Ray Lewis' passion shows up as ESPN analyst

Ray Lewis is still giving fiery speeches. Not in the Ravens locker room, but on ESPN. And Lewis is even using props, like his American Express card.

Lewis weighed in on the controversial penalty that was called on 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees.  Now an analyst for ESPN, Lewis didn’t hold back during a Monday night football panel discussion, saying the call was embarrassing for the NFL, criticizing Brees, and offering to pay half if Brooks was fined.

“This is the most embarrassing call in the National Football League since the tuck rule and Tom Brady,” Lewis said. “I’m serious. I’ve never seen this kind of insult to defenders…When you look at the hit, Ahmad Brooks took the hit and hit him exactly where he was supposed to hit him. Drew Brees’ neck slid down to that man’s arm. You cannot – you cannot – first of all, for that to be a flag is embarrassing. Let me tell you the second embarrassing thing. The second part that’s embarrassing about this is for Drew Brees to say, ‘I got hit so hard I knew it had to be a flag.’ This is the National Football League. I don’t understand what that means. When you get hit that hard from the blind side, it’s supposed to hurt.

“But I’ll tell you this. If they fine this kid, if they go on record and they fine this kid, Ahmad Brooks, I’m going to do something personally. I’m gonna pay half.  Half.”

When ESPN analyst Trent DeIfer said he thought Brooks would be fined, Lewis had more to say, with his American Express card in hand.

“If they fine this kid Trent, I’m gonna pay half this kid’s fine, because of one reason – because of one reason – defenders have to be respected as men before anything else,” Lewis said. “And that man made a clean hit that cost the San Francisco 49ers a complete football game yesterday and could have cost them in the playoffs.”

Clearly, Lewis still has a forum to vent his emotions. But Brooks may want to get that credit card number.


(csnbaltimore.com)