The Gospel According to Ray

Tonight Ray Lewis, possibly the greatest middle-linebacker ever to play the game, will don the number 52 jersey of the Baltimore Ravens for one last time.

Seventeen years at the forefront of one of the NFL's most fearsome defences, a Superbowl winner and MVP in 2001, preacher of God's message and pillar of the community; anybody else's reputation would be assured, but not Ray Lewis'.

The problem with Lewis is his inability to answer a straight question. That, above all else, allows doubt to linger as to the virtue of the man.

Perhaps the virtue of the man does not matter. Perhaps the impact of Lewis the player is all that should concern us. As much as we may like this to be true the questions that linger over the man inevitably take some of the enjoyment from his accomplishments as a player.

There are two questions people most want an answer to; one has persisted since Superbowl night 2000, the other has gained traction only this week. Tragically neither focuses on Lewis' undoubted and largely unparalleled ability and influence on the field.

On January 31, 2000 Lewis found himself embroiled in an incident in which two men were stabbed to death outside an Atlanta nightclub following Superbowl XXXIV. Lewis and two companions were charged with murder and aggravated assault.

Ultimately a plea agreement was struck whereby Lewis' testimony against his two companions was enough to ensure the murder charges against him were dropped. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation for obstruction of justice and fined $250,000 by the NFL.

Of course it is important to remember that Lewis has never been found guilty of the murder of two young men. Yet his unwillingness, or inability, to answer questions surrounding that night will always lead people to question his involvement in the incident.

Perhaps he has nobody to answer to only, as he oft reminds us, God himself. Perhaps he's comfortable with large sections of the populace doubting his credibility. Perhaps a tainted reputation sits easily on his colossal shoulders. Who knows?

“Nobody here is really qualified to ask those questions,” he said when quizzed on the subject this week. “I just truly feel that this is God’s time, and whatever his time is, let it be his will. Don’t try to please everybody with your words, try to make everybody’s story sound right.”

Regardless of whether anyone is qualified to ask the questions, people, and his fans especially, deserve to know the answers.

The other question surrounding Ray Lewis is the accusation made against him by Sports Illustrated that in attempting to repair a torn tricep he used products that contained a banned substance connected to human growth hormone. Deer antler spray, in fact.

The accusations stem from an article in Sports Illustrated where co-owner of Sports with Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS) is reported to have said that upon the request of the Ravens linebacker he provided Lewis with products to speed his recovery.

The co-owner, Mitch Ross, has since sought to distance himself from the remarks by claiming that Sports Illustrated "catfished" him. That, in everyday parlance, means they stitched him up.

Where the rights and wrongs of this story lie remains to be seen. The accusation is no more than that right now; an accusation.

Again though Ray Lewis has done himself few favours in refuting the claims against him, instead he invokes biblical references as his protection.

“That’s the trick of the devil,” he said. “The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That’s what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you’re trying to do.”

Scary stuff, maybe we shouldn’t ask any more questions for fear of being seen to dance with the devil rather than accompanying Ray in his pre-game shuffle?

One feels a simple ‘no’ would have sufficed. Instead his meandering monologue of truly biblical proportions gives the impression of a man attempting to obscure the issue rather than clarify it.

Maybe it’s just Lewis’ way. Maybe he is indeed innocent on all counts. Football fans, sports fans and the city of Baltimore will certainly hope so.

The great shame is that in the lead up to the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ and what could be the crowning triumph of one of the League’s all-time greats, these questions linger and impinge on the legacy of one of the greatest linebacker’s in history.

The teachings of the Gospel were intended to enlighten. The Gospel according to Ray, however, serves only to confound and obscure.

First Appeared on February 3, 2013 on theblend.ie