Browns RB Jamal Lewis has told reporters that he is planning to retire after the end of the 2009 season. This is a sad situation, mainly because he's on a Browns team that couldn't beat my son's Pop Warner team. But also because Lewis has a place in my heart from his days as a Raven.

The former 1st rounder of the 2000 draft, Lewis was a great asset to the Ravens, and was a key player in his rookie season as the Ravens won Super Bowl 35. Lewis was a bruising, down hill runner, pounding the rock for over 1,000 yards in all but 1 season during his tenure with the Ravens. Fans remember Lewis' remarkable 2003 season in which is rushed for 2066 (the 2nd highest in NFL history) and had a single season record game of rushing 295 yard game against the Browns. I remember a guy who played hard and was hard to tackle every time he got a hold of the ball.

Lewis , who just turned 30 in August, has always been injury prone, having 2 major knee surgeries by his sophomore season with the Ravens. And as recent as this season, has had groin problems which held him back in playing in games. With his style of running, it's no surprise that Lewis is ready to hang up his cleats for good.

While Lewis didn't really leave Baltimore with the best of terms (he made comments regarding the team and offensive line once he signed with Cleveland), what he did as a Raven will always be held in a high regard to me. In my opinion, once Lewis retires he should definitely be placed in the Ravens Ring Of Honor. Had Lewis not been the focal point of the offense during his record breaking season, the Ravens would have easily been 5-11 and no playoff hopes. He deserves to be acknowledged for what he has done for this team, he was a great player during his time here, and I'm sure the Ravens organization will pay great homage to Lewis.

Michael Vick is officially out of jail today, finishing his sentence via home confinement in VA. I, for one, am glad.

Look, I think dog fighting is wrong. Killing dogs is even worse. But do I think Vick should have served the time he did??? Absolutely not.

There are players in this league who have done worse in my opinion, yet got an easy ride. Jamal Lewis' drug federal case??? Only 4 months in prison and served all of his time in the offseason. Leonard Little drunk driving and killing a pedestrian??? Just 90 days in jail. I'm sure there are more cases I could use, but you get my point. Vick was made an example of, and he's served his time.



No matter how you feel about Vick, you cannot deny his talent. Vick was dubbed the most exciting player in football, coming out of Virginia Tech, and lived up to that hype with the Falcons . While his overall stats didn't live up to the hype (53.8 comp %, 75.7 career QB rating), his legs skyrocketed the team, even beating the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau (a rarity up until that loss) and advancing to the 2004 NFC Championship.

With the current craze over the wildcat formation, thanks to the Miami Dolphins, Vick could immediately be a factor moving forward in his career. Hopefully he'll find a new NFL home and move on with his life. He's served his time, now it's time move to the next chapter.

If you missed last night's NFL Total Access, check out this video of the Michael Vick Roundtable, with Deion, Marshall, Warren and Jamie. Very interesting.

Welcome Back Vick! May you pick up where you left off and resurrect your image and career!

You all know I love the NFL and I try to write about all 32 teams whenever I can. But in the midst of doing that, I tend to neglect my favorite team. My boys in purple and black. As you all know, I'm a HUGE Ravens fan (so what I just repeated my bio!). So I need to show my hometown team some love more often. Starting with... today.

The Ravens haven't been around that long (they are going into their 14th NFL season), but boy do they have a lot of history behind them. A Super Bowl title, 3 Defensive MVPs, one of the greatest Defenses of all time (statistically), and record breaking INTs, just to name a few. In their short time, the Ravens have truly made a name for themselves. I wanted to dedicate today's blog to my Top 5 players in Ravens history. I'm sure for all of my fellow Ravens fans, you will have a different list, adding and/or subtracting others. But they're all favorites to me... okay, sorry for the corny moment. But you get my point. Here we go:

#5- RB Jamal Lewis



One stat that has Jamal on my Top 5 list- 2,066 yards. That was the amount of yards Jamal rushed for during the 2003 season, adding him to an elite class of the 2,000 yds club. Of those yds, 500 of them alone came against the Cleveland Browns (Lewis set a single game rushing record of 295 yards, which has since been broken by Adrian Peterson). Without J Lew, the Ravens don't get into the playoffs that season. Kyle Boller was hurt and Anthony Wright came in to fill the QB spot, which meant that Jamal had to carry the load and he did just that. Jamal would have been higher on my list, but when he signed with the Browns in 2007 he became a real jerk and talked bad about the Ravens and their offensive line- the same line that helped him get those 2,066 yards. After that, it wasn't hard seeing him go at all. But he still makes my list.



#4- TE Shannon Sharpe




Okay, I know what you are going to say... Sharpe only played 2 seasons with the Ravens, why is he on this list?? Well, because I truly believe we do not get to the Super Bowl in 2000 if it weren't for him. Look, we all know the Ravens defense was a monster back then. No one could run or throw against us, we were that good. But how many have forgotten about how poor the offense was? Who remembers the 5 game drounght without a TD?


That was a rough time to be a Ravens fan. When the playoffs came around, Shannon was on his A game. In the Wild Card game, he turned a possible INT into a TD to beat his former team, the Broncos. In the Titans game he had a key catch that led the Ravens inside the Titans' 10. In the AFC Championship game he had a 96 yard TD against the Raiders. If Sharpe isn't on this team, the Ravens don't win the Super Bowl, point blank. Not to mention, he gave the best sound bytes while he was here (remember him calling Plaxico Burress "Plexiglass" LOL). I don't care if he was cut after the 2001 season, that's my dawg and I'm sticking to it.



#3 T Jonathon Ogden




This seems really unfair to put him at #3. He's the Ravens first ever draft pick (thank goodness Ozzie didn't listen to Modell and choose Lawrence Phillips). A cornerstone on the offensive line for 12 seasons. Future Hall Of Famer. He's done so much to help the Ravens during his tenure. Affectionately known as JO, he's been one of the most consistent players this team has ever had. And passionate. Whenever JO had a problem with the offensive scheme, play calling and protection, he had no problems telling his coaches what was on his mind. When Ogden had toe issues and missed playing time, he still came in the game and dominated while making it to the Pro Bowl. That's the kind of player he was. JO retired after the 2007 season, but no fan will ever forget him. Ogden will go down as one of the greatest offensive tackles in the NFL. He'll most certainly be our very first Ravens inducted in Canton, and I can't wait!




#2 S Ed Reed




I guess by now you see I have some kind of football love affair with Reed. He was #1 on my Fave Five list and now he's #2 on this list. But how can he NOT be on this list?! Coming out of Miami (the U) in 2002, Reed was a monster on special teams, especially blocking punts. But when he came into his own at the safety position..... he elevated his game to a new level. Reed is highly regarded around the league and Ravens fans adore him. A nice guy and a great player, Reed gives his all on the field week in and week out. Folks wait for him to make plays just so they can call his name, "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDD" at M&T Bank Stadium. People who can't stand the Ravens usually to make an exception to the rule with Reed. How do you dislike the guy and keep a straight face saying it?




#1 LB Ray Lewis



Do I really have to explain why he's #1 on this list??? *sigh* okay.
13 years in the league, 10 Pro Bowls, 8 All Pros, 2 Defensive MVPs, 1 Super Bowl MVP, and a partridge in a pear tree. Case closed.