While I'm ecstatic the pats* got spanked in their own stadium

[bobobonators]

Vick had a trial, went to prison and served his time, came out a changed person, yet he is still dragged through the mud and looked down upon because what he did was to dogs.

No one really knows what happened that night with Lewis, and from what it sounds/looks like, there wasn't enough evidence to prove anything so plea deals for testamony and for lesser charges (self defence) we're agreed to for closure on the incident. Again, If Ray was so innocent and just a by-stander at the time, why would he not testify and why would he be so willing to pay off the victims families? And of course only good truly forgiving people find God after events like that. He seems to be a very good upstanding religious person with his multiple wives.

 

Sorry if some prefer to hold a higher standard for praising people and aren't so forgiving just because they are good at playing a game that being involved in a situation where you help protect the killing of 2 people isn't just forgiven

 

i wonder if you or I were a part of Reverend Lewis' party that night if we would've had the ability to avoid murder charges. probably not.

 

Garland said Lewis' only crime was to tell his companions after the brawl that led to the deaths, "Keep your mouth shut," and giving an incomplete statement to police.

 

"He fully acknowledges his responsibility for those acts," Garland told Bonner after the plea was entered.

 

Lewis' defense attorneys admit that the NFL star gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings, but there has been other testimony that suggests Lewis participated in some kind of cover-up:

 

 

Duane Fassett, the driver of Lewis' rented limousine, reluctantly admitted on the stand that after the brawl Lewis told everyone in the stretch Lincoln Navigator to "just keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing."

 

Evelyn Sparks, who was riding in the limousine, said she saw another passenger dump a white hotel laundry bag into a garbage bin outside a fast food restaurant. Prosecutors say the bag contained Lewis' bloodstained white suit, which has never been found.

 

Sparks also said a photograph of Lewis' entourage, taken at the Cobalt Lounge on the night of the killings, was destroyed by Jessica Robertson, a woman described as Lewis' girlfriend. "She said she burned it," Sparks testified.

 

 

It's funny how someone who was so "innocent" would go to such lengths to lie to police but yet when his balls are under the hammer, he'll just testify against his friends.

 

I know that if I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A MURDER, i wouldn't go throw my suit away, and tell everyone to not say anything. I'd be the first one calling the police and telling them exactly how it went down as opposed to lying to the police.

Edited January 21, 2013 by bobobonators

[apuszczalowski]

How do we really know? That is what the system tells us? He was guilty of obstruction... ANYTHING could have happened... Maybe he did do it? Nobody will know. Good for him, he knows how to play the game of football and the legal system... Yay!

 

 

 

Even w/him helping, he could be still party to losing in a civil wrongful death case. The burden is drastically less. Get what I am saying?

Just like OJ?

[DrDawkinstein]

Just like OJ?

 

Exactly! OJ was found NOT GUILTY and totally acquitted of the murder charges, yet LOST the civil suit.

 

Ray was never brought up on murder charges, but since he was found guilty on the obstruction charge, it wouldve been easier to get a civil conviction than even OJ. So the best route is to settle and make it go away.

 

You just explained to yourself why he wouldve had to pay in Civil court even though he was cleared legally.

[RK_BillsFan]

When you file for wrongful death, you can go after anyone involved in the case. So the family members have 3 choices in this case. 2 nobodies worth jack squat.... or a guy worth millions...... hum, i wonder who i'm going to go after. It's also pretty common since the grounds on which you are looking to collect money can be but are not limited too:

 

 

Medical expenses

Hospital expenses

Funeral costs

Deceased's pain and suffering prior to death

Companionship

Financial support

Parental support

Mental distress

Emotional pain

Loss of wages

 

And as ExiledInIllinois points out. No one really knows what happened that night outside of Ray and 2 others. But if they had a good enough case, it's my opinion that he would have gone to jail. As for bobobonators comments. You are a high profile person worth millions. 2 of your friends just got into a brawl and some serious **** went down. Even if you did nothing in the fight, due to your status you are most likely to be blamed. Not only that, your career might be over because of a stupid fight that your group did not start. You are also drunk as all !@#$. You are totally, while drunk and shocked, going to go to police while covered in blood. Yep. You're going to have that presence of mind. ( and i don't want to even play the black card here although it would be prevalent to his cognitive decision making).

[RkFast]

People are really getting riled up about this.

