Matt Araiza accused of rape, served with a lawsuit.

[hemma]

A Collective Bargaining Agreement (example -  unionized Civil Service employee) can stand first when it comes to terminating an employee.

I have no idea if that is the case with the NFL CBA, but a link to the 456 page pdf is here:

 

https://nflpaweb.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/NFLPA/CBA2020/NFL-NFLPA_CBA_March_5_2020.pdf

[stevewin]

I'm interested to see if anything comes out that other teams were aware of this before the draft while the Bills just missed it

[Beerball]

5 minutes ago, Lost said:

I don't share @Chandler#81 sentiment here but he may be right, at least partially about him not being charged.  As @Delusional Bills Optimist posted in this thread, there is much higher burden of proof in the criminal arena.   

Burden of proof matters not one iota in the Bills cutting him. 
 

if he is fully exonerated down the road and a “preponderance of the evidence” indicates that he did nothing worse than have sex w a 17 year old then I will offer him my most sincere apologies.

[Billsatlastin2018]

5 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Actually they won't have to answer any of those questions. The problem goes away as soon as they release Araiza. They'll have one press conference after the release where McDermott basically gives all the same answers he did today and then that will be it. He will say:  "I'm not going to get into what we knew and when. I'll just say some new information came up recently (which he already admitted today). And in light of that new information, as an organization we have decided it is best to move on from Matt. And we are going to leave it at that."

 

Case closed. Time to get ready for the Rams.

Hmmm. Mostly agree with your take. However, I think it is incumbent upon a significant mgt. rep of the Bills to sketch out the pre Draft knowledge with now- especially as Araiza was a very known commodity and a very hot topic of Draft conversation on this very board!

 

That would be Beane Boy!

 

And like TODAY… before sunset!

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, Wayne Cubed said:

Why would McDermott out and out defend him?? I don’t think that tells you anything at all.

 

A young woman was raped, there is no doubt about that. A Buffalo Bills player has been accused of involvement in that. Gather evidence and respect the victim.
 

McD isn’t a lawyer and he’s not working for the police. He won’t have all the information they have. It would be a PR disaster to come out and defend a player like that. 
 

That goes for any player who is accused or currently involved in an investigation.

Because he can be a valuable asset to your team because of his kicking talent. 

 

If he's gonna crash and burn professionally, it should be under your contract.  Don't release because you might see him on the other side of the ball. 

 

If he was a marginal talent,  which he's not, I'd say cut him.

 

Use him, if he crashes... Then he's totaled. 

 

 

[mannc]

13 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

This is the out and the way that McDermott gets out of this mess.  The Bills can say that the legal issues should run their courses.  But the separate issue is that Araiza was dishonest with the team about this incident, and that error, which is inconsistent organization ethos, is the ground for termination. 

 

It's telling to me that Araiza didn't wear the team logo at the stadium last night, and that McDermott didn't defend him (or at least suggest that brakes should be tapped in this situation) in the press conference.  

Just curious, what do you think Araiza lied about to the Bills?  

[UKBillFan]

2 minutes ago, stevewin said:

I'm interested to see if anything comes out that other teams were aware of this before the draft while the Bills just missed it

 

I think John Wawrow said yesterday that some teams were aware and others weren't. The Bills were apparently unaware.

[Simon]

1 minute ago, stevewin said:

I'm interested to see if anything comes out that other teams were aware of this before the draft while the Bills just missed it

 

There was a report buried in here somewhere that an NFL journalist spoke with 5 different front offices and of those 5, I think 2 of them were aware of and 3 of them were not aware before the draft. The 2 that were aware knew something was in the wind, but did not have any details.

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

3 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

his lawyer said it was not his residence. I think that would be even more damning.

If it was his residence, IMO it would be worse. More liability to what's taking place on your property.  

 

I think it helps him it wasn't his place (rent or own).

1 minute ago, mannc said:

Just curious, what do you think Araiza lied about to the Bills?  

The severity of what took place. ??

[WotAGuy]

5 minutes ago, Wayne Cubed said:

Again, I gave you two examples that lasted an entire season and hung over the Pats**. Those same things happened. It didn’t effect them one bit.

 

And how would you actually know if it did. The Bills organisation is a tight ship, those things don’t leak out.

 

I seriously doubt McD is so distracted he can’t focus on the Rams right now. 

Did you see his press conference?  Why take on this bull for a rookie punter?

[finn]

2 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

There was a report buried in here somewhere that an NFL journalist spoke with 5 different front offices and of those 5, I think 2 of them were aware of and 3 of them were not aware before the draft. The 2 that were aware knew something was in the wind, but did not have any details.

 

 

I wonder if the news was related to Araiza being the third punter drafted. I realize other factors were in play, but it could have been a key factor. 

[SectionC3]

5 minutes ago, HankBulloughMellencamp said:

 

I totally disagree.

 

I believe McDermott's "we have a lot of work to do" is more referring to doing some forensics on how this entire situation was something that ultimately blindsided & embarrassed them as a scouting staff.  And the reports of punt god walking into the stadium wearing no visible Bills logo, to me, only proves that point & seals his fate. 

