Ray Lewis is retiring

Let me clarify. It had to do with the combination of him saying he was going to do it, and then the statement he made after it happened. It was the "get him out of here, he's done" that I dislike. I don't recall Harrison celebrating an injury or saying anything like that after hitting anyone.

 

Nope. I didn't say I'd lose respect because of a legal hit. See above.

 

As a fan of the Steelers, I'm both happy and sad at the same time. I'm happy that they won't have to face him any more, but I'm sad because he was such a force and you could always look to him getitng hyped up for those games.
As a fan of the NFL in general, I think he will be missed. A Lot. He is arguably one of the greatest MLBs to ever play the game. He has a tremendous amount of passion for the game and was the emotional leader for his team for a long, long time. While the Ravens may be able to plug another player into his spot, they won't truly find a replacement for him. I'd actually like to see the Ravens send him off with a SB victory. His body of work on the football field speaks for itself.
As for his Mendy hit, I kind of enjoyed that in a perverse way. He said that he was going to shut him up and he did. He played football the way it is supposed to be played.

 

Ok then, I don't speak for you. But if one of our linebackers broke Ray Rices collarbone on a clean hit and then said "Get him out of here, he's done", I'd be cheering my ass of.

 

I'd buy it if that was what he was selling the whole time, but this man has been all over the respect other players and living for God, while announcing he was going to take a player out.

The Fact that the hit was legal is irrelevant, it was unnessesary and he knew he hurt him as soon as he did it and celebrated! No penalty and he comes back last year and H2H Ward after saying they were going to take him out as well!

If Greene, Loyyd, Porter or Harrison would have done that, yes I'd be like don't mess with the beast, because that was what they represented and didn't waiver or try to show how much they cared about other players.

 

What was unnecessary? The hit or the smack talk (that I'm sure happens more than we know)? You act like he was standing over Mendenhall drooling and laughing. The guy made a nice hit and was pumped up about it. Big deal.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lewis does respect other players but that doesn't mean he is going to let up one bit when he has the chance to knock the snot out of someone... and I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

There you go exaggerating again. What he did in the media after the fact that he knew he was injured was no less. He shrugged really injuring him off like it wasn't crap to him.

Would I have liked him if he played for Pittsburgh? Yes. I prefer the Lloyd and Kevin Greene types though that don't need a flashy entrance dance.

The fact that he's had just about as many "questionable" hits as some other guys in the league, but doesn't get the flags and attention is annoying to say the least.

Edit: I do not want to see them send him out with a SB win either!

 

Yeah, no one ever exaggerates around here.

 

No way I want to see him go out with a ring. I admit he's great at his position, but I just can't stomach the thought of him finishing with an SB win. I don't think we'll have to worry much about it though, unless the rats really turn it around.

 

The fact that the hit was legal is irrelevant? Actually that's the only part that matters. Who cares if he said he was going to take Mendy out. Mendy is also a football player and is expected to take hits from LB'ers. There was nothing unnecessary about the hit. Ray Lewis met him in the hole and delivered a big hit to stop him in his tracks. Should he have moved out of the way and let Mendy run through the hole? Who cares if he celebrated after the hit, that's what NFL defenders do after big hits.

You'd be fine with Porter, Harrison or Lloyd doing the same thing. You're a hypocrite, period. Ray Lewis doesn't stand for not ever hurting other players. He stands for playing hard football. You can respect the other players in the league while still trying to knock guys out of the game with legal hits.

 

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Let's remember Harrison said his goal was to hurt players BUT not injure them. He then explained the difference between hurting some-one and injurying some-one. Its funny how people only remember the 1st part of most statements.

Cajun-

 

Oh please. Even Harrison admitted that he wasn't trying to injure Mass and they were friends. He didn't sit there and jump up talking about get him out of there and he definitely didn't call out how he was going to take him out. Ray shrugged that crap off and laughed about putting a guy out for a season and then came back and did it on Ward as well with a H2H. If that was what he was representing then so be it.

The issue is how he conducted himself after the fact. Granted there's no love lost between them, but to really gloat about it was not needed and really counter to the sportsmanship everyone attributes to him.

The fact that those guys never did that should tell you something right there. Llyod was a mean son of a ***** from day one.

 

No, you are completely wrong, and you have no business making poor judgments about other posters that you don't know much about. If a Steeler celebrated injuring someone, I'd be the first in line to say something about it. Stop acting like you know everyone's feelings better than they know themselves.

 

No doubt one of the best linebackers to play, but definitely not THE BEST as being thrown around here in Baltimore. There is now talk of a "Legends Lane" section being erected at Empty Bank. Ray-Ray's statue being the highlight. Yeah, the Homerism runs just as deep in Baltimore as anywhere else, but still. Way too early for this kind of bull. Just my opinion.

 

I remember Loyd saying before a game against Mia he would take Marino out, and he did. He was called dirty and a few other names as well.

 

1000s of people here in San Diego thought that Seau was the be-all end-all of middle linebackers too and look how that turned out!
Too soon?
IMO, both players were really good the first few years but, after that, were happy to jump on top of someone else's tackle and get up pounding their chests like they had actually done something.

 

I still think Ray Ray was afraid of J Peezy.