DLK150
The Quiet Man
- Messages
- 1,313
- Reaction score
- 6
Exhibition warmup: R. Lewis says T.O. not worth words
Aug. 2, 2004
By Clark Judge
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!
WESTMINSTER, Md. -- Well, now we have an exhibition game worth watching, and it's that Aug. 20 start involving Baltimore and Philadelphia. Forget about who wins or loses, or what rookie makes an impact; this one's all about Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis and Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens and what happens the first time they meet.
Owens didn't exactly endear himself to Lewis -- or the Ravens -- when he talked his way out of a trade to Baltimore this spring. And he dug himself in deeper last weekend when he said Lewis was "not the hardest hitter that ever played the game of football" and insisted he wasn't "going to shy away from my style of play vs. his style of play."
Those comments didn't look good on paper. They seemed worse Monday morning when Lewis first learned of them.
"Let me tell you something real quick," Lewis said, "I never proclaimed to be the hardest hitter. Second and foremost, tell T.O. to keep my name out of his mouth. I play football for the Baltimore Ravens. We are not in his division. I don't care nothing about of this guy. Why does he need me to make his reputation?
"Tell him I'm tired of that. I play football. And, sooner or later, no matter how much he talks about what he's not scared to do, he still has to line up and play football."
It was then that a teammate, walking by Lewis on his way to the locker room, leaned in and said "three catches, 23 yards." Those were Owens' numbers against Baltimore last year when the Ravens drilled San Francisco 44-6.
"Three catches for 23 yards," Lewis repeated. "That's what he had when he played us last year, so nothing's different. I don't entertain what he says. I'm here to win a championship."
The Ravens will have their chance. They are the defending AFC North champion and should be the division's top club again. One reason is they have running back Jamal Lewis, who produced 2,066 yards a year ago, and the other is they have the game's top defensive player in Ray Lewis. OK, so maybe he's not the "hardest hitter that ever played the game of football," but tell me who hits harder today?
Better yet, tell Terrell Owens.
"Ray knows the game, he's been in the game a long time and he's seen a lot of guys," said safety Ed Reed, who is close to Lewis. "T.O. is just another guy.
"Everybody is boosting up T.O., but I don't know what he did. He hasn't done anything yet. It's not like he won the Super Bowl or anything like that. T.O. is a nobody. We shut him down: three for 23 yards. He's nothing."
Owens, of course, will have his chance to respond. If nothing happens in the Aug. 20 game -- and both sides probably will play their starters sparingly -- the Ravens return to Philadelphia on Oct. 31. Appropriately, it's Halloween.
You can guarantee Lewis will have something to say. Only it will be reserved for Owens and delivered when the two meet.
"I will not put Terrell Owens in another one of my interviews," Lewis promised. "For what?"
Aug. 2, 2004
By Clark Judge
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!
WESTMINSTER, Md. -- Well, now we have an exhibition game worth watching, and it's that Aug. 20 start involving Baltimore and Philadelphia. Forget about who wins or loses, or what rookie makes an impact; this one's all about Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis and Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens and what happens the first time they meet.
Owens didn't exactly endear himself to Lewis -- or the Ravens -- when he talked his way out of a trade to Baltimore this spring. And he dug himself in deeper last weekend when he said Lewis was "not the hardest hitter that ever played the game of football" and insisted he wasn't "going to shy away from my style of play vs. his style of play."
Those comments didn't look good on paper. They seemed worse Monday morning when Lewis first learned of them.
"Let me tell you something real quick," Lewis said, "I never proclaimed to be the hardest hitter. Second and foremost, tell T.O. to keep my name out of his mouth. I play football for the Baltimore Ravens. We are not in his division. I don't care nothing about of this guy. Why does he need me to make his reputation?
"Tell him I'm tired of that. I play football. And, sooner or later, no matter how much he talks about what he's not scared to do, he still has to line up and play football."
It was then that a teammate, walking by Lewis on his way to the locker room, leaned in and said "three catches, 23 yards." Those were Owens' numbers against Baltimore last year when the Ravens drilled San Francisco 44-6.
"Three catches for 23 yards," Lewis repeated. "That's what he had when he played us last year, so nothing's different. I don't entertain what he says. I'm here to win a championship."
The Ravens will have their chance. They are the defending AFC North champion and should be the division's top club again. One reason is they have running back Jamal Lewis, who produced 2,066 yards a year ago, and the other is they have the game's top defensive player in Ray Lewis. OK, so maybe he's not the "hardest hitter that ever played the game of football," but tell me who hits harder today?
Better yet, tell Terrell Owens.
"Ray knows the game, he's been in the game a long time and he's seen a lot of guys," said safety Ed Reed, who is close to Lewis. "T.O. is just another guy.
"Everybody is boosting up T.O., but I don't know what he did. He hasn't done anything yet. It's not like he won the Super Bowl or anything like that. T.O. is a nobody. We shut him down: three for 23 yards. He's nothing."
Owens, of course, will have his chance to respond. If nothing happens in the Aug. 20 game -- and both sides probably will play their starters sparingly -- the Ravens return to Philadelphia on Oct. 31. Appropriately, it's Halloween.
You can guarantee Lewis will have something to say. Only it will be reserved for Owens and delivered when the two meet.
"I will not put Terrell Owens in another one of my interviews," Lewis promised. "For what?"
