It's Just Business, Baby

[Ravnet]

[quote]“To tell you the truth, I was hoping to stay at home with the Ravens. Many players would like to stay with the team that drafted them and would like to finish their careers there and to tell you what, we did something special with the Ravens last year. Unfortunately, there’s a separation between business and the personal side of football and they had to make a business decision. Right now, in my career, I have to make a business decision as well and that is to take care of my family to the fullest of its extent.” - Jason Brown on signing with the St. Louis Rams.[/quote]
I think some of us are forgetting that Ozzie, DeCosta, Steve and the rest of the front office has to be responsible, and paying $100 million for Brown and Scott is most certainly not reasonable.

Although I highly doubt Ozzie actually threw down 5/42 for Bart, we do know that Scott gave us another chance in some way. Similarly, Brown has now stated that he wanted to remain with the Ravens, but 5/38 is awfully hard to turn down as Brown is now the highest paid center in the NFL. Furthermore, Ray has now come out and said that he did not say anything to Ware about wanting to leave Baltimore.

The bottom line here is that our front office has options, these players are giving us the chance to match, and if Ozzie had felt as if these guys were worth the contracts that they're getting, they'd have been resigned. The organization is not sitting on its hands, these contracts are just out of reach.

Scott wasn't a big hit as we have replacements ready to go, but Brown honestly did hurt because there really isn't anyone waiting in the wings. That being said, irrespective of how unfair you feel the system is, Jason Brown was well out of reach, and our guys made the tough, but smart, decision to let him walk. We took a step back, but there really isn't anyone to blame.

Although I could go on for days about how well the front office has handled things throughout the history of this organization, I'll use a recent example. When the 2007/2008 season came to a conclusion, the secondary, although still viable, needed to be addressed in the near future. McAlister(32), Rolle(32) and Reed(30) made up 3/4 of the unit, and they were all over thirty and not getting any younger. In just over a year, our front office has acquired Fabian Washington(25), Dominique Foxworth(26), Haruki Nakamura(22), Jim Leonhard(26) and Tom Zbikowski(23) to complement Landry(26) and Reed. These players are yet to be stars, but this is a solid secondary as it stands right now and they have a [i]ton[/i] of upside.

Things need to be put in perspective. Before the off-season began, the general consensus was that Bart's departure was a necessary evil. No one wanted him to leave, but Ray and Sizzle are more important to this organization. Although it's easy to get caught up in the latest rumor and minuscule details, sometimes it's best to take a step back, look at the big picture, and judge our progression on a long-term scale.

[shaikh015]

Well said, fair enough!!!!!We can find another Bart but it would be hard to find another Lewis or Reed or even someone like JO....Clearly we have really solid support guys...

[kze]

Finally a thread worth reading.

[MrKingPinn]

That's what I WISH I could put into words! Great Post.Last paragragh says it all!

[Sizzle]

I agree with you but if its true ray doesn't want to come back we will be fingered for life. And i would think thats a mistake on the front office. They should have made up their minds before FA and sign one of them.

[Marc2k6]

Nope, I'm not buying it!

[Ravnet]

[quote name='Sizzle' post='161673' date='Mar 1 2009, 08:34 AM']I agree with you but if its true ray doesn't want to come back we will be fingered for life. And i would think thats a mistake on the front office. They should have made up their minds before FA and sign one of them.[/quote]

Ray denied the allegations that he wanted to leave. It was pretty obvious to me that Ware was exaggerating as I highly doubt Ray would be calling Demarcus Ware every single week when we were in the midst of a playoff hunt. I wouldn't doubt Ray having said a few comments along the lines of him possibly wanting to play in Dallas, but Ware's comments were a bit overdone.

[quote]"Believe me, he is genuine," Ware told the Cowboys' Web site. "He talked to me two years ago about it. He calls me about once a week and talks about it then. I even said: 'Hey, Ray, I'm tired about talking about this. You need to find Jerry Jones' number and fly out there and talk to him."[/quote]

Does that sound like Ray?

We hold Ray to a higher standard as he is literally a living legend. These types comments are probably said all the time by many players, but only a few are released.

