Matt Araiza

[NewEra]

Just now, Buffalo_Stampede said:

In the past many people have gotten away with it. That’s why the world is how it is today. 
 

Simple solution is seal the names. 

 

Ok…. Seal the names.  I have no problem with that. Great idea. Logistically,

 

I have a problem with people making a snap judgement (cut him now!) one second after reading that someone is accused of something.  

that’s where the true problem lies imo.  If the names were sealed in criminal cases, the court of public social media would bite the heads of other in different aspect of life. That’s life now. 

[GunnerBill]

4 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

In the past many people have gotten away with it. That’s why the world is how it is today. 
 

Simple solution is seal the names. 

 

I agree that is part of the reason, but we have over-corrected. Certainly in the UK I can (but won't here) point to some specific interventions that are an example of that over-correction. 

[Bobby Hooks]

Whether it’s fair or not, every single Bills article and social media post had the words Buffalo Bills and gang rape attached to it. 
 

They were also getting a LOT of pressure from the world, and I’m assuming the NFL to make a move.
 

They had to do what was best for the team, and unfortunately that meant parting ways. 
 

This is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario, and the reason many teams took him off their boards for the draft. 
 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Bobby Hooks

[Buffalo_Stampede]

7 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Ok…. Seal the names.  I have no problem with that. Great idea. Logistically,

 

I have a problem with people making a snap judgement (cut him now!) one second after reading that someone is accused of something.  

that’s where the true problem lies imo.  If the names were sealed in criminal cases, the court of public social media would bite the heads of other in different aspect of life. That’s life now. 

As a fan I find it difficult to root for someone under investigation for rape.

 

I’m just being honest. I wish I never heard anything about the case.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Buffalo_Stampede

[Billsfan777]

Both the gm an head coach should go out on national TV an apologize to Matt araiza..an matt should not only sue the ***** out of that 2 dollar ***** but the buffalobills as well for wrongfully termination 

[Bobby Hooks]

3 minutes ago, Billsfan777 said:

Both the gm an head coach should go out on national TV an apologize to Matt araiza..an matt should not only sue the ***** out of that 2 dollar ***** but the buffalobills as well for wrongfully termination 

Heckuva fiery first post! 
 

Are you friends with Matthew? 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Bobby Hooks

[machine gun kelly]

11 hours ago, IronMaidenBills said:

It’s not enough to say I hope this kid gets a chance. The only way this becomes right is by allowing the Bills to get Araiza back. 

I have to assume that Araiza was told by management that they believed him, but due to huge amounts of public pressure they had no choice. If Araiza doesn’t want to return, thats fine, but the league needs to give the Bills the 1st option if Araiza wants to return. 

You have a right to youre opinion.  In my opinion, the Bills don’t HAVE to do anything, and I certainly don’t HAVE To Believe what you believe.

 

Im sincere in Matt should get a shot at a team.  The team will have to decide if his skills are worth the media bias that will inevitably come with it, even though he has been proven to be innocent.  
 

Sometimes life isn’t fair.  If it’s me, a team who does not have a stellar offense, but a very good defense would benefit from his services.  That cannon of a leg would give very good ball position to an avg offense.  Just look at the offenses ranked 20th to 32nd.  They could improve immediately while they take their couple of years to build or retool their offense.

 

Thats my logical opinion thinking strategically as to a small market teams who have mediocre offenses, but may have a great defense.

[Motorin']

2 minutes ago, Billsfan777 said:

Both the gm an head coach should go out on national TV an apologize to Matt araiza..an matt should not only sue the ***** out of that 2 dollar ***** but the buffalobills as well for wrongfully termination 

 

The Bills let him go because he needed to deal with a civil suit and criminal investigation over the allegations from a minor that he admitted to having sex with. 

 

 

[Billsfan777]

1 minute ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Heckuva fiery first post! 
 

Are you friends with Matthew? 

No but an individual is innocent until proven guilty 

[Bobby Hooks]

2 minutes ago, Billsfan777 said:

No but an individual is innocent until proven guilty 

Of course. But that doesn’t stop the world from happening. 
 

Having gang rape attached to everything you do for an entire season is a big deal when you’re trying for your first Super Bowl championship. 
 

It was a big distraction for a punter. 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Bobby Hooks

[aristocrat]

5 minutes ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Whether it’s fair or not, every single Bills article and social media post had the words Buffalo Bills and gang rape attached to it. 
 

They were also getting a LOT of pressure from the world, and I’m assuming the NFL to make a move.
 

