Here are some of this week's interesting thoughts that I've had:

 

  Brett:  Thanks, but no thanks.  As I said before, I have much love for you.  You're one of my favorite players in the whole wide world of sports.  But who do you think you're kidding?  Jason Whitlock was on to something when we wrote that article about you.  You thought you could force the Pack's hand and make them release you.  But it didn't work, now, did it??  Then they tried to throw bait.. I mean, Arrington at you, to make you come back quicker.  But that didn't pan out well, either.  Everyone knows you're 28 TD's behind Marino for all time TDs.  Only a fool would be crazy enough to fall for that act you pulled.  Now you got a bunch of people who aren't so fond of you anymore, and could care less what you do this season.  I just hope you got it in you to show folks you still got a little bit of gas left in the tank (Speaking of gas left in the tank....never mind, I may get depressed)

 

 

Keith Hernandez-  What cave did you crawl out of?  Do you realize this is 2006?  You're a jerk.  Not many men would be offended by your comments, mainly because it doesn't have anything to do with them.  But if I saw you walking down the street, I would slap the taste out of your mouth.  I mean, what did you think the the#### was gonna do in the dugout?  Strip stark naked and cause a distraction to the players (although I'm sure most guys wouldn't mind it)?  Seriously.  Women in the 21st Century has jobs of all kinds, including laborers, doctors, and get this, sports journalists.  Please, take your wooden club and your, "I am man, women are inferior" attitude back to the Stone Age with Fred and Barney and have a nice life.

 

 

 

 Ray Lewis- I already wasted my time on you before about your issues, so all I'm gonna say is SHUT UP!  No one cares that you want to roam the sidelines freely like you once used to.  Wanna know why?  Two reasons.  One, because you are an aging LB who is not the same as 4-5 years ago.  So based on that alone, you won't be as dominant as you have been in the past.  And second, most people know that this is about money more then about defensive scheme.  It's no secret that you are short on cash because of a pending civil suit, and need one last big payday in order to stay afloat.  I know it sounds harsh, but I'm just being honest.   The icing on the cake is when you told ESPN that you never asked to be traded.  Yet your team's owner, head coach and GM all have had interviews saying that you DID in fact asked to be traded.  If I were Ozzie, you'd have a 1st class ticket out of town.  But I'm not Ozzie and he won't do that, so we'll see how the season plays out.  Until then, please be quiet.

 

 

Ricky Williams-  People of the blogging world. Take a good look at Ricky Williams.  Ricky is a prime example of, "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong".  He just can't get right.  I don't think anyone was surprised by this.  And I think it's safe to say that most people were beyond caring about it.  Personally, I think it's sad.  I'd do whatever I had to in order to stay clean if I were making millions of dollars.  Nothing would come in between me and my millions.  I would never participate in an episode of Fear Factor, because I'm afraid of heights,I can barely swim, and I'm NOT eating any damn bugs!  But if they were giving out millions to do it, I would seriously reconsider.  I may chew a tarantula or two if it guaranteed 7+ figures in my bank account.  Get right, Ricky!  Get right!

 

 

 Reggie Bush- If Reggie didn't take an illegal substance or kill anyone during his time at USC, then why are we discussing his Heisman Trophy possibly being taken away from him?  I know the technical answer, but which is the lesser of two evils here?  The Bush family, or the NCAA?  All the money the NCAA gets through bowl games and other sponsors, yet you get mad because they move into a house that you assume they can't afford?  I can name a whole lot of people who live beyond their means everyday.  And with players who are projected superstars, you'd be surprised how much you can get on credit, just off of name alone.  Did anyone have this issue when LeBron's mamma went out and bought a Hummer that looked like she got it from Pimp My Ride?  I think not.  Leave the Bush family alone.  If it were your family, I'd love to see you turn it down.

 

Honorable Mentions-  Did anyone hear the NBA MVP songs that Mike and Mike came up with on their show?  Classics.  I couldn't stop laughing.  The Kobe song was the best, followed by the LeBron song and then the Nash song.  They need that to be an automatic download on ESPN.com.  They'd be surprised how many hits they would get.  Most of them would probably be from me because I'm corny, but I still thought it was funny.

 

 

Speaking of Mike and Mike, I really liked the whole Marriage Madness idea.  I was kinda jealous.   I wish I could've participated in the contest.  But since I'm married already, I'm gonna go out on the limb and assume that I wasn't eligible.    On second thought, I don't know how great of an idea that really would've been for my wedding.  I'm a Ravens fan and my husband's a Steelers fan..... Oil and water just doesn't mix.  Knowing our families, a fight would've broke out over who's the better safety: Polamalu, or Reed.

