Yobogoya!

Yeah and can you imagine if the Jets had a competent offense on the field in week 18?

I don't know, Martin is a near-elite, proven veteran. Might just be they'll spend the money to lock that down and not have to worry about it. And I know people are quick to say it's "just a punter" but the first time we go three and out and whatever cheap, unproven guy we settle for shanks it, you're gonna have to wonder if it was worth an extra mil or two.

Yeah I mean just from a self-respect standpoint how do you not tell the team to F off when they go "we're gonna see if this younger, cheaper option works out but if not we'll definitely give you a call!"

I think its still debatable whether releasing a guy within days of a lawsuit going public is the "right thing" to do. And let's not kid ourselves -- if Matt Araiza was a franchise QB, there's a 0% chance he isn't on an NFL roster preparing for week 1 right now. Would it be the Bills? Who can say. But based on what little real evidence is out there right now, somebody would he taking the chance on him. Guaranteed.

I think the most he’s won with Araiza’s release is a Pyrrhic victory. Granted the spotlight is now hot on this case, but anyone representing Araiza in court is going to use the journal entries he published online to demonstrate how the accuser herself admits she was not cognizant at the time of the attack and had no idea who was involved. Seems like they just wanted to get Araiza cut, and they did. But if both the criminal and civil trials turn out to be duds, he’ll be punting again for someone in no time. That’s far from a resounding success if you ask me.

People love to judge others, and current social media really ramps this part of human nature up to 11. I don’t like it either, but the fact neither Araiza nor his attorney outright deny his tryst with the accuser means it’s likely true. Having sex w a minor who was then gang raped by your teammates… I mean that’s some pretty deep s—— to be involved in. Only hope for Araiza is that criminal charges don’t materialize against him. Honestly if they do his playing career was done and his life over anyways.

I mean I'm no expert but I have to believe there's a reason Araiza's criminal defense attorney believes his client is facing no charges at all, while the circumstances are different for at least one of the other accused. If the purported tape of him admitting to sex with her isn't admissible in court, that would be a big reason.

Actually the attorney for the accuser in the civil lawsuit does not, in fact, have that recording as the police and the DA declined to share that evidence with him for his case. Considering the bone head went and posted her diary entry online for the world to see, can't say I blame them. So right now we only have the lawsuit summary to go on. It could be 100% true. But if you want Araiza gone solely because its probable he hooked up with a 17-year-old at a college party, so be it. Just remember even that detail hasn't been confirmed yet.

Big difference between formal, criminal murder charges from the state and a civil lawsuit being filed by an attorney whose actions to this point have been dubious at best. Anyone can file a civil lawsuit about anything and allege whatever they want in the summary.

McD is the probably the most disciplined person I've ever seen giving interviews to the NFL press -- GM, head coach or otherwise.

That attorney has already said he will be stepping aside for one that specializes in civil cases. He was retained due to the criminal investigation, though he did communicate with the plaintiff's lawyer previously.

I believe it's been stated that a suspension or placement on the exempt list isn't possible because the incident happened before he was an NFL player. I think Araiza has more to worry about if he intentionally misled or outright lied to the Bills in the weeks leading up to Thursday, because that's going to get him cut regardless of anything else to do with the case.

I think it goes without saying that a team can find a serviceable punter far easier than a franchise QB. Most of the people who are taking the "wait and see" stance right now are doing so because a man's life and reputation are at stake, not because we're concerned with punting the ball in 2022.

Honestly the most disturbing part of this thread for me is the notion that "he's just a punter" -- and of course, the implication thereof that if he were of a position more important to winning games, we could afford to weather the media storm until the truth came out or potentially even after. Just goes to show most people's moral high ground is directly proportional to how useful someone is to their needs. Funny how that works.

Honestly in this current age we live in that would probably be the smart thing to do, yes. In reality it will never happen, of course. But if I was a kid in college right now -- and especially if I was an athlete with a shot at turning pro -- man I struggle with willpower but I'd have to be thinking twice at every opportunity.

plaintiffs attorney has apparently been hounding them so pretty sure that’s not the case.

thats why I think there’s more to this story we haven’t heard. McD called him a good kid just this past week, I can’t imagine he’d say that if he thought the guy gang raped someone but who knows who had what information and when throughout this thing. We’ll see I guess.

Yeah whatever Araiza did or did not do, the police have been involved investigating since the day after the incident. If there’s enough evidence he did this crime, he’ll be facing criminal charges. That’s the bottom line.

we don’t know anything for a fact re: the phone call, just what has been alleged by plaintiff in the filing suit.

Buddy I'm about as objective as they come -- I don't care if you're the Bills punter or the fry cook at McDonalds, I give the benefit of the doubt until I get all the evidence and then I'll call it like I see it. And if you were being tried unfairly in the court of public opinion, yes I'd push back against that. Not for you -- but because I believe in the rights of the accused.

Well fine, but if I wasn't coming to your defense in the event you've ever accused of a heinous crime before then I'm DEFINITELY not doing it now.

Only two people? That's surprising. You seem like such a bastion of good will, high character and sound reason that people would be drawn towards.

He didn't say that line, she did. Also its important to note that the lawsuit did not have a full transcript of the phone call, just select lines and then "summaries" as provided by the plaintiff's dubious lawyer. I'm very interested how the exact call played out.

Um, with police assistance? You know, the investigators who presumably would have had that info. Kinda answered your own question there.

What you'd expect -- she couldn't remember much about who or how many attacked her. It was tough to read, I definitely wouldn't doubt that she was assaulted that night but in this case due to the alcohol and/or any drugs involved its highly unlikely the accuser will be able to give solid testimony about who attacked her. If Araiza was indeed the man she had sex with before the gang rape, she also couldn't recall anything other than his skin and hair color -- so she didn't know his name. That's why I said if the criminal investigation led back to the three named in the civil suit, it would have to have been because other people verified their identities. There's no way the victim named them.