Ben Scrambles, Slips Public Scorn ~ It’s an image none of us will forget. Our star player standing before the court in shackles and an orange jumpsuit, surrounded by lawyers, facing charges of murder.
Nearly a decade later the Steelers’ star player is standing before the media in an expensive brown-pinstripe suit, surrounded by PR consultants, answering charges of rape.
To this day unforgiving fans from all four corners of the NFL are quick to label Ray Lewis “murderer,” despite the final court record and despite the questionable pasts of the young men who confronted Ray that night.
Already NFL fans are siding with Ben Roethlisberger, pointing to the questionable past of the young woman who encountered Ben on his night in question.
Ray Lewis lied to police. Despite his innocence, he was to blame for putting himself on the defensive. Ben quickly went on the offensive in a way that has been effective for other accused athletes not named Raphael Palmeiro or Roger Clemens.
It does make Mojo wonder, would Atlanta police and prosecutors have treated Ray differently if he had simply told the full truth that night as he stood outside his bullet-riddled limo? Would Ray have been permitted to call a press conference the next afternoon, and go on the offensive? Would echoes of “murderer” still ring in his ears?
Or, do other factors weigh in Ben’s favor?
Perhaps the difference is simply, as fans, we have a gooey spot in our hearts for fat quarterbacks.
You don’t last 16 seasons as an NFL head coach in the same city unless you are pretty good. Jeff Fisher IS pretty good BUT since his 2×4 comments during the 2000 season and given his apparent disdain for the purple and black, the Mojo Man can’t get down with this dude who once used his goatee as a storage bin for frozen snot. Maybe he should have found a storage bin for that fake punt in the Hall of Fame Game Sunday against the Bills.
Earth to Vince Young…Earth to Vince Young…In case you missed it, the Titans’ backup quarterback certainly doesn’t lack confidence. Here’s what he shared recently with Esquire magazine.
"I don’t know when I’ll start again. But I will be the next black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. And I will be in the Hall of Fame."
He was referring to his fantasy football league, right?
IN THE MEDIA ~ Props go out to 105.7 The Fan and Bruce Cunningham for corralling the talents of the Sun’s Mike Preston. At least now when we tune in on Mondays and Fridays we’ll know that someone in that studio can actually provide some Ravens insight instead of that tired once-upon-a-time story telling, YUCK-YUCK-YUCK…Mr. M.R. checked out TL’s camp notes earlier this week here on 24×7 and read that Anita Marks was out at McDaniel College catching passes from the team’s pitching machine. Now I have to ask, if she wasn’t a woman, would the Ravens have even allowed that to happen? Would they let Mike Preston tee off against the blocking sleds or Damon Yaffe help Cam Cameron design plays? That aside, the funniest thing about TL’s report on Marks is that she actually had a football helmet in the trunk of her car. How many women do you know that can say that?
TALKING BASEBALL…BASEBALL AND THE O’S ~ It’s August, a month known for its dog days, annual sweltering temps and high humidity and the swan dive of the Baltimore Orioles. Losing is just a way of life if you are an Oriole after the All-Star break and the players seem to willingly accept it and go through the motions – even the veterans that the club counts on to lead the way.
The other night against the A’s at OPACY Brian Roberts took off from second base on an infield popup in front of home plate thinking that there were two outs. There was only one out. Let’s hope the lack of focus doesn’t infect the young and impressionable players now on the club’s major league roster.
Speaking of those young players, count Mr. Mojo among those still waiting to be wowed by Matt Weiters, Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz. Weiters doesn’t attack the baseball and appears to feel his way through the strike zone. Tillman isn’t a power pitcher yet can’t seem to keep the ball down and Matusz reminds me a bit of Scott McGregor. Not that that’s a bad thing but if he ever lacks pinpoint control at Camden Yards, that park will not be able to hold down the onslaught of long fly balls. (See Chris Tillman)
By the way, whenever MASN introduces Jim Hunter, they should play the song, The Good Ship Lollipop.
Last week The Sun’s Jamison Hensley wrote that T Michael Oher was the fifth rated prospect on the Ravens draft board. No he was NOT!
And finally, why is it that we enable a justice system that allows a man who commits vehicular manslaughter (Donte Stallworth) to serve less than a month of jail time yet the city of New York wants to put away another man (Plaxico Burress) for 2 years who shoots himself in the leg?
