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Bigravensfan.net
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than a
halftime quickie"
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RAVENS NEWS & NOTES |
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Shot heard 'round the world Jermaine's
return: It was one of those plays in sports that stays with you forever. The Ravens seemingly had Super Bowl XXXV in their back pockets when New York's Ken Dixon returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter, closing the gap to 17-7 and replacing Baltimore fans' feelings of jubilation with a eerie sense of nervousness. Then came the big bang. Up stepped the little man with the big stick . As the New York sideline was still celebrating their touchdown and their re-entering of the game, Jermaine Lewis took over. With one swift run, the smallest man on the field stepped up and slayed the Giants. Lewis' timely touchdown run was the mother of all Super Bowl tide-turners. In an instant, New York's fight was gone. As they stared at the Ravens players celebrating in the end zone, their thoughts turned to what could have been. The season of work that would go for nothing. Thus is the quick and harsh reality of a Super Bowl "big play". Lewis, who suffered through a season of personal tragedies, seized a moment in time and cemented his place in the NFL Films archives. As long as efficiandos of the Super Bowl watch this great sport, that single run by Jermaine Lewis will conjure up memories of how great the game can be. Super Bowl XXXV Analysis: Get your free Ravens web browser and
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Billick has last
laugh
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Facts and Figures: 
To watch Brian Billick's public relations
technique is at times akin to watching Picasso at work.
Michaelangelo. Nobody does it better. In only his second
year as head coach of any team, the brash Ravens leader
entered his first Super Bowl like the proverbial bull in
a china shop. His first order of business? To scold the
media on their "potential" handling of Ray
Lewis. Whatever Billick's intention was, he succeeded in
doing one thing: Escalating the situation, thereby
rallying his team behind Lewis. Perhaps he didn't feel
comfortable in the favorite's role, opting instead for
the much maligned, under-appreciated and under-respected
role that the Ravens have played so well. That "See,
I told you guys, they're all against us" mentality
that can only fire up a team and make them want to prove
their detractors wrong. This is nothing new for Coach
"Setup". Last year, before facing their first
visit back to Cleveland, the coach came out and stated
that it would be very difficult to get a favorable call
from the officials, considering the emotions tied to the
game and the league's partiality to the wronged Browns
fans. The result was one of the cleanest games ever
played by the Ravens and a sound 41-9 thrashing of the
Brownies. Billick, for all of his reputation as an
offensive guru, has a much greater talent as a leader:
Motivation. It separates winners from losers. Champions
from also-rans and men from boys. With a Super Bowl
championship under his belt, he now faces the next rung
of the ladder: Maintaining. Something tells me that Mr.
Billick, all 8,000 plays aside, will find a way. 