NFL: The Land Shark

[FullMetalFalcon23]

RAY LEWIS was at my last club's training session tonight. Absolutely gutted I had to quit football at 22 because of my knees ( ive been told i need a knee placement but i am still to young (25) and miss the opportunity to meet the linebacker who I studied so intently to get where I got to after my first injury.

Just to put into context. The club the LondonWarriors, are a new programme who went undefeated for 2 years to climb into the premier programme. They have since stalled the last2 seasons the main hump to their progress being the blitz who are at this point 3 times reigning champions back to back years but this year are doing well, as in they have beaten the blitz and are in a strong position to be able to repeat the feat. This may have something to do with the Blitz squad also flying all over Europe to play in the European championships as they are reigning champions of Europe and are defending their title.

Between these two clubs if an NFL team were to ever sprout in the uk the majority of the home grown talent I the team would come from these squads.

But anyway the team had Ray fly out to London just to speak with them at training how incredible is that. There are guys who are playing there whose clubs folded they had nothing and the warriors took them in. And now they get to listen to one of the greatest Defenses players if all time. I honestly see them going undefeated the rest of the season off this.

Anyway it may not mean much to you guys. But as someone who still supports the sport here in the UK it means a lot that a guy like Ray takes our players seriously enough to take the time to come here and breathe some more enthusiasm into players here. We get a shitty rep because we don't play a traditional sport here but I like many of the players he couldn't give a damn. Let them talk shit until they can do what we have done or did and say they did it to build something better for the future generations then they can say something.

5 years ago NFL Europe folded on us. And we took that as a sign the NFL didn't think it was viable here. Then 3 years later the NFL pulled the IPD and a lot of my guys lost their opportunities they could have given up then but they stayed playing for the love of it. Now in this time we have our young players getting full scholarships from ranked schools. We have guys making practice squads, our even younger kids getting picked up by prep schools and being groomed to get picked by college teams. I'm proud to have made a contribution to a game I have always loves and will always love. And although I didn't get to meet Ray Lewis. It sure feels good to know that he has been here and with purpose.

[papachaz]

"a guy like ray"? you mean a murderer? why not just look up jack the ripper and have him come speak to your club?

[Drathdon]

FullMetal, glad that things look good for the future. I know there are logistical issues, but when Europe DOES get an NFL team, it we be due to the hard work and drive of those like you.

Cheers, mate!

[FullMetalFalcon23]

(07-10-2012 08:21 PM)papachaz Wrote:  "a guy like ray"? you mean a murderer? why not just look up jack the ripper and have him come speak to your club?

Papa, I personally chose not to have an opinion on that issue because it is a difficult situation. There is a mystery around that I agree but in my eyes that is something he will have to answer to God for. Whether it was Ray why did you let yourself get implicated in that mess. Or why did you take another person's life.

I choose to look at Ray as the player he is, and as the person that I know of. He might be the person he portrays, but that's the leap of faith I take in him as an inspiration not an idol. It's half rational half emotional.

I'm not perfect. I never killed anyone although I having grown up in a foul abusive home and at age 20 coming close to stabbing my father after he assaulted and the mocked me after I got over an illness that nearly killed me without me knowing I was that close to death ( my air way was closing from peritonsiluar abscesses. In times I've need and in times of want I've lied or stolen to get what I need but I was young and a real idiot who didn't have the right guidance for who I was. But I straightened out got my grades rIght went to one of the UK's best law schools and then decided that law, particularly criminal and family law had me involved in the process of changing a persons life or a families situation too late.

I became a youth worker instead, in learning sign language and one day I hope to found my own practice. My point is mistakes or sometimes being close to making the worse mistake of your life can turn you around make you better for yourself and those around you.

[Radical]

(07-10-2012 08:21 PM)papachaz Wrote:  "a guy like ray"? you mean a murderer? why not just look up jack the ripper and have him come speak to your club?

Oh come on now. That's the meds talking.

