Raven Morals and Standards

[5aiah]

We are all(Players,Coaches,Fans,Managment,Baltimore) coming under fire for being,coaching,drafting,and cheering for thugs and unsavory types. If you check out the discussions spawning from this terrible ordeal you might notice that people are quick to go after us and speak on how "the Ravens are thugs" "the coaches have no sense of right or wrong" "the fans are insane" "the team/fans are just as awful as the city" "they'll take anyone off the street". I know most of us either feed off of or complain(I usually make fun of these people) about the perceived disrespect in other situations but this is one area where people actually have somewhat of a point and is the main criticism of the Ravens as a whole.

 

We are definitely one of the few teams that still take big risks(the Pats knew Hernandez never shook his gang friends in college, before they drafted him) while apparently teams like the Rams will still go after red flags but only ones who they have deemed trainable(Janoris Jenkins) after careful research. People are now wondering whether this will continue to go on and should it?

 

Some of the greatest Ravens have run into big trouble but the team,the organization and the fans stood with them while they began to redeem themselves. Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs were great personalities as well as players and even had fans who don't care for exalted golden boys like Brady or Manning.

 

Do you think it's worth it to take chances on these guys? Is it time to "clean up our act"? Should we not cheer or support those players that don't fit our moral standards even if we love what they do on the field? Is there anything else that can be done to keep an eye on these guys? Should they be babysat? How many Ravens will cross the line before Ozzie and co. stop taking these types of risks? Is this strategy just our "thing"? Do you like the fact that we do this and how would it affect how you felt about our team building if we didn't? Do we have a moral and societal responsibility to leave these guys alone so as to not enable them? Do we have to answer to outsiders?

 

Just a few questions and thoughts.....

[redrum52]

I don't watch football for morals personally.  Field the best team.  Sorry, but as long as the player is there on gameday, I could really care less about what they do off the field.  I realize that these athletes are people too. They aren't some type of idol to admire for their "honorable ways", but their football ability and I leave it at that.

[T3hRaven]

This fanbase applauded a woman abuser. We have no legs to stand on and deserve the hate coming our way. The sick way this topic has been discussed here and elsewhere has been appalling from the beginning.

[hawkprey]

This fanbase applauded a woman abuser. We have no legs to stand on and deserve the hate coming our way. The sick way this topic has been discussed here and elsewhere has been appalling from the beginning.

Yes, no one should ever be shown support. Especially if they admit they did something wrong and sincerely tried to make up for it.

[BSHU_Miami]

Screw this entire story, can't anyone see that this is just gossip? We are a football team and we have a game tomorrow....Ray a

And janay moved on months ago. We moved on from the sin in July and we moved in from the sinners yesterday....LET. IT. GO.

[flynismo]

Yes, no one should ever be shown support. Especially if they admit they did something wrong and sincerely tried to make up for it.

Stop being a blind homer

 

..err...sarcasm, fyi.

[5aiah]

This isn't really about Ray Rice and his troubles. It's about serious conversation about us bringing in guys who were risks before they got here and our reputation as a team that will look to field the best team regardless of an moral complications. Rice was a model guy by all accounts before he got here and he was coming off of a down year when he was cut, he factors into the conversation but isn't a big part of it. Leave the Rice stuff for the other thread.

[IH EART DA RAVENS]

Yes, no one should ever be shown support. Especially if they admit they did something wrong and sincerely tried to make up for it.

Yes, no one who ever knocked a woman out cold - particularly one in a relationship with him - should ever be shown support. Even if they say they're sorry. Take the sarcasm out and you've got a good point there.

[beanfigger]

I don't watch football for morals personally. Field the best team. Sorry, but as long as the player is there on gameday, I could really care less about what they do off the field. I realize that these athletes are people too. They aren't some type of idol to admire for their "honorable ways", but their football ability and I leave it at that.

I'm with this guy^. I'd rather stay away from risks only so far as to avoid players who will likely miss games constantly due to suspensions. I don't think we're so different than any other team out there, to be honest. If all things else are equal, teams will look to play the best players on Sundays. Dez Bryant has a personal chaperone at all times, for goodness sake. That's to keep him on the field for game days first and foremost; looking out for his own personal well being is secondary.

I'm this way for all sports. I have a very high personal standard for how to treat women and maintain relationships, but Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods and Allen Iverson are still a few of my favorite athletes.

