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 Comments and analysis from the Ravens' Super Bowl victory.
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 Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis speaks with ESPN's Andrea Kremer.
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Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis is this week's Sunday Conversation.
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| | Monday, January 29
Say what you want, but Lewis came to play
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- Disneyland didn't warm up to him. Wheaties didn't include him on the Super Bowl box of champions. His Super Bowl XXXV ring was won in a city
known for XXX dancing.
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MVP Lewis left off
Wheaties box |
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TAMPA, Fla. -- Shannon Sharpe's mood changed in an instant.
One moment, the Baltimore Ravens tight end was in his favorite spot Sunday night -- in front of a microphone and surrounded by an audience of attentive media members.
That familiar wide smile was in full effect as Sharpe crowed about the Ravens' defense and stretched his metaphors enough to compare Baltimore quarterback Trent Dilfer to Denver legend John Elway.
As Sharpe continued to hold court, a stadium attendant made his way to the podium and plopped down a newly minted box of Wheaties in front of the mouth that was roaring.
"Oh, I'm on the Wheaties box again," shouted Sharpe, who knows well the spoils that go to the Super Bowl champions after winning the title in three of the last four seasons.
But as Sharpe reached forward and grabbed the box, his smile suddenly disappeared and his brow furrowed in disgust.
"They got my homeboy, Sugar Ray, on the box?" Sharpe asked, wondering if Super Bowl XXXV MVP Ray Lewis was one of the five Ravens players adorning the front of the cereal box.
When he didn't get an answer from the surrounding press, Sharpe repeated the question with a little more edge: "Is my homeboy, Sugar Ray, on the box?"
Sharpe knew the answer. He knew that General Mills had chosen not to include the man who had just dominated the Ravens' 34-7 victory over the New York Giants, the man whom Sharpe had referred to as "the best player in football" just moments earlier. He knew that Lewis' association with the highly publicized double-murder case in Atlanta a year ago had caused another company to keep its distance from the All-Pro linebacker.
He knew why Lewis wasn't chosen to represent the "Breakfast of Champions," and he knew Lewis wouldn't be going to Disney World on Monday.
"Maaan," Sharpe said, as he shook his head and emphatically slammed the box down on the podium.
And with that, Shannon Sharpe's Super Bowl press conference was over. He jumped from his chair and headed for the locker room, ignoring a reporter who shouted, "There's no sugar in Wheaties."
On the other side of the interview room, Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden let out a big grin when he recognized himself on the Wheaties box, saying he had dreamed about the achievement since he was a kid.
But then Ogden was informed that Lewis had not been selected to represent Baltimore's champions along with Sharpe, defensive end Michael McCrary, wide receiver Qadry Ismail and cornerback Rod Woodson.
The back of the box even goes as far as to say "the Ravens outstanding defense is led by the likes of McCrary and Woodson."
Never mind the guy who was named Defensive Player of the Year.
"That's a shame," said Ogden. "If they're going to put anyone on the box, it should be Ray Lewis. But I'm happy to be on there."
No doubt Lewis would be, too.
Kevin Jackson, ESPN.com
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Meet Ray Lewis, the most complex MVP in the 35-year history of
the Super Bowl. His Super Bowl story does have an "R" rating for violence.
Lewis' post-Super Bowl XXXIV celebration last year ended up landing him in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit as a suspect in a double murder. Murder charges against him were later dropped.
Ray Lewis is a hero trying to shake the status of being a villain
because he was involved in an unsolved altercation in which two young men
were killed. His story isn't for the Magic Kingdom. This was real life.
He made the mistake of hanging with a bad gang.
Save this story for Showtime or HBO, and place a parental advisory at the beginning. But don't distort the reality that Lewis was the
reason the Baltimore Ravens have Super Bowl rings and the New York Giants don't. Lewis'
defense pitched a shutout even though the score was 34-7, marred only by a
meaningless 97-yard kickoff return by Ron Dixon.
"One thing about the man upstairs," Lewis said. "He doesn't put
you through tragedy without putting you through triumph if you take him to
heart. There is no feeling of emotion like there is right now. To be where I
was last year and be where I am right now."
Lewis is a 25-year-old Super Bowl champ who was given a second
chance. Twenty-five-year-olds don't mature overnight. But that fateful Super
Bowl night last year changed Lewis, and the metamorphosis is ongoing.
