Ray Lewis Talks About Crime Increasing Among NFL Players

by Chris Pokorny on May 23, 2011 10:08 PM EDT in General News

If you take away football, you increase crime. Joe Thomas will be robbing banks. Joshua Cribbs will be getting into knife fights. Phil Dawson will assault his neighbor. Why? Because without football, there's nothing else to do. That would be true if you listen to the Ravens' Ray Lewis, who conducted a one-on-one interview with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.

When asked why he thought crime would increase if the NFL doesn't play games this year, Lewis said: "There's nothing else to do Sal."

"Do this research if we don't have a season -- watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game," Lewis stated.

When I read the article the first time, I thought it was an odd statement for Lewis to make. I'm glad I wasn't the only one, as Peter King thought the same thing in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback:

I don't understand Ray Lewis' logic. I respect Ray Lewis, and I also do not travel in his circles. I don't know who has told Lewis the crime rate by the general populace in America is going to go up if there's no pro football this fall, but someone has, and he's buying it.
It's a nice headline, but I'm not buying it. I suppose it could happen, but unless we get burglars and thieves saying they did it because the NFL wasn't on TV on fall Sundays this year, I'm not buying what Lewis is selling.

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SC was making SUCH A BIG DEAL about this.

I was like “WTF? Shut up McStabbypants.”

Nissan GT - R.

Sexy. Sexy. Sexy.

by SpecialBrownie on May 23, 2011 10:29 PM EDT reply actions

Crime takes one look at Joe Thomas and runs in the other direction.

"I’ll happily embrace elevated hopes if that is the price to pay." - APV

On Twitter at @grantgw - sports and Cleveland and Columbus stuff

by woodsmeister on May 23, 2011 11:00 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs

That claim may apply to A FEW players getting themselves into trouble, but all of them? Please.

When asked why he thought crime would increase if the NFL doesn’t play games this year, Lewis said: “There’s nothing else to do Sal.”

Um, charity work? Doing something for a good cause?

by emily522 on May 23, 2011 11:38 PM EDT reply actions

Ray Ray is going to get the old crew back together?

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on May 24, 2011 12:51 AM EDT reply actions

What´s odd, is your need to persiflage a respected NFL player´s sincere statement.

by mooncamping on May 24, 2011 7:00 AM EDT reply actions

He is not respected by us. He is a murderer.

"buuuuuuuh!"--- Mooncamping

by Vezoma on May 24, 2011 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions

In fairness, he was not a murderer. He was guilty of obstruction of justice because he would not give correct information on the actual murderer.

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on May 25, 2011 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Wasn’t he not guilty of murder because he flipped on his friends?

Evil wins again, but Truth prevails where Good fails.

by North Coast Flea on May 25, 2011 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Bingo. They were found innocent anyway, but Ray-Ray still had to go to jail.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on May 25, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

He’s a murderer.

Nissan GT - R.

Sexy. Sexy. Sexy.

by SpecialBrownie on May 25, 2011 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve never associated the word respect with ray lewis.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on May 24, 2011 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs

You would, if he steamrolled you.

by mooncamping on May 25, 2011 5:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Nope we would still think of him as a murderer, just a strong one.

"buuuuuuuh!"--- Mooncamping

by Vezoma on May 25, 2011 6:53 AM EDT up reply actions

No, then I’d associate the words “repeat offender” with him.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on May 25, 2011 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d take his word for it guys, he knows a lot about crime.

"I want my unwarranted optimism back." -Dilbert

by Simmsinns on May 24, 2011 9:40 AM EDT reply actions 6 recs

HA!

by Bernie19Kosar on May 24, 2011 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

I was just about to say the exact same thing. Obviously Ray Lewis is going to commit crimes if there’s no NFL, it’s his only other skill set.

by Clevsports on May 24, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Says a lot about Baltimore

when your two choices for entertainment are football and crime.

Sounds about right, actually.

by CMDR on May 24, 2011 9:53 AM EDT reply actions

I don’t think he meant that football players will commit these crimes, I think he’s talking about us fans, cause you know we’re a bunch of out of control apes who don’t know how to control ourselves without football.

Evil wins again, but Truth prevails where Good fails.

by North Coast Flea on May 24, 2011 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

He could have been talking about the Steelers Organization.

