Athletes saying stupid things on Twitter is nothing new, but Nik Lewis of the CFL's Calgary Stampeders might have set the bar at a new level after a ridiculous tweet on Tuesday evening regarding OJ Simpson. The tweet has since been deleted, but it lives on in retweet form.
What a joke! RT @nikel18 I just bought OJ’s gloves on eBay. Now all I need is a white girl named Nicole. #MaybeALittleToFar
— Amrit B (@iAmritB) November 14, 2012
Why would you even say something like this? Lewis is 30, so it's not as if he's a kid in his early 20s who doesn't know any better. He grew up in Texas and went to college at Southern Arkansas University, so it's not as if he's a native Canadian who doesn't realize the gravity of the Simpson trial in America. Lewis was already in hot water with the Stampeders coaching staff and front office after providing bulletin board fodder for the BC Lions over the weekend, who the Stampeders will face in the CFL West final this weekend.
Lewis didn't apologize for the tweet, and wasn't suspended by the league or team, but was fined and the entire team was prohibited from tweeting until the season was over, which is an extraordinary step for a professional team..
Lewis is an outspoken, controversial player for Calgary, but this is too much. Your team has a very real chance at winning the Grey Cup, and your next game is against the defending champions. His post-game comments this weekend were one stupid move, and his ill-advised tweet has created a firestorm around him and the team that will overshadow the Stamps heading into their game this weekend. What's more, he didn't even apologize when given the chance.
Keep in mind, Lewis isn't exactly a bench player for the Calgary team. He's been a CFL All-Star in the last two seasons, and leads the team this season with 1241 receiving yards (fourth in the league) and is second on the squad with ten touchdowns. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the CFL's version of Chad Johnson.
