Matt Araiza accused of rape, served with a lawsuit.

[Billsflyer12]

Just now, UKBillFan said:

The key thing is the Bills we’re aware of this at the end of July, carried out an internal investigation and still decided to cut Haack over Araiza. They think they know something we don’t know and, like I said last night, they’re staking the culture and process on it. For their sakes, they better be right.

And the risk to that for Bills is not worth the value of a punter.

[extrahammer]

1 minute ago, Motorin' said:

 

In the allegation, they were two different occurrences. The sex alleged to have happened outside. And the rape alleged to have happened inside. The allegation is that Araiza was the one that brought her to the room to be raped. 

 

 

If your strategy is to put media pressure on Araiza, you can't contradict yourself and you don't take your foot off the gas. If he doesn't do any media interviews today, he's doing her and her story a great disservice. Hopefully some national expert lawyers in these types of cases are paying attention and reaching out to her. 

[Royale with Cheese]

18 minutes ago, loyal2dagame said:

This news broke way longer than hours ago. It's been out there for a few months. 

I read an article about this story in July because a random post on twitter linked a LA Times article with a Matt Araiza hashtag.

I was surprised it didn't get mentioned here sooner.

 

 

I guess I should have said "national news".  I'm surprised it took this long to go "viral".

 

I guess we just sit back and wait to see what unfolds from now.  

[UKBillFan]

2 minutes ago, DapperCam said:

If the Bills want to get rid of him without wading into innocent or guilty, they can just say he didn’t disclose this pre-draft and they felt misled. I kind of hope this is what they do.

Problem is they’ve already released a press release stating that an investigation has been done. Something else will have to come out for them to go down the misled route, especially if, for the moment, the majority of the roster support the stance taken.

[pocoboy]

2 minutes ago, Billsflyer12 said:

And the risk to that for Bills is not worth the value of a punter.

 

They just got themselves out of an unsavory gameday situation with Beasley, they don't need this.

[BillsFanSD]

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff has friends there with her who can testify that she was in a room with her rapists for 90 minutes and that she reported being raped immediately before leaving the party.  If they back up that story, that would be enough to put me in the "cut him" camp.  If not, there's nothing here.  

 

I'm not seeing a reason to rush to judgement either way.  We're going to find out in short order what the evidence shows.

[UKBillFan]

3 minutes ago, Billsflyer12 said:

And the risk to that for Bills is not worth the value of a punter.

A punter is still a human being. Decisions being made shouldn’t be based on the role on the team.

[The Red King]

41 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

Or look at it another way. The girl goes to the hospital and gets a rape kit done seven months ago. And the police don't give her the results. She waits, and waits. And the only thing she can think is that the police are covering for star football players.

 

Then one of them gets drafted into the NFL. Still no results. Then he gets named the starter...

 

Sure, this could all be a "money grab." But Araiza's attorney is saying that at least one of the other players may be charged. 

 

Which is why I said let's see how this plays out, and that I don't assume innocence.

[OrangeBills]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

 Oh please. Get the facts right. 
 

A young woman was beaten and bloodied by 3-5 men on the football team. The next day went to the hospital. 

In understand some people want to whitewash this because it’s the Bills.  But your boiling down of the situation is disrespectful. 

 

Fine, but those aren't the facts either.  So you're also not operating on the facts.

 

Letting it all play out as it should.

[pocoboy]

Just now, UKBillFan said:

A punter is still a human being. Decisions being made shouldn’t be based on the role on the team.

 

The more you see into the personal lives of college football players, the more that you have to wonder if "human being" is the right classification...

[KDIGGZ]

We have reached 100+ pages in less than a day - ABOUT OUR PUNTER.  Seems like an unnecessary distraction for a team that punts maybe once or twice a game 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Just now, BillsFanSD said:

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff has friends there with her who can testify that she was in a room with her rapists for 90 minutes and that she reported being raped immediately before leaving the party.  If they back up that story, that would be enough to put me in the "cut him" camp.  If not, there's nothing here.  

 

I'm not seeing a reason to rush to judgement either way.  We're going to find out in short order what the evidence shows.

My biggest question is how did Araiza and the other 2 get tied to this rape? The girl says she didn’t know what was happening and how many there were.

 

Someone had to have told her who the guys were.

[UKBillFan]

1 minute ago, pocoboy said:

 

The more you see into the personal lives of college football players, the more that you have to wonder if "human being" is the right classification...

Maybe I should say a punter should be treated no different to any other position on the team.

