Was Ray Lewis talking about players or fans when he said that the crime rate would rise if there is no NFL this fall?

“Watch how much evil — which we call it crime — watch how much crime picks up if you take away our game.” – Ray Lewis

When you first heard these words what image came to mind? Ray Lewis, 16 year NFL Veteran, 12 time Pro-Bowler, 2 time Defensive player of the year, Super Bowl XXXV MVP, future Hall of Famer and unarguably spiritual and emotional leader of the Baltimore Ravens. Or Ray Lewis, accused murderer in an orange jumpsuit standing in an Atlanta, Georgia courtroom. If your view of Mr. Lewis is that of the latter, that’s okay. It’s your opinion and the above statement is nothing more than that. An opinion.

What if it were more than that?

After all this is an opinion of a guy who has been in the league for 16 years, (providing the NFL plays another season in our existence). A guy who has experienced training camps, OTA’s, playoffs, a Super Bowl, contract negotiations, player mentoring, community projects & philanthropy, new business development and a double homicide trial. This is nothing more than an opinion from a guy who has played in 210 regular season games, 15 playoffs games and doesn’t get his NFL news from ESPN SportsCenter highlights or NFL RedZone. How could he have an opinion that is so far fetched from what fans or NFL “experts” would have? Let’s find out how out of touch Ray is, are you ready?

NFL Players arrested since beginning of Lockout- 17
NFL Players arrested during same time in 2010- 13

You may be saying, “that’s only 4 more.” True but even my public educated mind knows that 17 is more than 13 which means a crime increase. Point Ray. Don’t forget since the lockout began the personal conduct policy of the leage is null and void. The players who teetered on the edge of morality no longer have Jimminy Cricket, played by the voice of Roger Goodell, to keep them on the right side of the tracks. Professional football players know one thing- football. It is now the end of May which during a regular season means OTA’s and meetings as teams prepare for training camp. Not this year. Nope it’s just young guys, lots of money and nothing on their schedule; surely nothing questionable would ever happen with that combination?????

If you have kids what do you do when the school year is about to finish? Summer Camps, Day programs, Vacation Bible School or if you were my parents a list of daily chores that would rival Alcatraz. Why? So your kids don’t have extra free time to shave the family cat or discover what blows up in the microwave quickest (now you know why my chores involved rock breaking). Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your kids’ friend that you’re not really sure of, if you’re not sure ask your kid they’ll tell you. Now imagine that friend with millions of dollars and nothing to do. Are your doors locked yet? Welcome to the NFL lockout.

Vegas Baby, Vegas!!

The NFL is business big business. How big is the NFL to gamblers? In 2009 Delaware Governor Jack Markell had a plan to allow NFL betting in his state with expectations of $55,000,000. The league nixed that idea. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board $81.2 million was wagered at SportsBooks across the state for the 2011 SuperBowl between Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Here’s where it gets interesting. In the same report only 1.5% of those bets were made legally!!! That means $1,218,000 legally wagered. $79,982,000 ILLEGALLY wagered. How much cash did you put in your buddy’s office pool? How about those weekly pick sheets? Fantasy Football leagues? The actual numbers have to be in the BILLION$$$.

You are smart enough to know that where there is gambling only the most upstanding and innocent individuals exist. They surely won’t mind missing the gambling revenue that the league generates. They’ll just be patient and wait it out. It’s a down economy right? You don’t think they would branch out into other less desirable endeavours? They probably don’t have people that owe them money from bets that were never paid that would do anything to get off their LIST.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE PIGSKIN!!!

You have a friend that has a friend that knows a guy who went to school with a guy that knows another guy. What are the chances that someone in that circle might just have a job at a stadium or connected to the team? The cashier this morning that got your coffee doesn’t look like they lost money on a game. Certainly doesn’t look like the type that would take some cash out of the register. Now that you think about it something doesn’t feel right does it?

I just needed some gas money

Crime is crime. Petty theft to robbing a bank. You can’t be sort of pregnant. While we want to think that society is general is good and it is. How long would the nightly news be if there was only good news to report? Watch the traffic report, that long.

Remember the Spring of 2008? When gas prices skyrocketed over $4.00 for the first time throughout the country, what happened? Gas stations were being robbed by people filling up and driving off. Not by ex-cons and murderers but by soccer moms, teenagers and dare we say it, the Average Joe!!

