McDermott/Beane press conference 8/27: Matt Araiza released

[newcam2012]

10 minutes ago, mannc said:

A civil lawsuit was filed only 48-hours ago and Ariza's had little or no opportunity to respond.  (In the legal system, he's got 30 days to respond to the complaint.)  Although the allegations are horrifying, the "evidence" against him that's been produced so far is not very convincing.   

I understand that completely. For me, it's pretty telling that no criminal charges have been filed. Obviously, the San Diego DA must have felt like the burden of proof wasn't there. However, the burden of proof is much less restrictive in a civil case. We probably will never know if he did it or not. Certainly false allegations do happen but it seems to be more the exception than the norm. At least in my unofficial head. 

 

With that said, I 100% think the Bills organization did the right thing. This allegations should be taken seriously. The Bills have not pre judged Ariza. They merely stated this is bigger than football and he needs to address his legal issues. The Bills are a high character team, seemingly close knit, and a huge sense of team and togetherness. Ariza would be a distraction to the team and more importantly what massage would this send to people? 

 

If Ariza is vindicated he will have another opportunity to play. In fact, any other team is free to pick him up now. 

 

I give a lot of credit for the front office to making a quick, clear, and concise decision. 

[Alphadawg7]

Watching the press conference...god I hate sleezy reporters.  They are asking Beane such stupid questions.  They are just trying to get a click bait sound bite, its disgusting.  Going out of their to just try and make them look bad and look for the shock and awe moments they can create.  F THEM

 

Thank god we have Beane and McD who don't bite and are as a class act as they get.

Edited August 28, 2022 by Alphadawg7

[Rico]

1 minute ago, chongli said:

 

Well, other than trading away a future All Pro (Wyatt Teller) for a low pick.

I don’t think he loses any sleep worrying about that move.

[Punching Bag]

Just now, pennstate10 said:

He was dishonest with the Bills?

 

Is there any evidence to support this statement or are you simply making ish up?

 

Bills stated they had conversation with him after the civil suit was filed, information they did have before. A document 11 pages long and Beane's reaction was he had no idea how Coach McD could coach.

 

They did not just let him go due to civil suit.  Other players have had civil suits 

[Doc Brown]

4 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

I have to ask again for all the fans who don't like MA's release.

 

Who is willing to bet another team picks him up on waivers?

[BillsShredder83]

45 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

i think we have one of the most funny pro sports twitters.... but wtf are we doing here?!?! no picture, especially not in our jersey. your choices were stick by him, or distance. they chose distancing, and then use a picture. unreal. roll heads over there, idgaf

[Victory Formation]

5 minutes ago, chongli said:

Did Buffalo's reputation take a hit? If so, will it soon be forgotten? It took the Patriots longer to release Aaron Hernandez, and their reputation did not really suffer.

 

Also, shouldn't have Houston done the same thing (release) Deshaun Watson??

 

Just wondering.

I think not. I think it’s clear that this team and this locker room hates MA.

[Pokebball]

5 minutes ago, pennstate10 said:

He was dishonest with the Bills?

 

Is there any evidence to support this statement or are you simply making ish up?

I wondered this, but after the Beane/McD conference, I got the feeling that MAs been transparent with them. It might be determined that he wasn't.

Edited August 28, 2022 by Pokebball

[Doc Brown]

Just now, Alphadawg7 said:

Watching the press conference...god I hate stupid reporters.  They are asking Beane such stupid questions.  They are just trying to get a click bait sound bite, its disgusting.  

 

Thank god we have Beane and McD who don't bite and are as a class act as they get.

I didn't see this press conference but yesterday's reporters at the McDermott press conference did a great job.

[ColoradoBills]

Just now, ExiledInIllinois said:

I hope!!!

 

It would take away any unsavory remnant the Bills organization is left with by drafting him.

In that case, I agree!  Let's hope some stupid team picks him up.

[boater]

I'm sure Matt going rogue and releasing a statement during the middle of the Panthers game didn't help his position with management.

[Alphadawg7]

Just now, Doc Brown said:

I didn't see this press conference but yesterday's reporters at the McDermott press conference did a great job.

 

Not this one.

[krf139]

2 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Watching the press conference...god I hate sleezy reporters.  They are asking Beane such stupid questions.  They are just trying to get a click bait sound bite, its disgusting.  Going out of their to just try and make them look bad and look for the shock and awe moments they can create.  F THEM

 

Thank god we have Beane and McD who don't bite and are as a class act as they get.

If only they were this nasty trying to get answers about the 13 second debacle 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Just now, ColoradoBills said:

 

It would take away any unsavory remnant the Bills organization is left with by drafting him.

In that case, I agree!  Let's hope some stupid team picks him up.

I was saying the opposite.   I hope nobody picks him up. When he's vindicated... We will look stupid for not having his back.

 

Anyway, hope he's not vindicated now!

[Don Otreply]

1 hour ago, Airseven said:

Bills go weak and cave. Disappointing but inevitable.