 

 

Once upon a time.....In 1996, Baltimore received the 26th overall draft choice, from San Fransisco.  Ozzie Newsome and Co. selected Ray Lewis, from The U.  From day one, Ray Lewis' presence was felt, becoming a force on his new team.  The organization needed a face that all would remember, kinda like Brett Favre to the Packers, or Johnny Unitas to the Baltimore Colts.  Ray Lewis willingly accepted that responsibility.

The people of Baltimore were happy.  They were ecstatic.  They finally had a football sport the purple and black.  Ray loved the city of Baltimore, and the city of Baltimore loved him back.

Ray's career blossomed quickly.  The Ravens went to the Super Bowl in 2001, under second year head coach Brian Billick.  Ray was the MVP of the game.  He then received not one, but two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. He has numerous Pro Bowl nods, and has been on the All Pro team selection as well.

A couple of years ago, Ray Lewis received a contract extension with a $19 million signing bonus.  They made him on of the highest paid defensive players in the NFL.  He was to retire as a Raven.  Then, something went wrong.

No one knows exactly when this took place, but there had become a split within the locker room.  Some players felt like the "superstars" were getting better treatment, unfair to the other guys on the team.  This started a divided locker room that is not fixed as we speak.  Ed Reed came along, and soon started to take Ray's place as "The Force" on the Baltimore Ravens defense.  Ed and Ray were once extremely tight.  Now, since the 2005 season started, Ed moved his locker to the end of the locker room, away from his "homeboy" Ray-Ray.  Then, the unthinkable happened.  Ray Lewis decided one day that he doesn't want to be the face of the organization anymore.  He starts to deny interviews with the local media.  He calls Kyle Boller out, indirectly (see Shannon Sharpe). He starts to turn his back on his fans, on his teammates, on Ozzie and even his new homeboy, owner Steve Bisciotti.  He is now demanding a trade, simply because the Ravens won't give him a, get this folks, $50 million dollar signing bonus.

Is this what the NFL has come to?  Nothing but money?  Whatever happened to the fans that supported these players from day one?  They don't have a say in this?  Whatever happened to being loyal to your teammate's commitments to win?  After all, you're getting paid to do what you love to do, and that's play football.  I can recall a certain situation where Ray Lewis was involved in some kind of trouble, right after the 2000 Supr Bowl.  Anyone recall that? 

Not to bring up old situations (especially since he wasn't convicted of killing the people involved), but I do recall correctly that everyone called this man a Murderer...a Monster...I can remember peole saying, "Lock him up, and throw away the key".  All because he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.  Everyone talked abd about him, that is, except for the die hard Ravens fans.  The fans and the organization had his back like no one else had.  They supported him through thick and thin.  People attempted to make jokes about Ray, as well as the organization (even til this day), yet, we didn't care.  He was one of us.  Let some people off the street tell it, he acted like a true Baltimorean anyway (since B-More is usually in the Top 5 in the country for murders).  We loved him, and he loved us back....or so we thought.

What has become of this man that people once loved and respected, even with his skeletons.  Jealousy and greed.  These two things break up most business relationships in the NFL.  Look at the Terrell Owens situation.  Enough said.  However, if we as fans are going to talk about T.O., then Ray's name needs to be mentioned as well.  He has become the reason why his locker room has been divided.  He has received star treatment, yet that was not enough.  Give you an example.  Lewis  "hurt himself" during the Chicago  Bears game.  Yet, he leaves to get "surgery", not by the team doctors, but by another doctor in FL.  He has advised the Ravens that he is rehabbing in FL as well, which we know, most teams are dead set against.  Then, he shows up on ESPN at a college football game, weeks later.  What gives??

It's time for Ravens fans, and other people, to face the music.  The league is getting bigger and bigger by the years, and those players that you thought will always be there, may not be there anymore.  During traing camp, Mr. Lewis "picked and chose" who to sign autographs for, which was about 10 people in total, out of thousands.  He looked unhappy.  But Ed Reed, the 2004 DPOY, was the last in the line, signing every single person's item that needed to be signed.  Whle Ray's stock has declined drastically, Reed's has risen to the top, because of this love and attention he shows to the fans.

It has been reported that Revens will only receive a 2nd round pick for Lewis.  My opinion?  Take the 2nd rounder and run like a bat out of hell.  Get rid of this newfound cancer.  Team chemistry is extremely important.  And while Ray isn't the only problem child in the locker room (Jamal Lewis and Chris McCalister are also problem childs), he is the most noted, and most popular.