It’s really easy to take the words that Ray said at face value. He’s makes millions, he doesn’t live my life, he’s out of touch with society. The answer to the first two is Yes. Yes he does make millions and yes he doesn’t live your life. If he did you wouldn’t be upset with what he said. He would be Bob in accounting or Jim back in service. The answer to #3, society is NO. Society in this case is the NFL. Something he knows better than you or I. The NFL is his life. His statements were just opinion. When most athletes opinions are re-hashings of past ideas or prepared statements it’s refreshing to hear an opinion that makes us stop and think.

The Baltimore Ravens First Round Selection...

The Baltimore Ravens came into this years draft like always, looking for a legit football player that can embody what it means to be a Raven.

The Ravens I think got a great player in Jimmy Smith. Smith has alot of talent, but has some issues off the field that just interfere with his great football skills. Smith got drafted by the best team in regards of getting his head right, the Ravens locker room is filt with veterans that will make sure that happens.

Smith should help the Ravens in all aspects on defense, as he will fill a spot that has been lacking the last couple of seasons. Smith is a great corner that is quick to the ball and can cover alot of ground.

If Smith can keep his head straight, than the Ravens will have a great player, but if he cant than who knows.

The upcoming season will only tell…

After years playing against the Ravens, T.J. Houshmandzadeh now a member of the team.

Surprising many experts who thought he was headed elsewhere, former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has agreed to a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. His addition adds to an already talented receiving corps and gives third-year quarterback Joe Flacco another talented option.

Initial reports had Houshmandzadeh heading to Washington or Oakland, but he ended up joining a Baltimore team with legitimate postseason aspirations.

“Baltimore was about a chance to win the ring,” Houshmandzadeh told USA Today. “Five or six teams have a legit shot to win a Super Bowl this year and they were one of them. Without me.

“Although I had other options and I was seriously considering those, I just couldn’t pass this up. Winning is why we play sports.”

Houshmandzadeh is no stranger to the Ravens as he spent eight seasons with AFC North Division rival the Cincinnati Bengals. During that time, he caught 507 passes for 5,782 yards and 37 touchdowns while playing alongside Pro Bowl regular Chad Ochocinco.

Last season, Houshmandzadeh signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks and caught 79 passes for 911 yards and three scores. He has caught at least 73 passes for at least 900 yards in each of the last six campaigns.

The 32-year old receiver will join a receiving corps that already includes Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason and Donte Stallworth, though Stallworth will be out until October with a broken foot.

Baltimore opens the 2010 season next Monday, September 13th, ironically against a New York Jets team that will be somewhat depleted at the receiver position after cutting veteran Lavernareus Coles and with Santonio Holmes out for four games due to a league suspension.

However, the Jets will have All-Pro defensive back Darrelle Revis back in the lineup after agreeing to a contract extension.

The Ravens acquired the receiver they needed in three-time Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin.

The Baltimore Ravens made a big move during the first day of the free agent period by trading two draft picks (a third and fourth rounder) for three-time Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin. The seven-year veteran immediately fills a major need for the Ravens and provides third-year quarterback Joe Flacco with a much-needed target.

During his seven years with the Arizona Cardinals, Boldin eclipsed the 80 reception mark five times and also had five seasons with 1,000 or more yards receiving. His best season was in 2005 when he caught 102 passes for 1,402 yards and seven touchdowns.

In recent years, he has posted big receiving numbers despite being regularly hampered by injuries. He has played a full 16 games only twice in his career with the last time coming in 2006.

Boldin was entering the final year of his contract with the Arizona Cardinals and immediately agreed to a three-year, $25 million extension with $10 million guaranteed.

He immediately becomes the number one receiving threat for the Ravens. Last season 35-year-old Derrick mason led the wide receivers with 73 receptions for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns. Boldin caught 84 passes for 1,024 yards on a team that also included perennial All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald.

In addition to Boldin, the Ravens will also receive a fifth round draft pick from the Cardinals.

Before the trade for Boldin, there was speculation that the Ravens would pursue free agent Terrell Owens, who had spurned the team in 2004. That now seems unlikely.

Baltimore could get some revenge for the late night move of the Colts in 1984 with a victory in Indianapolis in the AFC Playoffs.

It has been more than 25 years since the Baltimore Colts snuck out of town in the middle of the night on their way to Indianapolis.

Since Baltimore regained an NFL franchise in 1996 the Baltimore Ravens have faced the Indianapolis Colts on ten occasions with the Colts holding a dominating 8-2 advantage. That includes a 15-6 win during their only playoff meeting in 2006.

The Ravens could wipe away all that disappointment with one broad stroke on Saturday if they are able to knock off the heavily favored Colts.

Indianapolis gave up on a chance to make NFL history by finishing undefeated in favor of focusing on winning their second Super Bowl title since moving from Baltimore.

