If you haven’t thanked Ray Lewis in the 17 years he has been playing don’t worry he is giving everybody another chance to thank him. Now that may sound conceded and it may be reaching or crossing certain lines, however you have to hand it to Rev Rey the man is calculated in his thinking.
During a press conference Wednesday, Lewis admitted to calculating his retirement announcement to simply give you the fans, a chance to celebrate him. ProFootballTalk transcribed part of his interview.
“I’ve watched many people on how they retire, and when they retire,” Lewis said. “I had not just an obligation to myself, but I had an obligation to my teammates and I had an obligation to my city – that I did not want to end the season and then say, ‘I’m gone.’ I’ve invested too much time into Baltimore, into my teammates and into the organization to ever just walk out like that.
“I believe that you should give everybody a fair chance to say their goodbyes. Playing that last game in Baltimore, announcing it the way I did, and knowing that it would be my last ride. Knowing that it would be my last time in M&T [Bank Stadium], it was one of the most amazing feelings ever. Just being able to appreciate that moment and not get to the end of the season – whenever the road stops – and say, ‘Oh, I’m done. I’m never coming back again.’
“I would have robbed a lot of people of those last goodbyes for me and them. That is why I did it that way.”
Now depending on what side of the fence you are on with the Baltimore Ravens you may see no harm, but if you are on the opposing side, and as of lately the number is steadily increasing, I would imagine you would raise an eyebrow at this statement.
Lewis could have announced his retirement at the beginning of the season, but would it have impacted the Baltimore Ravens the same? Lewis could have decided not to say anything until after he had his final down, but he didn’t do that as well.
Is Lewis attention seeking, or is this just a celebration for the fans that’s being taken out of context? I’ll let you be the judge.