Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Lewis: “Take Away Our Game” And “Watch How Much Crime Picks Up”

Posted by | May 23, 2011 15:03 | Filed under: Top Stories


by Stuart Shapiro

The upcoming National Football League season is in danger because of a labor dispute between the owners and the players.  Famed social scientist (not!) and linebacker Ray Lewis puts forward an interesting argument for ending the lockout.

…if the NFL lockout results in a lost season, crime rates will increase. “Watch how much crime picks up if you take away our game,” Lewis told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio. Pressed to explain why, Lewis replied, “There’s nothing else to do Sal.”

Matthew Phillips points out that we may have more to worry about from the idle players than their idle fans.

The NFL lockout does seem to be leading to an increase in criminal behavior among one demographic: NFL players. According to the Grio.com’s John Mitchell, arrests among NFL players have spiked during the lockout this spring.

I’m not a big football fan (baseball and basketball are my thing) but after reading this, I hope they reach an agreement, for all of our sakes!

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Copyright 2011 Liberaland
By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.

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