Ultimately, though, Ray is going to be known as a Baltimore Raven, no one is going to love him more than we do, and there is a big difference between wild fantasies and actually signing a contract.

What I found interesting about the Jamie Dukes interview that everyone is so anxious to criticize was that Ray was laughing and joking when talking about New York/Dallas, but he was dead serious when talking of the city he "grinds" in, Baltimore.

[20ReedsAll]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='161678' date='Mar 1 2009, 08:55 AM']Ray denied the allegations that he wanted to leave. It was pretty obvious to me that Ware was exaggerating as I highly doubt Ray would be calling Demarcus Ware every single week when we were in the midst of a playoff hunt. I wouldn't doubt Ray having said a few comments along the lines of him possibly wanting to play in Dallas, but Ware's comments were a bit overdone.



Does that sound like Ray?

We hold Ray to a higher standard as he is literally a living legend. These types comments are probably said all the time by many players, but only a few are released.

Ultimately, though, Ray is going to be known as a Baltimore Raven, no one is going to love him more than we do, and there is a big difference between wild fantasies and actually signing a contract.

What I found interesting about the Jamie Dukes interview that everyone is so anxious to criticize was that Ray was laughing and joking when talking about New York/Dallas, but he was dead serious when talking of the city he "grinds" in, Baltimore[/quote]

Great post, but what I don't like is how you're overlooking what Ray said prior to free agency. Just because he's most likely coming back, we can't just pretend like he didn't "mean" what he was saying. You saying he was joking when he was talking about NY/Dal and serious when talking about Baltimore is nothing but subjective. If he didn't mean all that he said, why did he wait until he got no phone calls all day on Friday to clear up the Dallas situation? Of course Ray is going back on his words because he knows that has basically just the Ravens to go to. People need to to read Mike Preston's article on the suns webpage regarding Lewis' situation, it's actually a good post lol.

Don't get me wrong though, Lewis is like my third favorite player (behind all Ravens of course), and I am beyond happy to know he's likely to come back, but the pre- free agency drama is something I can't and won't forget.

[wolfzie06]

Even though there has been a lot of anger directed at Ray for a while now, no words came directly out of his mouth that bashed Baltimore. In public, he didn't really want to discuss his situation, and the only things he said about other teams was a little about the Jets and a little about the Cowboys- simply posturing for the cameras. What else would he do? Vehemently deny wanting to play for any other team? Bad business move if he did that. But I feel confident that he will be back and we will embrace him again, like we have in the past, and watch him lead our defense for another year.

[Sizzle]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='161678' date='Mar 1 2009, 08:55 AM']Ray denied the allegations that he wanted to leave. It was pretty obvious to me that Ware was exaggerating as I highly doubt Ray would be calling Demarcus Ware every single week when we were in the midst of a playoff hunt. I wouldn't doubt Ray having said a few comments along the lines of him possibly wanting to play in Dallas, but Ware's comments were a bit overdone.



Does that sound like Ray?

We hold Ray to a higher standard as he is literally a living legend. These types comments are probably said all the time by many players, but only a few are released.

Ultimately, though, Ray is going to be known as a Baltimore Raven, no one is going to love him more than we do, and there is a big difference between wild fantasies and actually signing a contract.

What I found interesting about the Jamie Dukes interview that everyone is so anxious to criticize was that Ray was laughing and joking when talking about New York/Dallas, but he was dead serious when talking of the city he "grinds" in, Baltimore.[/quote]
Look the Ware comments don't matter if its true or not because it could be that they were just having fun. I am worried that rays pride might get the best of him and he might sign for lesser deal with another team. I just hope the vacation in Florida changes his mind.

