Best of The Ben Maller Show

"Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fan base cheered when I got hurt." That was Deshaun Watson after being booed by Cleveland Browns fans during a preseason loss to the Bills. The quarterback said the reaction was "personal" and "has nothing to do about the performance." On the latest Best of The Ben Maller Show, host Ben Maller used Watson's comments as a launching point for a broader argument about accountability, fan sovereignty, and the difference between earned benefit of the doubt and undeserved excuses in professional sports.

The Hall Pass That Was Never Earned

Maller's central thesis is straightforward: unproven players do not get a "hall pass" for poor preseason performances. He applied this logic first to Titans quarterback Cam Ward, the 2025 number one overall pick who struggled again in his second preseason start against Seattle. Ward's rookie season was "very, very forgettable," and his signature moment as a pro remains the immortal quote "We ass" when asked about the Titans offense. Maller argued that Ward has been spotted "at the leasing office in Bustville, USA," checking out condos down the hall from Josh Rosen, Zach Wilson, and Jake Locker. The hall pass, Maller insisted, "is only given out to proven players. Cam Ward ain't that. He hasn't done diddly squat as an NFL player yet to earn that kind of title."