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Thread: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

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    Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Below is a great article by Rob Klemko of SI on how Ray Lewis has been protected by the Ravens and NFL Media bubble, from discussing the double homicide he was involved with. Klemko shows some stones by writing it IMO. Good for him.

    By Robert Klemko August 04, 2018

    Ray Lewis will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, the result of a vote by the Hall of Fame committee made up of 48 of the most experienced NFL journalists in the business. Most of the men and women voting in that room in Minnesota in February, as well as others in our profession, had the opportunity over the last 18 years to question Lewis about his conviction on charges of obstruction of justice related to the slayings of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar in Atlanta during Super Bowl week in 2000. But rarely over those 18 years was Lewis ever pushed by members of the NFL media to respond seriously to questions about his actions that night, about the missing white coat, about the deaths of Baker and Lollard.


    I get it. Press conferences are awkward affairs, and everyone there has questions to ask, stories to write. When a player ends a media scrum abruptly because he doesn’t like a question, the reporter can feel as though he has denied his colleagues the opportunity to do their jobs. Yet press conferences are often the only chance to ask prominent players necessary questions that hold them accountable and might make them uncomfortable. That’s why last week during a media scrum at Patriots training camp, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe asked Tom Brady about Julian Edelman’s PED suspension and connection to Brady trainer Alex Guerrero. Brady brushed off the question, and promptly ended the interview session.
    Volin faced criticism from fans who accused him of grandstanding. This is by design. The NFL and its teams prefer to limit media opportunities, as much as possible, to group settings, in part to suppress reporters and prevent them from asking the questions that make subjects feel uncomfortable.






    I faced this dilemma in January 2013, during my first season on the NFL beat. It was Lewis’s last season in the NFL, and the Ravens were making a playoff run that would ultimately end in a Super Bowl victory. The NFL commissioner was talking about Lewis in glowing terms, discussing a future role in the league office for the linebacker. My editor at USA Today, Kevin Manahan, sent investigative reporter Brent Schrotenboer to interview the family of the Atlanta victims, to see how they felt about Lewis and the praise he was receiving. It is customary and ethical to give the subject of such a story an opportunity to comment, the chance to respond to criticism. My job was to get a comment from Lewis on the family’s position that he was not forgiven for his role in the killings.


    I considered going through the team with the request, but I knew the relationship the media relations staff had with Lewis, and I doubted I’d get a response. I thought about asking the question at his weekly press conference, but those occasions drew 30 to 40 reporters at the time, and I didn’t want to get in the way of them doing their jobs. I thought I’d be accused of grandstanding, and I thought it would be awkward to ask such an explosive question before such a large audience. So I did something that was against the unwritten rules. I went to Ray’s locker on a day he wasn’t scheduled to speak to media, and I asked him if he had a moment to speak privately. I told him I had a sensitive question. These are direct quotes from the notes we later sent to the NFL:


    “Ray, may I speak to you privately about something serious?” I asked. “Just go ahead,” he said. I continued: “We’re doing a story with interviews of the families of the victims in Atlanta. I have a few questions for you, and I want to give you an opportunity to comment.” Said Lewis: “Are you serious?” I continued: “Yes. It’s our responsibility to give you a chance to comment. Out of fairness to you.”
    “You want to talk to me about something that happened 13 years ago, right now?” Lewis shot back. “Who’s that fair to, me or you?” I told him it was fair to him. “You’re a public figure, and a subject of an emotionally charged story,” I said. “You should have the opportunity to comment.” Said Lewis: “Respectfully, this is my space, you need to go find your space right now.”


    I said okay and walked out of locker room. A Ravens media relations staffer followed me into the hallway. “Robert,” he said, “if you ever pull some bulls--- like that, you will never come in this locker room again.” I told him I didn’t understand, and he pressed harder, sticking his finger in my face. “First of all, you know Ray is off limits,” he said. “Second of all, why are you asking questions about murders that happened 13 years ago?” I told him all I did was ask a question, and Lewis declined comment. “That’s it,” he said. “You’re not going back in that locker room today. Get out of here.”
    Another media relations staffer then walked up to me. ”What are you asking questions about that for?” he asked me. “Why is that a story?” I said, “You really want me to explain that?” He nodded. I’d been reading my Society of Professional Journalists code, the one they taught us in college, in preparation for just such a question. I had an answer: “Because our responsibility is to give voice to the voiceless, and to tell the story of the diversity of the human experience boldly.” He was unimpressed. “You should get out of here if he says you can’t go back in,” he said.


