Ray Lewis - A greedy bastard as well as a murderer

[JoeSixPat]

It looks like the folks in Baltimore may finally be fed up with Ray Lewis. Although they could accept the fact that Lewis is a murder - in a way that's what middle linebackers, to a lesser degree, a paid to do - now Lewis seems like he's refusing to make good on his end of his contract.

I guess that's what the team and fans deserve for sticking by him during his tough times.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-ray0221,0,2759398.story?coll=bal-sports-football

Before the All-Pro linebacker signed his blockbuster deal in 2002, the Ravens encouraged Lewis to go with a shorter-term contract that would have allowed him to become a free agent this season.

But Lewis wanted the prestige of a then-NFL record $19 million signing bonus that came along with the seven-year deal, a team official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Now it seems like Lewis is regretting his decision not to sign the shorter-length contract. He wants to rework his $50 million contract that has three years remaining in order to get one last, sizable bonus before his playing career is over. The Ravens have refused to do so, saying the last contract would allow him to retire as a Raven.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome declined to go into specifics of Lewis' contract negotiations in 2002 but said, "He signed the deal he signed."

Associates and friends close to Lewis toldThe Sun recently that Lewis said he doesn't want to play for the Ravens this season.

Newsome, who acknowledged Lewis asked to be traded before the start of the 2005 season, said Lewis hasn't informed the team of any such intention. According toThe San Diego Union-Tribune, Lewis pitched his skills to some Chargers team members at the Pro Bowl.

Lewis, who will turn 31 in May, has not hidden his dissatisfaction with the Ravens over the past year.

Distancing himself from being the face of the franchise, he usually sat on the bench away from his teammates during games last season and stopped speaking with local media in October.

This is a disappointing turn of events for a franchise that has long stood by Lewis, from supporting him at his murder trial in 2000 to rewarding him with a new contract in 2002 despite having two years left on an existing deal.

It's a contract that still ranks Lewis among the elite defensive players in the NFL. He is scheduled to make $5.5 million in 2006 and $6.5 million each in 2007 and 2008.

According to the league's players association, Lewis is the highest-paid middle linebacker this season and second among all linebackers, trailing only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Derrick Brooks.

 

[Alk]

An NFL player greedy? Get out of here. Don't even try to act like Ray Lewis is the only one either.

 

[patsox23]

I'm not some huge Ray Lewis fan, but it's ridiculous, dishonest and irresponsible to purport that he's a "murderer." You negate any credibility you make on other points when you post stuff like that.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think we are very fortunate here that as an owner Bob Kraft figured out a lot of this over the years, and that is why he is determined not the subject his fan base to these kinds players and the situations they will inevitably create. I think in part because of BB's years with Tuna and Tuna's relationship with players like LT - Tuna had that tendancy to look the other way as long as they showed up in games - Kraft wanted to be sure BB could forego the thugs and hoodlums mentality as well as the narcicisstic self promoters while assembling and fielding a championship caliber team. BB said he could.

The problem with all these jerks is in the face of people foolishly attempting to give them a hand up or a second or third chance - it's never enough. Ultimately it's all about them. Baltimore is fortunate they didn't win the TO sweepstakes after all back in 2004. With Jamal Lewis hitting FA it sounds as if Ozzie Newsome and Baltimore ownership may have finally begun to learn a lesson in all this, albeit the hard way. Character counts for something sooner or later.

It will be fascinating to see whether they decide to continue administering late in life tough love to Ray Ray at this juncture or just look for some other sucker to enable and cajole him through the twilight of his career.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm not some huge Ray Lewis fan, but it's ridiculous, dishonest and irresponsible to purport that he's a "murderer." You negate any credibility you make on other points when you post stuff like that.

Wow - lighten up Francis.

Yes - I'm rediculous, dishonest and irresponsible - and Ray Lewis is an indicted murderer who copped a plea, rolled over on his buddies, who magically found the money for high priced legal representation leaving the murders "unsolved".

I guess there's no room for dramatic licence around here to facetiously illustrate that his downfall among fans is more likely to be his contract status than the murder charges.

Don't lash out just because you missed the point.

I'll be sure to dumb it down next time.

In the interest of unrediculous, honest, responsibility, here's a succinct summary of what transpired:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis_(NFL)#Arrest_for_murder

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm not some huge Ray Lewis fan, but it's ridiculous, dishonest and irresponsible to purport that he's a "murderer." You negate any credibility you make on other points when you post stuff like that.

Yeah, and I guess the families and children of the victims of a crime for which few were tried but none convicted are left wondering in amazement every day why a greedy bastard like Ray bestowed million dollar settlements on total strangers whose loss he played no part in - must have been out of the sheer kindness of his heart.

 

[ilduce06410]

enigmatic

I'm not some huge Ray Lewis fan, but it's ridiculous, dishonest and irresponsible to purport that he's a "murderer." You negate any credibility you make on other points when you post stuff like that.

from the standpoint of the law he's not a murderer. he's not an accomplice, before or after the fact. the two guys who were charged with murder and aggraveted assault were acquitted.
in print he's said that he was involved in a situation and someone got killed. he's said that is the truth, and can't be changed. he said he has an obligation to the guy's family. i don't know if he has carried it out.
what creates cognitive dissonance for me is, lewis thinks of himself as a good guy, and is well known for donations around baltimore.
i've been in a situation where somebody got shot. heck, i didn't even know a gun was out until i heard the pop. i don't think there was any prosecution, but i know i don't feel like a murderer.
one of my good friends was killed by a stray bullet when a fight broke out in a nightclub. houston nightclubs are like that. that's why i got out of town and settled in new england soon as i could.
neither you nor i knows what happened that night. keep that in mind when you use absolute words.

 

[Brady#12]

Ray Lewis - A greedy bastard as well as a murderer

T.O and R.Moss just to name a few

 

[ilduce06410]

T.O and R.Moss just to name a few

neither reminds m of guys like paul warfield or charley taylor or even gene washington and jerry rice.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

If he's goin to Hell anyway he might as well drive there at top speed

 

[JoeSixPat]

If he's goin to Hell anyway he might as well drive there at top speed

Or to quote the Grateful Dead "I might be goin' to Hell in a Bucket, but at least I'm enjoying the ride!"



But I guess maybe he's not greedy after all - indeed he settled out of court in the civil cases the families of the victims brought against him, giving them millions of dollars for murders that he had absolutely nothing to do with out of the shere generosity and goodness of his heart.

His posturing for more money must simply be so he can give away millions of dollars more to murder victims he had no responsibility for.