If the Ravens are able to pull off the upset and keep the Colts from continuing their run toward the Lombardi Trophy, it would likely rank as one of the sweetest victories in Ravens history.

Even though Indianapolis would seem to have the upper hand and has defeated Baltimore each of the four times they have met in Indianapolis, you can’t count the Ravens completely out.

Following their dominating victory over the New England Patriots, Baltimore has won four of their last five games.

In addition, they nearly defeated the Colts in their first meeting earlier in the season with Indianapolis winning only by the score of 17-15.

The Ravens looked like they would have a chance for a game-winning score in the final minutes, but a Joe Flacco pass was intercepted at the Colts’ 13-yard line allowing Indy to run out the clock.

This time around the Colts must shake off the rust from the last three weeks. After winning their first 14 games, the Colts chose not to risk injuries to key players and used primarily reserves during much of the last two games.

Then last week they had a bye while the Ravens were tearing up the Patriots.

This marks the fourth time that Indianapolis has earned a first round playoff bye and on the previous three occasions they lost their first playoff game.

If history repeats, it will bring much joy to Ravens fans as they are looking to make the AFC Championship Game for the second straight season.

Nothing will ever completely remove the bitter taste from the mouths of Baltimore Colts fans, but you can bet that a victory Saturday would bring a smile to the faces of everyone who remembers that snowy day in 1984.

Ray Rice and the Ravens flexed their muscles versus the Patriots in the AFC Wild Card Playoff round.

This game was over before it really ever began. Ray Rice gashed the Patriots for an 83 yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

And before you finished your first beer, New England was down 24-0.

The Patriots knew the Ravens were going to run and couldn’t do a thing to stop them. Ray Rice put on a pro bowl performance with 159 yards and two touchdowns. Willis McGahee chipped in with 62 yards and a td of his own.

Baltimore rushed for 234 yards, but they only passed for 34 yards!

Why pass if you can run at will? Harbaugh had a great game plan and his team executed it to perfection.

The New England defense couldn’t stop anyone and their offense couldn’t do anything.

Brady had his worst game of the season. He only had 154 yards on 42 attempts. Brady connected with Julian Edelman for two scores but also had three interceptions. He was also strip sacked by Terrell Suggs and sacked two other times. The Patriots’ quarterback had no time to get comfortable in the pocket and it showed.

The running game was non existent and the Patriots could only muster 196 total yards.

If you can’t stop the opposition and you turnover the ball, you don’t win. Simple as that. All these factors contributed to the Patriots first home playoff loss since 1978.

The helter skeltar season of the Patriots has mercifully come to the end. The Patriots will need address holes on their defense and need to bolster a mediocre wide receiving corps.

The Ravens will meet the Colts in the divisional playoff next weekend in Indy. Baltimore will try to out do their 2008 playoff run that got them to the AFC Championship Game versus Pittsburgh.

Early Prediction: Colts 28, Ravens 24

With the loss of Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk will have to be a big contributor in the passing game.

Overview: The Patriots (#3 seed) and Ravens (#6 seed) will meet for the second time this season, but this time it’s for all the marbles in the Wild Card playoffs.

The Patriots are going to try to overcome the devastating injury to their offensive MVP, Wes Welker. Welker tore his ACL and MCL on a routine cut last week in Houston. He will be sidelined for at least six months.

The Ravens are trying to exceed their road success in the playoffs. Last year as the sixth seed, Baltimore beat Miami and Tennessee before succumbing to Pittsburgh, 23-14 in the AFC Championship.

The Ravens will try to pull the upset yet again on the road. They have their work cut out for them, however. New England is 8-0 at home this year and 10-0 in the playoffs since 1978.

Last Week: The Patriots (10-6) fell to the Texans 34-27 in Houston. In a meaningless game, Wes Welker was injured and lost for the year. To add insult to injury, the Patriots blew a 14 point fourth quarter lead to fall to 2-6 on the road.

The Ravens in essence played a playoff game last week versus Oakland. If they win, they are in and they did just that. Baltimore held off a pesky Raiders team, 21-13. The Ravens were led by the rushing attack of Willis McGahee (167 yards and 3 td’s) and Ray Rice (70 yards).

All-Time Series: This will be the sixth meeting all time between the two clubs. The Patriots hold a 5-0 series lead and defeated the Ravens earlier this season at Gillette, 27-21. This will be their first meeting in the playoffs.

Key Questions:

New England: Can Patriots’ offense overcome the loss of Wes Welker?

The Patriots will not be able to replace offensive spark plug Wes Welker (123 catches in 13 games), so Brady will have to spread the ball around like he did in the early 2000’s. Julie Edelman, Chris Baker, Ben Watson, and Kevin Faulk will have to pick up the slack in the passing game.

