"I did not take ______" is a reliable denial.
Statement Analysis is in the article, in bold type, following quotes.
Agitated’ Ray Lewis blasts owner of company that has accused Baltimore Ravens star of using deer-antler spray
According to a Sports Illustrated report this week, the Baltimore Ravens linebacker obtained deer-antler extract in spray form that contained IGF-1, which is on the NFL's banned substance list. Lewis denied the accusations on Tuesday before attacking Mitch Ross, the owner of Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS), during his media session on Wednesday.
SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES
Ravens LB Ray Lewis uses Wednesday's Super Bowl media session to blast his accuser.
NEW ORLEANS – An admittedly "agitated" Ray Lewis lashed out at Mitch Ross, the owner of the sports science company, who has accused the Ravens linebacker of taking a banned substance to help recover from a triceps injury earlier this season.
According to a Sports Illustrated report this week, Lewis obtained deer-antler extract in spray form that contained IGF-1, which is on the NFL's banned substance list. Lewis denied the accusations on Tuesday before attacking Ross, the owner of Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS), during his media session on Wednesday.
"That's the trick of the devil," Lewis said. "The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do."
This is not to say, "I did not take the banned substance" but to address the fact that a distraction is ongoing. The distraction from the game could come to an end with a reliable denial.
A reliable denial has three components:
1. The pronoun "I"
2. The past tense verb, "did not" or "didn't"
3. The specific allegation.
If a denial has 2 components or 4 components, it is unreliable. The most common unreliable denial by the guilty is, "i would never..."
Lewis' link to a double murder 13 years ago has moved to the background in the past two days due to the most recent allegations that threaten to stain his image as he prepares for the final game of his career. He announced before the playoffs that he'll be retiring after the season.
"I've never ever took what he says," Lewis said. "It's just sad, once again, that someone can have this much attention on a stage this big. I don't need it. My teammates don't need it. The 49ers don't need it. Nobody needs it because it really shows you how people really plan things to try to attack people from the outside."
No reliable denial issued.
1. "Never" is not a substitute for "did not"
2. "ever" after the word "never" weakens the denial even further.
3. "what he says" is to avoid component number three, allegation specific.
This is a very unreliable denial. For more on the word "never", please see Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones.
Another tactic of a liar is to issue an unreliable denial followed by an attack against the credibility of the accuser. Lance Armstrong was a master of this.
PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP
"It's very foolish," Lewis continued. "The guy has no credibility. He's been sued four or five times over this same B.S. ... Just to entertain it, I can't. I won't. I just truly believe that he doesn't have the privilege for me to speak about it ever again."
Here he says "it's very foolish" but does not say what is very foolish. Perhaps he feels that what he took was foolish, or the allegations are foolish, but he does not say he did not take it.
Next, he attacks the accuser: "the guy has no credibility." What is the purpose of this?
Note "I just truly believe" qualifies "believe" and is indicative of deception. He avoided saying "I didn't take it" and instead now announces that he will not speak about it "ever" again.
There are two things about this:
1. You will likely find him speak about "this" again
2. He is deceptive; does not want to lie outright, but will not issue a reliable denial.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that he spoke to Lewis about the report in the past couple days, but had no reason to believe it.
Does the coach believe his player? Let's see:
"I understand that's something that he has never ever been involved with," Harbaugh said. "I think it's kind of too bad that someone was given the opportunity to get some free publicity out there, undeserved and unearned, really for no reason."
1. He uses "never ever" reflecting back the language of Lewis, rather than speak for himself and say, "he did not use this" and end things.
2. He then attacks the motive of the accuser. This is to be taken in combination without the reliable denial.
"He kind of laughed about it and told me there's nothing to it," Harbaugh added. "He's told us in the past, he's never taken any of that stuff, ever. I believe Ray. I trust Ray completely. I know this man, and I know what he's all about."
1. He "kind of" laughed about it; not "laughed"; this means it is not funny, but the subject is attempting to dismiss it as humorous.
2. "there's nothing to it" is not "he did not use it"
3. Note that the coach does not want to speak for himself and uses the plural pronoun, "us" in regards to Lewis "never taken" anything. This is weak and shows a lack of commitment on the part of the coach.
4. Trusting Ray is sensitive, with "completely" and then:
5. It is weakened even further with having to attest to knowing "this man"
6. It is weakened again by repeating about knowing what he is "all about."
The coach avoids a reliable denial and does not profess strength in his assertion of Ray Lewis.
To the coach, the doubts about Lewis are evident. Trusting Lewis is "sensitive" to the coach.
Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs that the accusations won't serve as a distraction for the Ravens as they prepare for the 49ers for Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday.
"We know it's all feathers in the wind," Suggs said. "It's petty gossip for the simple fact that we saw how hard he worked. He did it at the facility and at no time was he injected with anything.
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