Cancelled Athletes Get Eventual Vindication, But Not Before Losing Out On So Much | Lexie Rigden
Following their Super Bowl victory, the Kansas City Chiefs are back in the headlines for signing punter Matt Araiza.
Unfortunately for Araiza, he may be best known for being released by the Buffalo Bills in August 2022, only two days after a lawsuit was filed against him and two others for allegedly raping a then 17-year-old girl in 2021.
No criminal charges had been filed (or ever were). Araiza hadn’t even formally responded to the lawsuit at the time of his hasty release by the Bills.
After nearly two football seasons, plaintiff and Araiza agreed to drop their respective claims in December 2023.
(Matt Araiza was cut by the Bills after sexual assault allegations. Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
We will never know what really happened between them, although given the lack of criminal charges, voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit, no payout, and Araiza’s reservation of his right to sue the plaintiff’s lawyer – we can assume it was not as she alleged.
Athletes Are Vulnerable To False Accusations
Fire first and ask questions later is a reality for athletes and other famous targets accused of wrongdoing. But athletes are uniquely vulnerable in ways other celebrities and professionals aren’t.
Athletes have a very short shelf-life compared to movie stars, musicians, or even your average doctor, lawyer, or accountant. Other professionals, famous or not, simply have a much longer runway to work and earn, and are not as vulnerable to a multiyear pause in their careers.
According to studies, the average professional athlete retires in his 20s. Football players typically have short careers. Football-playing years are like dog years—two years of Araiza not playing in the NFL could ultimately mean false accusations benched him for half of his career.
A movie star shunned by studios for years can return and take on new and different roles. Unlike the old days, movie stars aren’t contracted to a certain studio, so there is more flexibility to take their talents elsewhere. Not always so for athletes.
Even in the case of non-famous professionals, a young doctor placed on temporary leave can return and practice for 30 more years. Not so for athletes.
Trevor Bauer Situation Is Similar To Matt Araiza
Luckily for Araiza, a marquee team is taking a second chance on him, which despite his near vindication, is not a guarantee in this day and age.
Contrast Araiza’s re-hiring to Trevor Bauer, the former MLB star pitcher put on leave, suspended, and eventually released by the Dodgers over sexual assault allegations—before those allegations were fully vetted and resolved.
(Trevor Bauer is still hoping an MLB team will sign him. Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
As it turned out, there were two sides to the sexual encounters Bauer had with his accuser, Lindsey Hill. Bauer vigorously defended himself and even released evidence directly contradicting Hill’s claims.
Still, without any MLB offers, Bauer played last season in Japan—less money, less prestige, and, at 33, heading into his baseball golden years.
Even college athletes face the same vulnerabilities. For these non-professionals, it is perhaps worse, because roster decisions based on unproven allegations may prevent them from ever entering the professional arena, even for a short time.
Shawn Oakman, a former star football player for Baylor University, was indicted for sexual assault two weeks before the 2016 draft. Despite a promising future, he was deemed "un-draftable". A jury ultimately acquitted him. He now plays football, albeit in Canada. Years and opportunities lost, only for eventual vindication by a jury of his peers.
And it’s not just the individual players affected by false allegations and swift condemnation from sports organizations before a full and complete vetting. Three Duke lacrosse players were falsely accused of rape and ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, but not before the lacrosse coach was fired and the remaining 2006 lacrosse season suspended, impacting everyone on the team.
Society Needs To Examine How These Mistakes Get Made
Thankfully, the #MeToo movement’s knee-jerk "believe all women" stranglehold has lessened, but the fear of cancelation and public ire by teams can still significantly impact the roster, and the players.
Negative allegations against players should be handled with more discretion and less hand-wringing. Sports teams need to take a more measured and thoughtful approach to the inevitable negative allegations lodged against players. Not only can accusations without context and full exploration of the facts ruin careers, but lives as well.
Araiza will never get these last two football seasons back, what he could otherwise have earned, and most importantly, his name without an asterisk.
As a society, we must stop and thoroughly and thoughtfully examine allegations against people before making decisions that will have long-standing, if not devastating, consequences. We would all want the same courtesy, no matter our status, wealth, or fame.