    My editors went to the league, and then to the Ravens, demanding an apology. None came. My credential, however, was waiting for me for that week’s playoff game in Denver. I went into the Ravens locker room on Saturday after they won that game in overtime. I walked over to outside linebacker Paul Kruger for an interview, Then a Ravens PR staffer and linebacker Terrell Suggs called Kruger over. When he returned to his locker, he said he couldn’t talk to me. “Sorry, gotta go with the vets,” he said. I walked over to the staffer. We argued. Players around us raised their voices at me. Then Lewis walked out in a towel. He put a hand on my shoulder and delivered a line I’ll never forget.


    “Whatever you’re saying, I forgive you,” Lewis told me. “You were No. 1 in my prayers last night. You don’t have to apologize."











    I said, “I’m not sorry, and I’m not going to apologize for doing my job. If you want to have a private conversation, I’m all for it.” Lewis turned away, and two teammates attempted to shove me out of the locker room, with the PR guy standing between them, facing me instead of turning the players away. I realized I wasn’t going to accomplish anything there, and I walked out.
    For 13 years, Ray Lewis had hidden from his history. He hid behind his talent. He hid behind his religion. Most effectively, he hid behind his team’s PR staff. His case isn’t rare. The league insulates players in protective bubbles, and in doing so creates its own warped sense of morality that reporters are expected to adhere to. In this bubble, a story about the lasting consequences of a player being convicted of obstruction of justice related to the death of two men can seem outlandish, even predatory on the part of the media organization. In the eyes of Ravens players and staffers, we were out to dirty Ray Lewis. They refused to acknowledge the way he’d dirtied himself and dodged questions in the public sphere for so long. For two far-away families, the deaths were devastating, life-altering events. To the Ravens, they were ancient history.


    So Ray Lewis will now be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having never addressed his actions in a way that wasn’t stage-managed, mainly because he didn’t have to. The NFL’s public relations machine made that possible, by creating an environment that limits player availability and bullies reporters who attempt to hold rich, powerful men accountable for their misdeeds.
    It’s ironic that pro football writers, whose responsibilities include holding subjects like Lewis accountable, are the ones who put him in the Hall. It’s not their job, according to the bylaws, to judge players for off-field behavior. Just as it’s not the Ravens’ job to ensure their players are made available to answer for their actions. Everyone has an excuse. They’re all just following directions


    But maybe now that the press conferences and media availabilities are over, and the only person he has to answer to is himself, Lewis will get up on the dais and do the right thing. Maybe he’ll find the courage to address the questions he and others have fought so hard to avoid.
    Ray, I encourage you to pray on it.
    https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/08/04/ra...tlanta-murders

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    damn just when you think real journalism is dead you see something like this ...

    good for this dude Klemko
    Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles problem now

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by El-Gonzo Jackson View Post
    Below is a great article by Rob Klemko of SI on how Ray Lewis has been protected by the Ravens and NFL Media bubble, from discussing the double homicide he was involved with. Klemko shows some stones by writing it IMO. Good for him.
    Excellent article - thanks for the link

    Of course Lewis was not protected just by the Ravens and "the NFL public relations machine that limits player availability." Part of the NFL PR machine is the cadre of big time writers and broadcasters who parrot the NFL party line and are well paid for it.

    A prime example of that type of writer is Klemko's former boss at SI/MMQB Peter King.

    This from King during 49ers-Ravens Super Bowl week in 2013.

