Why do the haters love Ray Lewis?

The Ravens linebacker suddenly seems to be the favorite son for feeble-minded fans who crave but one thing from their black athletes: humility. His talent, looks, and charisma may have caused them angst -- may have made them jealous or resentful. But not anymore. The sight of him in that orange prison jumpsuit last winter -- a look of fear on his face -- ended all that. It's okay to cheer for him now.

Never mind that for four years Lewis has been not just a Pro Bowler, but the best linebacker in football. It took 15 days in jail for him to be recognized and revered. Hardship counts for everything in a society that likes to see a man "pay his dues." That is, unless his name is Kennedy, Rockefeller, Hearst, Vanderbilt, Modell or Rooney.

I wonder what sound we'll hear the first time Lewis hits Andre Rison this Sunday. See, at one time last year, Rison was one of America's most-wanted athletes. His rap sheet: sentenced to probation for writing bad checks; pleaded no contest to felony theft for unreturned recording equipment; faced with having his wages garnisheed for $34,000 in missed child-support payments.

I'm not defending this behavior. I'm just saying that despite all his self-inflicted legal problems, we never saw him brought low the way Lewis was. I wonder what a good public humiliation would do for Andre Rison's rep?

I wonder why it's so easy for people to focus on Rison's most recent transgressions and forget one, especially poignant picture of him. In 1996, after his girlfriend torched his house, he sat under a tree and wept. (See? He wept, too.) It was the only time I can remember that Rison allowed anyone to see a vulnerable side. I wonder if he showed more of that fragility -- more of that weakness -- he could avoid being spoken of in that tone people use when discussing Allen Iverson. You know, that he's-a-good-player-but-I-wish-he-would go-through-some-cleansing-experience-so-he'd-be-a-better-person sort of tone.

I wonder: if there was a mandate for all black athletes to do time in jail, or lose someone close to them, would people feel better about them living what Rison calls "a beautiful life"? With such a mandate, fans could be assured that these overnight millionaires have really earned their fortunes.

Then they would cheer.

Alan Grant, a former NFL defensive back, is a writer/reporter for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at alan.grant@espnmag.com.