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He seems like the guy who won't transition into normal life well.
Many criminals become "more religious." That doesn't make them any better of a person. They're still criminals.And, no matter what you do for the rest of your life, you can never make up for murdering someone and taking that person away from their loved ones.The victims in his case may not have been good men either, but it still doesn't remove Lewis' guilt. If he didn't commit the murder himself, he certainly helped cover it up.And, then he used his fame and money to buy his way out of punishment.I don't buy that his commitment to religion and the community wasn't simply a marketing ploy to get him back in the good graces of the league and fans. It obviously worked, as he is a top paid player and a sponsor for numerous products, but that doesn't change who he is inside.
Quote from: ScottHow on January 02, 2013, 03:12:40 PMHe seems like the guy who won't transition into normal life well.I think he will, plus he has an instant job in football wherever he wants.If he goes to a team and says "I wanna be a linebacker's coach" instant job and start to that career path.If he wants to do television, he's got that job in 2 seconds. I'd love to hear him talk about defense and break down defensive schemes.
Quote from: Celts Fan 92 on January 02, 2013, 02:32:16 PMyall some crybabies sometimes man, get ova da murder charge Ray has actually became more religious since then nd has done a lot for da city of Baltimore nd da community he's not a "murdering thug"wow....da dude dis da mudererda
yall some crybabies sometimes man, get ova da murder charge Ray has actually became more religious since then nd has done a lot for da city of Baltimore nd da community he's not a "murdering thug"
Quote from: ScottHow on January 02, 2013, 03:12:40 PMHe seems like the guy who won't transition into normal life well.either a analyst or motivational speaker FTW stop hatin on dat Boy Big Ray
Ray Lewis, a former Super Bowl MVP, a 13-time NFL Pro Bowl selection and future Hall of Famer, is famous for his speeches. These spontaneous fire-and-brimstone epics, which call to mind the classic speeches of Rockne and Lombardi, have become the stuff of legend. Ever since a few of his booming pep talks to his Baltimore Ravens teammates ended up on the Internet, he's become widely regarded as one of the best orators in sports.But here's the funny thing about Lewis's speech-making: It's not something he reserves for his Ravens teammates. In fact, it's not something he reserves at all.In the past year or so, Lewis has accepted invitations to speak to the Stanford basketball team before an NIT game, the Loyola (Md.) men's lacrosse team during the NCAA tournament, and even a Florida youth swim club near his home whose members were preparing for a meet.He doesn't even need to be formally invited: When Elon University football coach Jason Swepson got a call last spring that Ray Lewis, who was in the neighborhood, wanted to speak to his team before a spring scrimmage—for nothing in return—Swepson had a natural reaction: "I thought it was a scam," he said."Track teams, wrestling teams, whatever it is, whatever the request is, if it fits, no matter what it is I go," Lewis said. Asked how many extemporaneous speeches he's given in the recent past, he said: "I couldn't even tell you, the list is so long."Lewis doesn't always give speeches strictly for the sake of lifting up his audiences. He said he's spoken to "multiple" Fortune 500 companies for pay and he's well known for his speechmaking performances in commercials for the Madden football videogames and Under Armour sportswear. But beyond actual bookings, Lewis makes it clear that on some level, he just likes firing people up. His general rule: If it fits in his schedule, he'll be there.Take, for instance, a scene in Boca Raton, Fla., earlier this year. "I was in the gym," Lewis said. "And this guy was like, 'We're about to have this swimming competition, would you please stop by?' I said 'yeah' and the guy says 'give us a speech!'" On cue, Lewis delivered a rousing talk—to a group of 16-year-olds. "That's how they just randomly come up," he said.Lewis doesn't keep count of how many speeches he's given, though he said that on average, he probably gives seven scheduled speeches a month. "A lot of people don't know that, well, I just go speak," he said. Whether it's a swim meet in Boca Raton or an AFC title game, Lewis delivers the speech with the same intensity. "He was talking to us like you'd see us on TV," said Joe Fletcher, a sophomore defender on Loyola's lacrosse team. When he spoke to Stanford's basketball team before an NIT game this year, his speech ranged from a philosophical rant on legacies to coining the phrase "p---ed off for greatness," which is, Lewis told the players, the necessary anger an athlete needs to avoid mediocrity.Typically the speeches are a surprise, with usually only the coach knowing a few hours in advance. Justin Ward, a sophomore attacker for Loyola's lacrosse team, said when Lewis unexpectedly barged through the door he spent five minutes covering his mouth to hide the smile. Because of the guerrilla nature of the speeches, pictures and videos are captured only on camera phones at best, making Lewis's speeches part Lombardi, part "Blair Witch Project." His speech to Elon featured thunder crashing in the background and a message that it was "your time." It should be noted that Elon, a school of around 5,000 students in North Carolina, averaged only 9,344 fans at its football games, around 1/7th of what Lewis's Ravens draw."It shows he appreciates even the smallest places," said Aaron Mellette, an Elon wide receiver. "He probably knows we don't receive stuff like this on a daily basis."Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, who uses Lewis for corporate events, said that he enlists Lewis's help for his intensity giving speeches to his sales force. "Whether he's talking to the Ravens or our [Under Armour] team or Stanford basketball or a group of kids in Baltimore, there's always a credibility there," Plank said. "He's able to bring stuff from the football field and apply it to everything."Lewis said he never prepares remarks or changes his message. Whether he's speaking to teenagers, Navy SEALs or a bunch of American football players from England, he says the key to breaking through is finding a way to relate to the audience and just "having a conversation.""Everyone acts pretty much the same. It's encouragement one way or another," Lewis said. "It's just in what arena, in the business arena sometimes they don't go through a physical part but they have to dial in mentally and that is what the CEOs are looking at for me to share with their guys."Earlier this summer his best friend got married. Not surprisingly, Lewis made a speech there, too. "I talked about our legacy of friendship," he said.
I haven't read this thread at all but I'm sure I'm echoing someone else’s sentiments in that this was a selfish move to announce his retirement at this particular moment. It takes his teams focus away from a very important playoff game at hand.
yahoo piece from last year. top 10 LB's of all time. Taylor, Butkus, Lewis are the top three and in order. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ycn-7505900bleacher report top 50 of the modern era. Taylor 1, Lewis 2.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/409994-top-50-linebackers-of-the-modern-eraAccording to Pro Football Reference, Lewis had the single best season ever from a LB with an Approximate Value of 23 in his 2000 campaign in which he won the Super Bowl MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award by leading what may have been the single greatest defense in NFL history. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/av_single_season.htm
According to Pro Football Reference, Lewis had the single best season ever from a LB with an Approximate Value of 23 in his 2000 campaign in which he won the Super Bowl MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award by leading what may have been the single greatest defense in NFL history. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/av_single_season.htm
Topic: Ray Lewis - Announces Retirement (Read 17250 times)