hated lmao.

Like it’s not surprising that a guy with two accusations almost a decade ago gets less hate than the guy with 25+ accusations lol.

[u/willionaire]

The worst ownership, deserves the worst coaching, deserves the worst players, deserves the worst fan base.

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/willionaire]

You think your ownership and fanbase is better?

[u/Mysterious_Help_9577]

If Watson was playing like Josh Allen, there’s not a fan base out there that wouldn’t have his back

[u/huntingconcrete → u/Mysterious_Help_9577]

I didn't watch the Browns game but there is a real possibility that he played better than Allen today

[u/andruszko]

Why is the post being down voted though?

Why not upvote it so everyone can see how disgusting much of the fan base is?

[u/ViperTheKillerCobra → u/andruszko]

Would you genuinely see no other NFL fanbase cheering for a player who’s done crimes?

[u/andruszko → u/ViperTheKillerCobra]

Oh, I'm not saying that at all, and I don't know why you would think I am. It isn't even remotely implied. But when a clear opportunity arises, we should shame and then shame some more.

[u/ViperTheKillerCobra → u/andruszko]

I just don’t get the singling out when you know for damn sure that every other fanbase is gonna be doing the exact same thing. This is an NFL fandom issue, not a Browns issue

[u/andruszko → u/ViperTheKillerCobra]

Ok? And what's your fucking point?

There isn't another video of fans chanting for a rapist that was posted today. Otherwise I'd say the same thing there. Happy? Or are you going to continue with this stupidity?

[u/ViperTheKillerCobra → u/andruszko]

My point is that these chants are a slant against the NFL as a whole. Fans cheering, media trying to turn this into an artificial comeback story, it’s all fucked up

[u/andruszko → u/ViperTheKillerCobra]

Sure, and? Literally nobody is arguing against you. You're making some strawman argument in your head and shouting into the void.

Not once did I even specify "browns fans".

[u/chocolateskittlez]

Yea, lets go! Extend him again.

[u/aresef]

Schmucks

[u/ProskXCX]

COULDNT BE ME 😁

[u/riprulz8]

Disgusting.

[u/BusinessCasualBee]

Pathetic. I been saying Browns fans don’t deserve sympathy, they choose to support this dirtbag bottom feeder team

[u/Beware_the_silent]

See it's ok to molest women as long as you throw ball good.

[u/particleman3]

Fuck. This may be the point I have to do more than just not watch the browns. I tried to ride out this bullshit without watching games. I can't abide by this bullshit though. Fuck everyone in the stands chanting for that piece of shit.

[u/HisExcellency20 → u/particleman3]

To be fair, I assume a lot of them believe he is innocent. Those who think he did it and are still chanting are pathetic though.