OT: A Football Life: Ray Lewis

[SwedishPat]

It was a good show. I am a huge fan of Ray, he can motivate people like few can. And to play at such a high level for such a long time as he have is impressive.

 

[JJDChE]

Lewis is certainly the LB that will be remembered from the past decade/generation. When I think of iconics LBs, I think Butkus, Singeltary, Lewis.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

Lewis is certainly the LB that will be remembered from the past decade/generation. When I think of iconics LBs, I think Butkus, Singeltary, Lewis.

don't forget nitschke ! right up there with those guys. ray's a great player but not even close to lt. i do love listening to ray. should have been a drama major.

 

[PATS16N0]

I'm sure it was entertaining, I meant to watch it, but this thread went off the deep end in the first page

I'm surprised to see this much praise for the man on a Patriots forum.
I remember in the AFC Championship game he tried to go helmet to unprotected head against our RB after his helmet fell off in the middle of the play and then he tried to break Bradys back on the goal line touchdown via spear to the spine.

I hate all the Ravens. Ray Lewis may have a lot of charisma but he's still a ratbird, even if he comes across as the most likable of them on television.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Not to denigrate how well he did the job he was assigned, but Lewis played most of his career in a system that prioritized making sure no one blocked him.

Oh so it's the "system" with Ray Lewis.
(Funny how lots of folks say the same thing about Tom Brady and that's met with howls on this board. Ooops!!)

Ray Lewis is one of the all-time greats.
Many of you are forgetting how good this guy was in his prime. He's a senior citizen now and yet is still making an impact.

What's more impressive about Lewis is the man he's become. Saw a piece ESPN did on him where he talked about breaking the bad generational cycle that existed in his family of fathers abandoning their kids. His grandfather abandoned his father, his father abandoned him and how he was going to stop that cycle with his 6 kids. Lewis is not only a very involved parent with his own kids but has reached out to his own father who had abandoned him as a child and brought him into his life. I was not always a Ray Lewis fan, in fact far from it but I've come to really respect this guy both on and off the field.
Ray Lewis walks the talk.

 

[condon84]

Best MLB of all time IMO. And one of the greatest leaders in NFL history.

It's crazy to think that Ed Reed, who I think is the best ever at FS, and Ray have been playing together for such a long time in the age of free agency. Ravens fans have been blessed.


But not blessed like us

 

[everlong]

Lewis is certainly the LB that will be remembered from the past decade/generation. When I think of iconics LBs, I think Butkus, Singeltary, Lewis.

Bill called Zach Thomas the best linebacker of this past generation. Thomas didn't get nearly the pub that Ray gets nor did he have the great DTs protecting him but he has somehow gotten forgotten already even here where he was a constant thorn in our sides. Thomas also played in multiple schemes and was successful in all of them.

IMO the best LB of all time is Bobby Bell of the KC Chiefs. Because half of his damage came in the AFL before the merger he'll never get his due. Bell was a freak for that time at 6'4" 230 and ran a legit 4.5 flat. He could cover and stuff the run like a Ray Lewis in his prime and rush the passer like LT. If you get the chance to see some of his clips on NFL films he pops on screen.

 

[Tunescribe]

Best linebacker to have ever played the game,even better than LT

And yes,if there was ONE player I would have wanted on my team if I was to have started one in the past decade,Ray Lewis is right in my top 3 picks.....easily.

If Ray Lewis ran for president,I really think he would have a lot of voters,he is that kind of guy who stands strong for what he does.

No, the best linebacker who ever played is **** BUTKUS.

Several things about Ray Lewis bother me:

1). He's too manic. Being intense on the field is one thing, but being just as intense off the field suggests one or more screws loose. Or ...

2). He could be juiced on something. It's just not normal to play 17 years at that position.

3). He beat a freakin' DOUBLE MURDER RAP!!! And I think he's dirty. He was complicit either in the act itself or covering it up. HE WAS THERE, PEOPLE, AND CHARGED WITH A HEINOUS CRIME! It's O.J. Simpson syndrome -- rich superstar gets away with (something). Ever since then he's behaved like this pseudo-evangelist, overcompensating for his deep inner guilt. The reason those murders were never solved is because Ray Ray got off and ain't telling.