[Macadamia]

What I continue to find extremely hard to stomach about all of this are quotes like, "taking care of my family to the fullest extent." How much money does one family need to be "taken care of?!?" Are these guys seriously suggesting that their family would be worse off with $30 million than they would be with $40 million? It is outrageous that as a society we have gotten to the point where we pay athletes, musicians, actors, etc. these kinds of sums of money! And please don't reply with all the talk about "Well, the owners are making all that money so they can afford to reward the players with these kinds of contracts for their services." I don't care because that is just another sour piece of this disastrous puzzle; if owners weren't so greedy, and TV people weren't so greedy, and athletes weren't so greedy, Joe Fan wouldn't have to practically mortgage his house to go to a few games, drink a few beers, and/or watch the games on Sunday Ticket. It has already been disgusting for a long time and it's only getting worse.

[Sizzle]

[quote name='Macadamia' post='161684' date='Mar 1 2009, 09:37 AM']What I continue to find extremely hard to stomach about all of this are quotes like, "taking care of my family to the fullest extent." How much money does one family need to be "taken care of?!?" Are these guys seriously suggesting that their family would be worse off with $30 million than they would be with $40 million? It is outrageous that as a society we have gotten to the point where we pay athletes, musicians, actors, etc. these kinds of sums of money! And please don't reply with all the talk about "Well, the owners are making all that money so they can afford to reward the players with these kinds of contracts for their services." I don't care because that is just another sour piece of this disastrous puzzle; if owners weren't so greedy, and TV people weren't so greedy, and athletes weren't so greedy, Joe Fan wouldn't have to practically mortgage his house to go to a few games, drink a few beers, and/or watch the games on Sunday Ticket. It has already been disgusting for a long time and it's only getting worse. [/quote]
I know what you mean but after a life of heavy spending in 10 or less year of an nfl career another 40 years awaits and they need that money to get set for the future.

[mjccia]

[quote name='Macadamia' post='161684' date='Mar 1 2009, 09:37 AM']What I continue to find extremely hard to stomach about all of this are quotes like, "taking care of my family to the fullest extent." How much money does one family need to be "taken care of?!?" Are these guys seriously suggesting that their family would be worse off with $30 million than they would be with $40 million? It is outrageous that as a society we have gotten to the point where we pay athletes, musicians, actors, etc. these kinds of sums of money! And please don't reply with all the talk about "Well, the owners are making all that money so they can afford to reward the players with these kinds of contracts for their services." I don't care because that is just another sour piece of this disastrous puzzle; if owners weren't so greedy, and TV people weren't so greedy, and athletes weren't so greedy, Joe Fan wouldn't have to practically mortgage his house to go to a few games, drink a few beers, and/or watch the games on Sunday Ticket. It has already been disgusting for a long time and it's only getting worse. [/quote]

I completely disagree with your post. If you could take care of your family with an additional 25% pay increase would you switch companies to do so? These people have an average of 3 to 5 years to cash in for the rest of their life, not that they could not find other modes to make money but this is what they trained for their entire life and their primary source of income for their entire life.

Now without trying to get all political this is what our society was built on achieving the american dream by working as hard as you possibly can at what you do best and if by god you succeed at it cash in. Not everyone should make the same amount of money and Jason Brown should not be punished because he is elite in his field. These athletes are at the top 1/4% of their field. If you were in the top 1/4 percent of your field as a doctor/lawyer/computer designer wouldn't you want top 1/4% of your pay grade money. Do you think Bill Gates deserves as much money as the guy who graduated from one of those Computer Schools advertised during the day during Judge Joe Brown. Absolutely not.

If the NFL wasn't such a money making product and if Ray Lewis wasn't a cog in the process of making it highly visible and appealing to the fan do you think ticket prices would be so high. No absolutely not. We by buying tickets/jerseys/etc forcing up the price. So if you don't feel Jason Brown should get 40 mil don't buy any products and watch your hometown team only without cable. But if you want to get fully immersed in the NFL as most of us do you have to be willing to pay for it.

Another example. Would you be willing to pay $10 for a movie ticket to see Will Smith in Independence Day 2 or see Steve Guttenberg in Police Academy 8. Probably Will Smith hence why he makes what he makes.

