As we weave our way through fallen idols - Lance Armstrong, baseball steroid users, etc., is it hypocritical to celebrate Ray Lewis?

 

How often have you heard announcers talk about how much Lewis is respected and the leadership and guidance he gives to other players in the NFL? With this being his last game, we are going to get more than a full dose of Ray Lewis worship over the next two weeks. Yet we all know his past troubles - the murder indictment and his plea bargain out of it. He settled civil suits out of court with the families of the two people murdered in that incident. He has six children by four women, none of whom he has married. This is the guy other players in the league look up to for advice.

 

Is this what today's sports "heroes" look like? Are you OK celebrating Ray Lewis?

No. Ray Lewis is a prime example of how we let sports heroes literally get away with murder.

No. Ray Lewis is a prime example of how we let sports heroes literally get away with murder.

 

This.

Great thread.

 

Ray Lewis is one of the best linebackers ever. No question.

 

 

I can't stand him. I think he plays to the camera and I think he is a phony. His professed faith in God does not seem genuine to me like it does with Tebow. I believe Tebow when he speaks about his faith. Ray Lewis may be as equally devout as Tebow but I don't believe him. As someone on twitter said....Ray is like that grandma who gets the Holy Ghost in church every Sunday and passes out.

He's always crying and whatnot. He speaks in tones all dramatic and stuff. Drives me nuts. Like he ain't at the strip club with PacMan making it rain.

 

Ray is a good example of people turning a blind eye to your personal life if you win or succeed. It's that simple. Ryan Leaf gets hammered but if he managed to put together a successful NFL career most people would forget his failures in life.

 

These next two weeks between Ray Lewis and The Harbowl will be insufferable.

He has six children by four women. Indicted on a murder trial. Sounds like a good role model. I agree with PP and All Tell, I can't stand him.

I am not celebrating Ray Lewis. Obviously, he is still considered a sports hero by many. Not me. Certainly not by those two families. The list of fallen sports heros is many. I believe anybody can be forgiven for past transgressions (if acknowledged first). Lewis has not done that. When enough time passes, even he has believed he did nothing wrong. If he has not changed on the inside, he will most likely mess up again. Let him have his lovefest now. Yes, he is a good, passionate football player. However, a man (or a woman) is more than that. Those who realize that understand the difference.

I have heard him referred to as a great leader of men. If that was the case he would have led his boys away from the confrontation that cost 2 young men their lives. He would not heaved rolled on his boys to save himself and he would not have moved from one women to the next leaving his children in the wake. Phony is among the best words to describe him, most of the others can't be said on BGP.

I wonder what the thought of him is outside of the Cincy area. Anytime his name is brought up around here, someone mentions murder.

Ask Wes Welker's wife......I am not judging Ray's actions off the field. He was an awesome linebacker. Tired of his crying and hope the Niners wax the Ravens...

The way he acts when he is not playing overshadows the way he does play for me. Most people either forgot or don't care that he literally got away with murder. This whole retirement thing has taken it over edge for me. He is milking every second of the added publicity he is gaining by it. I mean he was crying for more of the game yesterday than he actually played. He just seems fake to me as far as how he acts when he isn't playing.

When comparing Ray to the subject of another thread, Stan Musial...you quickly realize how far we've fallen. One has six children with four different women, while the other one was married to the same woman for over 71 years.

I wonder what the thought of him is outside of the Cincy area. Anytime his name is brought up around here, someone mentions murder.

I don't think this is anything confined to the Cincy area. And the higher profile his retirement run has become, the more backlash Lewis has received. I also find it ironic that Lewis basically attributes his team's success to God's will and Tebow gets hammered for being as spiritual as he is.

Edited January 21, 201313 yr by bugatti

I also find it ironic that Lewis basically attributes his team's success to God's will and Tebow gets hammered for being as spiritual as he is.

 

I thought the exact same thing after they won their game last week and they interviewed Lewis.

I thought the exact same thing after they won their game last week and they interviewed Lewis.

Did you see yesterday? It was even more intense.

So whats the difference between what Ray does and what Chad did for the camera?