FROM MICHAEL LOMBARDI:
22 January 2009
QUOTE: “I don't underrate the value of military knowledge, but if men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail.” ~ U.S. Grant, as quoted in “A History of Militarism: Romance and Realities of a Profession”
FROM JAMISON HEMSLEY OF THE BALTIMORE SUN... Bisciotti said he wants to sign Lewis to a new contract, but brought up a scenario in which Lewis might take a lesser contract from the Ravens in order to finish his career here. "Are we going to get a hometown discount? I hope so. I really do," Bisciotti said of the 13-year veteran who has played his entire career with the Ravens. "That means we can find one more Jimmy Leonhard on the free-agent market with the money we save." Lewis was not available for comment yesterday. He also was not made available to reporters after the Ravens' AFC championship game loss in Pittsburgh or the day after when players cleaned out their lockers.
One of the hardest decisions you have to make as an executive in professional sports is dealing with a once-great player who is still very good but is aging and wants a new contract. Ray Lewis has been the heart and soul of the Ravens; he has provided great leadership and laid a foundation for winning. Now his contract has run its course and the team has to think on two fronts: the short-term value and the long-term effect. Lewis is part of the fabric of the team, and one of the best moves that head coach John Harbaugh made was his ability to move the team from being Ray’s team to being the Ravens. That took work, it took communication, and it took some help from Ray.
So the question is, where do they go from here? Well, for one, all parties would have to agree that they are a better team next season if Ray is on it. Advancing that thought forward, they are a better team if he is there for two years. Now the short-term cost needs to be determined and the long-term effect needs to be accounted for. With the cap expanding, most teams (other than the Jets) have a ton of cap room that provides them with more flexibility to handle these kinds of situations. Therefore, with both sides wanting to get a deal, this contract should be easy to finalize. Not so fast.
The sticking point has nothing to do with the Ravens wanting Lewis back next season or in 2010. The sticking point will be the guaranteed dollars the club is willing to put in the front of the deal. The hometown discount does not make a compelling argument, as Lewis could easily claim he should be paid more for his ability to increase the brand of the Ravens, and there has to be some value placed on those efforts. So for the club, do not expect a hometown discount because it makes the player feel he is taking less to stay and is doing the club a favor. The team wants the player to feel fulfilled, and like any negotiation, both sides must feel they gave a little too much.
As with all deals, the options that players have will enhance the deal. But if I’m the Ravens, I have to fix a price that makes sense, that’s fair and reasonable. Who cares what Dallas will pay, or maybe what the Jets would pay? The Ravens must set the market for what they believe is right for their team. As I have said before, they have to know their team the best and make the right decisions for their team. The Ravens have to sell more than money here; they have to sell the legacy of Lewis and the importance of finishing his career in Baltimore. They also have to be very honest with Ray and help him understand the reality that, in time, he might not be able to play all three downs -- that as he ages, he might have to accept a lesser role in the scheme of the defense but not in the overall relationship with the team. I feel that you have to be honest with players, and when a player has done what Lewis has done for the Ravens, he needs to hear the truth. He deserves respect and brutal honesty. He’s earned them.
I’ve made mistakes in the past dealing with these kinds of situations, and unless you are confident with the evaluation and honest with the players, this can affect a team for years to come. You cannot B.S. players; they will see your lying in an instant. The Ravens have an advantage because they have an owner who is proactive and willing to be a part of the process for both sides. Some owners want to avoid the cost and some want to avoid the criticism of making the deal. It takes communication and a total understanding to make this work.
I know this, Ray Lewis cannot be Ray Lewis anywhere else in terms of his ability to lead and control the locker room. That kind of role takes time and work to develop. As much as Zack Thomas was the leader of the Dolphins, he could not recreate that role with the Cowboys this season because he was new to the team and was not the same player he had been in the past. Ray Lewis might make more money in Dallas, but his life as a leader and teammate will not be as fulfilling as it would be in Baltimore next year. I see Ray having a broader perspective on his career than just being involved in the first-and-10 defense. He has much more to offer.
As long as the Ravens are honest and respectful with Lewis, and Lewis is honest and understanding, they should get this done. It’s important to both parties.
FROM TODD ARCHER OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS... “I think leadership sometimes comes with your ability to perform and your personality," Romo said in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "And some of it comes with experience. In a lot of ways, I think I've gotten to the point where I've gained experience. I'm definitely going to take a more active approach with that as we move forward from last year to this season. I'll be very excited to get back out there and be with the guys and figure out a way to improve and get better and do the things we need to do to win. Period."