4). Just because he's perfected the art of being a hype machine he's suddenly a semi-spokesman for all things NFL. Maybe he and Michael Vick should go on tour together. :bricks:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/06/04/lewis_agreement/

Lewis' defense attorneys admit that the NFL star gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings, but there has been other testimony that suggests Lewis participated in some kind of cover-up:

* Duane Fassett, the driver of Lewis' rented limousine, reluctantly admitted on the stand that after the brawl Lewis told everyone in the stretch Lincoln Navigator to "just keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing."

* Evelyn Sparks, who was riding in the limousine, said she saw another passenger dump a white hotel laundry bag into a garbage bin outside a fast food restaurant. Prosecutors say the bag contained Lewis' bloodstained white suit, which has never been found.

* Sparks also said a photograph of Lewis' entourage, taken at the Cobalt Lounge on the night of the killings, was destroyed by Jessica Robertson, a woman described as Lewis' girlfriend. "She said she burned it," Sparks testified.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

If it matters for anything I would take LT 100 times out of 100 ahead of Ray Lewis. As much as I am a fan of Lewis and his career, his twilight years have become the prototypical survive on the back of past performance plaudits.

I just wish you had waited until monday AM to post this

 

[ausbacker]

I just wish you had waited until monday AM to post this

I'm not a superstitious person. Nothing I say or do is going to have any impact on the outcome of the game.

 

[Ring 6]

He was the best player on one of the best defenses ever AND they won a championship. What's your beef?

My beef was that it was said he could lead anyone anywhere. That would imply reaching your ultimate goal more than once. His team has underachieved for a decade.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

...............testimony that suggests Lewis participated in some kind of cover-up:

* Duane Fassett, the driver of Lewis' rented limousine, reluctantly admitted on the stand that after the brawl Lewis told everyone in the stretch Lincoln Navigator to "just keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing."

* Evelyn Sparks, who was riding in the limousine, said she saw another passenger dump a white hotel laundry bag into a garbage bin outside a fast food restaurant. Prosecutors say the bag contained Lewis' bloodstained white suit, which has never been found.

* Sparks also said a photograph of Lewis' entourage, taken at the Cobalt Lounge on the night of the killings, was destroyed by Jessica Robertson, a woman described as Lewis' girlfriend. "She said she burned it," Sparks testified.

*"Keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing" is the code of the street.
Doesn't mean you committed a crime. Does mean you're not talking to the cops about anything.
No proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.

*So Evelyn Sparks, who was in the limo, says a passenger dumped a hotel bag into the garbage. What Ms. Sparks doesn't say is she saw Ray Lewis change clothes. PROSECUTORS say it was Lewis' clothes. NOBODY else said that.
No proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.

*Since the whole world knows Ray Lewis was at the club that night why would a picture of his entourage taken at the club (not outside when the fight was happening) be of any use unless it was burned to keep the ID's of other people there that night a secret??
No proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.

There was never ANY proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.
Perhaps the question should have been did Ray Lewis see who did the killing?

 

[Rob0729]

Several things:

• Although Lewis beat the murder rap, most believe he wasn't the killer. He was with friends as they committed the murders and he was an accessory to cover up the murders to protect his friends. Still a horrible thing to do though. He was finally convicted of a much lesser charge of obstruction. Being an accessory to murder would come with real jail time.
• Lewis is the greatest LB of his generation, but I don't know if he is greatest of all time. I would put LT, Lambert, Ham, Huff, Nitske, and Butkus ahead of him. Lewis is a first ballot HOFer, but I don't know if he is in the same class of these guys.
• If I ran for President, I would get votes. In the grande scheme of the overall voting population of this country, I probably wouldn't get much less than Lewis. Lewis would never be a legitimate Presidential candidate from being accused of murder to all the stuff they could dig up in his days at The U. U of Miami has a long history of shady things going on and even if he didn't do some of the worst things going on, he probably has a few NCAA violations that someone could dig up to discredit him.
• I guess it may be me, but I think Lewis' act gets old. I think his inspirational stuff can work on the field. But if I was veteran player on the Ravens, I imagine myself saying the following phrase a lot - "Enough Ray. We get it!"

 

[Ring 6]

Oh so it's the "system" with Ray Lewis.
(Funny how lots of folks say the same thing about Tom Brady and that's met with howls on this board. Ooops!!)

Well that's the difference between accurate and not accurate statements.
You do not know what you are talking about if you do not understand that Lewis played in a system who's first tenant was to tie up blockers to let the MLB run free. As I said Lewis was great at it, but to compare him against other players in systems that made their job more difficult without taking that into account is naive.