You haven’t changed a bit since the old BBMB days, you didn’t get it then, and you don’t get it now…, 

 

Go Bills!!!

[Boatdrinks]

5 minutes ago, Fleezoid said:

 

I get that part. But releasing him may have been more about the Bills investigation in July, followed by new information just days ago. I'm sure they sat down with Araize in July and discussed it. If they said, "Matt, we've looked in to this carefully and have done X, Y and Z, is there anything else we need to know?" If he withheld anything that came out days ago, that alone is enough to part ways. It's about trust and confidence. It may not have happened that way, but it's definitely a possibility. 

I concur. Hopefully this is close to what happened. If Araiza was not forthcoming or gave false information they absolutely should have released him. I just hope that they didn’t cave to the media mob. They haven’t given me any reason yet to doubt their standards, so all I can do as a fan is trust that the decision was made for this or a similar reason. I’d be very disappointed otherwise. 

[Bangarang]

Do we take a punter with our 1st round pick next year since it just became our biggest need? 

[TheCockSportif]

You work for a long time (in my case, 27 years, in tech), and you realize that companies are slow to respond to *****.  No matter how prosperous tech, no matter how prosperous the NFL, but when people step out of line, in any sense, in industries where there is massive competition for talent, you are totally ***** as an employee -- with the slightest suggestion of impropriety.  All an employer needs is enough ammo to cut you loose, and they will.

 

This is not an implicit/explicit suggestion that what took place with this is/was fine.  It's not.  Before I started dating my wife 17 years ago, or before we got married almost 15 years ago, the number of women I'd dated -- who were honest about having been raped -- was really, and sadly, off the charts.  Whether or not this player did it is irrelevant.  All that stands true is that being raped ***** women up, and as I think about my past dating history, this is a real thing.  I'm glad that this young woman came forward, as so many don't.

 

My only surprise is that it took the Bills so long, in particular after they had an "investigation", and kinda left McD out to dry in his presser yesterday night.

 

I'm glad that they let this guy go.  I really am.  Innocent until proven guilty is not how employment works.  They find a reason to let you go, and they will.  End of story.

 

A few weeks from now, when this player ends up in Washington, all will be forgotten.

 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by TheCockSportif

[Aussie Joe]

1 minute ago, boater said:

I'm sure Matt going rogue and releasing a statement during the middle of the Panthers game didn't help his position with management.

I suspect his fate with the Bills was sealed by then

[Matt_In_NH]

5 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Watching the press conference...god I hate sleezy reporters.  They are asking Beane such stupid questions.  They are just trying to get a click bait sound bite, its disgusting.  Going out of their to just try and make them look bad and look for the shock and awe moments they can create.  F THEM

 

Thank god we have Beane and McD who don't bite and are as a class act as they get.

I don’t have any issues with anything the bills did in this situation.   They are fishing for something that is not there 

[ExiledInIllinois]

We cut Superman, now God. 

 

😏 

[UKBillFan]

21 minutes ago, BuffaloBob said:

Is he on his way to prison? NO! He is still presumed innocent legally.
 

But this team has no need for this kind of distraction.  And I suspect he was not as forthcoming with the Bills as he should have been. That is a breach of trust that this team must move on from.  

Beane said Araiza’s story has not changed at any point, so he was as open at the start as he was at the last. 

[Ralonzo]

31 minutes ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

Too much riding on this season. They did not see enough there to die on that hill for him. If there is enough evidence there to believe he is likely guilty, why stake your reputation to support him, and potentially sidetrack a championship season?

 

Either it was the right thing to support him against an allegation without compelling evidence, or it was the right thing to dismiss him for an allegation with compelling evidence. One of those is the case. Considering that actual Law Enforcement has not found enough evidence to believe any of the civil allegations are chargeable since freaking October, I'm dubious about the latter.

 

Right now, who knows what the evidence of the matter is? There is apparently the one 11-page allegation. One source. This argument that "if he clears his name once we find out what happens, then we will welcome him back" is risible. The Bills should hope and hard as they can that this is not the case, because otherwise management has just served notice to 53 players that the organization does not have their back if someone spuriously accuses them of x-y-z.

 

The "season is too important" "distraction" canard is for knaves who either won't do the right thing or just don't know what it is.

 

[Simon Says]

1 hour ago, Beast said:

 

Well then, I wonder what the other 31 NFL teams feel about innocent until proven guilty?

 

Who do you think will sign Araiza?

 

Here's a clue....don't hold your breath waiting.

 

The Buffalo Bills did the absolute right thing here. 

If this has a similar resolution to certain other cases, he could be picked up,but likely not until its over.

[Alphadawg7]

Geezus, they keep asking the same questions they already answered, some they have answered several times.  There is a female reporter who has asked the same question 3 times now.  Literally several people asking the same questions over again...despite always the same thorough answer by Beane and McD.  

