How Watson and Hardin flipped the script on everything we thought we knew
SPORTSMAP ROUNDTABLE
19 May 2021
Deshaun Watson and his attorney Rusty Hardin have turned conventional wisdom on its head by fighting against NDAs. This week, we discuss how the move could stand to benefit Deshaun Watson and react to Mike Florio's take on what's really going on from a legal standpoint.
Florio believes that Hardin has a good reason for their unusual request to have the financial terms of a possible settlement disclosed to the public. Typically, a lawyer in Hardin's position would not want the terms of the settlement to become public. In many cases, people find out about big payouts and want to get a piece of the action by filing their own lawsuits whether their claims are legitimate or not.
So Watson's camp must not be worried about that becoming a problem. Which makes Florio think the payouts being discussed with these cases must not be as much as many people anticipated, and could cause the public to view Deshaun in a more favorable light. The thought being, what he did must not have been that bad because Watson's accusers are willing to take such a small amount of money. Therefore, Watson's side wants people to know he didn't pay out big money, and they aren't trying to keep the alleged victims from speaking out by making them sign NDAs. They seem to be at least be consistent in their stance that they have nothing to hide.
And conversely, if the size of the payouts were kept quiet, people would assume big checks were being scratched by Watson to protect his image. Quite the move by Rusty Hardin if you think about it. Rusty Hardin's bold strategy has Florio thinking Watson's camp is very confident about their case.
Be sure to check out the video above to find out if we're buying what Florio is selling.
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How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