[Ta111]

I don’t know why so many are calling for his release when we don’t know what happened. Remember the Duke Lacrosse case? Let it play out and when the facts are determined a decision will be made.

[BarleyNY]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

She claimed she was roofied and in and out of consciousness during the rape, however she remembers being alert enough right after the rape to come out of the room and tell a friend she was raped? Crazy she was too incapacitated when the rape happened but remembers clearly as soon as it ended

She did have that 90-120 minutes of being raped to sober up somewhat. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

 

[1ManRaid]

9 minutes ago, Billsflyer12 said:

Even if he is 100% innocent, the distraction and media circus that this is already is reason enough for me to cut a punter. 
 

If this was Josh right now I would want him on Commissioner Except list immediately.

 

How the Bills and league handle these things doesn’t seem difficult to me, yet they both still continue to screw this up.

 

I 100% guarantee your stance on that changes if you or someone close to you ever gets falsely accused of a serious crime.  I don't care if it's an All Pro QB, "just a punter", the waterboy, or a homeless man in the street, innocent is innocent and you don't ruin their life over a single unproven allegation.

 

Are you seriously going to tell me you're fine giving up your job or life's work if I were to randomly make a claim against you?

[Captain Caveman]

2 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

It feels like to me that the alleged victim’s attorney has a real issue with Araiza’s attorney. And he’s making a big thing about money, in the tweets and published texts, if it has nothing to do with it! Not saying you’re wrong but, in my mind, he’s letting his client down badly at the moment.

 

A civil suit is about money, and that's ok.  His client also filed a police report and pretty obviously wants to press charges, she wants him held accountable in all the ways that are possible.

[Warriorspikes51]

Just now, Ta111 said:

I don’t know why so many are calling for his release when we don’t know what happened. Remember the Duke Lacrosse case? Let it play out and when the facts are determined a decision will be made.

Because most people are programmed by the News Media.  All it takes is one story to come out. Then a blue check twitter person makes a comment on it and suddenly you have thousands of parrots everywhere waving whatever new flag they're supposed to 

[CountDorkula]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

My biggest question is how did Araiza and the other 2 get tied to this rape? The girl says she didn’t know what was happening and how many there were.

 

Someone had to have told her who the guys were.

Apparently Arazias Ex Team mates

 

 

[ddaryl]

21 minutes ago, Bandito said:

Can you elaborate on what her lawyer is doing? Is this a money grab?

he appears to be trying to win the court of opinion. He relased her journal notes, and publicly posted a request for Matt to hire an attorney.

San Diego police department has not made any arrests here and they have the rape kit info that is months old. Not sure what to think of that, but SDPD may be looking for others who are not of the accused  If it was inconclusive I think that info would have been released to the victims lawyer.

Hard to say what the victims laywer is doing here... Speculation is he is trying to pressure them for the results, which does seem weirdly odd, but maybe the results point to others and not the accused, because if the accused show up in the rape kit test they would have been arrested.

[UKBillFan]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

 

Nothing had happened with the civil case for over a month? I thought the alleged victim only launched it yesterday, hence the press attention?

[Dopey]

102 pages and counting on a subject most of you don't know 💩 about, including me. Staying out of this convo. A lot of you should do the same.

[muppy]

4 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

We have reached 100+ pages in less than a day - ABOUT OUR PUNTER.  Seems like an unnecessary distraction for a team that punts maybe once or twice a game 

did you not get the memo he is  the god of punting. you mess with religion you get the horns

 

/sarcasm 

 

smh

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

We have reached 100+ pages in less than a day - ABOUT OUR PUNTER.  Seems like an unnecessary distraction for a team that punts maybe once or twice a game 

A punter that can punt 90 yards is very valuable.   He's averages over 50.

 

Just as important as a QB... BUT Baltimore and Tampa passed him over... Hmmm... 

 

Something is strange.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

32 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

Great, cut everyone who gets accused of something whether guilty or not guilty. Wonder if the same would be said by the majority if this was about Josh?
 

I do stick by my previous comment, though, that I would prefer him not to turn out for us until this sorted. Best solution would be if we can get him placed on the exempt list.

He's an punter. Cut him and move on. He's not a star player or even an important one. Treat him as such. Cut him and go find someone else. 

I don’t care if he is innocent or not. Let someone else take a chance on him. The Bills sole purpose is to win a Championship and who the punter is won't make a difference.