So go ahead Ray.  We wish you tons of luck.  Hope you get the $50 mil you THINK you deserve.  We have a new guy in Ed Reed, that wants to be here, and is ready to take over the spot you abruptly abandoned.  Oh, and by-the-way, don't let the doorknob hit you where the good Lord split you, on your way out!!!!

I received my breaking news e-mail from the Baltimore Sun this morning, 10:26 am to be exact, stating that Brian Billick will be the Head Coach for the Baltimore Ravens for the 2006 season.  While most people are probably against this, I think this is a great idea for a few reasons.

First and foremost, the $$$$$ situation.  Billick was owed about $9 million for the next 2 years.  Firing Billick would mean that Bisciotti would have to buyout his contract when letting him go.  Why pay him money to be fired, only to bring in someone else and pay them as well?  You know the saying, "It's cheaper to keep 'er".  This fits perfectly for the retention of Billick.

He's a great motivator.  Most of us know that Billick is not the "offensive genius" he was made out to be, nor is he the smartest coach of the bunch when it comes to the X's and O's of the game, but he is one of the best motivators in the league.  Although the Ravens currently have a 6-9 record, the past 2 weeks have shown that these players have hardly given up because they are out of playoff contention.  That, along with the unexpected play of Kyle Boller the past 2 weeks (6TD's, 1INT) shows that the message is still clear to the players.

He is receptive of making changes.  People that follow the Ravens will tell you that Billick is one of the most stubborn coaches this league has ever seen.  His stubbornness has shown over the previous years, and a lot of people are critical of it.  Handing over Kyle Boller the QB job as a rookie, not putting in Anthony Wright when people (including players) asked for him, playing Jamal Lewis while Chester Taylor clearly is having a better season.  Yet, this season, Bilick has finally acknowledged that his attitude must change, simply because the team has changed.  He has publicly stated that he is open to adapt his coaching style, to better help the team.  I'm not sure if that is because he was on the hot seat, or if he genuinely saw that changes needed to be made, but this is a step in the right direction.

He has allowed his coaching staff to actually do their jobs.  This is just my personal observation and opinion, but the past 2 weeks, I have noticed that the play calling looked a lot better then in previous weeks.  Then it dawned on me.  It looks as though Billick has backed off of breathing down Jim Fassel's neck and has allowing him to pull more of the strings when it comes to offense.  The results of him not being in total control have paid off, given how well they played, and it allowed Billick to see that he needs his staff just as much as his staff needs him. 

Obviously there will be some changes made.  There may be some staff changes, with Rick Neuheisel and Jim Fassel looking for other jobs, as well as personnel changes.  It is no secret that the locker room is somewhat divided, as reported.  There are some players that get the Superstar credit (hint to Ray Ray), while others get the Blue collar treatment.  Then there are some that air all of their dirty laundry to the press about how unhappy they are (hint to Jamal), so Ozzie and Bilick have their work cut out, no doubt.  But to get rid of the "weeds" on the team, will do much good for this franchise.

Also, they need to look at a veteran QB to challange Boller next year, a RB, a couple of offensive linemen, a big defensive lineman, as well as some secondary help (nickel back in particular),  but these things can be taken care of with free agncy and the upcoming draft.

Bottom line is Billick deserves a chance to turn things around for the Ravens.  He has a 62-49 record, along with a Super Bowl ring.  He coached the then-youngest football in 2002 to a 7-9 record, just shy of the playoffs, and he is a players coach who treats his players with respect, and not like inmates with strict rules and curfews.

So good idea, Steve Bisciotti.  Billick deserves one more chance to turn this team around to the contenders we thought of them to be.

I'm a regular viewer of the NFL Network.  But more and more, I've been tuning in much more then normal.  Not because it's close to playoff time, or because Rich Eisen, Rod Woodsen or Terrell Davis has an exclusive.  Or not even because I wondered what happened to Butch Davis when he left the Browns last year.  It's one reason- the NFL Dance Off commercials.

Okay, let me just say that I am an avid fan of these commercials for a number of reasons.  First off, it shows me that these athletes like to have fun just like we do.  We love to glorify athletes and make them out to be larger then life.  But they are just humans that are gifted in their profession.  Another reason why I would like to see this, is because the NFL isn't big on the celebratory dances.  They pick and choose each week which ones are fine worthy and which ones they let slid- THAT week.

So, I want to start a petition.  Stop it with the commercials.  I want to see a weekly half-hour show of the players showcasing their other talents, or their 2 left feet.  You can either dance solo, or as a group.  The show should allow the fans to choose who should go to the next round, and the winner gets money to go to a charity of their choice.