Randy Moss will have to fight through double coverage and be the big game threat that he is. There will be no room for “dogging” any plays. Moss is New England’s most potent weapon now and he needs to play that way.

The running attack of Taylor, Morris, and Maroney also need to contribute. They need to hold onto the ball. The Patriots can not afford any costly turnovers in a tight game.

Baltimore: Can the Ravens upend the Patriots at Gillette Stadium?

Can the Ravens continue their road playoff magic? Baltimore needs to put a complete game effort together in Foxboro on Sunday.

The defense must take away Randy Moss and the threat of the big play. They must pressure Brady and have the running backs and tight ends try to beat them.

Joe Flacco needs to compliment the strong rushing duo of McGahee and Rice. The passing game needs to be effective because the Patriots will probably stack 8 in the box to shut down the rushing attack.

Flacco needs to regain his playoff success from 2008. He needs to manage the game and can’t afford any mental mistakes.

Players To Watch:

New England Patriots: Kevin Faulk, Ben Watson, Julian Edelman, Chris Baker

The tight ends and the running backs out of the backfield need to get open and be viable targets for Tom Brady. With the loss of Welker, the short passing game needs to be spread around. The Ravens will double team Randy Moss so the rest of the Patriots receivers will have to step up.

Joe Flacco will have to rekindle his 2008 playoff magic to beat the Pats.

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Willis McGahee

The Ravens need to have a balance of the run and pass. Baltimore has to confuse the Patriots and have them second guessing. They need to fear the Ravens offense.

The Patriots secondary is suspect so Flacco needs to test them downfield. If Flacco is ineffective, it will be a long day for Baltimore.

Predictions: Patriots by 10

If this game was on the road, I would go with the Ravens. The game will be close going into the fourth quarter, but Tom Brady and being at home will be the deciding factors.

Tom Brady hasn’t been far from stellar in the second halves of games this year. However, this is the playoffs, the time that Brady always shines.

Baltimore will give the Patriots everything they can handle, but a costly turnover late will do them in.

Final Score: Patriots 24, Ravens 14

Ray Rice had a big game on the ground, as he helps the Ravens devour the Lions 48-3.

It was a cold and miserable rainy day in the Charm City, as thousands of fans packed M & T Bank Stadium, to watch the resilient Baltimore Ravens take on the underdog in the Detroit Lions. Even though the Ravens were taking on a deprived Lions team, they still have to watch out for the upset, which would all but ruin the Ravens playoff dreams. The Ravens came into this game with the mentality to not take the Lions lightly, as anything could happen any given Sunday. Lardarius Webb stated it perfectly after the game “It was just hard work all week. We did not take this team lightly. They’re a great team. They play so hard. The way they play doesn’t show in their record.”

This game was a great game for the Ravens in all phases of the game.  The Ravens showed that they can rebound from a tough loss, which they suffered last Monday night against the Green Bay Packers. The Ravens finally brought out the three headed monster anchored by second year running back Ray Rice, who had a huge game with 219 total yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The other two parts of the three headed monster Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain both had big games, with McGahee running for two touchdowns on 76 total yards and McClain rushing for 32 yards with a touchdown. All together the Ravens three headed monster totaled 327 yards with 4 touchdowns.

The Ravens passing offense looked good in this game also, with big games from Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason. Flacco was barely touched and had plenty of time to throw the ball to the open receiver, in this game he threw for 230 yards with one touchdown. Mason made one of the most sensational play’s I have seen in a while, when he caught the ball and got struck by two Lions players but managed to stay on his feet and run for 62 yards for the touchdown. The Ravens would not of had this much success on offense if it was not for the magnificent play of the offensive line.

The Ravens defense had a great impact to the ending score, as they held the Lions to only a field goal. In this game the Ravens defense showed a lot of toughness. All in all this was a team effort, as each player had their own role to take care of and they did just that.

Even though the Ravens had key injuries entering this game, with the absence of Ed Reed, Mark Clayton, and Jared Gaither, they still found a way to win the game. The weather was a big factor in the game, as in the first quarter of the game Ray Rice fumbled the ball into the end zone that would be a touchback for the Lions, but the Ravens and Rice would rebound from that and have a record breaking day.

As I was in attendance I show in person the impact of the weather and the success the Ravens had on all sides of the football. If the Ravens can play like what I seen in this game, than the Ravens should soar into the playoffs. The Ravens performance in this game, showed that they still have a lot of pride and fight left in them, so that should go a long way for the rest of the Ravens season.