They had to do what was best for the team, and unfortunately that meant parting ways. 
 

This is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario, and the reason many teams took him off their boards for the draft. 
 

 

The victims attorney went nuclear in this situation. I can understand wanting to defend to client but holy ***** this guy went so far over the top.  He should be reprimanded at minimum for how he handled this. 
 

at the same time this girl was just going go to guys at the party taking leaks in the yard and was apparently like…well your dick is already out let’s go! What an insane story 
 

 

[Kmart128]

I really hope Araiza sues that girl for everything she is worth. What a horrible human being. 

 

Now i hope we atleast bring him back to compete this year. And if we dont i think the Bills will see a lawsuit on their hands for wrongful termination.

[Billsfan777]

1 minute ago, Motorin' said:

 

The Bills let him go because he needed to deal with a civil suit and criminal investigation over the allegations from a minor that he admitted to having sex with. 

 

 

Wrong ..the bills let him go from the pressure of the woke/cancel culture plus the media the bills could had place him on the commissioner except list until all the facts came out 

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, Motorin' said:

 

The Bills let him go because he needed to deal with a civil suit and criminal investigation over the allegations from a minor that he admitted to having sex with. 

 

 

In most employment settings that would be considered wrongful termination. None of the things he was ‘dealing with’ occurred at his place of employment or with anyone remotely associated with the Buffalo Bills organization. It’s a tough situation for sure, but I don’t think you’re ever hurt by offering an apology. 

[Fleezoid]

Is it too soon to resume giving him a nickname?

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, Billsfan777 said:

Wrong ..the bills let him go from the pressure of the woke/cancel culture plus the media the bills could had place him on the commissioner except list until all the facts came out 

 

That is not correct. A player who has never played in the league is not eligible for the commissioner's exempt list. 

[SCBills]

As the person who linked the article and believes Araiza was done so dirty, by so many people, I’m genuinely wondering what people think the Bills should’ve done…

 

Im pretty convinced Beane believed Araiza.  His words were carefully chosen, his vibe was certainly one of completely frustration and sadness. 
 

The Bills literally cut their other punter and gave Arazia the job, after they were aware of the allegations (I’m pretty sure this is correct?.. correct me if I’m wrong)

 

But put yourself back to Aug of ‘22. 

Local media with daily hit pieces against the Bills FO.  National media with daily hit pieces against the Bills FO.  Bills influencers absolutely torching the organization and/or demanding his release. 
 

It’s now May of ‘23 and we finally have some clarity that exonerates Araiza. 
 

How do y’all think the Bills could’ve functioned with the mob ready to burn OBD down?   Do you really think Goodell was going to allow Beane to hold the NFL hostage with certain social justice groups over a rookie punter?  Already dealing with the Watson fallout. 
 

I genuinely, as someone who has contempt for all those who vilified him without knowing the facts, have no idea what else the Bills could have done. 
 

Edited May 9, 2023 by SCBills

[Mango]

2 hours ago, StHustle said:

 

🙄 People like you annoy me. That law is clearly situational! You have to use common sense here. Do you know how many college girls often get drunk before having sex? What about guys? You realistically consider all those young men and women rapists??? You’ve never had sex with a drunk woman? I’d venture to say more men have than haven’t at least once in their lives (let’s say by age of 40) Do you think most men are rapists? See how your logic is flawed.

 

Furthermore for there to have factually been lie after lie after lie uncovered that she told yet you still give her any benefit of the doubt is extremely disgusting. Your type is why innocent people get out in jail and lives ruined. Have some common sense man.

 

 

You can certainly be too drunk to give consent. And yes, I have turned down women who were too drunk to do so. This shouldn't be all that contentious. Any attorney on the planet will agree that you can be charged with sexual assault because somebody people cannot give reasonable consent. You may not like it, but it doesn't make it less true. 

The idea that a person can withdraw consent at any time shouldn't make you this angry. I don't care if she agreed to a 1000000 person *****. At any moment she can say no, and walk away. The bloodied photos of the girl were disturbing. And reports were from her friends that she immediately told them she was assaulted. Could some of that night been consensual? Sure. Does it mean everything was? No. 

 

SDSU certainly made an effort to sweep this under the rug. The story in this article v the statements/recordings given to police a year ago seem to be contradict each other. 

 

This one hits home for me, my sister was assaulted in a very similar situation. She got a rape test. She went to the police. And similarly they first wouldn't investigate, and second when they found out who the kid/family was immediately started saying she made things up. She didn't. She was raped. Does that mean Araiza himself raped her? No. Does it mean that the young woman in this story wasn't raped. Absolutely not. 