The contest should be broken down by a couple of categories: Creativity, How well you do your routine, and crowd response.

Just imagine Chad Johnson and his Riverdance routine against Hines Ward and his Ickey Shuffle tribute.  Or have Steve Smith's changing the baby routine go up against Keenan McCardell's waiter impression (yes, I know T.O. did it first, but his 15 minutes is up, as far as I'm concerned).

You can have the Colts special teams doing their infamous sway (which I haven't seen all year.  Wonder why.....) against the mighty Pats team, which we only get a taste of when we see the commercials.

How about seeing Joey Porter's kicking-of-the-sand routine against Ray Lewis' kicking fist-pump?  Whose routine is better?  Decisions, decisions............

And to top it off, you can have an Old School show that showcases our favorite Hall of Famers going at it.  Like Deion Sanders and his skip against whatever Jerry Rice is planning to do on Dancing With the Stars.  I know I would pay money to see Joe Montana go head to head against Dan Marino.

Since the NFL has their heads still buried in the sand, they haven't realized that this is the new school NFL. They still don't allow players to express themselves once they reach the end zone. Sports are a form of entertainment, so why not let the players further entertain us with dance celebrations that don't offend your opponent, or anyone else?  This show would allow the players to get their frustrations out, and put on their best performance off the field.

So, to the NFL Network, I beg of you.  Make a real NFL Dance Off.  People like myself, who have way too much time on their hands, will tune in.  Mark my words.

I'm so ashamed of myself....On my Saturday blog, I chose the Broncos to beat the Ravens with a score of 45-7, while insinuating that the 7 Baltimore points would be garbage points under 2 minutes.  I was almost right.  We did score 7 points, but they weren't garbage points, and it was a little outside of 2 minutes (2:19 to be exact). 

People, I am a Ravens fan that has lost hope for this season.  I've actually done that a long time ago.  But I never expected us to play competitive football yesterday, against the Broncos.

But what bothers me is not that we lost, but the fact that WE lost.  The Baltimore Ravens lost to themselves, as they have done for much of the season.

Going into this game, all I could think of was the week before, when Denver and KC were going back and forth, only for the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs, 31-27.  It was a competitive game, something we Raven fans know not a lot about this season.  I just knew that we wouldn't be able to match up to their style of play, and would get a big serving this past weekend.

But when I saw BJ Sams start off with an excellent kick off return, I thought for a millisecond that maybe, just maybe, we had a chance to win.

And we did.  Throughout the game, we played competitive football.  The defense played really well.  They allowed the offense to make an attempt by forcing 3 and outs, and turnovers.

But then, here he comes.  Good ol' #7.  Kyle Boller himself, ladies and gentlemen.  In Bawlmer, MD, people go from happy to sad when #7 steps on the field.  We never know what to expect when he goes out.

So we grunt, and watch, and see the expected.  Four turnovers.  Three of them by #7, in the flesh.  One turnover so dumb, my seven year-old wouldn't make the same mistake (fumbling the ball with no one around him).  He makes my son's 8 yr-old teammate Jeremy look like Brett Favre with his play.

In the end, the fact of the matter is, we beat ourselves.  This game, along with other games against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati (1st game), Chicago, and possibly Tennessee, were all examples that we didn't just lose games; we pretty much give them away.

So what do the Ravens do, now?  First things first.  Do you keep Brian Billick as your head coach next year?  Up until yesterday, I would've said no.  But looking at the game, seeing that the players have not given up on him yet, shows me that he still has some control on this team.  There has been speculation that the locker room in B-More is divided, but so far, they've shown me that they aren't gonna lay down, not without a fight.  Still, the system is terrible, and people are tired of hearing Billick give "educated answers" and making excuses.  So I say, yes.  He's a great coach, but time for something fresh to come to town.

Next question is the QB situation.  Do you let Kyle stay?  What are the options, if not?  Well for starters, in all fairness, Kyle has not played a whole 2 seasons.  Last year in the second half, he started showing signs that he would be an average QB at best.  He did make some progress.  However, from the preseason up until this point, something has gone wrong.  He has all of these people to help him out, from Jim Fassel to Rick Neuheisel, trying to make him something that he is obviously not.  He probably will never be anything more with a backup QB.  He's too inconsistent for anyone to try and mentor him, something he missed out on coming to Baltimore.  So yes, he should stay, but just as a backup.  He already knows the system, and you can make him cap friendly.  After all, who's gonna pick him up?