 

And then... Araiza releases a statement while in exile in the stadium through his lawyer during the game?!?! 

 

Not a wise decision when your employer is clearly scrambling & in damage control mode based on something that at the very least you were not forthcoming about.  Your new coach hasn't slept, has a daughter himself, and was clearly emotional and uncomfortable fielding questions while recognizing the gravity of the situation.

 

Matt & counsel, how exactly do you plan to "quickly set the record straight"?!?  It's already too late.

 

As a new employee of the organization, Araiza has bobbled the snap in the largest possible way.  There's probably ~60 guys with the talent to punt in the NFL at any given time.  Araiza will be cut today and replaced quite easily.  Sorry Matt, but them's the breaks.

 

His attorney is out of his depth.  Releasing a statement during the game was absurd.   Not getting in front of this mess with the Bills was absurd.  Make it easy for corporation counsel to investigate.  Sounds like he didn't do that.  Now corp counsel (Russ Brandon's brother, FYI, and an inexperienced associate) is going to blame him.  And that blame is going to get pushed to Araiza.  And this will result in Araiza's termination. 

3 minutes ago, mannc said:

Just curious, what do you think Araiza lied about to the Bills?  

Lack of full disclosure.  McD (and anyone else associated with the Bills) shouldn't have learned anything new about this after July 30.  Particularly not last night.  I appreciate that I don't know that the new information was withheld by Araiza.  But I was asked what I think.  And that's what I suspect. 

[BillsFanSD]

2 minutes ago, mannc said:

Just curious, what do you think Araiza lied about to the Bills?  

Hypothetically?  I can imagine a situation in which Araiza is confronted with this allegation a month ago.  He tells the Bills that nothing happened with him and Jane Doe -- she showed up, he saw she was drunk, he put her someplace where she could sleep it off, and he left.  That's it.  Then 48 hours ago the Bills learn about the pretextual calls . . . 

 

Obviously this is just my imagination.  Nobody in this thread has any idea what the Bills knew then or what they know now, who told what to whom, etc.  But if you work in a job that involves managing people, you know that folks sometimes tell stupid lies when they get in hot water.  Maybe Araiza did that and maybe he didn't.  Who knows.

[Wayne Cubed]

1 minute ago, WotAGuy said:

Did you see his press conference?  Why take on this bull for a rookie punter?

Yes I did.

 

As a coach, you have to handle difficult situations. What about 13 seconds? That was a complete cluster f. Is that a distraction? OR is it possible Coaches/Players/Teams are capable of drowning out the outside noise and focus?

 

Do you not remember all the members of the Pats** and Billy B having to sit in front of media and answer questions?

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Bills need to stay the course.  Don't cut.  They are committed. If he will work in the NFL... Bills took all the damage.   Not much more can happen to them now.  Get him ready for opening day and press on.  It's a civil case.  Unless it goes criminal, which seems odd it would go back that way, then cut.

 

Bills paid the down payment on his talent.

[BuffaloRebound]

They clearly should’ve kept Haack and put Araiza on the commissioner’s exempt list until this is sorted out due to the seriousness of the accusations.  

They can still sign a punter and put Araiza on exempt list but I’m sure McDermott is pissed that they’re starting over with a new punter/holder when Haack was on the roster 5 days ago.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Did you see his press conference?  Why take on this bull for a rookie punter?

Because the rough part is over. He will either win or make her whole.

[mannc]

2 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

The severity of what took place. ??

Well, the Bills were in direct communication with the plaintiff’s lawyer weeks ago, well before Haack was cut…so they had to have already known that the allegations were very serious…I don’t think the “Araiza misled the Bills” argument makes much sense.

[SectionC3]

4 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

There was a report buried in here somewhere that an NFL journalist spoke with 5 different front offices and of those 5, I think 2 of them were aware of and 3 of them were not aware before the draft. The 2 that were aware knew something was in the wind, but did not have any details.

 

 

To me the easy one is to look at the campus sexual assault reporting with respect to any player you're looking to bring in.  Campus sexual assault has been an issue at several college football programs recently.  Then, I don't know, make a phone call to the AD, to the coach, to campus police and see if there's anything you need to know about these prospects.  It doesn't even have to be "is this guy involved in this issue?"  It can be as simple as "should I keep looking on this issue?" or "do you have any character concerns, even if you can't get into specifics?" or "is there anything that you can't tell me that might embarrass me later?"  It's not that hard.  Two teams were able to figure this out.  Why weren't we?  That's a problem.  

Just now, ExiledInIllinois said:

Because the rough part is over. He will either win or make her whole.

Don't forget prison.  He may go to prison.  He's not out of the woods yet there. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Just now, mannc said:

Well, the Bills were in direct communication with the plaintiff’s lawyer weeks ago, well before Haack was cut…so they had to have already known that the allegations were very serious…I don’t think the “Araiza misled the Bills” argument makes much sense.

Fair.  Having a hard time too with that.

Plaintiff went nuclear.  Just press on.  Don't want to get into it  here.  But it works for some very big wigs out there. 😏