The Ups and Downs and All Arounds of Ray Lewis

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

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.

Ray Lewis - What Went Down in the Year 200

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 Georgia’s case against Lewis has been rather flawed. Since the trial began, several witnesses whose testimony would supposedly demonstrate Lewis’ guilt have altered the stories initially given to investigators. Their testimonies were supposed to show that Ray Lewis hit, kicked or stabbed someone, and that he even admitted as much afterwards. Instead, the vast majority of testimony has either been inconclusive, or else supports the defense’s contention that Lewis acted solely as a peacemaker, trying in vain to prevent a tragedy that he would be tied to. It is crucial that jurors believe this if Lewis is to be acquitted, for even though no one has placed a knife in his hand or claims to have seen him stab anyone, he can still be convicted of murder if it is proven that he participated in the brawl that led to two deaths.

The lone person sticking to his assertion that Lewis acted violently has been Chester Anderson, not exactly an ideal witness. Anderson is an admitted con artist in jail on identification fraud charges. This has given the defense the opportunity to attack Anderson’s credibility, suggesting that he is falsely testifying in hopes of winning leniency in his own legal problems.

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.

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Ray Lewis - Comeback Kid

A little more than a year ago two men were murdered outside of an Atlanta nightclub that was hosting a post Super Bowl party. Among the alleged participants in the brawl that led to the slayings was NFL All Pro linebacker Ray Lewis.

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. Tampa Bay hosts the Super Bowl this time around and the NFC champion New York Giants are matched up against none other than the Baltimore Ravens. In order for this seemingly scripted tale to turn a full 360 degrees, Baltimore would have to win the game and Ray Lewis would be named MVP, running off to Disneyland, slowing down only long enough to pose for a picture that would be placed on Wheaties boxes.

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 Disneyland nor Wheaties were waiting for him. Quarterback Trent Dilfer was to get the Disney spot, and the Wheaties box would feature several Ravens players, none of whom were named Ray Lewis. These other men may not have had comebacks quite so dramatic as Lewis’, but then again, neither were any of them connected to any murders. They were, if not as spectacular as Ray Lewis, certainly less offensive to middle America - not to mention top, bottom and side America. When the game switched from football to marketing, going with Lewis was an iffy proposition at best.

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.