 

For me, I like his intensity on the football feild. Thats about it.

[apuszczalowski]

Exactly! OJ was found NOT GUILTY and totally acquitted of the murder charges, yet LOST the civil suit.

 

Ray was never brought up on murder charges, but since he was found guilty on the obstruction charge, it wouldve been easier to get a civil conviction than even OJ. So the best route is to settle and make it go away.

 

You just explained to yourself why he wouldve had to pay in Civil court even though he was cleared legally.

Actually, the difference between the 2 suits is that in one (Criminal), they have to prove that you are guilty without a shadow of doubt, in the other (Civil) you have to prove that you had nothing to do with the crime, but can still be found guilty even if theres a chance you were innocent.

 

If Ray was as innocent as everyone here says and had nothing to do with it, and has people that can back up this claim, why would anyone not fight this charge in court and get off without paying anything?

[DrDawkinstein]

Actually, the difference between the 2 suits is that in one (Criminal), they have to prove that you are guilty without a shadow of doubt, in the other (Civil) you have to prove that you had nothing to do with the crime, but can still be found guilty even if theres a chance you were innocent.

 

If Ray was as innocent as everyone here says and had nothing to do with it, and has people that can back up this claim, why would anyone not fight this charge in court and get off without paying anything?

 

Keep reading... But youre still answering your own question. "but can still be found guilty even if theres a chance you were innocent". He was already found guilty of lesser charges which make him involved.

 

It's pretty simple. Settle out of court and let it go away, or have it dragged out in court where no matter what happens, it's still in the news and tarnishing your reputation.

 

Look at how much people hate on him and call him a "murderer" now when that much has been proven completely false. Imagine if it had dragged out for months or years longer??

 

When you file for wrongful death, you can go after anyone involved in the case. So the family members have 3 choices in this case. 2 nobodies worth jack squat.... or a guy worth millions...... hum, i wonder who i'm going to go after. It's also pretty common since the grounds on which you are looking to collect money can be but are not limited too:

 

 

Medical expenses

Hospital expenses

Funeral costs

Deceased's pain and suffering prior to death

Companionship

Financial support

Parental support

Mental distress

Emotional pain

Loss of wages

 

And as ExiledInIllinois points out. No one really knows what happened that night outside of Ray and 2 others. But if they had a good enough case, it's my opinion that he would have gone to jail. As for bobobonators comments. You are a high profile person worth millions. 2 of your friends just got into a brawl and some serious **** went down. Even if you did nothing in the fight, due to your status you are most likely to be blamed. Not only that, your career might be over because of a stupid fight that your group did not start. You are also drunk as all !@#$. You are totally, while drunk and shocked, going to go to police while covered in blood. Yep. You're going to have that presence of mind. ( and i don't want to even play the black card here although it would be prevalent to his cognitive decision making).

Edited January 21, 2013 by DrDareustein

[Stealth]

People are really getting riled up about this.

 

For me, I like his intensity on the football feild. Thats about it.

 

this

[Lurker]

This year will be no different for me than any of the other weeks leading up to the SB in past years. I will ignore all coverage right up to kickoff.

 

Agreed. If you stay out of the woods, all the media chainsaws are pretty hard to hear....

[Mark Vader]

Is it really interesting? He's definitely put together a HOF career, but I'm actually far more interested in Kaepernick's sudden rise, or Frank Gore finally getting a shot after all these years. Even though I can't stand him, Moss getting another chance in a supporting role is kind of interesting, too. Lots of the game's best players over the past 10-12 years are in this game, and a few of the newer young stars.

I'm with RtDB on this.

 

I am far more interested in Frank Gore getting a shot at a championship for the first time. The guy played on a lot of terrible 49'ers teams. Good to see him get a shot.

 

Also this is only the second time that Randy Moss will be in a Super Bowl.

 

The stories of both Colin Kaepernick & Joe Flacco. Did anyone think these guys would be playing in a Super Bowl?

 

How about Anquan Boldin? The guy was the odd-man-out in Arizona, and now is playing for the Lombardi trophy.

 

I'll take all of these stories over the Harbaugh's & Ray Lewis.

 

Don't worry.. you only have to make it through 2 weeks and 1 more game. Then he's gone forever.

Except for when he becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame.

 

Edward Moore Kennedy

 

Discuss.

