Baltimore to erect a Ray Lewis statue

[McGinley]

Ray Lewis won't be suiting up for the Ravens next season, but he will always be part of the team and Baltimore's football history.

The Ravens are making sure that legacy is immortalized by building a statue for Lewis. This is something that Lewis deserves and has earned.

You can't think of the Ravens without picturing Lewis, whether it's him chasing down a running back, motivating teammates or doing his signature dance. The Ravens have a Ring of Honor, but Lewis transcends that. The team should build a statue for Lewis. The Ravens should make Lewis' No. 52 the first one that is retired in team history. Anything you can do to thank a player, the Ravens should do that for Lewis.

"I think he set himself apart in Baltimore sports history," owner Steve Bisciotti said of Lewis, "and we will certainly look into [building a statue] and I would not be surprised if there is one there in the next year or two."

Bisciotti said he doesn't know where the statue will be built. There is already one for Johnny Unitas on one side of M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens should place Lewis' statue in his own plaza outside the stadium. There needs to be a separation. Unitas represents Baltimore's old team, and Lewis will be the enduring image of the new one.

The Ravens have had other great players from Hall of Fame lineman Jonathan Ogden to safety Ed Reed. But no one has been the face of a franchise like Lewis. The Ravens haven't played a season without Lewis. The Ravens' era is the Lewis era. This franchise has existed for 17 seasons, and for 17 seasons, Lewis has been the ultimate leader.

Lewis' legacy is viewed differently around the country because of the incident in Atlanta 13 years ago. But in Baltimore, he will be remembered as the one who brought two Super Bowl titles to the city and led a decade of dominance on the defensive side of the ball.

This announcement is actually the fulfillment of a handshake agreement that predates Bisciotti. Back in the late 1990s, a high-ranking team official, who is no longer with the Ravens, promised Lewis that he would build a statue outside of the stadium if he led the team to a Super Bowl title. With two Lombardi trophies, Lewis has more than held up his end of the deal.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/po...-for-ray-lewis

[Timmy®]

Make the Ray Lewis statue attempting to murder the Johnny Unitas statue

[WestCoastOffensive]

LOL

[McGinley]

[PatsFanTX]

[chesapeakejet]

Lewis haters can take comfort in knowing that birds will show their affection as well.

[chesapeakejet]

Originally Posted by PatsFanTX

Hey brain surgeon, you're holding the wrong end!

[Vinny Testaverde's Niece]

[Ruby2]

Originally Posted by Timmy®

Make the Ray Lewis statue attempting to murder the Johnny Unitas statue

Timmy for mod

[chesapeakejet]

Originally Posted by Timmy®

Make the Ray Lewis statue attempting to murder the Johnny Unitas statue

Yeah, they can on one of those tracks that go 'round and 'round like one of those xmas scenes! lololol

[PocketJet]

The guy is scum. A shame that this franchise can't understand why a statue is way out of order.

[Eckesg1]

You know I really don't mind them making a statue. He is probably the second greatest player in the history of Baltimore football after Johnny U.

As long as it is at the stadium and is seen in a football context, then I'm okay with it.

If they put it up with some plaque mentioning that he was a great "person" then you'd be entering dangerous territory.

[SgtAshton]

The Guy is involved when an altercation gets outta hand. He testifies that his Friend said he threw punches with a knife in hand. Since then he's devoted his life to making sure others don't make those same mistakes. From children to other NFL players. you don't often hear of any off the field legal problems in Baltimore that plagues many teams.

Add in the fact the guy has been with the ravens since they existed and easily their best player ever and in his prime one of the best MLB's to ever play the game.
The heart and soul of one of the best defensives if not the best defense over a 15 year period as players and coaches came and went. Evidenced by the record when he was on the field vs off the field.

The guy has had huge influence and changed more lives for the good then most will ever know on and off the field id say the accolades are in order.

[GuidoYaztremski]

Originally Posted by SgtAshton

The Guy is involved when an altercation gets outta hand. He testifies that his Friend said he threw punches with a knife in hand. Since then he's devoted his life to making sure others don't make those same mistakes. From children to other NFL players. you don't often hear of any off the field legal problems in Baltimore that plagues many teams.

Add in the fact the guy has been with the ravens since they existed and easily their best player ever and in his prime one of the best MLB's to ever play the game.
The heart and soul of one of the best defensives if not the best defense over a 15 year period as players and coaches came and went. Evidenced by the record when he was on the field vs off the field.

The guy has had huge influence and changed more lives for the good then most will ever know on and off the field id say the accolades are in order.

The guy certainly did change lives. Like the lives of the families who lost their loved ones. I'd say handcuffs are more in oreder than accolades.

Slayings not forgotten, Ray Lewis not forgiven
Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY Sports4:38p.m. EST January 12, 2013
It has been 13 years since two friends were murdered in Atlanta after the Super Bowl, and their families still question the involvement of the Ravens linebacker.

My nephew was brutally beaten and murdered and nobody is paying for it," Baker's uncle, Greg Wilson, told USA TODAY Sports. "Everything is so fresh in our mind, it's just like it happened yesterday. We'll never forget this."

Only Lewis pleaded guilty in relation to the case: for obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor. He originally was charged with two counts of murder but struck a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against two of his companions that night, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting.

Lewis never directly linked his two friends to the killings, and they were acquitted. Lewis had testified that Oakley, Sweeting and another man had gone to a sporting goods store the previous day to buy knives. Baker's blood later was found in Lewis' limo. Having fled the crime scene, Lewis told the limo's passengers to "keep their mouths shut." The white suit Lewis was wearing that night — on Super Bowl Sunday — never was found.

"I'm not trying to end my career like this," Lewis said in his hotel that night, according to the testimony of a female passenger in the limo.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...-2000/1566198/

[JB1089]

He's deserving of a statue. There is no one more associated with the Baltimore Ravens than Ray Lewis.

[southside]

You said erect. Huhuhuhu.

[Beerfish]

The hidden compartment in the statue

[Nike]

1 of the best lbs to ever play the game.

[John_0515]

Originally Posted by Nike

1 of the best lbs to ever play the game.

+1

Despite his "whatever you want to call it", he was a monster on the field.

[patman]

I was going to rip into this as the thread title said Baltimore, and I thought the city was going to do it, needless to say that would have been way out of line.
But it is just the organization, not the city. The team hand no issue with him playing, why would they have an issue with putting up a statue? They had him on a media guide covers, itwas not like they were trying to keep him out of the limelight.