You Won't Like Ray Lewis When He's Angry

We all know about locker room material, right? Insults, taunts, or perceived slights hurled at a team by their opponents (or the media) that is often used to rile that team up.

Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo, for example, last week Tweeted that the Patriots' hurry-up offense was "a gimmick." ("We've got your gimmick right HERE, Brendan," replies the Patriots locker room, no doubt.)

But there are slights and then there are SLIGHTS, and what Boston has going on right now may very well be the mother of all slights.

They've put up this billboard in town counting down the days and minutes to Ray Lewis's retirement—as in game time this Sunday, as in THE PATRIOTS WILL SEND RAY TO AN EARLY RETIREMENT.

And all I can say about this billboard is: Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

The team was worked up enough about Ray's retirement. They'd already rallied around him, felt they were playing for something larger than themselves, saw themselves as a team of destiny. This only adds fuel to what is already a raging fire. Yippee!

And if the billboard also happens to make Ray Lewis a wee bit angry? A word of warning to the Patriots and their fans: You won't like Ray Lewis when he's angry.