As for who his successor will be, there are a few things that could happen.  Possibly trading for Philip Rivers, but we don't know how he will add up yet, since he's hasn't started in the league.  John Kitna from Cincy or Matt Schaub from Atlanta are good options, but I've seen Kitna start for the Bengals in the past, and I'm not sold on him.  Schaub is a very good insurance QB in Atlanta, so he may be a good pickup.  But, in my opinion, Steve McNair would be a good pickup if he is to be cut from the Titans, due to his large cap number.  He knows the Ravens very well from the AFC Central days, and he has Mason and Samari Rolle who were his former teammates, playing for the Ravens.  He is also a team player, and was the Co-MVP just 2 seasons ago who, I believe, still has a lot of football left in him.  Although he is very injury prone, if he is protected, he is very efficient at getting the balls to his guys.

Then there's my main man, Brett.  But I know that he'll either stay in Green Bay or retire.  Still, a girl can dream, can't she?

Jamal Lewis, bye-bye.  He's a selfish football player that wants to dance and two step, rather then go through the holes and make something out of nothing, because he doesn't want to get injured in case he leaves Baltimore.  Most people play harder when they are on the last year of their contract.  There's the door, Jamal. You and your 2,000 yards of '03 can go. Don't let the doorknob hit you where the good Lord split you.

There are also the intangibles to look at.  Offensive and Defensive lines need to be upgraded.  The Offensive line has 4 players over the age of 30.  And while the Defensive line plays with big hearts, they are undersized, and need at least one lineman that can plug a gap. 

The offensive line and secondary coaches need to be let go as well.  They have done a poor job of showcasing the talent that they have.  People thought that Baltimore may have had one of the most talented secondary in the league, but turnovers have been very scarce for this bunch.  And the offensive line can't hold a candle to the O-line of 2003, when Jamal had 2,006 yards.

Bottom line is, Baltimore is back at square one.  A lot of people, including myself, thought this was a true playoff caliber team.  But mediocre play and underachieving has been this team's M.O. from day one of the 2005 season.  So it's time to say bye-bye to a lot of people that we either love, or hate.

So to Billick, Jamal, Kyle, and whoever else fits the bill:    Thanks for your time here, but it's time for the Ravens move on to bigger and better things.

 

Dear Mr. Favre,

 

Hello.  I am one of your biggest fans.  I'm sure you hear this all of the time, and I know you think I'm sucking up to you, like everyone else does, and to a degree, you're right.  But this is more of a plea then a letter of admiration.

See, I don't agree with anything that the critics say about you.  What are they saying, you ask?  Well, almost every sports writer thinks that you are done after this season.  They say you are just about washed up.  They say you make way too many mistakes.  They say that you're not the same Brett Favre of a few years ago.  And while some of this may be true, I don't buy most of it.

It's not your fault that you have no offensive help.  You didn't blow out Javon Walker's knees, or injure Ahman Green, Robert Ferguson, Bubba Franks.  It wasn't your choice to let 2 of your best Offensive Linemen go.  May I go on?

It's not your fault that you STILL don't have a half way decent defense.  Heck, you're used that, right?  You haven't had one in years. 

It's not you're fault that this year in particular, you've had to try and put this team on your back. Yeah, I'm sure writers and analysts have said that before, but you had Walker, Franks, Green & Ferguson.  You had all of those weapons.  You have nothing now but a bunch of no names.

It looks like your main man Mike may not be the HCIC(Head Coach In Charge) any longer after this season.  And it's been put on record that you may retire if he is fired.

So, I have the perfect solution.  You want to win another Super Bowl, right?!  Guess what?  The Baltimore Ravens do, too!!!

Now look, I know our situation looks bad right now, but trust me when I say that we need you, WE NEED YOU!!!!!!!!

See, it works out perfectly!  Instead of Walker, Green, Ferguson and Franks, you'll have Mason, Lewis and/or Taylor, Clayton and Heap.  Isn't that a great combo???  Yeah, the O Line is horrible, but it's nothing free agency and the draft can't fix.  We even have a decent defense.  We want to win, too.  But we need that last piece of the puzzle, which is at...you guessed it...The Quarterback position.

I know the offense is vanilla, but look, Billick (or whatever coach we may have next year) will let you call audibles, no huddles, and run a sufficient 2 Minute Offense.

Just think about it, okay?  It'll be a match made in heaven, honestly.  We would love to have you here.  Forget about what everyone says about you retiring and being washed up.  If you decide to give it one more go, then give us a call.  We got your back.

 

Sincerely,

A Desperate Baltimore Ravens Fan.