 

These reporters are a joke in this PC

1 minute ago, Matt_In_NH said:

I don’t have any issues with anything the bills did in this situation.   They are fishing for something that is not there 

 

100% agree on all accounts

[Warcodered]

Just now, Alphadawg7 said:

Geezus, they keep asking the same questions they already answered, some they have answered several times.  There is a female reporter who has asked the same question 3 times now.  Literally several people asking the same questions over again...despite always the same thorough answer by Beane and McD.  

 

These reporters are a joke in this PC

They didn't like the answer for why they changed their mind is my guess.

[ColoradoBills]

2 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

I was saying the opposite.   I hope nobody picks him up. When he's vindicated... We will look stupid for not having his back.

 

Anyway, hope he's not vindicated now!

 

The legal decision(s) could take a long time.  As to the Bills looking bad if he is squeaky clean, no one will really care.

Then and only then, will another team think about signing him.

[BigDingus]

55 minutes ago, Bubba Gump said:

Such an idiot. Ruined the rest of his life. 

 

And her's.

[Boatdrinks]

12 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

I have to ask again for all the fans who don't like MA's release.

 

Who is willing to bet another team picks him up on waivers?

I think he will end up in another team. It’s too soon imo to say whether I like the release or not. Hopefully we will find out why they made the decision. If he lied to McD , Beane or anyone else in the Bills organization then I agree with the move 100%. If it turns out they did it based on anything else then there’s  plenty of room for skepticism. 

[BigAl2526]

OK - with Araiza gone, Buffalo has some time before they settle on a new punter.  They can wait for other teams' cuts or sign one of the free agents that are available.  In another thread, somebody suggested Bruce Kern, currently with the Titans, might get cut.  Buffalo Rumblings has a short list of free agents.    

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2022/8/27/23324591/list-of-free-agent-punters-for-buffalo-bills-to-sign-michael-palardy-matt-araiza 

[goldenboy81]

Good get that dark cloud outta here

[BillsFan130]

1 minute ago, Boatdrinks said:

I think he will end up in another team. It’s too soon imo to say whether I like the release or not. Hopefully we will find out why they made the decision. If he lied to McD , Beane or anyone else in the Bills organization then I agree with the move 100%. If it turns out they did it based on anything else then there’s  plenty of room for skepticism. 

You think a team is going to want this distraction on a punter?

 

I don't personally.

 

I'm not saying he won't ever play in the NFL again.

 

But I think he's got to clear his name with this first before anyone signs him.

[julian]

11 minutes ago, Southern_Bills said:

 

I can tell you there are many jobs that will let you go over legal situations before you are convicted. 

 

Surprising it isn't the commissioners list or something of that, but I guess they wanted the situation away from the team. 

I work for one of the most recognizable companies on the planet here in Canada and we had a co worker arrested and charged with defrauding the company insurance and collecting monies illegally.

 

 He was not only not fired but was back at work awaiting his day in court lol. 
 

crazy

[BillsShredder83]

16 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

I have to ask again for all the fans who don't like MA's release.

 

Who is willing to bet another team picks him up on waivers?

at this point im on board. the only way you can keep a guy on is you have video evidence of him in europe or something... that said, sticking up for a guy you already have is a completely different thing than signing this dude fresh on waivers, after this release. apples n oranges. 

[offyourocker]

Guilty until proven innocent.  And by then nobody remembers

[Boatdrinks]

3 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

Beane said Araiza’s story has not changed at any point, so he was as open at the start as he was at the last. 

That could be true, but it doesn’t mean their investigation didn’t find the story to be full of inconsistencies. I’m pretty much hoping he’s guilty at this point as that’s about all that would make this outcome satisfactory. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

The legal decision(s) could take a long time.  As to the Bills looking bad if he is squeaky clean, no one will really care.

Then and only then, will another team think about signing him.

I hope so... I am holding you to this just as you are holding me to what I said. 😉 

 

Oh...And by then his leg will look like a '75 Ford Granda that's been through 45 BFLo winters and 2 Fort Lauderdale summers! 😏 

[Mattymafia]

1 minute ago, BigAl2526 said:

OK - with Araiza gone, Buffalo has some time before they settle on a new punter.  They can wait for other teams' cuts or sign one of the free agents that are available.  In another thread, somebody suggested Bruce Kern, currently with the Titans, might get cut.  Buffalo Rumblings has a short list of free agents.    

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2022/8/27/23324591/list-of-free-agent-punters-for-buffalo-bills-to-sign-michael-palardy-matt-araiza 

It’s actually a benefit because that’s one less person to cut on Tuesday. They can sneak another body into the roster and to the IR, and don’t need extra cuts to do it 

[Sierra Foothills]

What is the best-case scenario involving Araiza, the then 17-year old accuser, and the 2 others accused?

 

In other words, what is the "most innocent" thing that could have happened that night?

 

Araiza is guilty of something... minimally very poor judgement and very poor character and possibly a lot worse than that.

 

And there are posters here who actually believe that the Bills should have stood behind this individual of questionable character who represents a swirling cloud of distraction?

 

[hemma]

Spotrac has already changed their tables.