NFL to Drug Traffickers: WELCOME! You too, can be an All-Pro.

[MavKikiNYC]

Two years? I'd sit his drug-sellin' ass down for a MINIMUM of two years before he could apply for re-instatement.

NFL has a growing image problem.


Ravens' Lewis Suspended for Two Games
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 9, 2004

Filed at 3:58 a.m. ET

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -- Jamal Lewis will serve prison time, miss two games, and pay a princely sum for attempting to set up a drug deal four years ago.

Yet, now that he has learned his punishment, the Baltimore Ravens star running back believes the worst part of the ordeal is over.

Lewis was suspended for two games without pay by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, one day after pleading guilty to using a cell phone to facilitate a drug buy in the summer of 2000.

He also was fined two weeks' salary, $380,500, in the decision issued Friday by NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. That means Lewis will lose a total of $761,000.

But the record-setting running back expressed hope that he's well on his way to putting his problems behind him.

``It's a load off my shoulders. Now I can continue on,'' Lewis said. ``I don't have to worry about that anymore, and I can just get on with my life and play football.''

Lewis knew an NFL suspension would follow his guilty plea in Atlanta on Thursday, and he was prepared to accept his punishment.

``It's over. Something happened, I have to suffer the consequences, and that's what I'm doing,'' he said. ``The big picture is done with. I'm happy that everything is over with. So, I move on and do what I have to do on the football field.''

Lewis has five days to appeal the decision, but will decline to do so, the Ravens said. He plans to play Sunday night at Washington.

Baltimore is off the following weekend, and Lewis will miss the Ravens' home game Oct. 24 against Buffalo and their game Oct. 31 in Philadelphia.

``As long as my career is all right, I'm all right,'' he said. ``I'll be here next season and this season, so it's over with.''

Tagliabue sent a terse message in doling out the punishment.

``You have needlessly sullied your own reputation and reinforced unfair and negative public perceptions of NFL players generally,'' Tagliabue said. ``The long-term damage to your own reputation may well be even greater.''

A drug-related legal violation is grounds for league discipline under the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Under an agreement with prosecutors, Lewis will not miss any playing time while serving his sentence of four months in federal prison and two months in a halfway house. The sentence will start after the regular season ends in January and conclude before the 2005 season begins in September.

Lewis missed practice Thursday while in Atlanta and rejoined the team Friday.

A year ago, Lewis ran for 2,066 yards -- the second-highest single-season total in NFL history -- and set a league mark with his 295-yard rushing performance against Cleveland. His off-field problems will put an indelible stamp on his effort to come up with a suitable encore.

Lewis will be pressed to defend his NFL rushing title, and his absence could end up costing the Ravens a chance to repeat as AFC North champions and return to the playoffs. But Lewis risked receiving a minimum 10-year prison sentence if he went ahead with his court case in Atlanta and was convicted.

``The fact that we don't have to deal with this any further is a good thing,'' coach Brian Billick said.

``Even though he has dealt with this very well, I can't help but imagine that it's a bit of a relief. It allows him to free his mind up totally now because there is definition. That's got to be a positive thing, rather than the what ifs, when will it happen, what could happen; that definition should allow him to be relaxed and do his job.''

Backups Chester Taylor and Musa Smith will replace Lewis in the Baltimore backfield during his suspension.

``We can't lose any productivity,'' Smith said. ``Me and Chester are ready, and we're going to hold it down while he's out.''