Ray Lewis Decides To Finish His Career with the Baltimore Ravens

After many months of speculation, Ray Lewis signed a three-year deal to finish his career with the Ravens yesterday. The question that comes out of this is has Lewis worn out his welcome in Baltimore, and is he still a top flight linebacker in the NFL?

Ray Lewis loves his mother Ms. Buffy. Ray Lewis loves God and preaches the good word. Ray Lewis is a leader on the football field and a Super Bowl champion. Ray Lewis knows who committed a double homicide in Atlanta.

Nothing is personal in Baltimore except sports. The mayor gets arrested, Baltimoreans aren't surprised. A city councilman gets gunned down, Baltimoreans shake their heads. A whistleblower against a drug dealer gets her house firebombed and she and her six kids are killed, and Baltimoreans throw their hands up and wonder how this could have happened. 

Ray Lewis tests the waters of free agency, well, how dare he?

Johnny Unitas was a San Diego Charger, had to wear the mustard pants and the lightning bolt helmet. Let go from the Baltimore Colts, it was a business decision. His No. 19 hangs in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Yet, no football player in Baltimore is as beloved. Need evidence? Stand in line to rub his cleats on his statue outside of M&T Bank Stadium before a Ravens game.  

Ray Lewis is to the Ravens as Johnny U was to the Baltimore Colts. He is the identity of the franchise. Johnny U never should have played a down in San Diego, he was a broken down old quarterback. Ray is far from that. While he doesn't have the superhuman ability of his mid 20s, ask Rashard Mendenhall if he can still hit in 2008.

Johnny Unitas died broke. No, not begging for change broke, but he had to do card shows and sign autographs with his crippled hands to make ends meet. Life after the NFL happens, the paychecks stop coming.

The taxes are the same, the family you're supporting are the same, the payday is not. While in these times, it's tempting to shed crocodile tears for any player who holds out for a bigger contract, but this is it for Ray. In three years, he will retire. At the ripe old age of 36.

Ray Lewis' career could be a tale of redemption, from sitting in a jail cell in Atlanta, to raising the Lombardi trophy above his head in triumph. No one will ever again wear No. 52 for the Ravens. There might be a statue of him next to Johnny U in the stadium plaza.

His name in Baltimore will be synonymous with toughness and attitude. While Lewis might have some fences to mend in Charm City, he got Baltimore a ring, and for a time, brought a broken city together. Now that's personal.