[ChrisD]

You know what's great about America? There's a court of law put in place that determines whether you are guilty. You know what's so magical about Rey Lewis? He beat the odds, and he was proven not guilty. So why keep battering him? Obviously they didn't have enough to prove he was guilty, he beat the odds. It was years and years ago now, and he hasn't been in any trouble since then. So why not just get off it?

Oh, that's right. Most people here in America have nothing better to pay their words to other than scolding celebrities on crimes they have already been tried and said to be not guilty to. Sorry I'm just a believer that once it goes through court, it should be done. It's how the court of law works really. It's a magical thing.

And that is awesome. I could only imagine sitting in a room with Lewis staring down your throat giving words of wisdom. I think it was Sports Center that had a special on him a while back where he was going to his athletic clubs and such talking to all the kids, it was amazing.

[phocis850]

(07-11-2012 11:17 AM)ChrisD Wrote:  You know what's great about America? There's a court of law put in place that determines whether you are guilty. You know what's so magical about Rey Lewis? He beat the odds, and he was proven not guilty. So why keep battering him? Obviously they didn't have enough to prove he was guilty, he beat the odds. It was years and years ago now, and he hasn't been in any trouble since then. So why not just get off it?

Oh, that's right. Most people here in America have nothing better to pay their words to other than scolding celebrities on crimes they have already been tried and said to be not guilty to. Sorry I'm just a believer that once it goes through court, it should be done. It's how the court of law works really. It's a magical thing.

And that is awesome. I could only imagine sitting in a room with Lewis staring down your throat giving words of wisdom. I think it was Sports Center that had a special on him a while back where he was going to his athletic clubs and such talking to all the kids, it was amazing.

Unfortunately, that isn't how it works. Yes, you cannot be charged for the same crime twice. So if someone is found innocent, then they can walk a free man. However, being judged as innocent doesn't mean they are. It's possible that the person still committed the crime but had a great defense and the circumstances couldn't be proven.

People never forget, whether right or wrong. We all remember the OJ case and more recently Casey Anthony.

Guilty or not, being put in those situations causes a lifetime of scrutiny.

[papachaz]

(07-11-2012 02:39 AM)Radical Wrote:  Oh come on now. That's the meds talking.

not at all, i still believe he did it, him and OJ, two peas in a pod.....

@ FULLMETALFALCON - good for you. i wasn't in any way trying to say i'm perfect, but i've never committed any major crimes i managed to wiggle out of. it's just my opinion, but i don't 'idolize' any type of 'stars', sports, tv, movie, music.....they're just men, and like me, put their pants on one leg at a time

[Peyton]

papa, Ray Lewis didn't murder anybody. Even the people who charged him with murder knew he didn't murder anybody. They were just trying to illicit certain testimony out of him by charging him with murder.

and it worked, but the guys who did the murdering still got off.

Ray Lewis didn't murder anyone. It's not even a matter of debate.

[papachaz]

(07-11-2012 01:00 PM)Peyton Wrote:  papa, Ray Lewis didn't murder anybody. Even the people who charged him with murder knew he didn't murder anybody. They were just trying to illicit certain testimony out of him by charging him with murder.

and it worked, but the guys who did the murdering still got off.

Ray Lewis didn't murder anyone. It's not even a matter of debate.

really? because the article i just pulled up about it says he cut a deal to avoid murder charges by agreeing to testify against the two co defendants. so if your statement is true, why no lawsuit for false arrest?

i ain't buying it, he was there, and only avoided charges by turning states evidence, agreeing to plead guilty to obstruction of justice and testifying against the other two guys. if there was nothing to hide, why the obstruction charges?

we'll never really know what evidence they had or didn't have because it didn't have to be released once his lawyers made the plea bargain, and it didn't go to trial. if you're innocent, you don't cop to a lower charge to avoid the trial to prove you're innocent. if they didn't have the evidence to charge him, he would have known it and wouldn't have dirtied his name by agreeing to be 'guilty' to anything.

but that's just my opinion, if someone else wants to idolize him that's their business