bubba9497 Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Ravens Have More Than Football to Worry About http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/08/sports/football/08nfl.html WINGS MILLS, Md., June 7 - In a small trailer that doubles as a Bible study room, Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis sat at a news conference Monday and reiterated that he was innocent of federal drug conspiracy charges. In a corner of the Ravens' locker room, no more than two hours later, cornerback Corey Fuller apologized for the embarrassment caused by his arrest for felony firearm possession and for felony and misdemeanor charges that he used his home in Tallahassee, Fla., as a high-stakes gambling house. Football seemed secondary as the Ravens embarked on a four-day minicamp amid the cicadas in this Baltimore suburb. "This is the appropriate time to discuss this because it is time to go back to work," Ravens Coach Brian Billick said, of Lewis's situation in particular. "Obviously, we support Jamal, we believe in this process and we will support him in this process. Whatever the time frame, it is important to keep in mind that the players don't live in a sterile environment." For the Ravens, the American Football Conference North champions last season, matters of legality have swooped into their season before. In August 2000, the N.F.L. fined the All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis $250,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice in a double homicide at an Atlanta nightclub. Lewis had faced two counts of murder before prosecutors dropped those charges. In December, the second-year pass rusher Terrell Suggs was charged with two counts of felony assault for a March 2003 incident outside Phoenix Municipal Stadium after a three-on-three basketball tournament. Suggs has a Sept. 9 court date. With Jamal Lewis, who faces charges in Atlanta, Fuller and Suggs, Ravens players currently face six felony charges in three states. "It seems like the devil is always at work, but I know what it takes to overcome the devil," Fuller, 33, said. "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. But nobody victimized me. I victimized myself." Billick compared the off-the-field situations with instances that arise in every sport. The Ravens have bucked back controversy before, winning Super Bowl XXXV against the Giants only months after Ray Lewis's involvement the Atlanta murder trial. "Whether it's Jamal, whether it's Corey, whether it's Terrell Suggs, I have a tremendous amount of faith in the character of those individuals," Billick said. "There are going to be things that raise themselves up due to injury, personal situations, births, deaths, any number of things. These aren't machines. They have lives and as a team, you have to respect and understand that." Jamal Lewis, who was voted the league's offensive player of the year last season, rushed for 2,066 yards, the second-highest total in league history. (Eric Dickerson ran for 2,105 in 1984.) Lewis is accused of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine and using a cellphone in the commission of a drug crime. The charges resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the summer of 2000, just before Lewis signed a six-year, $35.3 million contract. During the 2001 season, Lewis was suspended for four games for violating of the league's substance and alcohol abuse policy a second time (the first infraction remains confidential). Despite violating the league's drug policies, Lewis maintained his innocence in the federal case. "Sometimes you watch TV and say, 'This guy couldn't have done that,' " Lewis said. "I'm in those shoes now." League officials monitor drug cases involving players, but they do not take action until the conclusion of the case, as Commissioner Paul Tagliabue did in fining Ray Lewis. Gene Upshaw, the executive director of the N.F.L. Players Association, said in a telephone interview that the union would not get involved in the Ravens' pending matters, despite the large number of them. "You don't want to prejudice a case and you have to assume a person is innocent until proven guilty," Upshaw said, before referring to Tagliabue. "One good thing about Paul being an attorney is that all of our rules are based on that premise. When you look at the situation with Ray Lewis, it was a matter of waiting until the end." If Jamal Lewis's trial begins during the season, the Ravens might have to work out a schedule similar to the one the Lakers worked out with guard Kobe Bryant, who shuttled between Los Angeles and Eagle, Colo., where he is facing sexual-assault charges. But because the Ravens play 15 games on Sundays this season, with a Monday night game Oct. 4 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, any court appearances would more likely affect Lewis's practice schedule. "I am sure we will prepare a plan accordingly," Lewis said. Billick said: "We will have to. We have to be respectful of the process. You hope that the process will be respectful of all involved, but we can't control that. Like we will with other things that happen during the season, we will deal with it." Fuller, who has long considered himself a role model to children, insisted that something positive may yet come from the Ravens' tribulations. "I think even in the midst of a storm you can still find a silver lining," he said. "Somebody can learn from this situation from myself, Jamal and Terrell." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC4 Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Gee, the Ratbirds sound more like Jailbirds to me :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark327 Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 it'll be very interesting to hear or see just how much HUSH! money is payed out to keep these totally irresponcible so called athletes on the field . if something like any of this happen to you or i we would be up the creek in a heartbeat !! makes me wanna :puke: :ravensuck :gaintsuck :eaglesuck :dallasuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonVA Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Well, even if he goes to jail, he can still come out and play for the Cowgurls; he would fit right in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 If Leonard Little can kill a woman and only miss eight games, I seriuosly doubt Lewis will miss much playing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdsknbill Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Hell, OJ killed his wife ten years and got away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Washington Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 no one has a court date on sunday so he should play this year. could have a monster year if it motivates him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 these charges seem pretty bogus to me. lewis is charged with using a cell phone and not making a drug deal. you wonder why there are so many drugs on the streets? the dea/justice dept. spends four years investigating deals that NEVER HAPPENED!! and think of all that went down while they were wasting their time! too bad for jamal he is an NFL superstar, otherwise this investigation never happens. fuller was playing poker with his friends. he did have a gun though. that sounds like the only crime commited here, and i doubt that is worth jail time. waste of taxpayer money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrfriedm Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Originally posted by rdsknbill Hell, OJ killed his wife ten years and got away with it. Yea, but he is still looking for the "real killer" on every golf course in the world. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyward72 Posted June 9, 2004 Share Posted June 9, 2004 Plus they have the Madden Curse to contend with! Man this could be quite a year for the Ratbirds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phanatic Posted June 9, 2004 Share Posted June 9, 2004 Originally posted by AJWatson3 these charges seem pretty bogus to me. lewis is charged with using a cell phone and not making a drug deal. you wonder why there are so many drugs on the streets? the dea/justice dept. spends four years investigating deals that NEVER HAPPENED!! and think of all that went down while they were wasting their time! too bad for jamal he is an NFL superstar, otherwise this investigation never happens. fuller was playing poker with his friends. he did have a gun though. that sounds like the only crime commited here, and i doubt that is worth jail time. waste of taxpayer money! That's called this ficticiious war on drugs thats been raging for the quite some time now. How do you think we fund all of these "covert" actions on a global scale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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