"Ray Lewis denies using antler spray"

From ESPN.com

Review by Eric Brent in SRM 334 (section 3)

In ESPN’s article “Ray Lewis denies using antler spray,” the author discusses accusations made against Ray Lewis regarding his use of deer antler spray to help repair his tricep injury. The deer antler spray contains the substance IGF-1 which is banned by the NFL. Mitch Ross, the co-owner of Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS), has openly said that Lewis has used every product the company produces. Lewis denied the reports immediately when they were brought to surface, but the Ravens organization wanted Lewis to issue a stronger denial on Super Bowl media day. Dr. Salvatori, from John Hopkins University, told Baltimore Sun SWAT’s claims can simply not be true. He goes on to explain there is simply no scientific way that the substance IGF-1 can be taken orally, so it is not possible to come from a spray.

In the mist of Super Bowl week, I feel that Mitch Ross made these statements only to gain attention to not only him but the SWAT company as a whole. Ross knew this would be the most opportune time because not only was it Super Bowl week, but the spotlight was also on Ray Lewis due to his retirement announcement earlier in the season. Ray Lewis reacted to the allegations like a true professional, which allowed for him to focus on the real reason he was in New Orleans. The story could have easily become a distraction to the organization, but because Lewis was not selfish and instead thought about the betterment of the team.

The article relates to this course due to the fact of how the media took these accusations knowing it would gain a lot of attention. The timing of the accusations caused the media to go into a frenzy because the story would get extra media attention because of the Super Bowl. The announcement of Lewis’s retirement also played a role on how quickly reporters wanted to get the story out given the circumstances.
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Review by Jack Dennehy in SRM (section 3)

The article that we chose to use was “Ray Lewis Denies Using Antler Spray.” We chose this because it is very relevant for our class. Not only is it a current event, it is a very important current event due to the timing of the release and also Ray is one of the best football players in history. The article discusses how a magazine article accused him of using a banned substance for him to have a faster recovery from his torn triceps injury that happened in week seven of the season. Ray ended up missing the last ten games of the regular season. The spray was to enter the body via the mouth. The organization that is credited for making the spray product is SWATS(Sports with Alternatives to Steroids) His response to the articles release was not as serious as people would have thought. He said he was not angry but he was “agitated.” So when he addressed the press he was almost laughing over the matter saying it was ridiculous and uncalled for. He even went to say that “this guy has no credibility.” Coach Harbaugh was very confident in Ray and him telling the truth. Coach Harbaugh is one of the most highly respected coaches in the league. The article did mention that the Owner of the Ravens was not thrilled with the way Ray addressed the issue. He wanted him to be more assertive and aggressive towards the subject. The article talks about something very interesting, A professor at Johns Hopkins University claims that it is impossible for the spray to be affective orally. So once this is thrown out in the public it makes the claims irrelevant. This article is relevant to the course because it is a controversial subject that was entered into the press without much thought. We talk about subjects exactly like this one in class. The time at which it was released, a week before the biggest game of the year, the super bowl, and also it being the last game of Ray Lewis’s career draws a lot of attention. When you accuse someone of cheating or using performance enhancing substances, it can potentially ruin their entire career. It is a very sensitive subject to throw out there when you are not one hundred percent whether it is certain.