 

I also have a lot of friends in a lot of major athletic departments (Alabama, Texas, Syracuse, Stanford, Cal, Washington, OU) who have a lot of stories of schools dedicating a lot of resources to keeping their football/basketball brand as clean as possible. So forgive me for my cynicism. 

 

Quote

I can certainly get behind the fact that everything doesn’t add up from her side. But I also don’t think this article absolves SDSU football or SDSU police what so ever.  

 

As far as I am concerned my big take away is something’s don’t add up from Araiza, the young woman, and others. It isn’t that she wasn’t assaulted, it’s that there isn’t enough evidence to move forward. 

 

I didn't think that this was so all that spicy, but here we are. 

[prissythecat]

11 minutes ago, Billsfan777 said:

Both the gm an head coach should go out on national TV an apologize to Matt araiza..an matt should not only sue the ***** out of that 2 dollar ***** but the buffalobills as well for wrongfully termination 

You do understand the concept of at will employment right?  The Bills owe nothing to Araiza and he has no basis to sue them.

[4merper4mer]

32 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

People like yourself believed her. He will never get his reputation back by part of society because of this I’d sue everyone if I were in his shoes and let the chips fall where they may. 

People like yourself?

 

Who are those types of people?  Do you mean those who don’t look at anything as truth because a person calls it truth?  For the record I didn’t believe or disbelieve the woman, her lawyer, Araiza, or his lawyer about the underlying facts at any point in all of this. I did realize that  both lawyers displayed themselves as complete morons.  You can check back on my posts if you’d like.  
 

Anyone who thought they could determine truth by the limited data available in the press, much of which had been proven false even back then, has a flaw in their definition of fact versus opinion/guess.  I had a guess…..still do….but choose not to state it because I realize it is a guess.  
 

At no point then or now do I portray our current societal trends as fair.  I do realize however that they exist and simply wishing they would go away is childish.  
 

The Bills organization was in an impossible position in many ways because they had to think of not just Araiza the punter, but also Araiza the person.  Their decision definitely harmed Araiza the punter but I strongly believed it was 1000000000000% the right one for Araiza the person.

[teef]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

Yup.  Protect your bubble.  That’s all we have atm.  
 

Maybe if a flock of the biggest social media influencers got together and started a movement, it could have an impact and start the ball rolling.  It’s crazy how many people live 90% of their awake lives on social media.  That’s where the change needs to begin imo

i honestly consider myself lucky that i never really jumped into social media.  I may use it to a minor extent,  but not close to daily.  there's a ton of mob mentality, misinformation, peer pressure.  it's tough.  i'm sure there's a lot of good that can come from it, but we tend to hear far more towards the bad.  i worry about my kids and how this evolves, so i'm just going to try to deal with this on a local level.  who knows how AI is going to change this landscape as well.  it's going to be the wild west of tech.

[nedboy7]

How long does it take to prove you weren’t even at the house.  Seems like that could have been determined quickly? 

[Motorin']

5 minutes ago, SCBills said:

As the person who linked the article and believes Araiza was done so dirty, by so many people, I’m genuinely wondering what people think the Bills should’ve done…

 

Im pretty convinced Beane believed Araiza.  His words were carefully chosen, his vibe was certainly one of completely frustration and sadness. 
 

The Bills literally cut their other punter and gave Arazia the job, after they were aware of the allegations (I’m pretty sure this is correct?.. correct me if I’m wrong)

 

But put yourself back to Aug of ‘22. 

Local media with daily hit pieces against the Bills FO.  National media with daily hit pieces against the Bills FO.  Bills influencers absolutely torching the organization and/or demanding his release. 
 

It’s now May of ‘23 and we finally have some clarity that exonerates Araiza. 
 

How do y’all think the Bills could’ve functioned with the mob ready to burn OBD down?   Do you really think Goodell was going to allow Beane to hold the NFL hostage with certain social justice groups over a rookie punter?  Already dealing with the Watson fallout. 
 

I genuinely, as someone who has contempt for all those who vilified him without knowing the facts, have no idea what else the Bills could have done. 
 

 

The Bills did the right thing, because he admitted to having sex with a minor. 

 

They couldn't keep him on the team while being investigated for rape and an ongoing civil suit. 