[SectionC3]

12 minutes ago, DapperCam said:

If the Bills want to get rid of him without wading into innocent or guilty, they can just say he didn’t disclose this pre-draft and they felt misled. I kind of hope this is what they do.

That’s not a bad idea.  Depending on availability of other punters and mood with the locker room (don’t want to turn your back on guys based on mere allegations, because current and future teammates will take note), they may well decide that the “negative” of this significant distraction is not worth the “positive” that Araiza brings to the field.  

[ddaryl]

1 minute ago, Dopey said:

102 pages and counting on a subject most of you don't know 💩 about, including me. Staying out of this convo. A lot of you should do the same.

 

 

message board and everyone is horrified by the situation..  its going ot get the hits

[muppy]

1 minute ago, Dopey said:

102 pages and counting on a subject most of you don't know 💩 about, including me. Staying out of this convo. A lot of you should do the same.

I THINK I'm done for now hermano. I'm in the Time to wait to see what happens next camp

 

m

[UKBillFan]

Just now, Ethan in Portland said:

He's an punter. Cut him and move on. He's not a star player or even an important one. Treat him as such. Cut him and go find someone else. 

I don’t care if he is innocent or not. Let someone else take a chance on him. The Bills sole purpose is to win a Championship and who the punter is won't make a difference.

So the decision shouldn’t be based on innocent or guilt but his role in the team? If this was Josh, for example, he should be given more support by the franchise?

[SectionC3]

16 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

The key thing is the Bills we’re aware of this at the end of July, carried out an internal investigation and still decided to cut Haack over Araiza. They think they know something we don’t know and, like I said last night, they’re staking the culture and process on it. For their sakes, they better be right.

You’re assuming the investigation was conducted well.  I have doubts about that. 

[pennstate10]

I looked at the journal notes. They seem vile and incriminating. 
 

but doesn’t it seem like something had been erased and the word Grossmont written in place of the original word?

[ExiledInIllinois]

5 minutes ago, 1ManRaid said:

 

I 100% guarantee your stance on that changes if you or someone close to you ever gets falsely accused of a serious crime.  I don't care if it's an All Pro QB, "just a punter", the waterboy, or a homeless man in the street, innocent is innocent and you don't ruin their life over a single unproven allegation.

 

Are you seriously going to tell me you're fine giving up your job or life's work if I were to randomly make a claim against you?

Agree... I expect the team to stick by him IF they believe him.  That's what seems to be happening. 

[BarleyNY]

4 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

He's an punter. Cut him and move on. He's not a star player or even an important one. Treat him as such. Cut him and go find someone else. 

I don’t care if he is innocent or not. Let someone else take a chance on him. The Bills sole purpose is to win a Championship and who the punter is won't make a difference.

From a purely clinical viewpoint, this is 100% correct. He’s a rookie punter. When you are in the Bills position you don’t take a chance with a distraction like this for a rookie punter. Doing so would be incompetent. 
 

Edited to add: I expect the Bills to sign his replacement and move on. Stuff like that can take a little time. 

Edited August 26, 2022 by BarleyNY

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 minute ago, UKBillFan said:

So the decision shouldn’t be based on innocent or guilt but his role in the team? If this was Josh, for example, he should be given more support by the franchise?

Yes. That's how it works. If they cut him today the news cycles ends by Monday. If not this drags on all year. 

[Billsatlastin2018]

He’s DONE!

 

Punt Mob! 👎🏻

[BIGFOOTspaceman]

3 hours ago, eball said:

 

@ScottLaw takes exception to that.

 

🤣

[StHustle]

1 minute ago, UKBillFan said:

So the decision shouldn’t be based on innocent or guilt but his role in the team? If this was Josh, for example, he should be given more support by the franchise?

some people are totally hypocritical! Let this have happened to his son and his tune would be totally different. People have no respect for real justice and losing your job even though you’re innocent so fans can enjoy their entertainment is utterly ridiculous!!

[UKBillFan]

Just now, Ethan in Portland said:

Yes. That's how it works. If they cut him today the news cycles ends by Monday. If not this drags on all year. 

Then that shows everything that is wrong in the NFL.

[1ManRaid]

4 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

She did have that 90-120 minutes of being raped to sober up somewhat. 

 

You generally don't just "sober up" from date rape drugs like that.  If she was sedated enough to cause unconsciousness, she's not coherent until the morning at least.  These drugs are known to cause amnesia of the event (which is part of why they're used), so it's highly unlikely she's roofied into unconsciousness, and then just snaps out of it with full clarity to be telling her friends.