SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — The Bills’ decision to release Punter Matt Araiza following reports that he allegedly gang raped a 17-year-old has drawn mixed reactions from the team’s fan base.
Fans have been sharing their thoughts on social media since the decision came out Saturday afternoon.
“I was glad. I think they made the right decision,” Eric Weinberg told ABC 10News.
Weinberg has been a member of the San Diego Bills Backers, a large, local fan club, for two decades.
“Innocent until proven guilty here in America as it should be…but at the same time…the bottom line is she was 17, no matter what you could say. And it’s really disturbing,” he said.
Weinberg says he and his wife felt like keeping Araiza on the team would have gone against the DNA of the Bills and the city they play for.
“Buffalo’s a really family-oriented town. Bills are the heart of western New York. What they’re building there is based on character,” he said.
On the other side, some fans shared they wished the Bills would have waited for a verdict before making the final decision.
“I think it was absolutely premature because you’ve heard one side from one person’s lawyer…an anonymous person’s lawyer,” said Joe Fuchs.
Fuchs says he remembers the day Araiza was drafted and what he thought that meant for the team’s season.
“I was really excited when he got drafted. I watched him at SDSU…went out and got his jersey on draft day,” he said. “I hope they ultimately find out that Matt Araiza didn’t do it, and he somehow finds his way back to the Bills.”
With or without help from the “Punt God,” the San Diego Bills Backers said they’re confident they’ll see their team in the SuperBowl.