The charges -- all were dropped except obstruction of
justice for which he pled guilty -- forced him to focus on a game that was almost lost to him. Those adversities made him focus. Picture him a year ago, dressed up in a plush white mink coat hopping the Atlanta club scene. This year, Lewis came to Tampa to party, but the dance floor was Raymond James Stadium.
Lewis, always the last Ravens defender to be
introduced in pregame ceremonies, was urged by his teammates to try and copy an early season dance. Emotions caught
up with him and his steps turned wild. Next, he grabbed a handful of grass
to signify that Raymond James was Ravens turf.
After that, Lewis and his defense spent three-plus hours raking the
field with Giants' offensive players, and Lewis was the main gardener. He had
five tackles and four pass defenses. More than anything else, though, he
established his authority early in the game. Giants, stay off his turf.
"Everybody was saying that coming up to the Super Bowl, that this
was going to affect me, that I wasn't going to play well," Lewis said. "I
had a higher power that helped me."
Giants offensive coordinator Sean Peyton wanted to make a statement
early in the game against Lewis and the Ravens' defense. Normally, he
scripts 15 plays. Figuring that the Ravens are the toughest team in football
to run against, Peyton was going to order Kerry Collins to throw.
The Ravens stuffed the Giants on three three-and-outs in the first
four possessions. The Giants' first 18 plays netted only 28 yards. Collins
had 12 net yards passing on his first nine attempts. And Lewis made a play
that will stand in Super Bowl highlights forever.
Giants halfback Tiki Barber was running to the sidelines. Lewis,
coming from the far hashmarks, raced across the field in a straight line and
tackled the speedy Barber for a mere 2-yard gain. The run symbolized his
speed and focus. His angle was unbelievable. His speed was like Superman.
"There was nothing on this earth that would have affected me," Lewis
said. "If people were waiting to see me stumble now, I'll stumble with a
ring on my finger."
Lewis wasn't going to stumble because he was ready to rumble Sunday.
As amazing as his across-the-field stop on Barber was his ability to cover
and bother Collins all over the field. Once, he jumped into the sky to
deflect a Collins slant pass. Another time, he leaped and almost tipped
another. He'd run 25 yards downfield to deflect intermediate passes.
"Ray has a way of always setting the tone," Baltimore defensive coordinator
Marvin Lewis said. "He sets the tone when he comes out of that tunnel. He's
been that way from the first day he walked into that building. He's set the
tone for this organization. He's a quality person, a quality player and you
see everyone feeds off him."
But what about the dance?
"That's Ray," Marvin Lewis continued. "That is not a dance. That is
nothing but the energy he's got in his body."
Lewis captured the MVP award by garnering 11 of 19 votes. Ravens
quarterback Trent Dilfer had five. Cornerback Duane Starks, who returned a
Collins interception 49 yards for a touchdown, had one and a half. Kick
returner Jamaine Lewis had one. Cornerback Chris McAlister had a half.
But Lewis won the whole award because he is the heart and soul of
the Ravens. Every Friday, he gets together with tight end Shannon Sharpe to
tell him how many points he needs from the offense. Defensively, the Ravens
don't need much.
"I need 10 points from you," Lewis told Sharpe.
Dilfer hit Brandon Stokley for a 38-yard touchdown in the first
half. Matt Stover booted a 47-yard field goal.
|  | | Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (52) fights for position against New York tight end Pete Mitchell.
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"Game over," Lewis said. He
was right. The game was over.
"This is the greatest show on earth," Lewis said of the Ravens' defense. "When we step on the field, we are going to hit you for 60 minutes. We not just broke records on defense. We shattered them. Honestly,
what motivates us is getting three-and-outs. If we get them early, we're
going to get you the rest of the day."
Marvin Lewis further motivated his troops by splicing together a
five-minute video. He showed scenes from the movie Gladiator. He
showed the scene in which Russell Crowe told the slaves that they were going
to wreak havoc. Then came an isolated shot of Ray Lewis. Next came the fight
scenes followed by Ray Lewis highlights. The finale was Crowe in a circle
with the slaves and how they needed to stay together or die. Flashes of
defensive backs playing together and linebackers playing together were
shown.
The team was so inspired that they watched the tape again Sunday
morning. The image of Ray Lewis was striking.
"My body is tingling," Lewis said. "We are the world champs."
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