Ray Lewis: No Football = More Crime

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will be entering his 16th NFL season and through it all, he has probably seen and experienced it all. From his football exploits to his challenges off the field, Ray is, as ESPN's Sal Palantonio said in their ESPN interview, "one of the three most influential players in the National Football League," along with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Palantonio asks Ray what he thinks of the current labor issue that is preventing the start of normal operations leading up until the 2011 NFL and and Lewis simplifies it all by saying, "we really need to remove pride." Obviously, he sees egos and greed being the major hurdle in the dispute, and goes on to say that if DeMaurice Smith and the other players want him involved in the negotiations, just ask him to attend and he will.

However, Ray prefers not to get into the specific issues of the dispute but wants to get both sides to understand that if they check their attitudes at the door, it shouldn't be difficult to get a deal done and the season underway now and on time. Great interview by ESPN's Palantonio and Ray Lewis might be the best person in the NFL to listen to, as his responses never get old from this writer's point of view.