 

I think it's in Matt's best interest to come out and say he made mistakes, but he never met to hurt anyone. He hopes this girl gets whatever helps she needs because she seems like she needs a lot of help... That he should never have put himself, his family and his teammates in this position.  But ultimately he has been proved innocent of the terrible accusation of rape, and that no one should hold that label over him because that's not who he is. 

 

He needs to own his part, say sorry for his part and his part only. If he comes out half as vindictive as some on the board as hoping he's going to hurt his chances for a second chance in the NFL.  

 

 

[teef]

18 minutes ago, SCBills said:

As the person who linked the article and believes Araiza was done so dirty, by so many people, I’m genuinely wondering what people think the Bills should’ve done…

 

Im pretty convinced Beane believed Araiza.  His words were carefully chosen, his vibe was certainly one of completely frustration and sadness. 
 

The Bills literally cut their other punter and gave Arazia the job, after they were aware of the allegations (I’m pretty sure this is correct?.. correct me if I’m wrong)

 

But put yourself back to Aug of ‘22. 

Local media with daily hit pieces against the Bills FO.  National media with daily hit pieces against the Bills FO.  Bills influencers absolutely torching the organization and/or demanding his release. 
 

It’s now May of ‘23 and we finally have some clarity that exonerates Araiza. 
 

How do y’all think the Bills could’ve functioned with the mob ready to burn OBD down?   Do you really think Goodell was going to allow Beane to hold the NFL hostage with certain social justice groups over a rookie punter?  Already dealing with the Watson fallout. 
 

I genuinely, as someone who has contempt for all those who vilified him without knowing the facts, have no idea what else the Bills could have done. 
 

i agree with this as well.  when you run a business, you have to rid yourself of anything bad for business, and let's face it, the nfl and the bills sure are a business.  it's not necessarily right, but i don't think that's anything that's going to change soon.  at the end of the day, matt was wildly unlucky to even run into that girl.  it sucks.

Edited May 9, 2023 by teef

[Tommy Callahan]

The current thing mob went after him before any facts or due process.  Since then they have moved onto new things to be outraged about. 

[Bruffalo]

You can't blame the Bills for dropping him when they did. I believed that it was the right move then and I still do.

 

Obviously this is a borked up situation, and I feel for him.  

[NewEra]

36 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

As a fan I find it difficult to root for someone under investigation for rape.

 

I’m just being honest. I wish I never heard anything about the case.

 

 

I agree.  
 

Then, on the other hand, I find it difficult to be ok with potentially ruining an innocent man’s life because he was falsely accused.  This kid busted his butt the majority of his life to become one of the less than .1% to make himself a home among the elite in the NFL.  Only to be banished (hopefully only for that one year) based on a false accusation.  
 

I’m at fault too.  I called him Rape God on this forum. I’m ashamed of that moment of weakness and I hope that I’ve learned my lesson.   
 

 

[78thealltimegreat]

20 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

People like yourself?

 

Who are those types of people?  Do you mean those who don’t look at anything as truth because a person calls it truth?  For the record I didn’t believe or disbelieve the woman, her lawyer, Araiza, or his lawyer about the underlying facts at any point in all of this. I did realize that  both lawyers displayed themselves as complete morons.  You can check back on my posts if you’d like.  
 

Anyone who thought they could determine truth by the limited data available in the press, much of which had been proven false even back then, has a flaw in their definition of fact versus opinion/guess.  I had a guess…..still do….but choose not to state it because I realize it is a guess.  
 

At no point then or now do I portray our current societal trends as fair.  I do realize however that they exist and simply wishing they would go away is childish.  
 

The Bills organization was in an impossible position in many ways because they had to think of not just Araiza the punter, but also Araiza the person.  Their decision definitely harmed Araiza the punter but I strongly believed it was 1000000000000% the right one for Araiza the person.

Like I said he’ll never get his reputation back with a portion of society as the last line alone says you’ve determined him to be a terrible person for simply going to a college party. 

[dpberr]

I'd sue her and her attorney until I ran out of lawyers to do the paperwork. I'd also go after any organization that I had evidence they pressured the Bills to cut him, simply to make them spend time and money.  Her attorney stoked a very public fire about this case, and that shouldn't be without consequence.

 

I don't fault the Bills for releasing him because he was needing to devote most of his time to the case, and as a rookie, you need to be in team meetings and practices 100% of the time.   Availability is your #1 job skill.

[78thealltimegreat]

5 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I agree.  
 

