Deshaun Watson may be the most hated man in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after he led Clemson to a victory over the Crimson Tide in January’s college football national championship game. But he still deserves to be treated with respect when he visits, and a bar in Tuscaloosa is apologizing after that didn’t happen on Friday night.
Watson was at Innisfree Irish Pub in Tuscaloosa on Friday night until he decided to leave, apparently because some Alabama fans told him he wasn’t welcome and he didn’t want the situation to get ugly. Innisfree issued a statement on Facebook apologizing for that.
“Over the years we have had thousands of visitors from rival schools and have always treated them fairly. Today was not any different,” the pub posted. “The unfolding of today’s events were not led by our staff or anyone employed by Innisfree Irish Pubs. Unfortunately a customer attempted to invoke the right to refuse service on our behalf and after being identified, was immediately asked to leave the premises following the incident. We apologize for any inconvenience this incident caused to our customers. We appreciate anyone that chooses to visit our establishment and hope to continue welcoming sports fans for years to come.”
There’s no word on why Watson was in Tuscaloosa, and he hasn’t acknowledged it publicly other than to retweet a tweet from someone who works security at another Tuscaloosa bar. That tweet described Watson as “a real standup guy.”
Watson is expected to be a first-round pick in this month’s draft.