Bisciotti should know that business is business even if it is football business. Ray is not worth all the money he will expect and if he does not want to be reasonable then he must go. We watched Johnny U. go to San Diego and , if necessary, will watch Ray leave.
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I have to admit, I am much surprised that the owner is showing this kind of loyalty to the player.
-- Bill O.

The Ravens need Lewis as a marketing tool to sell the Jerseys and fill the seats for a non contender.

How many years did the Orioles do this with Ripken?
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True, but there was no cap in MLB.
-- Bill O.

I thought i read somewhere in Bisciotti's comments , that he would leave the Lewis negotiations to Newsome. Hopefully Newsome wont get sentinental like his boss does.
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Allan,
You are right. The owner said that he'd leave the negotiations to Ozzie. Weigh that as you will.
-- Bill O.

You also have to remember that this is the same owner that gave Billick a vote of confidence, then wen and fired him. He may show loyalty up front, but I'm pretty sure he's looking out for what's best for the team (and business).

Lets not forget, he also "showed" loyalty to Billick up till the day he canned him.

Let Ray play out this year, then slap the Franchise tag on him next year and draft a MLB in 2010.

Ray in many ways deserves at least one more big pay day, but I don't think the Ravens are in a position to pay it. No cap space and too many holes to fill over the next couple of years (DB, OT, QB, DT).

I think we are reading way way too much into Bisciotti's words, especially because, as he and Harbaugh have both said, it is Newesome that works out the contract, not the Biscuit. He said "If he becomes a free agent next year, I think the Ravens would probably outbid other teams," which gives plenty of wiggle room with "I think" and "probably," plus with what happened to Lance Briggs, Zach Thomas, Vilma, etc, we know that teams aren't excited about overpaying for linebackers. Ray deserves a decent contract, he obviously still has talent. I wish we wouldn't jump all over the Biscuit over nothing.
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"The Biscuit?"
"The Biscuit?"
That's the kind of thing that sticks with a guy, you know. Cause psychological scars and stuff.
-- Bill O.

Bisciotti knows that Ray Lewis is a prideful, vocal man and is not likely to keep his mouth shut regardless. So why not give Ray just enough rope to hang himself. Bisciotti has said "hey, we know how great he is and we will pay him accordingly". If Lewis keeps performing at his normal high level then everyone will be happy to give him a nice contract. But if he starts to tail off, the Ravens, who have already publicly shown loyalty by pointing out Ray's high standards and saying this is what they expect from him, will have cause to pay him less or quietly lobby him to retire or go elsewhere. If Ray performs he continues to get paid, if not he is gone. People forget that Bisciotti spent a lot of time studying the Ravens before he formally took over from Modell. Whatever else he is, its not likely that Bisciotti is a fool. He treated Billick well but he still fired him. So performance matters to him.

"The Biscuit?"
"The Biscuit?"
That's the kind of thing that sticks with a guy, you know. Cause psychological scars and stuff.
-- Bill O.

I'm pretty sure Steve Bisciotti's last name is Italian for biscuit or cookie, and I thought the Cookie didn't sound as nice. Any coffee shop sells Biscotti, which in America are almond flavored dry cookies. Extremely good. However, in Italy and biscuit or cookie is called by that name. I'm pretty sure a billionaire like the Biscuit can take a nickname or a joke.
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I was just kidding. It was just a funny nickname because the guy does cut quite a dashing figure. And thanks for your serious comment on the team.
-- Bill O.

I guess it would be too naive to expect that Ray would compromise for the benefit of the team. However, if he's still bigger than the team when this contract expires, then that's a bigger problem going forward for a team that needs cap money to get younger and fast.

I feel like a devils advocate right now-- maybe because i was one of those Orioles fans who believed "we're just a few players away from contending" for the last decade--but I think the Ravens should definitely try to keep Ray Lewis. It's true he's old and injury prone, but the fire and excitement that he gives the rest of the team (and the fans) is one of those intangibles that will be almost impossible to recreate in a team of veterans like the Ravens.

I dont know if they have incentive-laden contracts in the NFL, but maybe that should be considered as a way to go with Lewis,
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Well, there are incentives in most contracts but it's the exception rather than the rule that the bulk of the money is in incentives ... especially for a starter, and a star starter at that like Lewis. Big incentives are usually used for a guy who does not figure to play much, say a backup quarterback, but if he's on the field for so many plays, there's a significant bump.
-- Bill O.

Let us not forget that the mighty Cal Ripken demanded a ton of money his final few years. Yes, there was no cap but the team suffered from his diminished play. Lewis can still help the team.

I have mixed feelings about Ray. For years, he was a warrior for the Ravens. However, in more recent years, it has been all about Ray. Remember 3 years ago when he was shopping himself everywhere to get out of Baltimore? Not much loyalty on his part then. I haven't EVER heard Ray discuss renegotiating his contract to free up money for free agents or for the resigning of valuable members of the team like Adalius Thomas. If Ray had sacrificed his own financial gain for the good of the team as Tom Brady has done so many times in New England, I would certainly feel Bisciotti's dedication to Ray would be warranted. However, if you could ever pull Ray aside and get him to honestly answer the question of whether he "owed" anything to Baltimore, I think his response would be that Baltimore owes him. If I am right, I think that speaks volumes about Ray. That is NOT to say that Ray would be wrong or right in feeling that Baltimore owed him. After all, he did bring a Superbowl to Baltimore and was the best at his position for many years. He has been and still is the face of the franchise. However, if you asked the same question of Johnny Unitas, Tom Matte, Lenny Moore, Artie Donovan, or any of the other Baltimore greats, I don't think you would get the same answer. They were proud to play for Baltimore and the adoration of the fans was more than payment enough. They would never tell you that Baltimore owed them something. You might say that this is a different time and players have a different mentality. I would heartlily agree and for just that reason I would say that you don't owe Ray anything. He has been paid handsomely while he has been here, more than most of us will make in multiple lifetimes. He has been cherished by the City of Baltimore and defended by it during his darkest days. If he is unable to "give back" to Baltimore in order to finish his career here, then that will be his decision, not the decision of a stingy owner or insensitive franchise. When it comes to contracts, Ray has been all business, so why should he expect and why should the franchise do anything different in return.
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Cam,
Thanks for writing. Fine contribution to the discussion..
-- Bill O.