Beck Water
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Posts posted by Beck Water
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2 minutes ago, Motorin' said:
They should have watched Sean and Beane. They were really dumb. They came out and condemned sexual assault and then said they'd only take questions about football.
One of the first questions was, "the Buffalo Bills said somethings are more important than football, and this is one of those things. Do you agree with them?"
Well....that's positive PR for how the Bills handled this I guess.
Does anyone know if the player accused in the civil suit is still on the team? One of them was said to be no longer on the team, but the other one was said to be a "redshirt freshman"
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2 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:
I can’t remember the name of the guest who was on with Joe on the extra point show, but he made good points that Howard is a better blocker than Sweeney and is why we brought him in here as well as a big and tough red zone target.
Howard arrived with a reputation as a good blocker, but I'll be honest - when I've seen him blocking, I've been disappointed. His blocking form is a lot better than Sweeney, he just doesn't seem to get 'er done.
2 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:Morris went down today with a hammy, so we’ll see. He is much closer to Knox then the others. Sweeney is most likely a cut, if a little serious Morris to PUP, and it’s Knox and Howard.
This is a picky point, but PUP is not available to Morris (or anyone) once they take a snap in training camp. If he's injured, his choices are season-ending IR (if placed on IR during camp) OR, put him on the 53 man roster to start camp then switch him to IR eligible to return.
I *think* we could also waive him injured, but then there are restrictions on when we could re-sign him.
2 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:Sweeney is useless. A nice guy, but looked horrible when he had to step up last year.
I agree with that last, but the coaches are saying he's really improved this camp.
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7 hours ago, gonzo1105 said:
He has been good at doing the smaller things. I said a couple of weeks ago that he should really be expected to be Lee Smith at this point, which is great. He’s a good blocker, have him catch some red zone TDs.
I've seen Lee Smith block. OJ Howard is no Lee Smith.
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1 minute ago, stevestojan said:
Can he hold? Serious question.
It’s more important to fill the vacant punter position with someone who won’t ***** up a FG or XP much more than we do for a guy who will punt from the 50 occasionally (that would have been Haack).
I'm sure he can.
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3 minutes ago, Warcodered said:
I'm surprised not to see anything from Ferguson or Bass, maybe they let them avoid questions for now?
I could be mistaken, but while all players are (overall) required to be accessible to the press, I believe it is always the player's choice whether or not to answer questions.
I would expect that Bass and Ferguson in particular would have a harder time processing the events of the last week. They were close friends with Haack as I understand it.
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4 minutes ago, Warcodered said:
Social constructs are obviously not legally binding real things, the idea that you take both sides seriously in a situation with allegations like this is real and it is very difficult.
I've said this elsewhere, but from a business perspective, "take both sides seriously with allegations like this" is purely fictious in a business context.
The business will do what it identifies as in its best business interest. Always.
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9 minutes ago, JESSEFEFFER said:
I looked it up. Here's the link. One of 4 in the last draft.
Oh, wow. OK. But still - previous years 1-2 per year. I dunno, I just think it may be a different way of thinking than the perennial contenders with multiple draft picks per year have.
And maybe it's stinkin' thinkin' and it's gonna change. Sounds as though the coach and AD are starting to hear some music:
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2 hours ago, Wayne Arnold said:
Nothing against Poyer but I'm good with Hyde and Jaquan Johnson going forward.
Mmm.
Have you seen how Dawson Knox flattened Jaquan and ran over him to get open for a TD, I think it was in the "Return of the Blue and Red" scrimmage? If that was Poyer, Knox would still be trying to get open.
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9 hours ago, Georgie said:
Can't you respectfully use his full name? Who calls him "Po"?
Teammates have done so, on camera (Hyde, Tre White, Taron Johnson etc).
I personally feel like locker room nicknames are for locker room teammates, but they do cross out of the locker room sometimes ('lil Dirty, "Rick" Bates)
32 minutes ago, mrags said:Except maybe Poyer does want a HUGE raise. Maybe there is no middle ground. And maybe he doesn’t want just a year extension.
Poyer absolutely wants a huge raise and a multi-year extension. Rosenhaus explictly said he was seeking a new contract to "retire as a Bill". He feels he's one of the top safeties in the league, and he wants to be paid as such.