    Whenever I write about Lewis, a string of angry tweets and/or e-mails follow, asking how can I always gloss over the fact that Lewis was a murderer. I don't gloss over it, because you're innocent 'til proven guilty in this country, and Lewis was never convicted of murder, and so in my eyes he's not a murderer. Did something bad happen that night that we'll never know the full story about? Certainly. Was Lewis disingenuous with authorities about the case? Apparently, because of the obstruction-of-justice conviction. But it's pretty serious business to call a man a murderer, and no one has ever produced credible evidence that he is one. If you want to believe in his guilt for the killings, go ahead. I don't.

    https://www.si.com/nfl/2013/01/29/ray-lewis-darrelle-revis-mailbag

    So all we can really say about Ray Lewis regarding the Atlanta murders is that "something bad happened" and Lewis "apparently" was "disingenuous with authorities about the case." Typically hard hitting commentary from King.


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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Hmm...I seem to be having a problem accessing the article. It looks to be on SI's end. How convenient.

    Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    The media and those purple camo wearing old bay chuggers may deify him, but I think most NFL fans know he is a murderer. Always love the way Deadspin tears him a new one

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Great article!

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Personally, if there is a bigger attention seeking phony to play in the NFL, I have yet to see him

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by st33lersguy View Post
    Personally, if there is a bigger attention seeking phony to play in the NFL, I have yet to see him
    Deion Sanders might give him a run for his money but the gap to the next guy is pretty significant
    Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles problem now

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    (NOTE- El Gonzo, the following is directed at the article author, not at you as the person who posted it. I just wanted to clarify).

    What a croc, this article is. It is loaded with self-important crap and holier than thou "we are the protectors of justice!" idiocy.

    So Ray Lewis will now be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having never addressed his actions in a way that wasn’t stage-managed, mainly because he didn’t have to.
    Talk about self-aggrandizing and media idiocy. The man went to trial It was in his trial that his actions were addressed by prosecutors, witnesses, and defense. And, no one in that trial said they even saw him with a knife, let alone use one. Sorry, but this was about dredging up a story from over a decade earlier for no other reason than capitalism.

    Here's another one that makes me laugh.
    It’s ironic that pro football writers, whose responsibilities include holding subjects like Lewis accountable, are the ones who put him in the Hall.
    Okay, let's think through this. A player's contract says he is accountable to whom? The team and team owners. Check. The NFLPA in certain instances. Check. The NFL and their discipline committee. Check. As citizens, they're accountable to whom? Local authorities? Check. State authorities? Check. Federal authorities? Check.

    Hmm, I don't see anywhere in the constitution of the US, a state's constitution, a city's charter, a team's charter, or a player's contract where the sports press is given the responsibility to hold players accountable. Once again, it's nothing more than self-aggrandizement and rationalization for digging around in the mud in order to boost ratings or drive clicks on a screen. And, it's the exact same philosophy that drives a few boneheads to drag Ben's name out every few months to rehash the same crap over and over about him.

    Oh, and then there's this gem.
    For 13 years, Ray Lewis had hidden from his history. He hid behind his talent. He hid behind his religion. Most effectively, he hid behind his team’s PR staff.
    We've now added hypocrisy to self-aggrandizement. In this statement is the implicit argument that Ray must speak to the press about his past when the press deems it important. This is arrogance of the highest order, and then it is compounded with the following two statements about hiding behind his talent and his religion. Let's skip the first one for a moment and get to the latter. In truth, how dare a reporter with little more than a passing relationship with Lewis speak to something so intimate as a person's faith or belief in the divine and the personal interactions of such. It would be one thing if the reporter put this across as opinion, but he states it as fact, and it's a statement that he has absolutely no expertise to make (unless he's secretly Ray Lewis's pastor as well, and even then, no). Those who have been with us here since the SteelersFever days know my background, so they know that I have far more authority than this man to make any type of statement such as that. However, I do not dare to make it because, to put it simply, no man can know the heart of another man. To make this statement is slanderous at best.

    And then comes the hypocrisy. Arguing that Lewis hid behind talent and religion and a PR staff is hypocrisy at its finest because the author is doing the exact same thing by hiding behind "professional ethics."
    I’d been reading my Society of Professional Journalists code, the one they taught us in college, in preparation for just such a question. I had an answer: “Because our responsibility is to give voice to the voiceless, and to tell the story of the diversity of the human experience boldly.”
    What an absolute joke. So, some journalists decide that it is time to go digging round in the garbage again so they can wring another story out of a retired football player, and in order to do so, they drag up an event that occurred almost a decade and a half ago and then this reporter hides behind a misapplied ethics code? That is Hypocrisy, yes, with a capital H. I mean, at least be honest about it. At least admit that yes, Ray Lewis did answer for it in court. In a real place where justice is meted out rather than through the whimsical pen of an overworked reporter with an ax to grind because he was held in check for once.

