Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice: A Regular Guy

Dec 16, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

In an interview with the brand new Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak he was quoted on Ray Rice saying, “As he goes, we’ll go.”  Then we find out Ray Rice was arrested (along with his fiancée) for simple assault.  Oh boy.  Not a good start.  I can’t imagine what sort of “public image” nightmare that will unfold here.  I understand that emotions can fly high…and its not fair to say,” its not a good start” when this happened off the field and frankly is a private thing between Ray and his fiancée.  We don’t really need to or want to know what happened…but now there’s an arrest.  It became public.  When a potential husband hits his potential wife…and he happens to be an NFL superstar…that’s not good.  We don’t want that guy.  We want the guy who has been helping inner city kids reach their potential to escape violence and poverty.  Not exchange blows with their wife.  We want the guy who appeared on Characters Unite to share his story on overcoming bullying and hate…not dishing it out.  We want the hero. Well at least I do.  The big media might use this in another way.  But you know what?  I’m not big media.  I know that’s a shocker but I’m going to take a different approach.  Since I’m not paid to do this…I can say my own thoughts (as long as the editor says its ok :))

You can tell a person’s character by who they are most of the time.  Everybody has made mistakes.  Anyone who is trying to change the negative behaviors of who they were is going to “fall off the wagon” as the great organization AA termed it.  Ray came from a challenging childhood, losing his father to violence and experiencing bullying on various levels.  That kind of past doesn’t just get swept under the covers, because your toes will stick out.

I don’t really know how much this “bullying” concept is being over-blown.  I’m not saying it’s good for you or that it should happen.  I got bullied numerous times as a kid.  I didn’t like it…but it was something that made me stronger.  I began to realize that I didn’t need their acceptance and if I resisted their attempts to bully me they stopped and frankly they were cowards hiding behind their very own fears with a façade of toughness.  It wasn’t hard to see.  I’m not that smart or insightful.  I felt sorry for them.  I even became friends with a few whose tough exterior melted in the face of forgiveness and friendship.

Ray, if you actually read this you might need a hobby.  But I want to tell you something.  DON’T GIVE UP!  You can and probably are changing.  You showed weakness this year when things weren’t going your way.  In short you let bullying on and off the field get to you a bit this year.  Tempers flared.  You made mistakes.  But your character will show through if you admit your mistakes, grant and ask for forgiveness, and keep working hard.

I’ll close with a quote here from Jesus of Nazareth, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much.  But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”