And it all rolls down hill. If we as a society were not making this such a highly valuable industry then it would not create as many jobs for "Joe Fan" as it does. We dont buy as many Sunday Ticket..Direct TV lays off people. We dont buy beer...Aramark lays off people. We dont demand a NFL team...."Joe the Plumber" doesnt get to build M+T Bank. Its a trickle down effect, so the higher you are up the ladder the more you make.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Ravnet' post='161655' date='Mar 1 2009, 03:52 AM']Things need to be put in perspective. Before the off-season began, the general consensus was that Bart's departure was a necessary evil. No one wanted him to leave, but Ray and Sizzle are more important to this organization. Although it's easy to get caught up in the latest rumor and minuscule details, sometimes it's best to take a step back, look at the big picture, and judge our progression on a long-term scale.[/quote]
Couldn't agree more, and I do think it's funny that people had flip-flopped so quickly on their stances about Bart Scott and Ray Lewis. As we had discussed earlier, a lot of the reaction is emotional and in the moment. But let's face it, none of this will affect what we, as fans, do on Sundays, because we'll still be cheering the team, no matter who's on it.

So everyone who is irate with Ray Lewis NOW, will be thrilled to have him if he makes a HUGE play wearing purple-and-black. Everyone who says they still love Bart Scott (myself included), will hate him the minute he does anything to upstage or hurt the Ravens.

The thing is, free agency seems like a disaster to some people. But it's only been the first weekend; there's still lots of players yet to be signed to new teams. Not only that, but there's still the draft to consider, as well as the likelihood of acquiring a veteran cut during training camp or the preseason.

Think long-term, people. It's a long offseason, and we're not even skimming the surface yet.

And mjccia's post hit the nail right on the head, in response to people who are sickened by how much these athletes make. Professional athletes and celebrities are not on the same level as the average person, because WE made them that way. And really, there's no going back. But in the end, everything is a trickle-down effect, so it's not as drastic as it looks.

[MKdave]

[quote name='mjccia' post='161701' date='Mar 1 2009, 03:37 PM']I completely disagree with your post. If you could take care of your family with an additional 25% pay increase would you switch companies to do so? These people have an average of 3 to 5 years to cash in for the rest of their life, not that they could not find other modes to make money but this is what they trained for their entire life and their primary source of income for their entire life.

Now without trying to get all political this is what our society was built on achieving the american dream by working as hard as you possibly can at what you do best and if by god you succeed at it cash in. Not everyone should make the same amount of money and Jason Brown should not be punished because he is elite in his field. These athletes are at the top 1/4% of their field. If you were in the top 1/4 percent of your field as a doctor/lawyer/computer designer wouldn't you want top 1/4% of your pay grade money. Do you think Bill Gates deserves as much money as the guy who graduated from one of those Computer Schools advertised during the day during Judge Joe Brown. Absolutely not.

If the NFL wasn't such a money making product and if Ray Lewis wasn't a cog in the process of making it highly visible and appealing to the fan do you think ticket prices would be so high. No absolutely not. We by buying tickets/jerseys/etc forcing up the price. So if you don't feel Jason Brown should get 40 mil don't buy any products and watch your hometown team only without cable. But if you want to get fully immersed in the NFL as most of us do you have to be willing to pay for it.

Another example. Would you be willing to pay $10 for a movie ticket to see Will Smith in Independence Day 2 or see Steve Guttenberg in Police Academy 8. Probably Will Smith hence why he makes what he makes.

And it all rolls down hill. If we as a society were not making this such a highly valuable industry then it would not create as many jobs for "Joe Fan" as it does. We dont buy as many Sunday Ticket..Direct TV lays off people. We dont buy beer...Aramark lays off people. We dont demand a NFL team...."Joe the Plumber" doesnt get to build M+T Bank. Its a trickle down effect, so the higher you are up the ladder the more you make.[/quote]

Agreeeeed. This was almost the exact post I was about to make. I owe you about 6 minutes of my life.

[flynismo]

[quote name='mjccia' post='161701' date='Mar 1 2009, 10:37 AM']I completely disagree with your post. If you could take care of your family with an additional 25% pay increase would you switch companies to do so? These people have an average of 3 to 5 years to cash in for the rest of their life, not that they could not find other modes to make money but this is what they trained for their entire life and their primary source of income for their entire life.

