Ray Lewis is God's linebacker

Jimmy Conway: "I'm not mad, I'm proud of you. You took your first pinch like a man and you learn two great things in your life. Look at me, never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut."

Ray Lewis learned that if you rat on your friends, you get a reduced sentence, get to play football and make millions of dollars while your friends go to jail.

 

Since the departure of Reggie White, the position of NFL Sanctimonious Jackass has been vacant. Somebody's gotta fill it.

 

Much as I disliked some things that Reggie White said, I don't remember him actually doing anything that warrants comparison to Ray Lewis. I don't doubt White's faith was genuine. I have many doubts about Lewis.

 

As this thread proves, the cover is doing exactly what a magazine cover should do - stimulate interest, invite discussion, incite argument - in short, sell magazines. And The Jones is right about counter-programming your cover villains, sad Santa Sonny Liston being the best example.

As to whether or not the hed is supposed to be ironic in any way, that's left to the reader. That the subhed floats - The Gospel According to Ray Lewis God's Linebacker - around Lewis' name tells me two things: the words "According to" qualify everything that follows; and that "God's Linebacker" is not to be taken seriously as a standalone affirmation of Lewis' identity.

And just to argue Inky's excerpt, which is far too short to represent the totality of a piece this long, I'll post this from the piece:

Delusional? Maybe. There are many who won't take kindly to Ray Lewis, of all people, telling them how to live. After Baltimore's season-opening win at Tampa Bay this season, three of Lewis's sons were standing outside the Ravens' locker room, their dad's name and number on their backs. A woman walked up to their mother and, speaking just above their heads, hissed, "I can't believe you let your kids wear that murderer's jersey."

Hardly a softball.

As much as we all seem to dislike Ray Lewis, it strikes me odd that so many journalists here would rush to judge a book by its cover. The piece is a pretty balanced rendering of Lewis as he is to be found today. The question of whether or not his conversion is genuine being left, as it should be, to the reader.

As was said earlier, SL Price is the goods.

 

1. James Brown has not asked a difficult question in his entire career in broadcasting
2. In John Feinstein's book on the Ravens, "Last Man Up,'' he mentioned that Lewis has 6 kids from several different women. He's almost right. The fact is Lewis has 10 or 11 children born out of wedlock. What a guy. Oh, and his BBQ restaurant he opened in B-More sucks shit

 

How about you all READ the story before you get your panties in a bunch. It's pretty interesting journalism.

 

Ok, I'm a little out of touch. Who the fuck is Ryan Sonner?

 

Got any proof, cortez, or just talk radio/internet message board gossip?

In the story, SI makes it quite clear that Lewis has six kids with four different women (court records too to verify it) and while he admits he's not an excellent father, Lewis does bring all them to home games each weekend. The last scene in the story is ambiguous. He's walking with his six kids out into the lobby after a game, and you get to decide whether or not you think Lewis is a righteous man or not.

It's not my favorite piece ever, but it's pretty darn good. Of the 10 writers I'd most want to tell my life story (whether I was dead or alive), S.L. Price easily makes the top 5.

 

Here's the backstory. At 11 pages, comprehensive.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/32880/

He's the new all-purpose sjc punchline, paragon, paradigm. Think Chuck Norris. As a page designer.

 

Is the cover story worth reading? I personally find it odious that Mr. Lewis' story isn't one of a guy who got busted for murder and had to do his BS, look-at-me, God-finding in jail. But of course, he got away with that little transgression in Atlanta, no matter how much blood evidence there was linking him and his buddies to the scene.

He should never have played the 2000 season, and never should have won the Super Bowl [/still-bitter Raiderfan]

Anyway, usually when these "NFL guy isn't REALLY a prick! Just ask him!" stories come out in SI, they're verbal fellatings by Karl Taro Greenfeld or Michael Silver. But with SL Price's byline on it . . . . . I may wade in. Will I regret it?

Also: Their NFL midseason picks. Hilarious how they re-do picks after teams have shown themselves to be better or worse. The earliest phenomenon of this SI knee-jerkery was in 1993, when before the NBA playoffs they re-picked based on the season. They had the Suns over the Knicks in the Finals, instead of the Bulls over Suns they had back in November. Who had the NBA's best regular-season record? The Suns. The second-best? The Knicks.

Now, their NFL pick has Indy going all the way. No shit? Gee, they're not the last undefeated, are they?

Why do I still get this magazine? I can get Dr. Z and Tom Verducci stuff online.

 

Read it.

It's not DLB-level, but it's too close for comfort.