Ray Lewis is retiring

Nevermore said:

Spoken by a person who knows nothing about him and what he means to the city and fans of Baltimore.

The intro is the same every time he comes on the field and it is by far one of the best fan experiences you could have ever seen. The place goes nuts the second he steps on the field. If you never saw it in person, you will never get it.

As for the ending, also about the fans. As a fan that was there, in the last 4 minutes of the game the entire place was chanting his name and "thank you ray". He is an icon like Brady. His presence and dance on the field for the last play was picture perfect and exactly how every fan in Baltimore would have scripted it. FYI he was taking his pads off when Harbaugh came over and offered for him to go in on the last play. Then his teammates dared him to do the dance afterwards.

I don't expect you all to understand. He is a Baltimore icon and a legend of the Ravens.

Here's hoping we meet you in the Afccg and pickup the gift we left you last year.

Go ravens

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You left us nothing that we shouldn't already have taken at least a half-quarter earlier.

How about the gift TD the blind zebra gave you when Torrey Smith pulled McCourty by the facemask
the last 5 yards into the EZ, during which he had clearly stepped OOB, no doubt off-balance due to
the heavy load he was dragging behind him?

Or how about the 8 points our offense left on the field at the end of the 1st half & at the beginning
of the 2nd half, when our OC choked on his playbook, or the dumb-ass INT Brady threw to a
double-covered marginal talent Matt Slater?

Or how about the gift 3 points Danny Woodhead gave you by fumbling during a KO return,
when he was barely touched?

Face it genius, that game should not have ever come down to that final drive, because you should
already have been down by double digits.
In fact, you should consider yourselves lucky to be in the POs at all this year. But now that
you survived one game, let's see how tough your phony bullies RayRay, Suggs & Pollard really are.
Not much, I reckon.

Nevermore said:

Partly since Lee Evans is apparently the weakest damn receiver. Tell me Welker gets that punched out. Doubt it.

But mostly Cundiff missing an extra point of a FG to send it to overtime.

The scoreboard is all that matters of course, and you went to the SB instead of us.



As for Reggie Wayne..... haters gonna hate. Don't really care what he had to say. At the end of the day, those guys are all entertainers and playing for the enjoyment of the fans. And what Ray did was 100% for the fans in that stadium who were cheering and chanting his name.

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I hated the dance at the end, not because I thought it was disrespect but because I think the dance looks stupid

Sivy said:

I hated the dance at the end, not because I thought it was disrespect but because I think the dance looks stupid

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NFLN had a "special" video of his pre-game gig complete with sound. Something about the way he screams, or whatever, reminded me of Howard Dean.

Tunescribe said:

I take a dim view of individual self-aggrandizement in team sports. You can have your excitement and entertainment over Ray's 'hood jive dance. The Patriots have no "Hey look at me!" types and I like it that way.

By the way, I'm also curious how you rationalized Ray's still VERY shady connection with the double murder. He just seems dirty as hell. How can you love the guy with these questions hanging over him:

Why, when Lewis made an appearance at a sporting goods store the day before the Super Bowl, did his friends buy knives at the store?

Why did witnesses say the limo pulled over and someone dumped bloody clothes into a trash bin?

Why was the white suit Ray Lewis wore that night never found?

Why did the limo driver change his story mid-trial after originally testifying that Lewis told everyone to "just keep your mouth shut and don't say nothing"? Originally, the driver told police he saw Lewis actively taking part in the bloody brawl and heard Oakley and Sweeting admit to stabbing someone. But he backed off those statements when he got on the witness stand.

Why did prosecutors reduce the murder charge against Lewis to misdemeanor obstruction of justice? It was a plea deal in which Lewis agreed to testify against his two friends, Oakley and Sweeting, who were later acquitted after Lewis' testimony failed to implicate them in the murders.

This stinks to high heaven. Anyone saying otherwise simply is in denial.

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Did Ray get himself in a really bad situation in Atlanta, yes. Was it a shady night? yes. Do I personally think that Ray killed those two guys, no.

My opinion, and that is all anyone has since no one really knows what happened that night outside the few people there, is that Ray's group of friends, shady friends, reacted to a group of guys that came up on them outside the club. Ray's group was leaving, these dudes came out talking trash again, Ray's group got back out of the limo to confront them. A bottle was smashed on one of Ray's friends head and then the chaos erupted. In the fight, I do believe Sweeting and Oakley killed the other two guys and I believe Ray was in the mix, but not the killer.