9 hours ago, JoPoy88 said:no one calls him Po
His teammates do
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12 minutes ago, scuba guy said:
Goto sbnation roster 53 man
Shows oj Howard and says traded
I believe that's a fan site roster predictions
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40 minutes ago, sullim4 said:
We're trading for a punter, right?
I hope not - I would really like us to sign 3-time probowl 2 time all-pro punter Brett Kern
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Kern
Just released by Tennessee in favor of a strong-legged rookie
......anyone else think Vrabel and Robinson put said rookie in a dark room with a spotlight on him and a lie detector hooked up and asked him a list of pointed questions first?
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7 minutes ago, Beast said:
I'll tel you what I do see with Blackshear. Decisiveness and makes defenders miss.
I see that too. He looks really good. But how much of that film has been against 1sts and not 3rd stringers?
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1 hour ago, RoyBatty is alive said:
To me it is reminiscent of the Bills getting blindsided (supposedly) pre draft of the infamous Josh Allen's posts. You dont draft somebody 7th without a thorough background check of all social media.
Supposedly, Josh and his team had "scrubbed" his social media when he had hired an agent and considered declaring for the draft, I think he said the previous year.
Too late!
Candidates for leaking those tweets just before the draft (that I've heard) include the Buffalo Bills and the Arizona Cardinals.
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4 hours ago, Warcodered said:
Yeah I didn't like that at all, biggest issue of this whole thing for me was how do you balance some very serious allegations with someone still having a presumption of innocence/right of due process.
Well.....
Presumption of innocence/due process apply to legal procedures
As far as I know, no one has a "right of due process" or "presumption of innocence" where employment matters are concerned in the US of A, unless it's a union job and a collectively bargained right - and even then, it doesn't apply before you join the union.
1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:Oh, Jesus! Some people are just Sick *****.
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26 minutes ago, JESSEFEFFER said:
Actually I think this happens often. Sure they want to promote their program but they need good relationships with NFL scouts to do it. Letting an NFL team get burned like this hurts their cause so they should be honest.
I think you're absolutely correct when it comes to big programs that send a lot of players to the NFL like Alabama
But how many players have been drafted from SDSU (open question, I genuinely have no clue)?
I could see where if a program has very few players drafted, when they have a guy who seems like a sure-fire pick he's a bit of a "unicorn" to them and the temptation would be to polish his horn
That may be an ill-chosen metaphor....
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On 8/28/2022 at 3:24 PM, Sierra Foothills said:
My thought is that most people here seem to think the Bills either handled this very well or very poorly.
But again the truth doesn't always fit into a nice, tidy binary box.
The Bills did some things well and other things poorly. You could probably assign them a numerical grade. I dock them points for not doing better on the due diligence/vetting of Araiza. I also dock them points for not continuing the engagement between De'Angelo and Gilleon. They had nothing to lose and possibly something to gain by staying connected in this conversation... even if it's just for good optics. The Bills have not been flawless in this situation but I think overall they responded pretty well.
I agree with this. The Bills did some things well and some things poorly, and they didn't handle this in the most "ripple free" manner they probably could have (which would likely have been to cut Araiza and keep Haack, then look for an upgrade before the season).
I think the Bills seriously mis-read or mis-understood "how the Frog would jump", meaning what Gellion (victim's lawyer's) intended outcomes were. Keeping a line of communication open to him could only have helped in this regard.
I also think (and this is mapping what's been said onto some 'lessons learned' situations where I've been involved) there were probably a couple of communication SNAFUs, where cross-line communication between Legal/Business side and the Football side of the Bills organization was insufficient.
If I had one question I could ask Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane separately, it would be "Last week, when you discussed 80 man roster cuts, were you aware of the July 29 LA Times article describing the condition of a victim of an alleged gang rape by SDSU players and IDing her lawyer as Dan Gellion, and were you informed that in a phone call to the Bills on June 30th, Gellion identified one of the players involved as Matt Araiza?"
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7 minutes ago, Draconator said:
From an unverified Twitter account.
I'm just the messenger, Ma'am.Various Bills bloggers/lower-tier writers have been speculating for a while
Last Wednesday:
QuoteZack Moss
If you’re looking for a surprise candidate, Zack Moss is a great place to start.