    You know what makes me more sick than this article? The fact that reading it puts me in a position of defending Ray Lewis from holier-than-thou, arrogant, hypocritical reporters who hide behind word-trinkets of professional code to legitimate nothing more than the journalistic equivalent of one last trip to the cash cow.

    /rant.

    EDIT: Come to think of it, my rant here has nothing to do with Ray Lewis, and everything to do with the self-inflated ego of the American Press.


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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by Craic View Post
    In truth, how dare a reporter with little more than a passing relationship with Lewis speak to something so intimate as a person's faith or belief in the divine and the personal interactions of such....To put it simply, no man can know the heart of another man. To make this statement is slanderous at best.
    Thanks for the thoughtful post. I would like to address the merits of any questioning of the substance behind the faith of Ray Lewis.

    No man can know the heart of another man but you can logically draw some conclusions based upon a man's conduct and his statements that can trump any claims of defamation.

    IMO Ray Lewis is a self-righteous SOB.

    Here is the explanation of Ray Lewis for the two million dollars in payments allegedly made (terms of settlement were confidential but that was the reported settlement amount), in addition to whatever his attorneys fees were, in his settlement of the civil wrongful death cases arising from the Atlanta murders that were filed and then settled prior to trial in 2004.

    The settlement "was not an admission of guilt," he wrote, "it was an expression of love, of sympathy."

    "I could not bring those two young men back," Lewis wrote. "I had no hand in their deaths, I could not ease the suffering of those families. But I had so many blessings in my life, I told myself I could use some of those blessings for those good people. They were hurting. I was hurting. ... I knew that money would never bring back what the families wanted most. But they asked for it so I gave."

    https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/r...autobiography/

    I had no civil liability and the settlement was simply an expression of love?

    Bullshit - a civil lawsuit had to be filed first and was teed up for trial before Ray let the love flow. Millions of dollars were paid because Lewis potentially faced a bigger hit if he went before a civil jury in a trial litigated by competent plaintiffs' counsel after the Fulton County DA blew the criminal prosecution (having practiced civil & criminal law in Atlanta since the early 80s I have some knowledge of how the Fulton County DA's office rolls). Ask OJ Simpson how a good plaintiff's attorney can rack you up in a civil trial even after you beat the rap criminally.

    Any off the field misconduct by Lewis should not keep him out of Canton, which realistically does not consider the character or punish the prior bad acts off the field of its inductees (a fortunate standard for players such as Ben Roethlisberger among others if the #MeToo movement is more than a passing fad).

    But it is not enough for Ray Lewis to just be a fantastic linebacker. If he wants to play the man of God and esteemed team leader role, who settles civil cases not based on a cost/benefit analysis but on the basis of "love," then it is fair game for someone to try and report the tension between the image and the reality rather than just reprint the NFL's press releases. That was what USA Today sought to do during the deification by some of Lewis during Super Bowl week in 2013, a part of which included Klemko being tasked with trying to get a statement from Lewis at that time.

    Since we are receiving the Ray Lewis version of his story (which he gave again last night at the HOF induction, which prompted Klemko's story being published yesterday), trying to report an alternative version goes with the territory.

    It is understandable why the NFL wants to block any efforts at such reporting, just as businesses like Facebook and Tesla do. Given the vast sums of taxpayers dollars that subsidize the NFL through stadium giveaways and the flag waving claims that the NFL is a part of the community, a reasonable argument can be made that the NFL does not have the right to stiff arm reporters in the manner of private companies who are accountable to their shareholders but has an obligation to be more transparent in the manner of other taxpayer supported operations.


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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    "What the hell is Ray Lewis talking about?

    The Hall of Famer linebacker is America’s most confusing motivational speaker.