As for the limo ride, I think Ray was young and stupid at the time, saw his very lucrative future slipping away, and reacted as many in life I think would react in a panic situation. Holy crap, what just happened. Everyone keep your mouth shut and let's try to get as far away from this as possible. Where is the suit, I don't know.

Bottom line, we will never agree on this but I personally think he ran with a very bad crowd, got himself in an awful situation and ultimately was punished for what I believe he was actually guilty of. I do not think he had a knife in his hands or did he kill those two guys. His "friends" did, yes. But not him.

Since then, he has been an unbelievable person and 100% redemption story in my book. His charity work throughout the Baltimore community is immense and the personal impacts he makes on peoples' lives is significant. From cancer patients to wounded veterans to disabled children.

As for the fans, he is one of the most entertaining and dominant players to ever play the game. Watching him on the sideline, on the field, and even coming out of the tunnel is completely awesome.

So how do I deal with it. I honestly believe that he was convicted for the crime he committed. I think he has drastically changed his ways since then and has become a man of character and compassion that makes a very positive impact on the community. Everyone will have their opinions, and I don't expect that yours will ever change and neither will mine. So we can agree to disagree.

captain stone said:

You left us nothing that we shouldn't already have taken at least a half-quarter earlier.

How about the gift TD the blind zebra gave you when Torrey Smith pulled McCourty by the facemask
the last 5 yards into the EZ, during which he had clearly stepped OOB, no doubt off-balance due to
the heavy load he was dragging behind him?

Or how about the 8 points our offense left on the field at the end of the 1st half & at the beginning
of the 2nd half, when our OC choked on his playbook, or the dumb-ass INT Brady threw to a
double-covered marginal talent Matt Slater?

Or how about the gift 3 points Danny Woodhead gave you by fumbling during a KO return,
when he was barely touched?

Face it genius, that game should not have ever come down to that final drive, because you should
already have been down by double digits.
In fact, you should consider yourselves lucky to be in the POs at all this year. But now that
you survived one game, let's see how tough your phony bullies RayRay, Suggs & Pollard really are.
Not much, I reckon.

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Good analysis. Can I get the same thing on your last two super bowl appearances? I would like to read those issues too.

We lost, I get it. But you know in your heart of hearts you guys got very lucky that Evans dropped that ball. Yes the CB made a play, but Evans gave up on completing that reception.

Then you get another gift with Cundiff.

You won, that is true. But to tell me that every Pats fan in that stadium wasn't completely dejected 25 seconds earlier knowing their team was on life support is complete denial. I was there. I saw the fans in person.

Tunescribe said:

I take a dim view of individual self-aggrandizement in team sports. You can have your excitement and entertainment over Ray's 'hood jive dance. The Patriots have no "Hey look at me!" types and I like it that way.

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So I'm guessing you hate Gronk's spikes, his marching British soldier dance?

please..... Gillette would react the same way Baltimore does if you had anything like Ray's dance.

Nevermore said:

Good analysis. Can I get the same thing on your last two super bowl appearances? I would like to read those issues too.

We lost, I get it. But you know in your heart of hearts you guys got very lucky that Evans dropped that ball. Yes the CB made a play, but Evans gave up on completing that reception.

Then you get another gift with Cundiff.

You won, that is true. But to tell me that every Pats fan in that stadium wasn't completely dejected 25 seconds earlier knowing their team was on life support is complete denial. I was there. I saw the fans in person.

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Chill out. You're on a very worthy opponent's message board.

Let's try looking at it this way: a Ravens win on the road over the Broncos is a good thing. Presuming the Patriots take care of their business at home, it would set up a rematch at Gillette with the Ravens and provide the home field throughout for the Patriots. We will be grateful and appreciate Baltimore's help.

We would then come to the rubber match between the Ravens and the Patriots where both teams have a playoff win in their last two post-season meetings. That would be a fitting AFC Championship game, and a fitting end to Ray Lewis' career.

Nevermore said:

Spoken by a person who knows nothing about him and what he means to the city and fans of Baltimore.

The intro is the same every time he comes on the field and it is by far one of the best fan experiences you could have ever seen. The place goes nuts the second he steps on the field. If you never saw it in person, you will never get it.

As for the ending, also about the fans. As a fan that was there, in the last 4 minutes of the game the entire place was chanting his name and "thank you ray". He is an icon like Brady. His presence and dance on the field for the last play was picture perfect and exactly how every fan in Baltimore would have scripted it. FYI he was taking his pads off when Harbaugh came over and offered for him to go in on the last play. Then his teammates dared him to do the dance afterwards.