[flynismo]

Yes, no one who ever knocked a woman out cold - particularly one in a relationship with him - should ever be shown support. Even if they say they're sorry. Take the sarcasm out and you've got a good point there.

So if one of your kids were to do this, you'd turn your back on them? Nice

[berad]

This fanbase applauded a woman abuser. We have no legs to stand on and deserve the hate coming our way. The sick way this topic has been discussed here and elsewhere has been appalling from the beginning.

There's more of them out there than just Ray Rice.

[Inqui]

This isn't really about Ray Rice and his troubles. It's about serious conversation about us bringing in guys who were risks before they got here and our reputation as a team that will look to field the best team regardless of an moral complications. Rice was a model guy by all accounts before he got here and he was coming off of a down year when he was cut, he factors into the conversation but isn't a big part of it. Leave the Rice stuff for the other thread.

First, take the Rice incident. How was Ozzie and co supposed to see the character risk? He'd been a great bloke until the incident. If you saw it coming, let me know who's next so I can vulture their backup on fantasy.

 

Second, with that incident removed as unforeseeable, who else was brought in that was risky or has been a terrible person? One bad incident doesn't make a systemic problem.

[beanfigger]

So if one of your kids were to do this, you'd turn your back on them? Nice

I think that's a little ridiculous. He's not our kid. Most of the posters on this forum are younger than him. He doesn't look to us to care for him and protect him. What if our kid was the one being beaten unconscious by a person with four times their strength? Does that change how you would think about it?

For the record, I am not that upset with the support he was shown. I just think your analogy is out of line.

[Alaska Alaska!]

This fanbase applauded a woman abuser. We have no legs to stand on and deserve the hate coming our way. The sick way this topic has been discussed here and elsewhere has been appalling from the beginning.

I wasn't at the stadium during the applause;however, I was hoping that the fans would show RR some form of support.  The whole world was already destroying him.  The only people he had left were those a part of Ravensnation.  Having support is important when we're talking about the rehabilitation of a person's character.  

[1/28/01]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Can we just talk about FOOTBALL?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!?

[flynismo]

I think that's a little ridiculous. He's not our kid. Most of the posters on this forum are younger than him. He doesn't look to us to care for him and protect him. What if our kid was the one being beaten unconscious by a person with four times their strength? Does that change how you would think about it?

He said NOBODY should be shown support. My question stands as asked. And if he responds that he would still support his child in some way, then why does Rice not deserve the same, regardless of who's belly he came out of? Are you telling me that I should only show empathy and compassion for my children, but nobody else? I certainly hope not.

 

Also, to answer your question if my kid were the victim here, I don't know how I would react to that. I have never been in that position. But I am a realistic and forgiving person, so I would likely evaluate the situation, all of it, before making any decisions. If I were Janay's dad, I likely would have forgiven Ray as well.

[SomeCreepinaVan]

This is just more ray rice crap. Teams don't go out of their way to pick gang members. No team should be judged by their players actions unless the player is a gang member and the team knew it. The Patriots shouldnt be and neither should we. Almost every team has had a wife/gf beater on their team.

 

 

Why doesn't the fetus abuser get banned from the NFL?

[flynismo]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Can we just talk about FOOTBALL?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!?

You are dying over there, lol!

 

I have some pics of my Z that I'll be putting up soon in the car thread...I think I need to escape this madness too

[Alaska Alaska!]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Can we just talk about FOOTBALL?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!?

It's hard to do that when everywhere you turn (whether it's the TV, radio, etc) is talking so badly about our team.  YES, the FO made some mistakes, but I don't appreciate how the media (and a lot of the public) are making the FO out to be some sort of scheming, evil pigs.  Our FO is comprised of GOOD people with GOOD intentions. 

[1/28/01]

You are dying over there, lol!

I have some pics of my Z that I'll be putting up soon in the car thread...I think I need to escape this madness too

I may go buy another car tonight just to post new pics of it and hang in the car thread as well. Ugh!

[redrum52]

It's hard to do that when everywhere you turn (whether it's the TV, radio, etc) is talking so badly about our team.  YES, the FO made some mistakes, but I don't appreciate how the media (and a lot of the public) are making the FO out to be some sort of scheming, evil pigs.  Our FO is comprised of GOOD people with GOOD intentions. 

Stop watching TV.  Easiest way to avoid it.  I only watch sports networks for games now and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of seeing it on this site as well.

