NFL Year 2022. Superbowl Winner: Kansas City Chiefs!

[Pilchard]

did the Bills learn any new information in the past week or did it just go public?

Pretty sure the latter. The Bills knew about the allegations when they gave Araiza the punting job, but the story went viral, and the Bills aren't going to force the team to weather this distraction for a rookie punter, regardless of how good he may be.

Araiza is now toxic. Unless the legal process exonerates him, his NFL dream is probably over.

 

[bmoneydeac]

Punt God goes Milkshake Duck.

 

[BarcaDeac]

Punt God goes Milkshake Duck.

There was definitely a trying too hard to make him a thing from CFB Twitter. Exactly like their F1 fandom.

 

[deactherunner]

Report: Commanders RB Brian Robinson shot multiple times, stable after attempted robbery

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/washin...times-during-attempted-robbery-230801218.html

 

[PhDeac]

Not a good look for the Bills.

https://theathletic.com/3543598/2022/08/28/bills-matt-araiza-release-cut/?source=user_shared_article

““The Buffalo Bills had no choice but to cut their young punter after so badly botching their response to our claim: they ignored us, as though what I warned them would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand,” the accuser’s attorney Dan Gilleon said. “This is what enablers do.”

McDermott said of the accuser’s words, “We did take those very seriously. I want everyone to understand that. That’s a serious deal there.” But he also went on a podcast with Barstool Sports weeks after hearing those accusations and happily referred to Araiza as “The Punt God,” called him a fan favorite and said he is a “great kid.””

…

““We had the boulders of what was being accused,” Beane said. “If any of those boulders, if we were able to piece together were accurate, our decision was simple to move on from Matt. We were using the resources that we had to find any answers that we could. Again, it’s very hard. I don’t know that any more conversations with him would have changed anything because that was those accusations. We were just trying to hear the facts.”

Araiza denied the accusations, and the Bills took the word of a player who already hadn’t been forthright with the organization during the pre-draft process. The accuser’s words didn’t appear to matter to the Bills until everyone had the ability to read them in the civil lawsuit.

“We were trying not to rush to judgment,” Beane said. “Obviously Matt’s version was different. And you want to give everyone as much due process as you can. Again, we’re not a judge and jury.””

San Diego State and the San Diego Police look even worse.

 

[cville deac]

Pretty sure the latter. The Bills knew about the allegations when they gave Araiza the punting job, but the story went viral, and the Bills aren't going to force the team to weather this distraction for a rookie punter, regardless of how good he may be.

Araiza is now toxic. Unless the legal process exonerates him, his NFL dream is probably over.

I had read that the Bills didn't know. And there was a Florio piece saying only a couple of GMs knew about a general rape allegation but not the specifics. The Bills had to dump him. And the other aspect of cutting him is there is not another team who needs a punter less than Buffalo.

And this is bad news for the victim and her attorney. Araiza was a future millionaire, and now he's judgment proof and unhireable in this country. I mean, they can now more easily get a judgment, but ever enforcing it is a long shot. Kinda like that August 12 suit here filed against the right wing organizers by some of the victims. They got their huge judgment, but they're unlikely to see the 1st dollar.

As for the Robinson shooting, it appears that he was carjacked in broad daylight at 6:00 pm a few blocks northeast of Union Station. And judging from a picture of him with his car, he was likely driving a Dodge Charger. Jeebus. Sounds like he'll eventually be okay, but he was shot in the ass and the leg. Any docs here care to speculate how long that might be?

 

[2&2 Slider To Leyritz]

I had read that the Bills didn't know. And there was a Florio piece saying only a couple of GMs knew about a general rape allegation but not the specifics. The Bills had to dump him. And the other aspect of cutting him is there is not another team who needs a punter less than Buffalo.