Now without trying to get all political this is what our society was built on achieving the american dream by working as hard as you possibly can at what you do best and if by god you succeed at it cash in. Not everyone should make the same amount of money and Jason Brown should not be punished because he is elite in his field. These athletes are at the top 1/4% of their field. If you were in the top 1/4 percent of your field as a doctor/lawyer/computer designer wouldn't you want top 1/4% of your pay grade money. Do you think Bill Gates deserves as much money as the guy who graduated from one of those Computer Schools advertised during the day during Judge Joe Brown. Absolutely not.

If the NFL wasn't such a money making product and if Ray Lewis wasn't a cog in the process of making it highly visible and appealing to the fan do you think ticket prices would be so high. No absolutely not. We by buying tickets/jerseys/etc forcing up the price. So if you don't feel Jason Brown should get 40 mil don't buy any products and watch your hometown team only without cable. But if you want to get fully immersed in the NFL as most of us do you have to be willing to pay for it.

Another example. Would you be willing to pay $10 for a movie ticket to see Will Smith in Independence Day 2 or see Steve Guttenberg in Police Academy 8. Probably Will Smith hence why he makes what he makes.

And it all rolls down hill. If we as a society were not making this such a highly valuable industry then it would not create as many jobs for "Joe Fan" as it does. We dont buy as many Sunday Ticket..Direct TV lays off people. We dont buy beer...Aramark lays off people. We dont demand a NFL team...."Joe the Plumber" doesnt get to build M+T Bank. Its a trickle down effect, so the higher you are up the ladder the more you make.[/quote]



I'm not going to disagree with the majority of this post....in fact, I couldn't even if I wanted to because most of what you said were facts, not opinions.
But...

What the heck does any of this have to do with (for example) a guy shooting down a $50M contract because he thinks he needs $60M to "take care of his family to the fullest"?
What's that extra $10M going to buy you that the first $50M cant?

And here's what really makes me sick about these guys. First, we'll ignore the fact that they're also pulling in millions through endorsements and other endeavors. Let's say you make $3M / year after tax and agent fees. Out of that $3M, you were a good boy and put aside $1M, and spent the other $2M.
Then say you are a complete and total idiot who doesn't know how to manage your money and never heard of financial advisors, so that $1M, you just let it sit in Acne savings account, accruing 3% interest quarterly.
A little simple math indicates that you just made another $120,000 in interest from Acne. Congratulations!
Now we move on to next year. You now have $1.12M in the bank. You're a good boy again and put another $1M into that account, while feeling sorry for yourself that you have to get by on just $2M again this year. So now you have $2.12M in the bank, and at the end of the year you earned over $254,000 in interest alone. See where this is headed?

And the above scenario, while oversimplified, extends the point that even an idiot who has no idea what to do with that kind of money still has nothing to worry about, EVER. He could live off the interest off of a savings account, which regardless of how stupid that would be, is still a fact. If he had any sense at all and put the money to work for him, this guy could not only take care of his family, but he could help take care of a lot of other people too.

One final thing I wanted to point out, and to me this is a biggie--

You, like many others, said "[b]These people have an average of 3 to 5 years to cash in for the rest of their life[/b]"

In other words, guys like Dan Cody and Clarence Moore. I don't have a problem with them trying to milk the system. In their cases, they have a legitimate concern; they know that another contract is a gift from god, not something to take for granted. The people that make me sick is guys like Ray Lewis who makes more in one year than Cody made in his entire career. If a guy only made $3-$4M in his career, then I understand the concern. When a guy turns down $40M for $50M, then no, I honestly can't say that I understand the concern for his financial future. Especially when that is his second or third contract of that amount; or at least already made a few million before this contract.

k, rant over

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='flynismo' post='161727' date='Mar 1 2009, 11:14 AM']What the heck does any of this have to do with (for example) a guy shooting down a $50M contract because he thinks he needs $60M to "take care of his family to the fullest"?
What's that extra $10M going to buy you that the first $50M cant?[/quote]
Talk to the agent who's probably getting the majority of that extra $10 mil. It's usually the agents, not the players, who have disagreements over that value. And although the players can override the agents, those agents are good at their job for a REASON -- they're VERY persuasive.