Moss has had his best training camp and preseason as a member of the Bills. Moss was coming off of an ankle injury last season that hampered his play, but looks to be 100% this year. Brandon Beane may hesitate to trade a back on his rookie contract, but he could be high on a Devin Singletary and James Cook pairing this season while giving Cook running back one duties next year. Moss, like Cody Ford, could net the Bills an earlier day three pick.
In addition to giving Singletary and Cook a chance to be Buffalo’s 1-2 punch at running back, trading Moss would give the Bills the opportunity to keep Duke Johnson or Raheem Blackshear as their final back.
Pro Football Network:
QuoteWho are a few running backs who could be available on the trade market?
A couple of running backs I’ve heard rumblings about are Buffalo Bills RB Zack Moss and Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
While Vaughn is probably more of a “he’s available for the right price” situation, Moss seems primed to be dealt with Devin Singletary and rookie James Cook forming a strong tandem this summer. Moss has had to battle for the No. 2 gig for the last three summers, and it just seems like he’s not a long-term option for Buffalo.
Moss could be of interest to the Eagles, who need a north-to-south rotational back. Moss also makes sense for a team like the Minnesota Vikings if they move Alexander Mattison, who is in the final year of his rookie deal. Moss has two years left on his contract.
Fan board on SI:
I personally think he's our best pass protector of the running backs, but Devin Singletary improved markedly last year, so if they feel Gilliam can function as a pass protector/short yardage back, maybe?
6 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:I’d be shocked we got something for Moss. If it’s a real rumor, it’s Beane trying to create a market.
Beane has a history of making trades where I (and others here) are shocked he got something. Tyrod Taylor, AJ McCarron, Lee Smith, etc.
2 minutes ago, scuba guy said:It also says on sbnation that oj Howard was traded
Link, please?
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9 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:
Can you provide a link? The only story I've seen is one that suggests that two teams might have been vaguely aware that there was something about Araiza but had no idea what it was. I haven't seen any stories indicating that any teams knew that he was accused of drugging a girl so that she could raped.
Yeah, this is exactly the story I was talking about. It doesn't say that anybody knew these allegations. In fact, it says the opposite.
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It says that at least two teams (where Maadi has contacts willing to talk anonymously) were aware
5 minutes ago, JESSEFEFFER said:I think it's all about who you know and what they are willing to say. I wonder if the SDSU coaching staff was under a gag order otherwise more NFL teams would have known.
I dunno about "gag order" but what coach worth his salt is going to lower the stock of his players by offering negative information that would deep-6 their draft stock, especially if it's rumors?
It is about who you know, and probably also where you hang out and listen.
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19 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:
Some press folk need lessons on reading the room, any question concerning our recent punter are totally cringy at this point, if I’m a player being interviewed, I stop all the reporters up front and state that I will not be acknowledging any questions on that topic, and when one still asks, I reply next question please,
Every reporter in that room has an editor or boss who expects them to ask questions about Araiza and its effect on the current players.
I'm pretty sure that the players have all been given guidance on what they should absolutely NOT say, as well as talking points if they wish to use them
But it would not be a good look, PR wise, for the players to comprehensively refuse to acknowledge questions on that topic at this time.
The players are, as I understand it, free to refuse to talk to the press in the locker room at any time, and of course, a player can say "that's tough, I'm not at a point where I can talk about it, do you have other questions?"
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1 hour ago, BillsFanSD said:
I haven't seen any evidence at all that any NFL teams knew about this allegation or that Araiza was connected to it. No team has indicated that they knew about this allegation during the draft. No scouts, no GMs, nobody.
Maadi is an AP writer for Tampa, similar to Wawrow here. Like other AP employees, they're required to have two independent corroborating sources before publishing (including twitter when presenting as themselves, an AP employee).
This was in the Lawsuit thread and I think upthread here, but people do miss these things.
1 hour ago, BillsFanSD said:Nobody in the media knew anything about it either.
Let me say up-front that if one of your points is that there's a bunch of holier-than-thou second guessing of the Bills going on with some members of the media right now, I would agree. But as far as the story being out there in the media:
Before the draft? Probably not.