    By Ryan Van Bibber Updated Aug 5, 2018, 12:30pm EDT

    https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2018/8/4/17630430/ray-lewis-hall-of-fame-speech-ravens-what-is-he-talking-about



    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    I've given the Hall of Fame 2018 edition a wide birth for the above reason. Does anyone ever know what the hell Ray Lewis is talking about?




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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by Dwinsgames View Post
    Deion Sanders might give him a run for his money but the gap to the next guy is pretty significant
    Not that significant: Lyle Alzado

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Thank you, El Gonzo, for posting.

    I feel for those families of the victims.



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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article


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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Good article. Glad to see theres one real journalist out there...

    Quote Originally Posted by Dwinsgames View Post
    you are a Kenny Pickett enabler

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Prior to the SuperBowl, Shannon Sharpe asked Ray Lewis about the murders... and, Ray Lewis gave him a glare that would stop traffic. Lewis outdid that awkward stare, by providing the creepiest answer ever:

    RL: “It was God’s plan.”
    SS: “God wanted those two men dead???”
    RL: “If God wanted them dead, well... who am I to question God’s plan.”
    SS: (gives the camera a “dafuq!?!” look)

    I will forever love Shannon Sharpe for having the balls to ask that question.

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Ray is a self-aggrandizing phony. I don't think there is another person that tries harder to look so morally righteous in front of a camera

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    IMO Ray Lewis can't shut up because he's afraid of the silence.

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by st33lersguy View Post
    Ray is a self-aggrandizing phony. I don't think there is another person that tries harder to look so morally righteous in front of a camera
    There’s not a better or more true observation in the planet at this time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dwinsgames View Post
    you are a Kenny Pickett enabler

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by teegre View Post
    Prior to the SuperBowl, Shannon Sharpe asked Ray Lewis about the murders... and, Ray Lewis gave him a glare that would stop traffic. Lewis outdid that awkward stare, by providing the creepiest answer ever:

    RL: “It was God’s plan.”
    SS: “God wanted those two men dead???”
    RL: “If God wanted them dead, well... who am I to question God’s plan.”
    SS: (gives the camera a “dafuq!?!” look)

    I will forever love Shannon Sharpe for having the balls to ask that question.
    Well.... that's ONE feather in his journalistic hat!

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by DesertSteel View Post
    Well.... that's ONE feather in his journalistic hat!

    giving him a grand total of ....... 1
    Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles problem now

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by st33lersguy View Post
    The media and those purple camo wearing old bay chuggers may deify him, but I think most NFL fans know he is a murderer.
    Actually, I don't believe that Ray Lewis is a murderer. From the transcripts of the case, it appears that 2 members of his "crew" were the probable murderers. Lewis knows who did it and I recall there were witnesses that Lewis said something like "ok, everybody keep quiet and don't say anything " as he and colleagues piled into the limousine after the stabbing.

    IMO, he is guilty of hindering prosecution and not murder. But I still cannot and never have respected a man that talks about faith, god and religion, while he protected killers from justice. Tough to get on a moral pedestal when you do what you do.

    I like the idea that Rob Klemko tried to give Lewis an opportunity to give input on the article they were doing about the Atlanta Super Bowl Murders. I look at the bullying of a young reporter and threatening of removing access or press credentials of Klemko to be sleazy by the Ravens medial relations and NFL office, but I don't for a second think that things might be any different if somebody were to ask Ben about Milledgville Ga. for a story 10 years after the incident.

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by Dwinsgames View Post
    giving him a grand total of ....... 1
    ...and I would deduct him 5 points for originally defending Lewis back in 2001.


    Sharpe Comes to Lewis' 'Defense'


    January 25, 2001|ROBYN NORWOOD








    TAMPA, Fla. — The Ray Lewis story was simmering down until Baltimore tight end Shannon Sharpe reignited it Wednesday.
    He walked up behind Lewis, put his hands on his shoulders and delivered a monologue meant to be a defense that did more harm than good when Sharpe mentioned mass-murderer Ted Bundy, former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth and the sight of Lewis in a prison uniform and shackles.
    "This is a great guy. I wish you all could know this guy personally and look at him in a different light than the media has exploited him to be," Sharpe said.
    "He admitted he made a mistake. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I've said this before and I'll say it 1,000 times: If he had not been Ray Lewis, if he had not been an all-pro player, Ray Lewis would have never, ever, ever been implicated. . . .