[1/28/01]

Stop watching TV. Easiest way to avoid it. I only watch sports networks for games now and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of seeing it on this site as well.

The ONLY updates I have seen have been from being on here. I dont generally watch much TV, minus Curious George, Mickey Mouse, Paw Patrol etc. And those channels have generally left this storyline alone, ha!

[Inqui]

This fanbase applauded a woman abuser. We have no legs to stand on and deserve the hate coming our way. The sick way this topic has been discussed here and elsewhere has been appalling from the beginning.

With all that said, I agree with this. The applause and some of the comments being thrown around were a bit disconcerting. The situation will die down (and like I say, I don't think there's anything particularly bad about the Ravens compared to any other franchise), but it was handled terribly by everyone from the get-go and, as much as I hate to say it, we deserve to weather the hate for the time being.

[Rav'n Maniac]

We are all(Players,Coaches,Fans,Managment,Baltimore) coming under fire for being,coaching,drafting,and cheering for thugs and unsavory types. If you check out the discussions spawning from this terrible ordeal you might notice that people are quick to go after us and speak on how "the Ravens are thugs" "the coaches have no sense of right or wrong" "the fans are insane" "the team/fans are just as awful as the city" "they'll take anyone off the street". I know most of us either feed off of or complain(I usually make fun of these people) about the perceived disrespect in other situations but this is one area where people actually have somewhat of a point and is the main criticism of the Ravens as a whole.

 

We are definitely one of the few teams that still take big risks(the Pats knew Hernandez never shook his gang friends in college, before they drafted him) while apparently teams like the Rams will still go after red flags but only ones who they have deemed trainable(Janoris Jenkins) after careful research. People are now wondering whether this will continue to go on and should it?

 

Some of the greatest Ravens have run into big trouble but the team,the organization and the fans stood with them while they began to redeem themselves. Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs were great personalities as well as players and even had fans who don't care for exalted golden boys like Brady or Manning.

 

Do you think it's worth it to take chances on these guys? Is it time to "clean up our act"? Should we not cheer or support those players that don't fit our moral standards even if we love what they do on the field? Is there anything else that can be done to keep an eye on these guys? Should they be babysat? How many Ravens will cross the line before Ozzie and co. stop taking these types of risks? Is this strategy just our "thing"? Do you like the fact that we do this and how would it affect how you felt about our team building if we didn't? Do we have a moral and societal responsibility to leave these guys alone so as to not enable them? Do we have to answer to outsiders?

 

Just a few questions and thoughts.....

We are talking about football here. We sign people to do one thing, play football. Everybody deserves a second chance. Nobody, including us will have a team full of SAINTS. They are all under contract already.

[MTRavensFan]

I honestly think we do have a policy of trying to bring in guys of high moral fiber who are committed to public service in the community. I think that Harbs' and Ozzie's  emphasis on character has been evidenced by the last few off-seasons, and is not just lip-service.

 

No way any of the current mess could have been foreseen or prevented.

[Inqui]

We are talking about football here. We sign people to do one thing, play football. Nobody, including us will have a team full of SAINTS. They are all under contract already.

I can name one team that's full of Saints. We're playing them this year.

[Rav'n Maniac]

I can name one team that's full of Saints. We're playing them this year.

lol  But even they are under contract.

[5aiah]

First, take the Rice incident. How was Ozzie and co supposed to see the character risk? He'd been a great bloke until the incident. If you saw it coming, let me know who's next so I can vulture their backup on fantasy.

 

Second, with that incident removed as unforeseeable, who else was brought in that was risky or has been a terrible person? One bad incident doesn't make a systemic problem.

That's my point, and why I asked for him to be left out of the conversation in regards to who we bring in. Also he likely lied to the Ravens to get their full support so leave him off the "standby by and support criminal" list as well. The debate is over the Ravens tendency to either bring in troubled players or stand by their own who have gotten in trouble and/or have character problems and the fans and how we cheer for them.

[hawkprey]

Yes, no one who ever knocked a woman out cold - particularly one in a relationship with him - should ever be shown support. Even if they say they're sorry. Take the sarcasm out and you've got a good point there.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I think that in a case of domestic violence, a response of sympathy and understanding sets a better example than one of dismissal and anger. One of those might be misconstrued as "violent".

[Bruce_Almty]

Every sports team and every city has problems similar to the Ravens problems. Women in sports aren't always angels either. Weather the storm, try to remedy the problem, move on, get over it.