Ray Lewis is God's linebacker

And Ray Lewis declared inactive today.

 

I know a man who claims to have converted Ray Lewis.

 

While I do think the cover is over-the-top, I think it's a great story and this coming from a born-again Christian.

And let's face it, some people are just uncomfortable when it comes to athletes, or anyone for that matter, talking about God. Just look at all the people on this board who don't buy into Lewis's change. This type of stuff happens every day, but when it happens to an athlete, people are quick to dismiss it because they think it's a bunch of bull.

I've come across a few people in my life who have been through a situation like Lewis's, murder accusations and all, and I've seen them turn their life around after coming to God. But like I said before, some people just don't like to hear it, especially if it comes from an athlete.

Do I think some of them take the "religious" thing too far? Yes, no doubt. The pointing to the sky stuff and making the sign of the cross drives me crazy. Trust me, God does not care if Albert Pujols hits a 450 foot homer. And the praying for a victory stuff? I think the athletes who do that stuff are a little misguided.

So what you want about Lewis, but obviously something is keeping him out of trouble. And if he says it's God, then it's God. You can roll your eyes at it, throw up your lunch over it, or whatever. People shouldn't be criticizing others for what they truly believe in. If that's what he believes in, they let him be and figure out the problems in your own life. Everybody has them.

 

God's will be done

 

Coffee, meet monitor.

 

I know. But he's a former NFL player and says the conversion's for real.

 

The short answer: Because so many of these athletes turn out to be phonies just using God to rehabilitate their image before slipping into more criminal mischief that we've been burned one too many times.

 

(Cough, cough) Michael Irvin (cough, cough)

 

Mentally or physically?

 

The problem with these born again stories is that they're paint-by-numbers formulaic crap. Give me one of these stories that's ever broken any new ground. The Sports Illustrated story about Ray Lewis is no different than the SI story done 15-some odd years ago on Darryl Strawberry's spiritual rehabilitation. Template's the same.

 

How'd that work out?

 

Yeah, then we get some 9,000 word opus on __________ falling off the wagon. "Descent into Darkness"