"I wasn’t asked to catch the ball and go out in the flats and run routes, because that wasn’t how our offense was," Lawrence Vickers said. "Now people are lying and people think I can’t catch. I guess I shouldn’t have started knocking people out."

by Villeslgr on May 24, 2011 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Exactly, I mean look at what happens when they have a normal offseason. With a prolonged lockout half of the Steelers could be on trial by the time football starts up again.

by Clevsports on May 24, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Or “Dancing with the Stars”

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice there is. -- Yogi Berra

by JustPlainBrowns on May 24, 2011 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Dawgs by Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.

by golanbatrac on May 24, 2011 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

What a steaming turd he is.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on May 24, 2011 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

He looks like a penis with ears.

Dawgs by Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.

by golanbatrac on May 24, 2011 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs

~~He looks like a penis with ears.~~

He is a penis with ears.

Fixed.

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. -- Vince Lombardi

by burntorangeandbrown on May 24, 2011 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs

Ah, thanks.

Dawgs by Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.

by golanbatrac on May 24, 2011 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions

lol love it. although i dont agree with your ray lewis coments(ofcourse).that was actually really funy.penis with ears.lol.

by purple_reign2011 on May 25, 2011 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions

There’s a guy in that pic? Just kidding. She looks too boney for me.

Evil wins again, but Truth prevails where Good fails.

by North Coast Flea on May 24, 2011 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions

i disagree. she can bring it.

"You are the worst villains in football, your evil plan never ceases."-Mooncamping

by discoinferno083 on May 24, 2011 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed, very bony. Someone get this chick a burger or 2.

"I want my unwarranted optimism back." -Dilbert

by Simmsinns on May 25, 2011 6:52 AM EDT up reply actions

He won Dancing with the Stars last night.

by emily522 on May 25, 2011 8:58 AM EDT up reply actions

He can’t dance his way out of being a douche.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on May 25, 2011 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 8 recs

rec

"I want my unwarranted optimism back." -Dilbert

by Simmsinns on May 25, 2011 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Legit lol

by emily522 on May 25, 2011 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Lol.

Stealers.

Nissan GT - R.

Sexy. Sexy. Sexy.

by SpecialBrownie on May 24, 2011 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought he was speaking for himself.

I am effing hurdling you and you can't stop me.

by JustBob on May 24, 2011 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Looks like Brandon Marshall is going to be slipping on alot of mcdonalds bags.

by browns8 on May 24, 2011 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

"You are the worst villains in football, your evil plan never ceases."-Mooncamping

by discoinferno083 on May 24, 2011 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Marshall claimed that he slipped on a McDonalds bag when he had a “disagreement” with his old lady.

by Bernie19Kosar on May 25, 2011 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

old lady. funny stuff.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on May 25, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Regardless of if he’s talking about the fans or the players, this is collosally stupid. Does he really think people commit serious crimes because they’re bored?

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on May 24, 2011 11:34 AM EDT reply actions

He must be commenting from personal experience.

"I want my unwarranted optimism back." -Dilbert

by Simmsinns on May 24, 2011 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Does he really think people commit serious crimes because they’re bored?

I didn’t think he said he serious crime and yes i believe people do commit crime out of boredom.

I don’t say that to say that I agree with Lewis. Honestly, I think he’s trying to work his “community outreach” stuff into talking points about the Lockout. Many times people take something that might have a kernel of truth or relevance and stretch it so far that it sounds ridiculous when said out loud.

by Villeslgr on May 24, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think people really care about players getting DUIs or caught with a joint or going 50 in a 25. Those strike me as the types of crimes bored people might commit. If that’s what he’s talking about, sure, he may have a tiny bit of a point.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on May 25, 2011 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Meh, Vrabel did. Which is what I honestly think this point is all about. Vrabel getting caught in petty theft.

Nissan GT - R.

Sexy. Sexy. Sexy.

by SpecialBrownie on May 24, 2011 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Certain people will do stupid things when they’re bored just for the rush.

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on May 24, 2011 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Those people are going to do those things regardless of whether or not there is NFL football. Losing a three hour Sunday diversion isn’t going to make anyone so bored that they decide to rob a 7-11.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on May 25, 2011 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions

This.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on May 25, 2011 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Does he mean PLAYERS committing crimes?

if so, yeah, the FBI, state, and local law enforcement officials would like this strike to be over….

As far as normal people go, wives will be cheering, kids will get more quality time, home projects will get done, and generally we will be more productive. So, maybe it’s a good thing for those of us who have better things to do. Maybe Mr. Lewis should do a PSA advising those people he thinks will turn to crime that they have better things to do with the gift of life they have.

by JDawg in Cbus on May 24, 2011 10:42 PM EDT reply actions