And this is bad news for the victim and her attorney. Araiza was a future millionaire, and now he's judgment proof and unhireable in this country. I mean, they can now more easily get a judgment, but ever enforcing it is a long shot. Kinda like that August 12 suit here filed against the right wing organizers by some of the victims. They got their huge judgment, but they're unlikely to see the 1st dollar.

As for the Robinson shooting, it appears that he was carjacked in broad daylight at 6:00 pm a few blocks northeast of Union Station. And judging from a picture of him with his car, he was likely driving a Dodge Charger. Jeebus. Sounds like he'll eventually be okay, but he was shot in the ass and the leg. Any docs here care to speculate how long that might be?

Depends how you look at it. Them pushing this right now tells me that he is more likely to be guilty. If she was making it up or it was questionable, she probably would have waited until he started getting paid to be able to enforce the judgment. Pushing it now indicates to me that she doesn't care much about the money and is more just trying to fuck up his life like he did hers, so she is probably less likely to be making it up.

 

[Pilchard]

Is there no possibility that allegations against Araiza aren't true?

Not taking his side, and the alleged victim's story may be 100% accurate (Araiza may be the world's biggest dirtbag), but I guess we are now at the point that accusations raised in a civil complaint are taken as true. The reason why this story surfaced now is because Araiza refused to settle with the victim.

Realize that we are way past the point where people keep their jobs until due process runs its course, but we don't even wait for a criminal indictment any more? Just scary that the script has flipped to the point that any alleged victim's accusations are just presumed true. Not saying this is the case with Araiza, but there will be instances where people's career are damaged and possibly destroyed over something they did not do.

 

[PhDeac]

Depends how you look at it. Them pushing this right now tells me that he is more likely to be guilty. If she was making it up or it was questionable, she probably would have waited until he started getting paid to be able to enforce the judgment. Pushing it now indicates to me that she doesn't care much about the money and is more just trying to fuck up his life like he did hers, so she is probably less likely to be making it up.

She went to the cops after it happened last October.

Is there no possibility that allegations against Ariaza aren't true?

Not taking his side, and the alleged victim's story may be 100% accurate (Ariaza may be the world's biggest dirtbag), but I guess we are now at the point that accusations raised in a civil complaint are taken as true. Realize that we are way past the point before people keep their jobs until due process runs its course, but we don't even wait for a criminal indictment any more? Just scary that the script has flipped to the point that any alleged victim's accusations are just presumed true. Not saying this is the case, but there will be instances where people's career are damaged and possibly destroyed over something they did not do.

Funny how this sympathy seems to be expressed for accused rapists more than people who are actually false accused, arrested, and imprisoned for things they didn't do.

How long should accused gang rapists be roaming free until we protect society from them? It's appalling that SDSU never acted and the SDPD is still sitting on their hands about something that happened 10 months ago.

 

[2&2 Slider To Leyritz]

Is there no possibility that allegations against Araiza aren't true?

Not taking his side, and the alleged victim's story may be 100% accurate (Araiza may be the world's biggest dirtbag), but I guess we are now at the point that accusations raised in a civil complaint are taken as true. The reason why this story surfaced now is because Araiza refused to settle with the victim.

Realize that we are way past the point where people keep their jobs until due process runs its course, but we don't even wait for a criminal indictment any more? Just scary that the script has flipped to the point that any alleged victim's accusations are just presumed true. Not saying this is the case with Araiza, but there will be instances where people's career are damaged and possibly destroyed over something they did not do.

To be fair, he is a white guy with no student loans. In the eyes of today's media, that privilege alone should make him unemployable for at least 10 years. So no harm, no foul.

 

[Pilchard]

She went to the cops after it happened last October.



Funny how this sympathy seems to be expressed for accused rapists more than people who are actually false accused, arrested, and imprisoned for things they didn't do.

How long should accused gang rapists be roaming free until we protect society from them? It's appalling that SDSU never acted and the SDPD is still sitting on their hands about something that happened 10 months ago.

