Ray Lewis Glad Goodell Wasn't Commish When He Stabbed Those Two Guys

Respected citizen and self-proclaimed "God's linebacker" Ray Lewis is as excited as he's ever been to get this football season underway. That's because the Baltimore Ravens standout understands that, had Commissioner Roger Goodell been in office when he allegedly stabbed those two guys in Atlanta a couple years ago, he probably wouldn't be the high profile, celebrated superstar he is now.

"Man, I really lucked out- just goes to show you that timing is everything, although I guess the timing was pretty bad for those other guys," Lewis says. "Look, Goodell just doesn't understand me the way (former NFL commissioner Paul) Tagliabue did. Tags fined me a league record $250,000 for what was an honest misunderstanding. At the time I thought that was excessive, but nowadays I'd have probably got eight games without pay, or roughly four games per guy shanked. I've got kids to feed."

Lewis, one of the most feared linebackers in the NFL, says he preferred Tagliabue's "if it feels good do it" NFL to today's Goodell dictatorship. According to Lewis, many players are confused about what they can and cannot do with their free time.

"Were really sending our players mixed messages," Lewis says. "First, players are told we can't kill people. Fine, so we stop doing that, take more responsibility and move on. But then they say we can't kill dogs or attempt to kill strippers or strip club bouncers. Well what can we kill? Is it ok if I leave the house? I mean, just leaving the house I could step on a bug or, I don't know, decapitate a baby. Of course, as a God fearing man of God I no longer take part in such activities, but you can understand how those things can just happen."

Either way, Lewis says he expects to have his most productive season to date. "I'm healthy and I'm a free man, that's the key," he says. "If I was in prison I probably still would've been in good shape, mentally because of all the time spent stewing in my cell and physically thanks to a regimen of fighting off potential shower rapists and all the weight lifting. But I wouldn't be playing football because I doubt I would've gotten a work release permit, ya know, because of all the stabbing."