Ray Lewis's speech to the Ravens.

Tunescribe said:

He couldn't carry **** Butkus's jockstrap. Honestly, what's with all this sudden Ray Lewis praise? His character is shady, to put it mildly. His greatest talent is hearing himself rant like an evangelist preacher and he's waaaaaay too much into bringing attention to himself while invoking "team." Yes, he's been a great player but also is a Class 1 creep.

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Who could?

The man is one of the best linebackers in the history of the game. Stop hating

Kid~Brady said:

Who could?

The man is one of the best linebackers in the history of the game. Stop hating

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Not hating at all, just putting things in proper perspective.

BradysBunch12 said:

Anyone see that speech? What a phony. I'm so glad we beat him. I respect him as a football player, but the whole pre-game sh*t, speeches, interviews, it's just this big phony act, especially considering it's coming from a murderer.

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If Ray Lewis is a phony then you must be a fraud.

Ray Lewis is one of the greatest LB's in history. There isn't any LB who laced them up that he isn't comparable to or arguably better than.

Tunescribe said:

He couldn't carry **** Butkus's jockstrap. Honestly, what's with all this sudden Ray Lewis praise? His character is shady, to put it mildly. His greatest talent is hearing himself rant like an evangelist preacher and he's waaaaaay too much into bringing attention to himself while invoking "team." Yes, he's been a great player but also is a Class 1 creep.

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There is no denying Ray Lewis greatness on the field, or his amazing charisma in the locker room or in an interview.

Unfortunately, too often in our society, people confuse charisma with character, forgetting that there is no correlation between the two - and if there was, it can often be the former disguising an absence of the latter. If not for this charisma, I'm sure people would have a much harder time overlooking his past.

If someone lacking the infectious passion that Ray Lewis possesses, say a JD Drew, had to fork over $1 million in a civil suit over the murder of two human beings, I doubt it would be as glossed over as it has in the case of Ray Lewis.

BradyManny said:

There is no denying Ray Lewis greatness on the field, or his amazing charisma in the locker room or in an interview.

Unfortunately, too often in our society, people confuse charisma with character, forgetting that there is no correlation between the two - and if there was, it can often be the former disguising an absence of the latter. If not for this charisma, I'm sure people would have a much harder time overlooking his past.

If someone lacking the infectious passion that Ray Lewis possesses, say a JD Drew, had to fork over $1 million in a civil suit over the murder of two human beings, I doubt it would be as glossed over as it has in the case of Ray Lewis.

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Excellent post. As much as I'd like to admire Lewis for his passion and performance, I always feel a bit soiled watching and hearing him. You know that things with him aren't quite right.

BradyManny said:

If someone lacking the infectious passion that Ray Lewis possesses, say a JD Drew, had to fork over $1 million in a civil suit over the murder of two human beings, I doubt it would be as glossed over as it has in the case of Ray Lewis.

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This may be true, but that is only because the average person has no understanding of the legal system in the United States.

Let's say you are sued for $10 million and your net worth is $5 million. First of all, there is a risk that one moron (i.e. an American state court judge) or 4 morons out of 6 (i.e., an American jury) will find you liable (merely finding that it is more likely than not that you were responsible in some way for the death), in which case you will be completely bankrupt. In addition, even if you are found not liable, you will still have to pay your fancy lawyers well in excess of $1 million, most likely, and deal with all kinds of unwanted attention.

Alternatively, you can pay $1 million to make it go away, still have your $4 million, and not have to worry about anything.

It's a pretty easy choice, and shows NOTHING about the liability or guilt of the defendant.

Like I've said before, it's pretty clear Ray and his posse were involved in a fight and someone stabbed someone. Other than that, we don't really know anything and there's no reason at all to believe that Ray was actually the murderer.

letekro said:

Alternatively, you can pay $1 million to make it go away, still have your $4 million, and not have to worry about anything.

It's a pretty easy choice, and shows NOTHING about the liability or guilt of the defendant.

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Certainly a man as principled as Ray Lewis wouldn't sully his name for $1 million? For the almighty Ray Lewis, it shows a certain hypocrisy.

letekro said:

It's a pretty easy choice, and shows NOTHING about the liability or guilt of the defendant.

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Just curious, does his guilty plea to obstruction of justice in the murder of 2 people show anything about his guilt?

dhamz said:

Just curious, does his guilty plea to obstruction of justice in the murder of 2 people show anything about his guilt?

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That's open to conjecture. But it sure makes him look dirty.

C'mon that was a great speech

dhamz said:

Just curious, does his guilty plea to obstruction of justice in the murder of 2 people show anything about his guilt?

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Are you serious? In college, my friend told me that during a fight at a fraternity house, he stabbed someone. The police didn't question me, but if they did, I can't say for sure that I would've disclosed what my friend told me. Would it make me a murderer if I chose to protect my friend by "obstructing justice" and not telling them what he told me?

Wow, when I clicked on this thread I thought the OP was going to mention what a great speech it was. I'm surprised to find the exact opposite.

In any case, I thought it was a great speech, putting things in perspective.

Terrific speech. A lot of youth coaches could borrow from its ideas.

He's a great leader, and I think an inherently good person. On top of it all the man can play football.

Transcript for those who can't get the video.

Hath not a Raven eyes? Hath not a Raven hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means,
warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer
as a Patriot is?

If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us,
do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
If we are like you in the rest,
we will resemble you in that.

If a Raven wrong a Patriot, what is his humility?
Revenge. If a Patriot wrong a Raven, what should his
sufferance be by Patriot example? Why, revenge.

The villainy you teach us, we will execute,
and it shall go hard but we will better the instruction.

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dhamz said:

Just curious, does his guilty plea to obstruction of justice in the murder of 2 people show anything about his guilt?

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Not necessarily. But normally, it would influence public perception.

But, since he's an accomplished orator and motivator (in a place only as dramatic and intense as a football locker-room, that speech would get absolutely mocked in just about any other arena, let's be honest here) and a hell of a football player - he gets much more leeway than a lot of other athletes would. All I'm trying to say.

BradyManny said:

Not necessarily. But normally, it would influence public perception.

But, since he's an accomplished orator and motivator (in a place only as dramatic and intense as a football locker-room, that speech would get absolutely mocked in just about any other arena, let's be honest here) and a hell of a football player - he gets much more leeway than a lot of other athletes would. All I'm trying to say.

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I'm sure it was mocked in corners of that locker room. You really think Joe Flacco has forgotten all the bashing from Lewis and Suggs when they spoke unscripted immeidately after last year's playoff loss because Lewis praised him playing to the cameras late Sunday afternoon?

Uncle Rico said:

Terrific speech. A lot of youth coaches could borrow from its ideas.

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I sure as hell hope not. If anyone other than Ray Lewis tried reading that, hilarity would ensue.

The guy could make a grocery list sound inspirational.

But if you look at the transcript of his speech, it read likes bad middle school poetry. He's just a truly great speaker. Do not try that speech at home, folks.

The murder comments are getting a bit old I think. If the government and California could figure out how to do what Ray Lewis and the Ravens did, they wouldn't have the prison system problems they have.

Eventually you're going to see non-rehabilitated murderers out on the streets.