I'm not sympathizing with Araiza; I'm not even asking for any due process before blackballing him from the NFL. There is a difference between seeking corroborating evidence before taking an action that will materially impact a career and "sympathizing with an accused gang rapist". That is a ridiculous jump.

Just have no idea what happened. Either do you. If you are advocating for always assuming that every rape accusation is true with any effort to vet the allegations, then just say that.

 

[skinnydeac]

She went to the cops after it happened last October.



Funny how this sympathy seems to be expressed for accused rapists more than people who are actually false accused, arrested, and imprisoned for things they didn't do.

How long should accused gang rapists be roaming free until we protect society from them? It's appalling that SDSU never acted and the SDPD is still sitting on their hands about something that happened 10 months ago.

Until convicted. That is why the second half of your statement is so frustrating. Once people stop sitting on their hands in situations like this, society will be better protected. Ideally, campus PD/SDPD would have already done the work to find the evidence of guilt or innocence instead of allegedly sweeping it under the rug for 10 months.

 

[PhDeac]

I think it's weird to assume there's no corroborating evidence.

I don't know what happened. I do know there was a victim who came forward and she wrote about how she was brutalized in her diary.

The accuser’s attorney has also tweeted graphic excerpts from her diary from that time, including, “I feel sick in the head,” the journal reads. “I told the police today what they did to me and I felt like I was no help at all. I can barely even remember. …

“They were just taking turns with me. … I have no idea how long I was even in there or how many guys had sex with me … I was bloody after. BLOODY. What the hell did they do to me in there??? All my piercings are gone and my neck is disgusting. I don’t know if they are hickeys or bruises … I’m supposed to go to school tomorrow and I’m scared people will see.”
Those details and the response to them are what made the Bills spring into action. Prior to that, the Bills were convinced enough of Araiza’s words that they didn’t feel the need to keep incumbent punter Matt Haack on the roster any longer to get more clarity on the situation.

That may not be enough to bother you, Pilch, but it was enough for the Bills.

I'm also not sure what material impact you're worried about. Dude is clearly an elite punter. If he's not found guilty, he'll just sign with an NFL team as a free agent and have a great career.

 

[Biff Tannen]

I think it's weird to assume there's no corroborating evidence.

I don't know what happened. I do know there was a victim who came forward and she wrote about how she was brutalized in her diary.

I'm not sure what material impact you're worried about. Dude is clearly an elite punter. If he's not found guilty, he'll just sign with a team as a free agent and have a great career.

It's not that weird. Compare it to the Adam Anderson case in Athens, GA, possible first round pick in the past draft. He was accused of rape the same month as Araiza -- October 2021. Athens police didn't sweep anything under the rug and he's been out on bail since November 17, 2021. The grand jury didn't indict until April 2022. Anderson entered a not guilty plea in July. Shortly thereafter the state informed the defense that the rape kit showed no male DNA on the accuser. Defense filed a motion to dismiss on August 4, a full nine months after the arrest. Now, I have not idea what the grand jury heard, so maybe it's not that weird, but this guy's life is on hold and he's already forfeited millions of dollars, regardless of the outcome, definitely more than some punter, and there's no civil suit that I'm aware of.

 

[cville deac]

Depends how you look at it. Them pushing this right now tells me that he is more likely to be guilty. If she was making it up or it was questionable, she probably would have waited until he started getting paid to be able to enforce the judgment. Pushing it now indicates to me that she doesn't care much about the money and is more just trying to fuck up his life like he did hers, so she is probably less likely to be making it up.

Just to be clear, I'm not sympathizing with Araiza. Just remarking he went from future millionaire to unemployable and judgment proof, which means there is a good chance she never collects on this soon to be debt. Many moons ago I used to dabble in domestic relations (not the most enjoyable area of the law). But no matter how awful the guy on the other side was, we always wanted him working so he could pay child support. The whole point of filing lawsuits is to attempt to gain compensation after legally being wronged in some way. Getting a piece of paper signed by a judge saying he's a bad man is a worthless endeavor.

