Say it aint so Ray

With the Super Bowl fast approaching I can't help but think about Ray Lewis. I'm sure there are a lot of people thinking about Mr. Lewis in one way or another this week. Ray Lewis is getting set to play in the biggest game of his career an d his life. It will be the last game of professional football that he will ever play and the last time that he will play a game representing the Baltimore Ravens. He carries along with him his team. A group of men that all have hopes and dreams. A group of men who have all worked very hard to get where they are. Who sacrificed various things in life in order to put themselves into a position to win the most coveted trophy in sports. Let's not kid ourselves however folks, there is a lot more surrounding Ray Lewis than just the football game on Sunday and the teammates that he will lead into that game. Let's not forget that Ray Lewis was a part of a situation that took the lives of two young men in 2000.


As the anniversary of that infamous date approached and Ray Lewis announced his retirement from the NFL,  news agencies around the country ran stories that highlighted the fact that Ray Lewis was not only involved in the incident but was also a prime suspect. It then became hard for many to discuss the fact that Lewis would be a first ballot Hall of Fame candidate at the same time that he is being talked about as someone who got away with murder.

When people are being considered for a position or if someone is a candidate for a position and they are being voted on by others, no matter what the scenario the one trait that we always look at is a persons character. A person's character is what tells the entire world what kind of person you are. This also comes into play when you are friends with someone. So what kind of friend is Ray Lewis? Well, he did accept a plea deal from prosecutors during the murder trial to testify against his two friends and co-defendants.

According to the way our justice system works here in the U.S. Ray Lewis was not charged with murder after working out his plea-bargain, only with obstructing justice. His two friends on the other hand were charged with murder. So I have to wonder what kind of friend Ray Lewis is and furthermore what type of character is he? Look at it like this; Ray Lewis and his two friends were charged with murdering two other gentlemen during a fight outside a bar. After about a week of discussions leading into and then during the trial, the announcement is made that Ray Lewis is no longer being charged with murder, but the other two gentlemen are. A bit narcissistic don't you think?

In the end of the saga both men were acquitted and no one was found to be guilty of the murders of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Only Ray Lewis was found to guilty of anything, and that was obstructing justice because he admitted he lied to police. In the court of public opinion the evidence that comes from the scene is enough to put Lewis IN the fight while he claims he was only NEAR the fight and came into it after the fact and only then to try and stop it.

None of us will ever know what happened that night. Who started the fight, who was involved, and who ultimately ended it. But  Ray Lewis did come to an obviously undisclosed settlement with the then 4 year old daughter of the late Richard Lollar as well as with Baker's family. This was done on his part to help him avid a civil suit that was undoubtedly being prepared. Lucky for Mr. Lewis that he has the money for something like this.

So why would I write a story like this? There is not question that this is certainly not the type of story that I typically write. Of course, I do occasionally post sports-related articles when the mood strikes me, however this one is a little bit different of course considering the content. I guess for lack of  better explanation, I am really not all that fond of Ray Lewis. With the Super Bowl right around the corner I have been hearing his name more than I would like to and it just made me think about the past and what happened in 2000.

I am not one to typically go out and aim my discord at any one individual, unless of course it is justified. In this case I believe it so. Every time I see him running off the field after a football game he always has the guy running with him. I don't know if it is his bodyguard or a friend. Regardless, the guy is with him after every game. So this begs the question; why does Ray Lewis get to have a "special" person on the field with him? Would it be allowable for say, Frank Gore or Patrick Willis to have a similar "friend" follow them around during the post game handshakes and festivities? I highly doubt the NFL or anyone for that matter would want the players to bring their entourage however small with them on the field. So why is it ok for Ray?

There are various reasons that I do not like Mr. Lewis as a public figure. I do not know him personally so I cannot, out of respect for the way the world should work, say whether I like him personally or not. Regardless, he will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday and the entire world will be watching as he comes away a winner or a loser and walks away into the sunset (bodyguard in tow). They will all be talking about his historic 17 year career. They will talk about his sacks, tackles, MVP awards, and Super Bowl Rings. But none of them will be talking about the two gentlemen who were killed in 2000 during an altercation that undoubtedly had something to do with Ray Lewis's presence. It might be a huge stretch and something that I should not speculate, but I would venture to say that if Ray Lewis was NOT at that party that night, those two kids would still be alive and living their lives.

Again, it might be unfair of me to say that Ray Lewis should not have been there that night because who could truly say if him being there is enough of a reason. However, two people are dead while he enjoys the accolades of his long career and all the money, fame, and love that it has brought him. What about the love that Lollar and Baker can never experience or the contributions they might have made? I am taking this too far and maybe placing too much of the blame on one person when there were 3 people involved. I'm sorry, but Ray is a public figure so it is just easier to pin point him. I just hope that somewhere and at some point during the celebration that he might have depending on the outcome, that at some point he will remember the two kids who are no longer with us.