Ray Lewis probably isn't a good fit with Dallas Cowboys
February 16
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
columnist Gil Lebreton
"Other than that, you know, little murder thing a few years ago, what's not to like about linebacker Ray Lewis?
True, Lewis' preening, self-indulgent, personal introduction before every Baltimore Ravens game makes even Deion Sanders' former entrances appear dignified.
And I'm not sure where exactly PETA stands on Lewis' full-length white fur coat.
But, no matter. The Cowboys need Ray Lewis. And as history tells us, if the Dallas Cowboys need someone, owner Jerry Jones will go from Attica to Leavenworth to make it happen.
In 11 days, Lewis is scheduled to become an NFL free agent, and no less than his old Ravens teammate, Sanders, reportedly has tried to convince Jones that the highly demonstrative Lewis would be a good fit.
Oh, he would fit, all right. There's always room for one more circus act under the Jerry Jones big top.
You can argue all day about how much Lewis, who'll be 34 next season, has slowed down. You can quote the whispers coming from the Baltimore camp about how Lewis wore down late in the season, and how the Ravens had to spell him at practice just to keep him fresh.
The problem is, the Ravens don't seem ready to lose Ray Lewis. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti told Jamison Hensley of The (Baltimore) Sun, "I certainly don't want to see him in another uniform."
A larger-than-life character to begin with, Lewis will one day have a statue at the Ravens' stadium, fans in Baltimore predict. After all, they've been through a lot together - the indictment for murder, the baggage that came with him from his college days at Miami, and the Ravens' own rise from being the original, relocated Cleveland Browns in 1996 to Super Bowl champions in 2000.
Lewis was the heart and fiery soul of that rise. And therein lies his value to the current Cowboys.
The murder episode remains murky, and it's likely that only Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar know what really happened that night in Atlanta nine years ago, and both are dead.
Blood from one of the victims was found in Lewis' 40-foot limo. But Lewis was able to successfully portray himself as a peacemaker in the incident, and charges were dismissed in exchange for Lewis pleading guilty to a lesser charge of obstruction of justice and agreeing to testify against two acquaintances who were in the limo with him."
Link