Ray Lewis is one of the all-time greats.
Many of you are forgetting how good this guy was in his prime. He's a senior citizen now and yet is still making an impact.

I'm not forgetting anything.

What's more impressive about Lewis is the man he's become. Saw a piece ESPN did on him where he talked about breaking the bad generational cycle that existed in his family of fathers abandoning their kids. His grandfather abandoned his father, his father abandoned him and how he was going to stop that cycle with his 6 kids. Lewis is not only a very involved parent with his own kids but has reached out to his own father who had abandoned him as a child and brought him into his life. I was not always a Ray Lewis fan, in fact far from it but I've come to really respect this guy both on and off the field.
Ray Lewis walks the talk.

First, none of this has anything to do with what kind of football player he is. Second, a fluff piece about his involvement with his 6 kids is hardly documentary and may not be a real accurate reflection. There are other facts that make that questionable.
Thirdly, the guy was compicit in either committing or covering up a double murder. If that is your idea of the example of what a man should become, we are not even close to agreement.

 

[signbabybrady]

I would consider voting for Ray Ray to find a solution to our economic woes and national debt... just don't ask me to get into a limo with the guy

But to be fair you probably shouldnt do that with half of Washingtin either.

 

[Tunescribe]

*"Keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing" is the code of the street.
Doesn't mean you committed a crime. Does mean you're not talking to the cops about anything.
No proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.

*So Evelyn Sparks, who was in the limo, says a passenger dumped a hotel bag into the garbage. What Ms. Sparks doesn't say is she saw Ray Lewis change clothes. PROSECUTORS say it was Lewis' clothes. NOBODY else said that.
No proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.

*Since the whole world knows Ray Lewis was at the club that night why would a picture of his entourage taken at the club (not outside when the fight was happening) be of any use unless it was burned to keep the ID's of other people there that night a secret??
No proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.

There was never ANY proof Ray Lewis killed anyone.
Perhaps the question should have been did Ray Lewis see who did the killing?

You're right, no PROOF that Lewis killed anyone. That does not make him innocent. He was HEAVILY INVOLVED one way or the other, that much was established. He was charged with obstruction (and convicted) as part of a plea agreement that he testify against his "friends." He knows what went down and was able to wiggle free. He's dirty no matter how you paint it and to me, it casts a cloud over his entire act.

 

[patfanken]

I don't think anyone here is arguing that Lewis wasn't involved in an attempted cover up to that murder. But I think that was an example of the man he was "at the time", and consistent with his background to that time.

To judge Ray Lewis, however, you have to judge the entire story of his life and from that point his life has been pretty exemplary. What he did is a dark stain that he paid for....and still is paying for. But who among us hasn't done things in this life that they are ashamed of. Certainly few among have lived totally blameless lives. Who hasn't engaged in some petty theft, partaken of some illegal drugs, drove a car while under the influence, vandalized something., gotten in a bar fight that for only the grace of god remained "just" a bar fight. I know I've done all of the above....and a few more. and I am considered by everyone who knows me to be a VERY honest and upright guy

You might think Lewis got of easy on this, both from the law and the NFL. Perhaps he did, but that's not his fault. If you are angry about that, then blame the DA and NFL commissioner, not Lewiis

Life should never be judged by one single event, but rather the sum of one's life. So while his attempted cover up of a murder shouldn't be ignored, nor should it be allowed to negate the rest of ones contributions. Forget about his success on the football field. By all reports Lewis has been a good husband, father and generous contributor to the community
All that can't just be ignored. Its not how you start in life, its how you finish.

Unfortunately wer likve in a world where everyone wants thinks colored in balck or white' when in reality we deal with many shades of gray.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't think anyone here is arguing that Lewis wasn't involved in an attempted cover up to that murder. But I think that was an example of the man he was "at the time", and consistent with his background to that time.

