Ray Lewis PED Allegations (Merged)

[FlawlessVictory]

Outlets like SI don't "properly vet" stories any more. The guy probably made the recording in October, realized he might have a little skin in the game once the Ravens made the SB, called SI yesterday, they slapped it up on their website, and poof! -- here we are.

Manti Teo anyone? These guys don't fact check; they hear a rumor and run with it. There is no downside to being wrong, as long as they generate buzz, that's it. The public does not demand accuracy, so why waste resources providing it? Give them something to talk about, mission accomplished.

Double

Particularly in this day in age with the social hooks on the internet, "the media" does not check anything out. Here's the thought process order:

1) SI ran the article, they are reputable
2) Ray Lewis used PEDs on road to recovery, report it
3) Should we check this out a bit more?

There probably is some sort of legitimacy in the story. I would LIKE TO THINK that Sports Illustrated, being ... reputable .. would do some major fact checking, and perhaps they did and even saw the video. That said, the only evidence in the story is quotes from the guys that runs the company (self promoting his product) and someone from SI (who?!?) that supposedly talked to Ray Lewis about it - the video evidence or interview details, if they exist, were not provided.

The majority of the entertainment media did no fact checking, they saw the story on their twitter feeds and ran with it - hence why they were able to report it within the hour it was on the website.They are not reporters, they should not even be considered "media", they are entertainers.

[Hammerhead]

So here is what we have learned:

Witness credibility: Ross is pumping his company and has had veracity/legitimacy problems in the past. Simply put, not a credible source.

Other evidence: Alleged video and Ray Lewis interview in which he said he used SWATs among other things.

Linkage: IGF-1 is a banned substance. There is no proof that SWATs spray contains that substance other than Ross' word. The evidence shows that the substance cannot be maintained without deep freezing and that Ross doesn’t even manufacture the spray himself.

Drug tests: Ray has been tested multiple times for this substance and others and has never failed a test.

So, at worst, Ray took a sublingual spray for which there is no credible evidence that it contains a banned substance other than the word of a self-promoting former stripper with credibility issues. Worse, there is evidence that it cannot possibly contain that substance.

Why is this a story again?

Thanks again, SI and PFT for pushing a half-assed story without running it to ground. Thanks also for dragging a legend through the mud without having credible evidence. And thanks for ruining Super Bowl week.

[kronusthebonus]

So here is what we have learned:

Witness credibility: Ross is pumping his company and has had veracity/legitimacy problems in the past. Simply put, not a credible source.

Other evidence: Alleged video and Ray Lewis interview in which he said he used SWATs among other things.

Linkage: IGF-1 is a banned substance. There is no proof that SWATs spray contains that substance other than Ross' word. The evidence shows that the substance cannot be maintained without deep freezing and that Ross doesn’t even manufacture the spray himself.

So, at worst, Ray took a sublingual spray for which there is no credible evidence that it contains a banned substance other than the word of a self-promoting former stripper with credibility issues.

Why is this a story again?

Thanks again, SI and PFT for pushing a half-assed story without running it to ground. Thanks also for dragging a legend through the mud without having credible evidence. And thanks for ruining Super Bowl week.

Now only if you could post that to PFT without it getting deleted immediately...

[rpcfball]

So let me get this straight. Ray (as well as dozens of other athletes in several sports) took some gimmicky products with no medical evidence that they have any affect on the human body, and one of the products (the deer antler spray) contains very small traces of IGF-1 that they extract from deer and have no proof that it even works in the human body, and people are trying to accuse ray of cheating? If anything, these athletes are dumb for trying fraudulent goods. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong

[NCRAVEN]

So here is what we have learned:

Witness credibility: Ross is pumping his company and has had veracity/legitimacy problems in the past. Simply put, not a credible source.

Other evidence: Alleged video and Ray Lewis interview in which he said he used SWATs among other things.

Linkage: IGF-1 is a banned substance. There is no proof that SWATs spray contains that substance other than Ross' word. The evidence shows that the substance cannot be maintained without deep freezing and that Ross doesn’t even manufacture the spray himself.