 

[DeaconSig]

I think it's weird to assume there's no corroborating evidence.

I don't know what happened. I do know there was a victim who came forward and she wrote about how she was brutalized in her diary.



That may not be enough to bother you, Pilch, but it was enough for the Bills.

I'm also not sure what material impact you're worried about. Dude is clearly an elite punter. If he's not found guilty, he'll just sign with an NFL team as a free agent and have a great career.

You recognize the guy hasn't been charged, right? This is a civil lawsuit. She is suing him for money. At most, he is found liable to her and she is awarded money.

I haven't gotten into the details of how the school and police department handled it, but I have heard it was mishandled. Maybe something comes out in the civil suit that leads to a criminal charge, but nothing is pending now.

 

[PhDeac]

No shit. I don't think an NFL team would touch him unless he goes through a criminal trial and is declared not guilty.

Of course, if he's not guilty, that shouldn't be a major problem. If he is guilty, screw him. Either way, there's no reason to worry about the "material impact" on his career.

 

[Pilchard]

No shit. I don't think an NFL team would touch him unless he goes through a criminal trial and is declared not guilty.

Of course, if he's not guilty, that shouldn't be a major problem. If he is guilty, screw him. Either way, there's no reason to worry about the "material impact" on his career.

So, being accused of something that you did not do, losing your job in a career with an extremely short shelf life and having to navigate through the civil legal process "isn't a major problem"? What would be a major problem then? So, if you lost your job, your name was synonymous with gang rape, and you faced a civil trial (all for something that you were falsely accused of), that would be cool as long as the end of the process it was determined that allegations are false?

The problem is the rush to judgment. This became the hot story of the day, without any knowledge of the facts other than allegations in the accusers complaint (which sound horrific). The fact that alone is enough for Araiza to get blackballed from the NFL (or for anyone else to lose their job) is frightening. Anyone can make up allegations. It happens. Not asking that the Bills keep Araiza until the trial, but at least do your own investigation and determine what sticks. The Bills apparently knew of accusation and thought it was OK to keep him. Not until more facts came out implicating Araiza, but until this became a PR nightmare. That aspect sucks.

I hope there is a story tomorrow that there is another witness that confirms at least part of the story or there is DNA from a rape kit that can be linked to Araiza or there are teammates that were there that night that confirm at least parts of the story, but to state that this isn't a "major problem" for Araiza if he finally exonerates himself is a ridiculous stance.

 

[DeaconSig]

No shit. I don't think an NFL team would touch him unless he goes through a criminal trial and is declared not guilty.

Of course, if he's not guilty, that shouldn't be a major problem. If he is guilty, screw him. Either way, there's no reason to worry about the "material impact" on his career.

So if he isn't charged, he is just screwed moving forward?

I mean, I agree- if he did it, send him to jail. And if the school or the police fucked up the investigation (or refused to do one) sue the shit out of them as well. But at this point, we have an accusation and a civil complaint. The standards of evidence aren't the same. Hell, if he had written her a check, apparently he would still be punting today. So I'm not sure how the fact that she filed a civil suit should be outcome determinative.

I mean, the Bills apparently were willing to say this: "Matt- you are probably a rapist. But since your victim was willing to accept $500K over the next 2 years, we'll keep you on the team. If she had demanded $10M and then filed suit when you refused to pay her, we would have cut you."

 

[thatguy2016]

this doesn't sound great for Punt God

According to the suit, she told Araiza that she was attending a local high school at the time of the party. She was under the age of consent, which is 18 in California.

Criminal charges are being considered.

In her lawsuit, the girl said she reported the incident to the San Diego Police Department the next day and underwent a rape examination at a hospital. According to the suit, detectives from the Sex Crimes Unit set up a tape-recorded phone call between the victim and Araiza, during which he confirmed having had sex with her and told her she should get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, before changing his tone when she asked more pointed questions.