    "They took a longer time to charge Ted Bundy, who killed 30 people. It took 'em, what, 24 hours to charge this man. Whether or not they knew he did it or not, they had Ray Lewis. So they say, 'If we get Ray Lewis, if we don't get anybody else, guess what we got? We got Ray Lewis.' They made a fatal mistake.
    "You know what [the Baltimore Ravens] got? We got the defensive player of the year. And I just wish all the media--all 2,700 of you, would play up him being defensive player of the year, him being the best defensive player in the entire NFL, with the same passion, with the same prejudice, as you run that.
    "That's all he asks: Give him a fair statement. We can't get none of that. They ran it over and over again about the orange coveralls on TV. The man couldn't comb his hair. In shackled and leg irons. Give him the same kind of press about being defensive player of the year. Give him the same kind of press for being the player of the year. He is the best player in football, bar none."
    Sharpe also said incorrectly Lewis had been "exonerated of all charges." Although murder charges were dropped, Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice.
    "Listen, if they thought they had something on this man--you don't plead with a man that you think committed double murder, I can assure you," Sharpe said. "Did they do that with Rae Carruth? . . .
    "They pleaded this man. You know why? They know they didn't have a case. They knew they made a mistake, but they could not come out and say it publicly that they made a mistake."


    http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/25/sports/sp-16783

  24. #24
    Senior Member Array title="Dwinsgames has a reputation beyond repute"> Dwinsgames's Avatar

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Quote Originally Posted by El-Gonzo Jackson View Post
    ...and I would deduct him 5 points for originally defending Lewis back in 2001.


    Sharpe Comes to Lewis' 'Defense'


    January 25, 2001|ROBYN NORWOOD








    TAMPA, Fla. — The Ray Lewis story was simmering down until Baltimore tight end Shannon Sharpe reignited it Wednesday.
    He walked up behind Lewis, put his hands on his shoulders and delivered a monologue meant to be a defense that did more harm than good when Sharpe mentioned mass-murderer Ted Bundy, former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth and the sight of Lewis in a prison uniform and shackles.
    "This is a great guy. I wish you all could know this guy personally and look at him in a different light than the media has exploited him to be," Sharpe said.
    "He admitted he made a mistake. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I've said this before and I'll say it 1,000 times: If he had not been Ray Lewis, if he had not been an all-pro player, Ray Lewis would have never, ever, ever been implicated. . . .



    "They took a longer time to charge Ted Bundy, who killed 30 people. It took 'em, what, 24 hours to charge this man. Whether or not they knew he did it or not, they had Ray Lewis. So they say, 'If we get Ray Lewis, if we don't get anybody else, guess what we got? We got Ray Lewis.' They made a fatal mistake.
    "You know what [the Baltimore Ravens] got? We got the defensive player of the year. And I just wish all the media--all 2,700 of you, would play up him being defensive player of the year, him being the best defensive player in the entire NFL, with the same passion, with the same prejudice, as you run that.
    "That's all he asks: Give him a fair statement. We can't get none of that. They ran it over and over again about the orange coveralls on TV. The man couldn't comb his hair. In shackled and leg irons. Give him the same kind of press about being defensive player of the year. Give him the same kind of press for being the player of the year. He is the best player in football, bar none."
    Sharpe also said incorrectly Lewis had been "exonerated of all charges." Although murder charges were dropped, Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice.
    "Listen, if they thought they had something on this man--you don't plead with a man that you think committed double murder, I can assure you," Sharpe said. "Did they do that with Rae Carruth? . . .
    "They pleaded this man. You know why? They know they didn't have a case. They knew they made a mistake, but they could not come out and say it publicly that they made a mistake."


    http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/25/sports/sp-16783

    new total -4
    Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles problem now

  25. #25
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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    Yeah Ray found God after he was in an orange jumpsuit.

  26. #26
    Banned Array title="tom444 has a reputation beyond repute">

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    Re: Ray Lewis and the Bubble that has Sheltered Him- SI article

    In the final analysis I think two things about Ray Lewis. He was not as good as people say he was. I wouldn't want him within a 100 miles of my locker room.

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