Before the lawsuit came out:
Let's review the details that were in that latter:
QuoteShe arrived at the Halloween party dressed as a fairy. She had already been drinking with her friends, she said, when she met a San Diego State football player at the house just blocks from campus. The player gave her a drink and eventually led her inside the house to a bedroom where she said several of his teammates took turns sexually assaulting her, slamming her down on a bed and ripping out her piercings.
Covered in blood, she found her friends outside after what she believed to be more than an hour.
“I was just raped,” she told them.
The next day, with bruises across her neck and down her legs, she filed a report with San Diego police and underwent a rape exam at Rady Children’s Hospital. The arduous process lasted through the night as her body was swabbed and she was tested for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Photos provided to The Times by her attorney, Dan Gilleon, show dark bruises across her neck, and on her knee and calf. One photo shows blood on part of her costume. Gilleon said he is preparing a lawsuit that would include names of known suspects.
Now, the story doesn't name Matt Araiza specifically. But it includes a lot of specific details:
-Player gave her drink and brought her to room where she was gang raped (unclear if player participated)
-Gang rape left her bruised and bloody
-Police report was filed and rape exam performed
So when the alleged victim's lawyer called the Bills and spoke with Kathryn D'Angelo then emailed, Matt Araiza's name could be subsituted for "player" in the LA Times story and handed off to the PR/Communications department for their "take" on how that would come across.
1 hour ago, BillsFanSD said:If you really think the Bills knew that Araiza was credibly connected to a gang rape and drafted him anyway, I think your priors are way off.
I don't think the Bills knew any of this prior to the draft. They have said they did not know, and that if they did, it would have taken him off their board.
I think it's a good question if they left any actions not taken through which they could have known.
I agree with Shaw66 that likely the Bills are asking themselves this question and some of their procedures will likely change.
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Couple additional names added to the "not present" or "on the side" list here: Eli Ankou not practicing, and Tanner Gentry on the side.
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3 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:
Well, yeah, I'm one who's quick to criticize the press, but the fact is this is as tough a situation for them as for the team. For one, their editors are telling them THIS is the story, get something on it. Their editors know more people will read about this story than up the upcoming cuts, so this is the story that they have to report on.
Given that, just like Beane and McDermott are just a GM and a coach, these guys are just second-string sports beat writers, not investigative journalists. Just like McDermott has never done a press conference like these before, these guys have never dug into this kind of story before, either. They don't know what questions to ask, what angles to pursue, and what people want to read. They don't want to piss off the Bills, their editor, their readers.
Point is, it isn't easy for them, either.
I do think you're selling some of our reporters short here calling them "second string sports beat writers"
A number of reporters covering the Bills have some serious journalist chops covering controversial sports stories before, and some have broad journalistic experience before settling into the Sports Beat.
I agree that all the Bills beat reporters are under intense pressure to produce stories and soundbites on the Araiza situation
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Matt Araiza accused of rape, served with a lawsuit.
in Off the Wall
Posted · Edited by Beck Water
That's been a question under discussion, with several explanations given in addition to the one given by the Bills.
One explanation would be that the Bills expected the accusations to fade away.
If you assess the lawyer and his client's motivation as being "money", it would be in his interest to keep things quiet (so Araiza would remain employed by the Bills) and settle with a non-disclosure. And, apparently, in the usual course of things, victims and their attorneys are kept in the loop about criminal charges and civil suits are filed after it's clear there will be no criminal charges for *reasons* (I feel certain attorneys will correct me if I'm mistaken).
It might also be the right thing to do (less sure about that) for the employer to pay him no attention, because "your employer doesn't like this at all and will fire your ass if you don't settle pronto" would be leverage for the plaintiff's lawyer to force a settlement.
Unfortunately for the Bills, I think the plaintiff and her family may be more interested in consequences - like Araiza NOT going on to kick in the NFL while she's still struggling to piece her life together, and having a tool to "discover" information out of the SDPD and maybe elicit criminal charges.
I also think this particular attorney has the character and predictability of a rabies-infected raccoon. I want to irrigate my eardrums after listening to him and cleanse my glasses after reading his tweets. Sympathetic to the victim, think her attorney is one skeavy puttock
Link?