Maybe we don't have the ability to recognize greatness like we thought we did.  Maybe we all bought into the dance, the outspoken manner of leadership, and the devotion of his teammates.  Maybe we put Ray Lewis in the all-time elite linebacker class a bit too soon.  He was at least successful in "Farving"  the Ravens in the first round of the draft (Farving is defined as holding your own employer hostage until you get exactly what you want so you look like a hero, again).  Did the Ravens have any choice but to draft Haloti Ngata in the first round to serve as a personal protector for the great Ray Lewis?  Obviously they didn't think so, moving up one spot to get him.  Quarterbacks are constantly ridiculed if their skills appear to only be successful in a certain style of offense or system.  Is this not exactly what Ray Lewis said about himself recently?  "Let me do what I do" he exclaimed in an attempt to implore the Ravens to get bigger defensive tackles that could take on blocks so Ray could run free and make plays.  I'm sorry.  I thought great players were just great.  I don't remember Jerry Rice carrying Bill Walsh's playbook around from team to team so he could be more successful.  How often to we Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brian Urlacher, LaDanian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander, Ty Law, and the other great NFL players deliver a public outcry for their respective teams to acquire players for the sole purpose of allowing them to look better.  These guys are just great.  Some of them on good teams, some not, but all do their job and make plays in whatever situation they are in.  This is what greatness is.  Sure, we would all like to have someone at our jobs that took all the difficult tasks off of our shoulders, leaving us only with the much easier and more attention-getting tasks.  However, raising the level of those around you to be what the team needs them to be is supposed to be Ray's gift.  This is his specialty.  No one in the past 10 years has gotten more credit for being able to do that than Ray Lewis.  No one has looked more pathetic in such a public admission of the contrary.  Ray Lewis is now officially a self-proclaimed system player.  Congratulations Ray.  You are now a glorified Chad Brown, Kevin Greene, or Rich Gannon.  Congratulations.