Ray Lewis Retires - Baltimore asks: Motivation or Distraction?

[ColtsHappy]

It's here:

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/nonsense-sp-*-ravens-ray-lewis-retires-0103-20130102,0,5901317.column?track=rss

 

Enjoy and comment if you feel it.....

 

ColtsHappy

[ColtsHappy]

Here is the part I found to be interesting....

 

 

What no one wants to consider, however, is whether that wellspring of local sentiment and all the national media hype that is going to come with it over the next few days could turn out to be a two-edged blade. Lewis has forced his way back into the spotlight after missing much of the regular season and, you could make the case, made Sunday's game more about himself than the team. Whether that makes him an inspiration or a distraction remains to be seen.

[Warhorse]

Well, emotion and inspiration shall meet at the 50 yard line. At the end of the game...00:00, it will be guys beating the man across form them, each play, that will determine the game.

 

I like what our teams brings.

[oldunclemark]

major, major motivation.....

...just like coach Chuck's return was to us...

[Jay Roland]

I believe Ray is serious about retiring but at the same time he is using it for motivation for his team. it could hurt more than help but we will have to see. I believe we can win this game but we will have to play an almost perfect game in all 3 aspects of the game.

[Hendo12]

First thought was ain't this a +.

[PrincetonTiger]

it could become a distrction

[TonyBungee]

IMO, this is high risk-high reward for the Ravens. Ray will come out, his team & fans will be in a frenzy, & that will be a lot for this young Colts team to overcome. BUT, what if he's healthy enough to play, but doesn't play all that well? What if he's lost a step, & has trouble getting off a block or covering a TE? I know those are big "IF"s, but we don't really know. They can't sit him unless he just wears down, which is also possible.

I don't have a great feeling about this game to be honest, but I can tell you one thing: This Colts team will play their hearts out for the full 60 minutes, and more if necessary. So I won't be changing the channel even if they get down a bunch early.

[gbrads_rants]

This may be the most exciting game to watch all weekend....I love the Colts but I've always been a Ray Lewis fan....and he's definitely lost a step. He shedded alot of weight in the offseason to be quicker but he lost alot of power, he's just not the same guy....T Sizzle isnt the same...Ed Reid is still Ed Reid but he's ready to retire as well....the Defense just isnt the same. My biggest concern is Ngata in the middle....I hope Shipley starts because Satele will be eaten alive.

[subvet]

Motivation, the whole team has been dragging lately and the Colts play has almost been inspired....with a few speed bumps.

[houstonwhodat]

I hope the Colts destroy the Ravens.

 

Personally I don't like RL.  I think he's a murderer.

[oldunclemark]

This may be the most exciting game to watch all weekend....I love the Colts but I've always been a Ray Lewis fan....and he's definitely lost a step. He shedded alot of weight in the offseason to be quicker but he lost alot of power, he's just not the same guy....T Sizzle isnt the same...Ed Reid is still Ed Reid but he's ready to retire as well....the Defense just isnt the same. My biggest concern is Ngata in the middle....I hope Shipley starts because Satele will be eaten alive.

This is thre last stand for THIS Baltimore team....

It isnt being said but this may be Ed Reed's last game, too. He's been talked out of retirement the last year or two.

The Ravens' 'D' has to get faster...and younger....

Hopefully the Colts can show that...

[MSColtsFan]

The Ravens were going into this as losers of four of the last five games.  There might not be public uncertainty, any open discussion of doubt, but management and players alike have to be concerned at the least about how the season ended, and the performances heading into the playoffs.  Now comes an added pressure, to keep winning for Ray.  If the Ravens weren't veterans of the playoff wars, didn't have a history of fighting through battles, I'd say the announcement would have a negative impact.  I think this buys the Ravens the first ten minutes of hysteria, and then it becomes a football game again, like all the others.  And lets say the Colts get the opening kickoff, and sustain a drive, get a few first downs, or even score some points.  I think that emotion, that surge is spent, and the announcement is meaningless.   But the longer the Colts hang around, the more in doubt the result is, the more the announcement I think hurts than it helps. 

[Jules]

I am not suprised he is retiring. Like Ed Reed too has been rumored to maybe retire as well in recent seasons.

 

Every time these Ravens take the field in the playoffs you often wonder if it is their last go around on D.

