Outkick the Show: Wednesday, September 11, 2019

On today’s Outkick the Show, Clay Travis put on his lawyer hat to dive in to the serious legal matters surrounding New England Patriot Antonio Brown.

Clay commented on allegations that Antonio Brown sexually assaulted and raped Britney Taylor, a 28 graduate of LSU. Taylor’s lawyers filed a federal civil complaint in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday. Said Travis, it is a lawsuit in a civil court seeking damages for alleged acts of misbehavior which occurred in 2017 and 2018. Brown and Taylor met at Central Michigan where she was a gymnast and he was a football player. When Taylor became a trainer at LSU, added Travis, Brown hired her to be his personal trainer.

Clay read directly from the civil complaint, which contains graphic sexual language. Clay also read sexually explicit excerpts from emails that were submitted as evidence. 

“I don’t know what kind of academic fraud they have working at Central Michigan, but if Antonio Brown stayed eligible based on that email I just read, someone was cheating their ass off to keep him eligible,” said Travis.

Clay continued by reading from court documents which outlined Taylor’s allegations of a rape that took place in Miami in 2018. “This is a civil lawsuit that’s been filed in federal court in south Florida. What is the difference between a civil and a criminal lawsuit? Civil lawsuits, typically, are seeking damages of a monetary nature. They involve plaintiffs who are individuals suing someone else — not criminal cases. A criminal case are almost always are brought by the state or the federal government. Usually the punishment in a criminal case is designed to put someone behind bars if it is a felony,” explained Travis.

Clay continued by comparing the OJ Simpson trials, one criminal and one civil, to better explain the charges and potential ramifications Brown will face in this civil lawsuit. “OJ was found not guilty of double-murder but he was found to be civilly liable. In the criminal court, he was found to be not guilty of murder, which is why OJ is not in jail. But in a civil court verdict he was found to be responsible for wrongful death and was ordered to pay-out his assets to the Goldman and Brown families,” explained Travis. Clay went on to further explain the difference between the civil and the criminal justice systems.

Clay then added the complexity of the NFL into the mix, which further complicates Antonio Brown’s career as a football player in the 2019 season and beyond.

Clay mentioned that the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy does not require that you be guilty of a crime or even charged with a crime to miss games, and referenced Ezekiel Elliott’s, Big Ben’s, Kareem Hunt’s, and Tyreek Hill’s legal situations as examples of how the NFL handled their legal challenges under its jurisdiction. Clay also read Britney Taylor’s statement expressing her intention to work closely with the NFL during their investigation. Clay then gave his opinion on the Roger Goodell’s decision to handle their own investigation in off-the-field-matters, calling it the worst decision of any commissioner during his lifetime.

“I have been arguing, for years, that Roger Goodell’s decision to create the NFL Personal Conduct Policy is the worst decision I have seen a commissioner make in my lifetime,” added Travis.

Clay also posed some pertinent questions that should be considered in the Antonio Brown case, including why Taylor has apparently decided not to file a criminal lawsuit.

Clay then considered legal strategies and options for legal teams representing both Antonio Brown and, his accuser, Britney Taylor.

Clay Travis also discussed how the NFL and the New England Patriots might handle Antonio Brown’s legal troubles during the 2019 season.

Clay answered viewer questions regarding the allegations of rape filed against Antonio Brown. Clay included some of his own personal experiences conducting sexual investigations as a young attorney.

Finally, Clay talked about Odell Beckham’s strange decision to wear a watch during the Cleveland Browns’ season-opening loss against the Tennessee Titans. “Odell Beckham, Jr. is saying everyone is after him because it’s him. No. You wore the watch for attention and you got it. There is no need for you to have the watch on your wrist. Look up at the scoreboard. That’s the only clock you need to be concerned with.”