Sports can be used as an outlet. Personal note: as someone who dealt with their fair share of bullies (from middle school all the way through early high school), the pent-up anger I had towards the individuals who tormented me day in and day out spilled over whenever I played sports (mainly football). Playing football taught me a lot of life lessons, but it also allowed me to be physical towards other people in a legal, clean way. In life, you will have people who will doubt your abilities and belittle
you, but the only way to overcome it is to prove them wrong and not let it affect you in a negative way.
Saturday afternoon, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled against a Buffalo Bills team that played mainly their second and third stringers. It wasn’t a great look for someone who is desperately trying to save his career, but his postgame press conference did not do him any favors.
To anyone reading body language, it seemed obvious that Watson is frustrated; at the same time, he’s feeling a range of other emotions. Anger, sadness, embarrassment, and frustration might top the list. Watson was booed whenever he stepped out on the field. Instead of ignoring it, he chose to use it as an opportunity to antagonize the fanbase. Not a smart move. It’s clear that Watson has tried to connect with the fanbase in the past, but it’s to no avail.
As head coach Todd Monken pointed out in his post-game press conference, play well and the fans won’t boo.
Play poorly, and the fans will react accordingly. Watson will say it feels personal because deep down he knows it’s personal. He’s playing for a city that never fully embraced him and has vitriol due to the serious charges off the field. The lackluster play hasn’t done Watson any favors.
Watson says he doesn’t care, but at the same time he says it feels personal. Deep down, Watson does care about what people say about him because this press conference shows that, and it’s affecting him. Instead of using that frustration and taking it out on people who do not know him personally, the frustration should be used to motivate his play.
Watson seems mentally defeated, and it’s not a good sign for him. Playing for a fanbase that actively dislikes you is hard, but at the same time he has no one to blame but himself for the situation that he’s in. We will find out on Monday whether the team will name Watson the starter, but from the press conference it feels that Watson doesn’t want the job if he’s given it.
It’s not that Watson does not care, but it’s more about him not believing in himself anymore. His frustration spilled over, but it wasn’t the way he envisioned it or anything going since his arrival in Cleveland.