[Rocky Mountain Raven]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='161732' date='Mar 1 2009, 09:18 AM']Talk to the agent who's probably getting the majority of that extra $10 mil. It's usually the agents, not the players, who have disagreements over that value. And although the players can override the agents, those agents are good at their job for a REASON -- they're VERY persuasive.[/quote]

I'm very interested in finding out where this rumor stems from. Why do you think his agent will get most of the money? Where did you here that from. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I've read differently, maybe I'm missing something, please fill me in.

According to the NFL Players Association website:

[i][b]The NFLPA Regulations Governing Contract Advisors mandate that an NFLPA certified agent may not charge more than 3 percent of a player’s compensation for contract negotiation services.[/b] [/i]

[url="http://www.nflplayers.com/user/content.aspx?fmid=178&lmid=443&pid=987&type=n"]http://www.nflplayers.com/user/content.asp...=987&type=n[/url]

You said above that, "Talk to the agent who's probably getting the majority of that extra $10 mil."

3% of 10 million = $300,000. Agent's money
10 million - $300,000 = $9,700,000 Player's money

How is that the majority?

[neepo13]

I trust Ozzie but I am not sure why paying Foxworth for his upside is so much better then paying J.B. for his upside. Lets face it salaries are going up every single year for every single position. By the time Brown hits his prime, he will probably be under paid in his current contract. I think the Ravens made the wrong decision by cutting off talks with Brown so early.

[neepo13]

[quote name='Rocky Mountain Raven' post='161800' date='Mar 1 2009, 01:19 PM']I'm very interested in finding out where this rumor stems from. Why do you think his agent will get most of the money? Where did you here that from. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I've read differently, maybe I'm missing something, please fill me in.

According to the NFL Players Association website:

[i][b]The NFLPA Regulations Governing Contract Advisors mandate that an NFLPA certified agent may not charge more than 3 percent of a player

[flynismo]

[quote name='Rocky Mountain Raven' post='161800' date='Mar 1 2009, 01:19 PM']I'm very interested in finding out where this rumor stems from. Why do you think his agent will get most of the money? Where did you here that from. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I've read differently, maybe I'm missing something, please fill me in.

According to the NFL Players Association website:

[i][b]The NFLPA Regulations Governing Contract Advisors mandate that an NFLPA certified agent may not charge more than 3 percent of a player

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Rocky Mountain Raven' post='161800' date='Mar 1 2009, 01:19 PM']You said above that, "Talk to the agent who's probably getting the majority of that extra $10 mil."

3% of 10 million = $300,000. Agent's money
10 million - $300,000 = $9,700,000 Player's money

How is that the majority?[/quote]
[quote name='neepo13' post='161826' date='Mar 1 2009, 01:54 PM']Keyword being "probably". I dont think that indicates concrete knowledge of the subject but rather a guess.[/quote]
Just because I know a lot about football, doesn't mean I know everything about the financial side of it. lol.

[ravenwildman]

[quote name='neepo13' post='161824' date='Mar 1 2009, 01:52 PM']I trust Ozzie but I am not sure why paying Foxworth for his upside is so much better then paying J.B. for his upside. Lets face it salaries are going up every single year for every single position. By the time Brown hits his prime, he will probably be under paid in his current contract. I think the Ravens made the wrong decision by cutting off talks with Brown so early.[/quote]

[size=2]Could be a mistake,...... but Ozzie is great at his job. This would suggest that he would look at all possibilities and conditions that may arise from the departure of any FA.

I would be shocked if he was "blind sided" by this move without an option to "repair or improve" our teams position.

The drama of FA sucks my friends!

Yes sir my nerves hate it! But I am going to hold my opinion as to what was a mistake until Ozzie is finished his magic and training camp begins [/size]

[Whole-Gash]

You should actually reserve your FINAL opinion on this off-season until next season is complete.