To judge Ray Lewis, however, you have to judge the entire story of his life and from that point his life has been pretty exemplary. What he did is a dark stain that he paid for....and still is paying for. But who among us hasn't done things in this life that they are ashamed of. Certainly few among have lived totally blameless lives. Who hasn't engaged in some petty theft, partaken of some illegal drugs, drove a car while under the influence, vandalized something., gotten in a bar fight that for only the grace of god remained "just" a bar fight. I know I've done all of the above....and a few more. and I am considered by everyone who knows me to be a VERY honest and upright guy

You might think Lewis got of easy on this, both from the law and the NFL. Perhaps he did, but that's not his fault. If you are angry about that, then blame the DA and NFL commissioner, not Lewiis

Life should never be judged by one single event, but rather the sum of one's life. So while his attempted cover up of a murder shouldn't be ignored, nor should it be allowed to negate the rest of ones contributions. Forget about his success on the football field. By all reports Lewis has been a good husband, father and generous contributor to the community
All that can't just be ignored. Its not how you start in life, its how you finish.

Unfortunately wer likve in a world where everyone wants thinks colored in balck or white' when in reality we deal with many shades of gray.

Being an accessory to murder is different than smoking a little pot or stealing a candy bar. My guess is that considering these guys were his friends from his youth, he was probably involved in some shady things in his past.

I credit him for cleaning up his life by all accounts, but let's not diminish his past because he has turned into a good, inspirational citizen.

 

[Tunescribe]

I don't think anyone here is arguing that Lewis wasn't involved in an attempted cover up to that murder. But I think that was an example of the man he was "at the time", and consistent with his background to that time.

To judge Ray Lewis, however, you have to judge the entire story of his life and from that point his life has been pretty exemplary. What he did is a dark stain that he paid for....and still is paying for. But who among us hasn't done things in this life that they are ashamed of. Certainly few among have lived totally blameless lives. Who hasn't engaged in some petty theft, partaken of some illegal drugs, drove a car while under the influence, vandalized something., gotten in a bar fight that for only the grace of god remained "just" a bar fight. I know I've done all of the above....and a few more. and I am considered by everyone who knows me to be a VERY honest and upright guy

You might think Lewis got of easy on this, both from the law and the NFL. Perhaps he did, but that's not his fault. If you are angry about that, then blame the DA and NFL commissioner, not Lewiis

Life should never be judged by one single event, but rather the sum of one's life. So while his attempted cover up of a murder shouldn't be ignored, nor should it be allowed to negate the rest of ones contributions. Forget about his success on the football field. By all reports Lewis has been a good husband, father and generous contributor to the community
All that can't just be ignored. Its not how you start in life, its how you finish.

Unfortunately wer likve in a world where everyone wants thinks colored in balck or white' when in reality we deal with many shades of gray.

Remove the "rich superstar athlete profiting from his fame" element from this equation and I'd tend to agree with you.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think anyone here is arguing that Lewis wasn't involved in an attempted cover up to that murder. But I think that was an example of the man he was "at the time", and consistent with his background to that time.

To judge Ray Lewis, however, you have to judge the entire story of his life and from that point his life has been pretty exemplary. What he did is a dark stain that he paid for....and still is paying for. But who among us hasn't done things in this life that they are ashamed of. Certainly few among have lived totally blameless lives. Who hasn't engaged in some petty theft, partaken of some illegal drugs, drove a car while under the influence, vandalized something., gotten in a bar fight that for only the grace of god remained "just" a bar fight. I know I've done all of the above....and a few more. and I am considered by everyone who knows me to be a VERY honest and upright guy

You might think Lewis got of easy on this, both from the law and the NFL. Perhaps he did, but that's not his fault. If you are angry about that, then blame the DA and NFL commissioner, not Lewiis

Life should never be judged by one single event, but rather the sum of one's life. So while his attempted cover up of a murder shouldn't be ignored, nor should it be allowed to negate the rest of ones contributions. Forget about his success on the football field. By all reports Lewis has been a good husband, father and generous contributor to the community
All that can't just be ignored. Its not how you start in life, its how you finish.

Unfortunately wer likve in a world where everyone wants thinks colored in balck or white' when in reality we deal with many shades of gray.

Where to begin?
You cannot say he paid for what he did and still is, and then say he got off easy, so blame the DA or Commissioner.
The DA making the decision they must make in order to try to get justice when being stonewalled does not assume responsibilities for the illegal activities of the person they had no choice but to plea bargain with.
I'm not quite sure how you can claim an intimate knowledge of what kind of person he has become. How can you claim he is a 'good husband and father'?
Is it possible to be a good husband, much less father when you have 6 kids with 4 women? Of course since it appears he has never been married, I'm not sure how that works either?
The fact that you are embellishing the story to make your point speaks volumes to the lack of support your position has in fact.