Touche'

[atlbillsfan1975]

As for his intense outburst and speaches all you need to know is his team mates follow him. Which should tell you something. If he was a phony or did not back his talk up, do think they would? Ray Lewis turned his life around after the Buckhead murder.

 

I suggest some of you read ' Next Man Up' by John Feinstein. Ray even elluded to it in his post game interview when saying all year they had to over come something and it was always a 'Next Man Up' mentality.

The book follows the Ravens for an entire year just after they won the Super Bowl. It is a great read for any football fan. I could have cared less about the Ravens or Ray Lewis before reading the book. But it sheds a lot of light on the NFL and how it works.

It also told the story of the murder. Ray was in the wrong place with the wrong people. I think that incident changed his life. he left behind his old neighborhoods way of thinking. Like not 'ratting' a guy out. He realized he saw some people commit a crime and thus it was his duty to work with authorities. he did not do so at first, because he had to realize his old way of thinking was not right.

 

How much Ray was actually involved, no one really knows, except Ray and the other two people. personally i do not think he killed anyone. i do think he covered up his involvement at first. And tried to protect his associates. It was natural for him at first to think this way. But he finally saw that people who commit murder are not worth protecting.

 

My two cents. Blast away.

[seadog]

I don't care if our mlb killed some people, this is what lbs are supposed to do. I wish we had a player with half his passion, but no we get the little choir boy kevin sheppard or what his name is?

[Never NEVER Give-up]

How much did Lewis payoff people of the family he was involved in the murder seems folks forget that. I hate seeing him in SB but better than cheaters

 

You can look at it that way or be a realist - Lewis was getting out in front of an issue - even though there was no criminal trial, he would have been sued (civil trial). By "paying off" or in legal terms, "settling" with the family/s of the deceased, he minimized the amount paid and the publicity surrounding the tragedy.

 

And I too, get a little tired of RAY-RAY-RAY when there is talk of the Ravens - but it sure beats the BRADY-BRADY-BRADY circle jerk we've been subject to since he replaced Bledsoe!

 

This SB is looking very interesting. Two solid teams, no gimmicks like the Pat's no huddle - just buckle-up and get it on! Yeah, we'll need to hear about Ray's last game, Kappernicks 10th game being a SB and Bro Bowl too - but they always have to talk about something for 2 weeks. Again - at least it's not the Pat's, Brady & Belechick.

 

It's funny how no one wanted to see the Bills in 4 SB's, but I never hear talk about how boring it is to see the Pat's every year!

[Max Fischer]

I've never been able to understand how Ray Lewis has gotten a free pass in the media following his obvious involvement in an altercation that resulted in the deaths of 2 young men in Atlanta during superbowl week, 2001.

 

The suit he was wearing that likely had blood evidence on it has never been recovered. He settled out of court (paid off the families) to avoid a civil suit, probably fearful of having the same resuts as O.J. It's a given that he provided the getaway car for the others involved.

 

Of course the others involved were aquitted since there wasn't enough evidence. Well duh, the victims weren't available for testimony and Lewis, if not a participant, was the most credible witness to the event, and considering his role as chaffeur, is guilty at least as an accomplice, even if he wasn't the one with the knife.

 

So how is it that he still gets commercial endorsements and is fawned over by the press? Ironically, there is a large public outcry and dislike of him for his involvent, yet it's largely ignored by the media who still portray him in the same light as Michael Jordan or some other untarnished star.

 

I don't get it.

 

Lewis (and the press) have never shied from this incident. It was huge news for a long time and he's still asked about it. But the fact is, the district attorney dropped the charges against him in exchange for his testimony against the two other guys. The DA did not have any evidence that Lewis was involved and the two other guys have never implicated him in the stabbings. Lewis did plea to obstruction (or something related) but there's no evidence the incident didn't happen the way the court ruled. (This is ripe for a tell-on/investigated book, but none have surfaced),

 

Lewis often talks about how this changed his life, that he should not have put himself in the situation but there is also no evidence that he initiated or participated in the deaths. Civil awards are not unusual and for someone of Lewis' stature the money he paid out was likely worth prolonging the situation any longer, and there was a good chance he would have been dinged for his role based purely on his plea bargain anyway. However, the settlement does not necessarily mean more evidence would emerge or any admission of further involvement.

 

I get that some fans don't like him but it's annoying when their prejudices allow for accusations that are not true (or at the very least, cannot be proven).

