TAMPA – Like it not America, Ray Lewis is your Super Bowl XXXV Most Valuable Player.
And no, he is not going to Disney World. Not at the moment anyway.
If you’re a football purist, someone who’s still uncomfortable with Lewis’ wrong doings in Atlanta a year ago, you’re going to have very difficult time embracing Lewis as the MVP, as an athletic hero.
If you’re in search of a compelling story, however, they don’t get more bizarre and twisted and even uncomfortable than this one. Lewis has gone from murder suspect to MVP, all in a year.
“If you put this is a storybook, no one would believe it,” Lewis said.
It’s difficult to imagine Lewis – only months ago in a prison suit and shackles in a courtroom -regaling amidst the confetti the same way Kurt Warner and Dick Vermeil did a year ago.
Even though Lewis was legally exonerated from involvement in that double murder a year ago in Atlanta, it’s difficult to believe that he doesn’t know exactly what went down and why that night.
And, while watching Lewis stand at the podium awash in his MVP trimmings with a fresh world championship T-shirt on, it was difficult not to think about what a sickening sight that must have been for the still-grieving families of the two victims.
But last night’s dominant 34-7 thrashing of the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium was about football.
So, those who are uncomfortable embracing Lewis as a hero, you have no choice but to deal with it.
And Lewis, with his five tackles, four passes defensed and rare sideline-to-sideline ability to hunt down the ball, is worthy of praise.
“What (other people) think of him personally, they have to make their own mind up,” Ravens’ coach Brian Billick said. “I’ve been with the man for two years and he’s a class act.”
Really, though, the entire Ravens’ defense, which stifled the Giants offense, holding it to 152 total yards (36 in the second half) and 11 first downs, deserved the MVP trophy.
To give it to any individual was wrong.
The Ravens’ defense allowed a mere total of 23 points in four post-season games, a paltry average of fewer than six points per game.
They said before the game that they were the best and now it’s a difficult argument to think any other way.
“Ray has a way of always setting the tone,” Ravens’ defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis said. “He sets the tone when he comes out of that tunnel.”
Speaking of the tunnel, when Ray Lewis was introduced in pre-game, he stepped out of the tunnel, bent over, grabbed a chunk of grass and ran onto the field.
“I picked the grass up to symbolize that this is our turf,” Lewis said.
“I came to Tampa to do one thing and we’ve done it,” Lewis continued. “It’s a totally different ball game when you have a buzz saw coming at you from all different directions. That’s when reality sets in.”
Lewis said he told teammate Shannon Sharpe that the defense needed 10 points to work with.
“When we got it to 10 at halftime, that’s when (the Giants’) will was gone,” Lewis said. “When we came out for the second half, I told Shannon, ‘OK, you guys did your job, we’ll take care of the rest.'”
“Minnesota let (Kerry) Collins stay back in the pocket all day,” Lewis said. “We did what we always do – blitz people to get them out of their game. Our mentality is when we step onto the field we’re going to hit you for 60 minutes.”
Lewis said the Ravens were pining to get the shutout, which would have been a first in Super Bowl history, but their special teams allowed Ron Dixon’s kickoff return for a TD.
“The man upstairs tells you, ‘I would never take you through hell without bringing you to triumph,'” Lewis said. “That’s why I’m sitting up here now. If (my detractors) are waiting for me to stumble, now I can stumble with a ring on my finger.”