[Ravnet]

[quote name='20ReedsAll' post='161681' date='Mar 1 2009, 09:36 AM']Just because he's most likely coming back, we can't just pretend like he didn't "mean" what he was saying. You saying he was joking when he was talking about NY/Dal and serious when talking about Baltimore is nothing but subjective.[/quote]

I think that Ray will be viewed differently at least until the season begins, but again, there is a big difference between far out hypothetical situations and physically committing to another team. I'm sure Ray might have had second thoughts.

[quote]What else would he do? Vehemently deny wanting to play for any other team? Bad business move if he did that.[/quote]

I agree. I think that Ray was simply not ruling anything out. He obviously wanted to be paid last year and stay in Baltimore, but he couldn't have bashed Dallas or New York if they were willing to give him $10-15 million+ more as no sane man can turn that kind of money down.

[quote]These people have an average of 3 to 5 years to cash in for the rest of their life[/quote]

While that's only partially true, I agree with the premise. Players essentially "retire" when they hit 35-40, so this really is Ray's last big payday. Sure he'll get endorsements and TV gigs, but none of that is guaranteed, and he'll be lucky if those jobs amount to a fraction of this contract.

[quote]As we had discussed earlier, a lot of the reaction is emotional and in the moment.[/quote]

And it goes both ways. Not only were the fans emotional, but so was Ray. Lewis was upset that the Ravens didn't think he was worth too much last year, and now are asking him to take a "hometown discount." I'm willing to bet that when the reality of leaving Baltimore actually set in, Ray might have reconsidered his options.

[quote]Look the Ware comments don't matter if its true or not because it could be that they were just having fun. I am worried that rays pride might get the best of him and he might sign for lesser deal with another team.[/quote]

I can't imagine Ray turning down more money from Baltimore to go to a Denver or Tampa Bay. Sure he's angry right now, but I'm sure he understands the magnitude of his relationship with the Ravens.

[RvnInPa]

Jason Brown will end up like Steve Everitt was, sign a huge deal in FA (with the Eagles) and not to be heard from again....

[3Zach21]

[quote name='RvnInPa' post='161955' date='Mar 1 2009, 05:43 PM']Jason Brown will end up like Steve Everitt was, sign a huge deal in FA (with the Eagles) and not to be heard from again....[/quote]

I disagree, he will upgrade the Rams line tremendously. If that even means anything in ST. Louis.

[Ravnet]

[quote name='RvnInPa' post='161955' date='Mar 1 2009, 05:43 PM']Jason Brown will end up like Steve Everitt was, sign a huge deal in FA (with the Eagles) and not to be heard from again....[/quote]

I might say that for Bart Scott, but probably not Jason Brown. Center's usually get help doubling up their man, and Brown has all the intelligence, athleticism and work ethic to succeed.

[MKdave]

[quote name='3Zach21' post='161956' date='Mar 1 2009, 10:45 PM']I disagree, he will upgrade the Rams line tremendously. If that even means anything in ST. Louis.[/quote]

I agree. If they go with a left tackle with #2, (which I think they should), they could get a resurgence out of S-Jax.

[Ravenoid]

[quote name='20ReedsAll' post='161681' date='Mar 1 2009, 09:36 AM']Great post, but what I don't like is how you're overlooking what Ray said prior to free agency. Just because he's most likely coming back, we can't just pretend like he didn't "mean" what he was saying. You saying he was joking when he was talking about NY/Dal and serious when talking about Baltimore is nothing but subjective. If he didn't mean all that he said, why did he wait until he got no phone calls all day on Friday to clear up the Dallas situation? Of course Ray is going back on his words because he knows that has basically just the Ravens to go to. People need to to read Mike Preston's article on the suns webpage regarding Lewis' situation, it's actually a good post lol.

Don't get me wrong though, Lewis is like my third favorite player (behind all Ravens of course), and I am beyond happy to know he's likely to come back, but the pre- free agency drama is something I can't and won't forget.[/quote]
I DON'T READ MIKE PRESTON!

That man has done more damage with his mouth than anybody because people take his negative style of getting attention seriously!

ONLY because of your post did I read his article and now I'm furious you forced me to do so.