Looks like we may be about to take a trip down memory lane courtesy of ESPN's 30/30 series, with the next installment rumored to be about the 2000 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens and their magnetic polarizing leader on and off the field - Ray Lewis. Below are two articles I wrote about Ray when he was going through some things. As the saying goes - all's well that ends well.Espn is reportedly working on a new 30/30 series on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens featuring Ray Lewis. Their first Super Bowl. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/rgCgvTY0Ye
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) May 18, 2022
At
around 4 a.m. on January 31st in the year of 2K outside of an Atlanta nightclub
where a post Super Bowl party was winding down, an all too familiar scene
unfolded. An argument broke out between two groups. The altercation escalated
from verbal to physical when one man struck another over the head with a
champagne bottle. The actions to take place in the following chaotic moments
were fast and furious, and it seems no two eyewitnesses saw the same thing.
What is conclusive about the outcome is that as a limousine sped away and
gunshots were fired at it, the bodies of two men remained eternally still.
Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar had died from multiple stab wounds to their
chests. And the reason their deaths were relegated to nationwide news rather
than dime-a-dozen statistics is because one of the men involved in the scuffle
happened to have led the National Football League in tackles last year.
If convicted along with his two friends, Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens will go from three-time All-Pro to lifetime inmate. In a matter of only a few bloody seconds, two lives were ended and the stellar career of a professional athlete was put into serious jeopardy. "I’m not trying to end my career like this", is what Lewis reportedly said in his hotel room after the fatal fight. This would be the very same room that the prosecution will attempt to show a "blood trail" leading to, with the assistance of a forensics expert no less renown than Henry Lee of the famed O.J. Simpson defense team.
So far, the
state of
The lone
person sticking to his assertion that Lewis acted violently has been Chester
Anderson, not exactly an ideal witness.
It has been
shown that Ray Lewis gave a false statement to the police, mentioning only two
people in the limousine that fled the scene, omitting the names of his friends
and now co-defendants, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting. However, Lewis has
not been charged with lesser crimes such as lying to the authorities and
obstruction of justice, but stands accused of cold blooded murder. This will be
far more difficult to convict him of. So unless there is a dramatic turn in the
case, it appears that at most, Lewis’ guilt is strictly by association. His
proven crime is one he holds in common with countless new breed pro athletes
groomed by the streets in the course of humble upbringings that were
dramatically reshaped by contracts which made them instant millionaires -
maintaining a "posse".
In today’s
celebrity obsessed culture, becoming a sports icon makes the acquisition of
hangers on inevitable. As more and more prodigies are discovered in the ‘hood,
so too increases the number of questionable companions brought along for the
ride. As members of the hip hop generation, it is important to these young
stars that they remain true to their roots. Rather than risk losing street
credibility and being labeled sellouts, they choose to congregate with those
who know them best. They elect to keep it real over playing it safe. Sometimes
this works out to their advantage, helping them to remain grounded at the
negligible cost of funding all activities. But there are those who prefer to
flaunt the baubles of newly acquired wealth and fame, and when playa haters get
in their faces to express outraged envy, the star’s true friends have his back,
and he in turn, for the better of for the worse, has theirs. To just walk away
from a confrontation demonstrates softness, and this simply cannot be. When
someone in the position of Ray Lewis chooses to bond with a man who was charged
with 25 criminal counts between 1985 and 1992 (Oakley), and a convicted felon
who has done time in federal prison for a firearms violation (Sweeting), a good
time has very real potential to turn bad.
Today’s
most promising athletes increasingly fit the profile of young black men plucked
from the ghetto and thrust into the spotlight. The cultural gap between them
and white, upper middle-class fans who pay to watch them play is widening. Ultimately,
it is society’s responsibility to select the qualifications our heroes must
meet. The blame, if any is to be cast, lies not in the stars but in ourselves.
A little more
than a year ago two men were murdered outside of an
The following
trial was a highly publicized one, and when all was said and done, Lewis was
acquitted of every charge except for obstruction of justice. He admittedly lied
to the police in order to cover up for his friends/co-defendants, who were also
acquitted. The evidence presented at the trial mostly substantiated Ray Lewis’
assertion that he was guilty only of trying to break up the fight, not of
instigating or taking part in the deadly struggle. At least for the time being,
the deaths of those men are yet to be avenged, justice (whatever that may be)
yet to be served.
Fast forward
to January of 2001. Ray Lewis, who had been heavily fined by the NFL for his
actions but supported in full by his team – the Baltimore Ravens, has played
the best season of his career. He is named the defensive player of the year, is
arguably the most dominant individual in the league. His team, despite
demonstrating little offensive firepower throughout the season, continues to
win game after game with a record breaking defensive squad that is led by
Lewis.
As we now
know, that’s exactly what happened. Well, maybe not exactly. The Ravens were
indeed victorious and Ray Lewis was the game’s MVP. But when he ran proudly off
the field, drenched both in perspiration and vindication, neither
In the two
weeks leading up to Super Bowl XXXV, reporters gave him ample opportunity to
speak his piece and spin-doctor the situation however he was able. Lewis
refused to address questions about the killings. He offered no apologies, no
regrets, no condolences. Football was first and foremost on his mind, and being
apologetic was not even a consideration. His coach and teammates chastised
reporters for their audacity to query about such mundane affairs as murder and
mayhem. Ray shared their disgust, for although still alive, and breathing, and
collecting money and accolades, Lewis considers himself to be the victim in
this whole ordeal. After all, he spent time in prison, his name has been
sullied, and the only thing he did was to party with some friends. He was
branded a criminal in the public eye, regardless of the jurors’ verdict.
Despite his numerous extraordinary feats on the playing field, people only
wanted to talk to him about that day one year ago, about how he felt concerning
the victims, how he felt regarding the new perception of him. Ray Lewis just
wanted to go after the opposing team’s quarterback, to prove that he was the
best, to focus out all negativity and finish off the fairly tale ending to his
lifelong dream.
No one is
debating if Ray Lewis is a great football player. The argument over whether or
not he took anyone’s life has been settled in a court of law, and most people
probably believe that he was rightfully acquitted, even though those who do
think he’s guilty tend to be more vocal than those who don’t. But until he is
willing to express remorse for the role he played on that fateful night
(however benign it may have been), until he makes a statement of regret about
the lives that were lost, there will always be people to whom he’ll remain
unforgiven. And until he acknowledges, if only to himself, that a man is judged
at least in part by the company he keeps, the risk of finding himself again one
day in hot water and prison garb will also persist.
Ray Lewis may
be remembered as an All Pro player. He may be remembered as a key part of the
best defense ever. He may be remembered as a Super Bowl MVP. But all facts not
being equal, there is no maybe about the fact that he will be remembered as the
pro football player who went on trial for murder. Whether he stays angry and
bitter about this or eventually grows contrite, it will forever be attached to
his name. And in the end, a man’s name is the only thing he truly owns.