If I were the Cowboys, I would be happy to hear Tony Romo talk about becoming a leader. However, I would not leave anything to chance. I would make sure he spends time with great teachers of leadership, like Pat Lencioni of the Table Group. Let him show Romo the right way to establish his role with the team. If Wade Phillips could handle this, it never would have gotten this far. Oftentimes, young players must learn leadership; it is not a natural trait. This is the most important act of the offseason for the ‘Boys. They would see more significant improvement by helping to make Tony a leader than if they added another fullback or linebacker. Fixing your own team is always best, and now that Romo is open to accepting his role, the Cowboys must step forward and show him how to lead. If he knew how to be a leader, he would have done it already. His words are mixed and uncertain, so this gives Jerry Jones a perfect opportunity to bring in the right people and show Romo how to lead. General Electric does it, Wal-Mart does it, Google does it. Why not the Cowboys?
Interesting point re: the hometown discount, though it looks like the Ravens are expecting one.
I know DAL sounds like an intriguing destination but I just don't see it happening.
-- Mike
if only Ray Lewis was honest and understanding of the law.
Love the writeup on Ray Lewis. I'm all for continuity in a sport where its increasingly rare, so I really hope Lewis returns to Baltimore. When you think of the Ravens, the first thing you think of is Ray Lewis. It would be foolish of him to willingly jump into the ridiculous circus in Dallas.
Here's a question then, would Mike Singletary have been the same player both inside the locker room and on the field had he played for any other team then the Bears? Maybe, but then maybe not. Obviously money talks, and if Ray Lewis walks to another team will he be the same player? I don't think he will. Baltimore would be foolish to let him go.
Ray Lewis is the flagship player for the Ravens in the franchise's history. It's in his best interests to stay and with his passion, he knows this. As for his disregardance of the law, I don't purport to know mens' hearts and why they (allegedly) do things. As for right now, I believe he is an individual of great passion and possesses the leadership Tony Romo wishes he had.
Ray Lewis is the Baltimore Ravens. He made name for that defense for over a decade. The attitude and intensity he brings to that team can not be matched.
Just saw you on DNL. You defended Donovan. How could you? You also talked about the time out before the first half. I just wrote Les Bowen, earlier today about that. Who called the time out with 3rd and 14 with 1:48 left on the clock? This game was lost on both sides of the ball with all of Donovan's misses in the first half and the last two minutes. Yea, he's done some great things, but can't come through in the clutch.
By naming a team less likely it opens the door for Ray to move in conefrence to Ryan's new team, perhaps?
Jerry Jones is a pay to play kind of boss. Money talks.
Both could be legit motivations.
Donovan can get you to the clutch moment. How many can do that consistently? Getting there is half the race.
Mr Murder, he can't get you over the hump!!!
The Steelers are always there and this is Rothlesberger's second in how many years? If they win, and they will, it will be their SEVENTH!!!!!!!!!.
ray lewis won't be joining the cowboys unless jerrah changes his defense ... the boys run a 3-4 ... lewis is the classic 4-3 middle backer ... don't see that workin out well for him.
As nice as this site can be, the Michael Lombardi Plan For Life stroking among a couple other things is threatening to drop this site from daily visits more toward a check in every few days or couple weeks. It's just my opinion but I do a lot more sifting and skimming than I remember doing around the end of the summer.
1. Not sure that Brian Billick would agree that Lewis is such a great leader after he cut Billick's throat at the end of the 2007 season.
2. You can send Tony Romo to charm school but that won't fix what ails the Cowboys. The one guy you can't fire is the owner. I don't think anything else will work.
If Jerry Jones decides to hire Pat Lencioni to tutor Tony Romo, Jones should see if he can get a two-for-one discount and send Wade Phillips along as well.
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Jan 22, 2009
11:18 AM
That comment Grant made was made in reference to Halleck his superior who was a political-elect (with no military experience) and sought to undercut Grant whenever he could, especially when Grant wanted to seize Paducah, a strategic position on the Ohio river when it was found the confederates had violated Kentucky's neutrality. What Grant did was a very early form of UNODIR (UNless Otherwise DIRected) where he issued a telegram to Halleck indicating that if he did not hear otherwise he would proceed on his own initiative, and then promptly disappeared downriver.
Regarding Lewis, very well written and that is the formula successful clubs use- they do not fall in the trap of deviating from their game plan. They have a business plan and they stick to it, no matter what. When a part does not fit anymore, it goes.
This reminds me of Johnson & Johnson during their great tylenol crisis, when poison was found in some of the bottles. They fell back on their business plan which emphatically stated that customer loyalty was the number one priority, so they yanked ALL tylenol bottles off the shelf at enormous cost to themselves, but subsequently recovered because they had kept their base customer loyalty intact, through their extraordinary action.