Joe Flacco was on the run the whole game, as the Ravens fell to the Packers.

This game was disappointing in many different ways for the Baltimore Ravens, it seems like the Ravens did not bring their a-game, as they were taken down by the Green Bay Packers. The first disappointing aspect of this game is that this was a must win game and the Ravens did not play like they can and needed too in order to get the win. The second is the Ravens did not play hard or with a sense of urgency. The third is the Ravens could not seem to get their running game going, as it was a non factor versus the Packers. The fourth is the Ravens did not play as physical on defense as they can, which is what the Ravens are known for. The fifth and final is that the Ravens let down a lot of people, mainly including the fans from the charm city, who are so passionate about their Ravens.

Let’s take a look at the defining moments of this game; the Ravens were shut out in the first half of the game. The Ravens did not get on the scoreboard in till late in the third quarter. The Ravens scored a touchdown when Kelly Washington caught a pass from Joe Flacco, the Ravens would score another touchdown in a matter of thirty seconds, when Willis McGahee ran the ball into the end zone. Both of these touchdowns were aided by penalties from the Packers, the Ravens would not score for the rest of the game. The Ravens would get in the red zone, but could not seem to get any points, as Flacco would throw an interception.

In this game the Ravens looked like they were not even trying. The Ravens could not seem to get a good rhythm on offense, as they were slow to get out the huddle and slow to get the play started. Another thing I noticed about the Ravens in this game is that they were playing like a team that does not want to make it too the playoffs. Some of the good things about this game are the Ravens defense was playing better as the game went on, but it was some mental issues that kept the Ravens from putting the ball into the end zone. This game was played as a team, so the Ravens lost as a team.

After watching this game, the Ravens showed me that they are not ready to make a playoff push. If they don’t start playing hard and wanting to win, than they will not get a taste of the playoffs this season. The upcoming schedule has a couple of lenient games, as the Ravens play a home game versus the Detroit Lions next week, the Chicago Bears  at home the following week, and  the Oakland Raiders on the road in the final game of the season. The Ravens still have a very meaningful divisional game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in the game before the last game of the season; the Ravens already got the best of the Steelers in the last game they played together. The Ravens still have a legit chance of making the playoffs.

If the Ravens cannot start winning in these last couple of games, than they will be watching the playoffs from home. Personally I know that the Ravens can turn things around, if they can just play with more intensity and a type of urgency to win, than they should be able to get the job done. I know the talent is there for the Ravens, they just need to act like every game is a must win and stop taking teams lightly. I am the first person to tell you that the Ravens are not playing the best that they are capable of, but it’s nothing that cannot be fixed. Being a passionate fan of the Ravens, it hurts to see them lose these heartbreaking games week after week. So for the last four weeks of the season, the Ravens look to string together a couple of wins, if they can accomplish that, than they should be in good shape to make it into the playoffs.

Just like me, there are many fans that want to see the Ravens make it into the playoffs.

The Ravens And The Packers Face Off In A Monday Night Showdown

Going into this game the Baltimore Ravens know that this is going to be a tough game versus the Green Bay Packers. If you have been following the NFL this season you already know that the Packers have one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Ravens are built for these types of games, so the Ravens should use that as a key part of their game plan for the Packers.

A thing to look at in this game is if the Ravens can play consistent in all phases of the game. Also the matchup of two of the top defenses in the NFL. So this should be a great game to watch when Monday Night Football comes on. This is going to be a low scoring game; it’s probably going to be a similar game to the one that the Ravens played last week.

The Ravens need to win this game, as it seems like every time the Ravens get a big win they seem to lose the next game or two. I think the reason for that is the Ravens think that they are going to win, so they take teams lightly. They cannot take the Packers lightly or they are going to be in serious trouble.

Even though the Packers have one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Ravens still have one of the top defenses and they still have the most physical defense in the NFL. This is going to be another bitter cold Lambeau showdown. If you are a football fan than you are going to get a early Christmas present, so get ready to tighten your chin strap and open your present.

In this game the Ravens need to obtain a physical running game, because they are very successful when they get their running game going. If the Ravens defense show’s up in this game, than they should be in good shape to get a big win on the road and keep their playoff hopes alive. The Ravens are going to try and go in this game and hit the Packers in their mouth, with Ravens style defense. The Ravens need to try to get the momentum on their sides early in the game to make a statement to the Packers, to let them know that they are going to have to fight for sixty minutes.

If the Ravens can stick to this game plan then they should be able to give the fans from the charm city something to cheer about. If the Ravens can come away with the win, than they can show the NFL that they are for real and that they can compete with the elite teams in the NFL.