Then, on the other hand, I find it difficult to be ok with potentially ruining an innocent man’s life because he was falsely accused.  This kid busted his butt the majority of his life to become one of the less than .1% to make himself a home among the elite in the NFL.  Only to be banished (hopefully only for that one year) based on a false accusation.  
 

I’m at fault too.  I called him Rape God on this forum. I’m ashamed of that moment of weakness and I hope that I’ve learned my lesson.   
 

 

Imagine being that kid when you literally weren’t even there being labeled for the rest of your life by complete strangers as a rapist. 

[4merper4mer]

7 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

Like I said he’ll never get his reputation back with a portion of society as the last line alone says you’ve determined him to be a terrible person for simply going to a college party. 

Apparently you can’t read.

[78thealltimegreat]

Just now, 4merper4mer said:

Apparently you can’t read.

The last line says I can

[Milanos Milano]

25 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

The Bills did the right thing, because he admitted to having sex with a minor. 

 

They couldn't keep him on the team while being investigated for rape and an ongoing civil suit. 

 

I think it's in Matt's best interest to come out and say he made mistakes, but he never met to hurt anyone. He hopes this girl gets whatever helps she needs because she seems like she needs a lot of help... That he should never have put himself, his family and his teammates in this position.  But ultimately he has been proved innocent of the terrible accusation of rape, and that no one should hold that label over him because that's not who he is. 

 

He needs to own his part, say sorry for his part and his part only. If he comes out half as vindictive as some on the board as hoping he's going to hurt his chances for a second chance in the NFL.  

 

 

Why are we continuing with this garbage? The women was proclaiming to NOT being a minor and saying she was 18. In California where this happened, isn’t a crime. Get over it. 

Edited May 9, 2023 by IronMaidenBills

[NewEra]

5 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

Imagine being that kid when you literally weren’t even there being labeled for the rest of your life by complete strangers as a rapist. 

[aristocrat]

For anyone thinking we should sign him look at what happened to Mante Teo. That guy was a stud player before and after his head got screwed with he was never the same. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

30 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

How long does it take to prove you weren’t even at the house.  Seems like that could have been determined quickly? 

Probably takes awhile to corroborate that with multiple witness accounts…he would’ve needed some rock solid alibi to prove what time he left and arrived somewhere else quickly without relying on witnesses.  
 

[Alphadawg7]

1 minute ago, NewEra said:

I agree.  
 

Then, on the other hand, I find it difficult to be ok with potentially ruining an innocent man’s life because he was falsely accused.  This kid busted his butt the majority of his life to become one of the less than .1% to make himself a home among the elite in the NFL.  Only to be banished (hopefully only for that one year) based on a false accusation.  
 

I’m at fault too.  I called him Rape God on this forum. I’m ashamed of that moment of weakness and I hope that I’ve learned my lesson.   
 

 

 

I want to acknowledge you owning up to that mistake, sincere kudos sir.  I also want to acknowledge a certain poster, who I have never named here when discussing this, that reached out to me last night with a sincere apology for his behavior towards me and others who weren't ready to condemn the kid without the details and facts first during this original time of when this came out.  This was when he escalated it to him sending me a DM to fight in the lot at the next Bills game.  He owned up to all that, explained he was dealing with a lot in his life at the time and that the story hit home for him and he overreacted and that it was not a representation of who he is or the kind of energy he wants to put out there.  

 

So major kudos for those who have taken the time to recognize there was an opportunity to handle or react to things better when this story first broke.  Not everyone is mature enough to do that, and everyone who does has my absolute respect.  Even told the person who DM'd me that all is forgotten and forgiven and hope to buy him a beer next time I am able to make a Bills home game.  

[Motorin']

2 minutes ago, IronMaidenBills said:

Why are we continuing with this garbage? The women was proclaiming to NOT being a minor and saying she was 18. In California where this happened, isn’t a crime. Get over it. 

 

You're coming from the perspective of a defense attorney. Not a billion dollar community organization with a morality clause. 

[Simon]

1 minute ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Even told the person who DM'd me that all is forgotten and forgiven and hope to buy him a beer next time I am able to make a Bills home game.  

 

I was just conning you into showing up. I'm still going to kick your ass.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

9 minutes ago, IronMaidenBills said:

Why are we continuing with this garbage? The women was proclaiming to NOT being a minor and saying she was 18. In California where this happened, isn’t a crime. Get over it. 

I really don’t understand it either.  Like yea I can see not being vindictive because he could’ve avoided the situation but what does he really have to apologize for?  
 

Someone a year underage snuck into his party and lied about her age…California would never even bring that to trial.