According to Diana Moskovitz and Kalyn Kahler of Defector, Aaron Wilson, the Houston Texans writer for the Houston Chronicle, there is no work, just a few weeks after an eyebrow interview with a Boston radio program.
During the interview with The Greg Hill Show on WEEI on March 19, Wilson repeatedly questioned Watson’s accusers, calling the allegations against the Texan quarterback a ‘money grab’ and the negotiations between Watson’s camp and Houston attorney Tony Buzbee. , which the plaintiffs, after a terrorist negotiation.
On the same day, Buzbee held a press conference in which he announced that he was representing 12 defendants of Watson. The number has since reached 22, while the Houston Police Department is investigating another charge unrelated to Buzbee. An additional woman accuses Watson of inappropriate behavior by Jenny Vrentas of Sports Illustrated.
Per Defector, Chronicle sports editor Reid Laymance told sports staff in a meeting on Friday. that Wilson is no longer employed by the Chronicle, with no details regarding Wilson’s change or coverage of the lawsuits. He apparently told reporters that they should be aware of what they are saying on other platforms, a message that reflects what Chronicle’s executive editor Steve Riley told the entire newsroom.
Riley reportedly wrote about ethics and proper behavior in the editorial office while discussing Watson:
“The allegations of sexual assault against Deshaun Watson bring these standards to the forefront,” Riley wrote. ‘This note serves as a reminder that as we report, analyze and describe the allegations, those who bring them up and the person against whom they are brought up must enter the story with fairness and care towards all involved. Given the frequency of the content we create, on a growing number of print and digital channels, our editorial staff should also be vigilant with our oversight of coverage across all platforms. ”
The email reminded staff members that they always represent the chronicle during any media appearance, and should do so with the permission of a supervisor.
‘Facts are good. Analysis is OK. Opinion, speculation or unfounded allegations are not. We will not tolerate that kind of comment. ”
According to the email, Wilson is not named, but Defector reports that several sources said they believe it was in response to Wilson and his radio interview.
Wilson has not tweeted since announcing the signing of Las Vegas Raiders Karl Joseph Friday afternoon.
What did former Texan reporter Aaron Wilson say about the Deshaun Watson case?
During the interview, Wilson approached the Watson case from a decidedly pre-Watson angle. Here is how he started the interview when asked if the accusations were money laundering and if there would be criminal charges:
“There are no criminal charges. Yes, it is a money grab and it started that way, and as soon as the lawyer exhausted it after they did not want to acknowledge and pay the money requirements, they appealed for more And that’s what he does by using Instagram, he’s trying to lure more business in. Basically it’s the ambulance that’s rushing … is looked down upon.
Deshaun Watson is a guy who is highly respected. I’ve known him for years, and not just in the stadium. I have been to the charity events, some social institutions. I know his whole camp.
Here is what Wilson had to say when asked if he did not believe the accused:
I’m skeptical. Let’s put it this way, yes. I’m telling you, I want to be careful. I do not deny that it may be true in a sense that I was not there … The people who know what happened are he and the alleged women who did not put their name on it. It’s all a Jane Doe situation, so we do not know the women, there is no way to vet it. There is no way to really look at it.
I’m not saying I’m not [pro-Watson]. I do not know them, I know him. I’m not going to throw the guy under the bus until I have proof. I do not feel I have the proof.
Wilson noted the lack of involvement of the sheriff’s department in Harris County and praised Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, as a ‘power lawyer’, revealing that he had only spoken to him the night before.
He then maintained Watson’s less privileged background as proof of his character, speculating that Watson’s lack of previous incidents had made him an easier target for the accused and abandoned the line “do not negotiate with terrorists”:
He had an impeccable character, that’s accurate. He’s a guy who grew up in public housing, had singles, had cancer, he was a ballboy for the Hawks, had a lot of work. He was really an underprivileged child who grew up and became a soccer star. It was therefore a meteoric rise. Now that he has the money, Deshaun may be a target. That was a point that David Cornwell put to me, which represented many of the players in personal behavior.
It is actually easier if you pursue someone with an impeccable reputation in many ways because they have the means to pay. In the case of someone like this, Deshaun Watson, they will pay more to make the whole thing go away. In his case, it’s like you’re not negotiating with terrorists. People demand money, they demand money.
It kept escalating, it kept going and going and going, and you started talking about more and more funds. I’m not going to say how much it entails, but my understanding is that there was an acknowledgment … that it was just a money grab. But they did not expect it to come at this point where there are other cases. This is the risk you run.
Wilson has been handling the Watson case since the beginning. His piece on the reaction from Watson’s camp entitled “Who is the real Deshaun Watson?” Published March 26 in the Chronicle, received criticism from Texas Monthly for granting anonymity to several pro-Watson sources.
Texas Monthly also reported that the report on Watson in Chronicle caused a consternation among his staff, and reporters expressed their concern towards senior management.
More from Yahoo Sports: