I came across this articleabout Ray Lewis’s involvement in the double murder after the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta. I didn’t follow that trial very closely when it was going on and the details have remained fuzzy. That article is a pretty objective collection of facts.
With all the evidence and your own memory of the incident at hand, what are your thoughts on Ray Lewis? I knew he was involved in some kind of murder controversy and sort of viewed him negatively because of it. But it seems like this part of his past has been washed away by the media. A lot of people truly believe he has reformed himself. I bet he’d even be allowed to say, “I’m going to Disneyland!” if they win the Super Bowl.
Sue they do. They also stand their ground, go to trial and sometimes do 20 years before the authorities admit they didn’t actually do it after having lost everything.
I knew of the murders, and have viewed him negatively since then.
However, what really put my hatred over the top is his bizarre, totally choreographed and practiced spaz-dance he does. I absolutely HATE that and seeing him in the act of that, or a still picture of it behind some announcer sets me over the edge.
I think he’s a lucky guy for not being in jail… I honestly don’t know how he only got one year’s probation for pleading guilty of obstruction of justice in a murder case.
That seems like a major slap on the wrist. If you assume he didn’t commit the murders, don’t you have to know who did and try to hide the truth to get an obstruction charge? I don’t know the law, but that stain never wore off. And then the Dane, and the network and announcers celebration of all things Ray Lewis, especially this year, have been too much.
Can’t deny his greatness, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him.
I knew of the murders, and have viewed him negatively since then. But not with extreme negativity. He clearly lied to the police and was involved in destroying evidence, but most of the evidence indicate his crimes started after the murder. It doesn’t conclusively show him to be innocent either. I’ve been assuming if he had been involved in any more criminal activity it would have been big news. So I don’t know if he’s a guy who made an error in judgement under tough circumstances, or a murderer who got off with a slap on the wrist, or somewhere in between.
If you’ve ever been in a football discussion with me you know my viewpoint requires no further elucidation. Still, I’m going to offer some.
The most nauseating thing about it is that he’s now a hero to Baltimore, the heart and soul of the city, the team, and a legend on par with Johnny Unitas, Art Donovan, etc. He’s a killer. If they had found the suit he would be doing 25 to life, even after he rolled over on his friends. He’s what Baltimore deserves.
I don’t really care about football, but I watch it when my husband or my friends care enough about a game to have it on TV. I’ve seen a few Ravens games now because of the playoffs, and I just think the way this Ray Lewis guy is being held up as some kind of god is creepy. Local news will show babies dressed up and football-face-painted like little tiny Ray Lewises, or look, someone cross-stitched him in his signature pose! What the hell?
I find him show-offy and I think the hero worship is bizarre. I’m not surprised he has a possible criminal history, as it seems not to be a super-rare thing among pro athletes these days. Doesn’t change my opinion of him. I just looked him up, and see he’s got 6 kids by 4 women and he apparently took the George Foreman class in baby-naming. That kills any respect faster than a murder trial, in my book!
As an Aussie who used to follow the NFL closely around 20-25 years ago I was vaguely aware that this guy had done something bad off the field, so I found it quite bemusing that he was being lionized in the pre-game show.
I still don’t know what it is that he did. I see the poll options are talking about murder. WTF?
What I found odd was the way that during that last game he played (the conference championship as I understand it) the TV cameras focused almost exclusively on him during the pre-game national anthem.
I found the way he looked like he was either orgasmic or going through some quasi-religious epiphany during the US national anthem incredibly insincere. And I can’t overemphasise that enough.
Again, I’m not sure what his personal history is and I don’t care enough about US sports to research it further. But the guy clearly knew the cameras were on him and was milking the moment for all its worth.
In that moment he struck as kinda being a douchebag.
Well said. I live in DC and would otherwise be rooting for Baltimore, but I hate Ray Lewis. Not only is hea scumbag, but his persona is just a bunch of embarrassing shtick.
It’s been one of my bones of contentions with Ray Lewis. He is absolutely my most hated player, and not just because his team beat my Patriots last weekend. But I would almost let it all slide if he weren’t such a irritating, overblown, self-important, arrogant, fucking ham for the camera.
“Oh, thank you, Father,” he cries, tears streaming down his cheeks, as the national anthem plays, such a stirring scene – that was only put on because there was a camera a foot in front of his face.
He’s a dick. I hope he breaks his leg in the Superbowl and his team loses 75 to -3.
However, I will be spending my Superbowl weekend in Las Vegas again this year and I’m leaning towards the Ravens winning. So I’m conflicted. I don’t want to have to root for him.
I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, but does anybody allege that Lewis did the stabbing? From what I can tell the murder charges would stem from him throwing a punch while two other people stabbed the victims. Sort of like the driver getting a murder conviction when knocking off a 7-11 goes wrong.
His actual role in the murders will probably never be known. He bought one of the knives that was most likely used to kill one of the men. He “lost” his suit about a half hour after the killings. He lied to police and told his friends to lie, too. He obviously did something very bad.
The poll results reflect about what I would expect. Most people view Ray Lewis pretty negatively and a lot of it has to do with the murder controversy. I also loathe his on-field antics and feeling of self importance.
It’s just bizarre to me that the media has nearly forgotten all about that incident in 2000. OJ was found not guilty, not a plea bargain, and he never caught a break. Hell, I think Ray Lewis gets off way easier even than Michael Vick. And Vick at least got what he deserved.
There is some evidence that the knife used was his. Even if he didn’t actually stab anyone, if he had given the knife to someone else most people would consider this equivalent to murder, and not just as unwitting accomplice. However, that is not proven, the evidence is inconclusive.