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This should be the 1st entry in the Urban Dictionary under Attention Whore

Just like Brady...Riiiiight.

PatsWickedPissah said:

This should be the 1st entry in the Urban Dictionary under Attention Whore

Just like Brady...Riiiiight.

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You telling me you don't like it when the players get the fans jacked up and cheering?

You telling me that Gillette doesn't get excited after the Gronk spike? Did you hear the crowd when Brady juked Urlacher then stood up and nearly ripped his shoulder out with an insane first down signal?

Raven's stadium was on fire when Ray came out of the tunnel, every time. It is a fan experience and completely awesome. Like I said, if you've never seen it in person, you will never understand.

goheels22002 said:

Chill out. You're on a very worthy opponent's message board.

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I'm not sure what that means....

I would love to meet the Pats in the AFCCG. I think it would be an awesome rematch!

Gronk spike/Brady first down signal vs Ray Ray's dance.

One is entirely scripted. One does not come on the field of play. One comes when the player has not done anything to justify the exuberance.

Guess which one I'm talking about?

And by the way, what has stopped Ray from giving exacting testimony or telling us about the suit he wore that night? It's been over a decade. He no longer has the excuse of youth. NOTHING is preventing him from coming forward and answering the questions many have of his involvement that night.

Ray Lewis is a thug and a criminal. The constant ballwashing he receives from the media is vomit-inducing. And so is his stupid dance.

Nevermore said:

You telling me you don't like it when the players get the fans jacked up and cheering?

You telling me that Gillette doesn't get excited after the Gronk spike? Did you hear the crowd when Brady juked Urlacher then stood up and nearly ripped his shoulder out with an insane first down signal?

Raven's stadium was on fire when Ray came out of the tunnel, every time. It is a fan experience and completely awesome. Like I said, if you've never seen it in person, you will never understand.

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The greatest intro or entrance ever was the New England Patriots coming onto the field at the Super Bowl in February 2012, eschewing individual introductions and entering as a team.

Believe us when we tell you we know what a great great intro or entrance looks like.

BennyBledsoe said:

And by the way, what has stopped Ray from giving exacting testimony or telling us about the suit he wore that night? It's been over a decade. He no longer has the excuse of youth. NOTHING is preventing him from coming forward and answering the questions many have of his involvement that night.

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He is holding a press conference after the season to address all of the questions that inquiring minds want to know about that night. It is scheduled right before Bill's press conference revealing everything about spygate.

Nevermore said:

A nice PM welcome from your fellow Pats fans here.

Stay classy Pats Fan.

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Why didn't you laugh? Even as a Ravens fan, you must have thought that was funny.

goheels22002 said:

The greatest intro or entrance ever was the New England Patriots coming onto the field at the Super Bowl in February 2012, eschewing individual introductions and entering as a team.

Believe us when we tell you we know what a great great intro or entrance looks like.

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Must have been awesome since they went back to introducing individal players in Gillette.....

I ask again... did you ever see Ray come out of the tunnel in Baltimore?

Nevermore said:

He is holding a press conference after the season to address all of the questions that inquiring minds want to know about that night. It is scheduled right before Bill's press conference revealing everything about spygate.

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How you can compare Spygate to something where two people DIED as a result is beyond comprehension.

I hate players that announce their "retirement" before the end of the season. "Hey everybody, I'm retiring, cheer for me, send me gifts, etc.."

Personally, I would rather the Pats selected Ray Lewis instead of Theresa Glenn that year. Yes, Glenn had a great rookie year but if you look at the talented wide receivers that were selected later in the draft the Pats would have set themselves up for many more years of success. Who knows, maybe Parcells would have stayed longer instead of bolting for the NYJ.

Nevermore said:

You telling me you don't like it when the players get the fans jacked up and cheering?

You telling me that Gillette doesn't get excited after the Gronk spike? Did you hear the crowd when Brady juked Urlacher then stood up and nearly ripped his shoulder out with an insane first down signal?

Raven's stadium was on fire when Ray came out of the tunnel, every time. It is a fan experience and completely awesome. Like I said, if you've never seen it in person, you will never understand.

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Ooooh! A first down signal. Nobody ever does those. A majority of NFL players do a spike or some such after a TD. What they don't do is a "Look at ME!!!" stripper pole dance before they've done anything just to focus everyone's attention on THEM.