So, at worst, Ray took a sublingual spray for which there is no credible evidence that it contains a banned substance other than the word of a self-promoting former stripper with credibility issues.

Why is this a story again?

Thanks again, SI and PFT for pushing a half-assed story without running it to ground. Thanks also for dragging a legend through the mud without having credible evidence. And thanks for ruining Super Bowl week.

I hope this all goes away now so we can focus on the game.

[RAVENOUS52]

I look for this non-story to further galvanize the Ravens, much as 2001's Ray Ray witch hunt did. Not losing one iota of sleep over it, in fact I'm kinda happy that this will bring our guys that much closer together before the BIG GAME.

[Justlovemybirds]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-networ...es-allegations

Ian Rappaport's Take

[bpmurr]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-networ...es-allegations

Ian Rappaport's Take

Plus, Amber for a treat!

[Hammerhead]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-networ...es-allegations

Ian Rappaport's Take

So SI allowed itself to willingly be used by a huckster to get press on Media Day. [80s clap....clap....clap....clap...] Well done, boys. That's quality journalism right there.

[RavenScallywag]

Ian Rappaport...telling it like it is.

Now to go follow on twitter...

[B-more Ravor]

So SI allowed itself to willingly be used by a huckster to get press on Media Day. [80s clap....clap....clap....clap...] Well done, boys. That's quality journalism right there.

Certainly appears that way, doesn't it.

Ian Rappaport...telling it like it is.

Now to go follow on twitter...

Rappaport, Breer and Darlington are all good follows. A lot of good info and generally pretty solid opinions.

[Tspot-D-Ravenator]

I look for this non-story to further galvanize the Ravens, much as 2001's Ray Ray witch hunt did. Not losing one iota of sleep over it, in fact I'm kinda happy that this will bring our guys that much closer together before the BIG GAME.

THIS!!!

[HoustonRaven]

And no surprise, ESPN is under-reporting the fuck out of this.

I'm stuck in AZ for work and they don't have NFLN in my hotel.

[RavenScallywag]

And no surprise, ESPN is under-reporting the fuck out of this.

I'm stuck in AZ for work and they don't have NFLN in my hotel.

What it boils down to...nothing is going to come from this, really...

1. No chance anything happens before Sunday. According to Rapaport, NFL won't even acknowledge the story. Certainly, to prove guilt, NFL will need to investigate the SHIT out of this, interviews, fact checking, etc. Couldn't be done before Sunday.
2. Since Ray is retiring, what would the NFL do? Post career fine? Maybe. Vacate things from this year? Unless you can prove Ravens were complicit, you can't take anything away from us. And it sounds like Ravens certainly had nothing to do with this
3. It sounds more and more like in order to fail a test for this, they need to know BEFORE or WHEN you take it, so they can quickly capture.
4. There's some debate over whether this even SHOULD be illegal. And in many cases, seems like "snake oil", a product which is supposed to be a miracle cure but in reality, does nothing

Other fans will make a deal out of this, and it will amount to a hill of beans.

[houstonravensfan]

Perfectly timed to cause a distraction and potentially hurt the team.

[RavenScallywag]

Perfectly timed to cause a distraction and potentially hurt the team.

Harbaugh and the gang are smarter than that. This is just a gnat on the back of a lion. The lion swats at it with it's tail...if the gnat goes away, fine. If it doesn't, no matter, it's just a gnat. The lion's eyes are on the wildebeast in front of it.

[Justlovemybirds]

Just wanted to point out that Florio and PFT have yet to post Rappaports report on the story. I don't believe they have any particular vendetta against us, but they are definitley more focused on the negative (sensational-esque) side of any story ala TMZ

[Paintballguy]

Just wanted to point out that Florio and PFT have yet to post Rappaports report on the story. I don't believe they have any particular vendetta against us, but they are definitley more focused on the negative (sensational-esque) side of any story ala TMZ

That's a good analogy. PFT is like the TMZ of football.


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[NCRAVEN]

That's a good analogy. PFT is like the TMZ of football.


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I was leaning more towards the National Enquirer.

[alienrace]

I was leaning more towards the National Enquirer.

That would be ESPN