[SDS]

From March 2012:

 

"I'm always disturbed in my spirit about how people look at me from that incident," Lewis continued in another interview. "Those families that were affected will never know the truth. And that's sad."

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--how-did-ray-lewis-go-from-murder-suspect-to-nfl-royalty--201947666.html

 

So, a lot of people here think they know what happened because of the trial, yet Ray Lewis says differently. Gee, I wonder why?

[SF Bills Fan]

I was very happy yesterday. I'll gladly take Lewis mania over Tom Brady any day. Who knows what kind of silliness he would concoct in order to takea pot shot at Buffalo. This year his dad would hate the restaurants.

[SouthernMan]

I don't get how you point out that he wasn't the murderer but that it is still Ray's fault. Do you know why the people were acquitted? It wasn't lack of evidence it was deemed self defense.

 

 

I didn't say he wasn't the murderer. That's beside the point. If he drove the getaway car, he'sjust as guilty - surely you must have that basic knowledge of the law. Charles Manson was never actually present for the physical killing of those victims in 1969, but he was still convicted of murder.

 

As far as the "self defense" aquittal - based on whose account? Unless someone is breaking into your home and you assault them, I can't imagine too many scenarios on a public street in which a double murder is necessary.

 

I haven't re-researched the case, but if I recall, the two young men were not gangstas with extensive records. Probably just some drunk wiseguys kids who messed with the wrong people and paid the price. But the fact is they were both fatally stabbed. The Lewis companions couldn't have thrown a few punches? A body can take a good stabbing and survive. The fact they both kids were killed means there was a deliberate attempt to murder. When the kids were mortally wounded, did Lewis or his party call 911 for help? No. They let them lay there to die, if they weren't already. And then Lewis lied about being there.

 

Lewis can carry on about his god and other christian b.s. - but when his judgement day comes at the pearly gates, I'm afraid St Peter's gonna stamp his ticket for the down escalator.

[JPS]

People are really getting riled up about this.

 

For me, I like his intensity on the football feild. Thats about it.

 

Same could be said for Lynch, Whitner, Winfield, Clements, Fletcher, Pat Williams and every good football player they ran out of town.

[ColdBlueNorth]

Ok I stand corrected.

 

Like all of us he will be judged when he dies. But I wont call him a murderer. If they had enough evidence he would be in jail right now.

 

But they didnt. Its a shame that the Justice system can be bought. Money can buy you way out of a case if you have enough money to get a good lawyer.

 

Great football player, but as a human being he will always have that tainted murderer or accessory to murder label. If he was truely repentent for his actions, he would have come completely clean and told law enforcement the truth when they were trying to find out what happened outside that night club. Then he and his crew would have paid the price that anyone else involved in a double homicide would have paid.

 

For those who somehow think justice was served, 2 guys got into an altercation with Ray Ray and his crew and spontaneously sprouted lethal knife wounds and no one was found guilty of wielding the knives.... The families of the victims received and undisclosed settlement; a payoff which reminds me of the blood money payoffs used by some backwards desert country. The NFL back then was really into keeping it's image clean and more than enough money was spread around. How else do you get all three guys involved in the altercation that left two men dead of knife wounds completely off of murder charges.

 

That NFL approach of doing whatever they could to protect their image seemed to end with the Ray Carruth incident. Where they took a policy of distancing themselves from a player facing serious charges. Maybe there is something about being an NFL defensive player with the first name of "Ray"....

 

This was not a case of Ray Lewis' innocence being proven in court, just a case of abject failure of the prosecution to prove a case where the circumstantial and eye witness evidence was substantial, but the physical evidence was destroyed and hidden in an obvious cover-up.

 

Folks can tout his ability on the field and his love of the game, but he is not the kind of man I would want my son to idolize. The game means a lot to me, but not that much.

[SouthernMan]

 

 

I get that some fans don't like him but it's annoying when their prejudices allow for accusations that are not true (or at the very least, cannot be proven).

 

Right. It can't be proven, since the witness are either dead or if there way anyone else present, they were probably paid off.

 

OJ, Robert Blake, and Casey Anthony were also found "not guilty" in a criminal court of law. Anyone think they're actually innocent? Skillful legal manuvering and stupid juries are a ticket to ride. IMO - Ray Lewis was somehow involved and there was a cover up. Two young men are dead forever. Any involvement whatsoever is unforgiveable.