Mike Preston: Ray Lewis needs to stop being so self-serving

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...,1220095.story

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Where was your leadership with Bam Morris, Ralph Staten, Derrick Alexander and Sergio Kindle? Where was your leadership last year when there was a near mutiny of coach John Harbaugh after the blowout loss in Houston? Where was your leadership in 2004-05 when that clique you were in with Deion Sanders and Corey Fuller divided the team? Where was your leadership when you sulked on the sidelines one season because you didn't get a new contract?

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I very rarely agree with Preston, but he's spot on here.

Torrey Smith and Vonta Leach responded: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...,1357994.story

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“We have great leadership, so to say because of one incident, that it’s a leadership issue, to me, is a joke because everyone is not going to always be around and incidents happen,” Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith said Tuesday. “Stuff happens in the locker room, stuff happens in the spur of the moment. Now, if it happens every week, all the time, then that’s a problem. For one incident to happen and say it’s a leadership issue when most of the team wasn’t there, it’s an overreaction.

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“Leadership on our team is good,” Leach said. “I don’t think necessarily there’s a question about our leadership. It’s bad publicity, but no one got hurt or arrested. It could have been worse. Things happen. It’s all right.”

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Ray just needs to stop with this "leadership" b.s.

100% spot on

When I heard Ray last night, frankly I thought the same thing. Could've just made light of it and moved on

I agree with Preston 100%. I love Ray, but his ego is a little out of whack. I noticed it a bit in his commentary on the "America's Game" show: "I told MY team...", "I'm the general", etc.

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Where was your leadership in 2004-05 when that clique you were in with Deion Sanders and Corey Fuller divided the team?

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He is spot on about that one...boy they were a clique-ish group back then (and it spelled the beginning of the end for Billick, imo).

I heard Ray's quote this morning on the radio and could only shake my head. He's way off base. 3 weeks into the season and he's officially "the corporate guy".

You know he probably has heard all off season that the d has been upgraded, and now that Daryl Smith is playing great, he has to bring up a "leadership void".

Most people don't want to retire or leave a company and have the person who replaced you have immediate success. This looks to me like Ray's ego is a little hurt. He wants the world to know what he brought to the Ravens and that it can't be easily replaced.

Ahhh this thread doesn't surprise me....

I'm not sure he says anything if he doesn't have a employer who requires him to make a public opinion. but I agree for once with Preston, considering who he is and what he's taking about it is a self-serving statement.

Ray's done too much for us to let a few words on a tv show bother us.
ease up on the guy.

Leadership is a double edged sword - for good and bad.

Ray had his share of bad leadership periods, which he seems to have totally forgotten.

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Originally Posted by crazyraven

Ray's done too much for us to let a few words on a tv show bother us.
ease up on the guy.

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His second Super Bowl ring really looked cool on TV.