 

Last year I truly felt vs. NE they might have blown their last shot at winning a ring in the Ray era and I was much much higher on their D last year. It has struggled a lot this year at times, especially vs. the run.

 

Well lets hope it adds distraction and pressure on Flacco who I do not feel is alwasy the best under pressure.........especially vs. good pass rushers.

[Larry Horseman]

I hope the Colts destroy the Ravens.

 

Personally I don't like RL.  I think he's a murderer.

Pathetic. You don't have to like him but there's much more to the man and the football player than a mistake he made while still young and an acquittal.

I think it is motivation but one reason he is retiring is because he understands he lost a step...

[Jules]

In a crazy way this could be used by Pagano for more motivation for the Colts too. Help play up even more of the "us vs. them" mentality. Starting in the offseason he has been great at this.....with the power rankings on the shirts. And we have heard his speeches, "Remember where they all had you in the beginning, every last one of them."

 

Now they go into the playoffs again as solid underdogs and even more so with Ray Lewis.

 

The Colts are a true TEAM. They will just have to keep relying on each other and fighting vs. the world.......

 

Ray can give one great motivational pre game speech but so can Chuck. And our message has been around longer and been a uniting factor all season long.

[terpsnation]

I don't see how Ray's announcement can be anything other than motivation.

 

This Ravens team will be playing in Ray Lewis' last game ever in the NFL - whether or not they win against the Colts.  I can imagine that they want nothing less than sending Ray out on top with another ring.  This will be fuel for their fire, whether they have the lead or are losing the game.  There is no way that any Raven player will give anything other than 100% in order to get a win and move onto the next round.  That would hang over them for the rest of their career, no matter how long they are in the NFL.

 

The Ravens now have a dual purpose in winning:

1. Get as far in the playoffs as they possibly can
2. Send Ray Lewis out on top

[JoKeR]

I don't see how this can be a distraction.

[The Fish]

I'll vote for Desperation.

[HtownColt]

As long as it doesn't motivate Jim Caldwell to feed Ray Rice on a consistent basis. I still like our chances

[terpsnation]

As long as it doesn't motivate Jim Caldwell to feed Ray Rice on a consistent basis. I still like our chances

That's the reason we got rid of Cam Cameron

[sixfive]

Ray Lewis is a gamer, But lets remember he is one man.  The Ravens are beat up on the D side of the ball.  If the Colts O line can keep Luck on his feet the Ravens will have a long day.  The Colts D has to keep Ray Rice to short gains on all runs.  The Colts back end will be fine against the Ravens receivers.  The is a game the Colts can win it, as Rice goes so do the Ravens.  If the Colts just go at this game with a blue collar attitude the Colts will have this. Go Colts.

[terpsnation]

Ray Lewis is a gamer, But lets remember he is one man.  The Ravens are beat up on the D side of the ball.  If the Colts O line can keep Luck on his feet the Ravens will have a long day.  The Colts D has to keep Ray Rice to short gains on all runs.  The Colts back end will be fine against the Ravens receivers.  The is a game the Colts can win it, as Rice goes so do the Ravens.  If the Colts just go at this game with a blue collar attitude the Colts will have this. Go Colts.

In the last 6 games of the season, the Ravens D allowed an average of 299 yards per game.  That's good enough to be ranked 4th in the league.

 

Our D may not be as beat up as you think it is

[cbear]

Motivation for the fans to cheer louder, but for the players, I don't think it will have much of an effect.  I think they already knew this was the way he was leaning.  By game time, all the motivation they will need is the want to move on in the *.

[SyX]

It is likely Ray's last game here in Baltimore, and the right thing for the fans.  They'll come out and give him their final farewell, knowing it is probably the last time they'll see him in game action at M&T.  I think that was probably a big part of his motivation to make the announcement when he did.  There's veteran leadership up and down the Ravens team, now coupled with the motivation of beating the hated Colts (who left before a good many of the Ravens fans were born) as well as sending Ray off right. 

 

The Colts are (obviously) a young team with some veteran leadership.  If they can jump on the Ravens early and stuff the run, they'll take the crowd out of it.  I don't think the players on either side need more motivation, but it will be interesting to see if Ray is at game speed, and if the emotion takes a toll.