The best of

It has been the source of a major debate for years. Who is the best Raven - Jonathan Ogden or Ray Lewis ? It's really no contest.

[Ben]

You forgot one element. JO is a man of character. A humble, Balwamer type who does his job and doesn't need the limelight. Sure Lewis is a great player who always plays at full throttle. But no off the field issues for JO. He's someone you can point out to your kid as a great example and role model.

[gscaton1]

JO was great, probably the best at his position, but he could of been better. His work ethics were horrible, didn't like to practice, more excuses to not be in training camp. I guaranteed you one of the reasons he is not playing this year is because of the new coaches idea. If you don't practice, you don't play. Ray plays the same way in practice as he does in games. I will always take the guy who gives more.

[Huh]

Ray Lewis is so great that:
After Brian Billick had his back after Atlanta, Ray threw him under the bus last year,
When he got injured mid-season three years ago he left his teammmates and sulked in Florida,
Even though he was in town he decided that it was too much trouble to go to Ogden' retirement press conference on Thursday.
Coach Harbaugh get rid of this guy.

[edward keller]

preston you are a fool. the only debate is you' you would not make a pimple on a reporters ass!

[Bob S]

May I remind edward keller and others who will once again thrash Preston here, this is simply one man's opinion. He presents facts, angles and his point of view. Best Ravens ever on both sides of the ball - that was basically Mike's point.

[Brian from Jefferson]

The article and online poll do a grat injustice to the third "original" Raven Matt Stover. While I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten the votes in the poll or the love from Preston, his contributions to the team are invaluable.

[Discodanford]

Brian from Jefferson wrote:

The article and online poll do a grat injustice to the third "original" Raven Matt Stover. While I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten the votes in the poll or the love from Preston, his contributions to the team are invaluable.

If you are certain that Stover would not win a poll for the greatest Raven, then there is no debate, is there?

Stover is as valued and recognized a kicker as there is in the league so I doubt that being overlooked by Mike Preston will ruin his breakfast.
Stover himself would most likely say you are overreacting.

[shrimptrawler]

This is really a foolish article. A great debate between Ogden and Lewis? I've never heard anyone debate that.

It sounds to me as yet another opportunity for Preston to go after Brian Billick, and his not taking advantage of the "Luxury" we had at LT.

Mike, look at your foolish poll numbers - Its unscientific, but it hardly supports your claim.

It still amazes me after all these years, that Ray Lewis draws his critics. If it isn't in his all-around play, than it is in the way he speaks. Or it is in his antics, or way he celebrates on the field. Firing up the crowd or his teammates is a priceless commodity.

I think its truly sad if anyone actually believes JO is better than Ray. When Ray Lewis retires, this city will be crying that he is gone. His leadership and ability to make the others around him play better are unparalleled. He gave his teammates and his fans reason to believe they had a chance to win when the offense continually let them down on most sundays.

Look at the players who played with Ray, particularly linebackers. Jamie Sharper and Edgerton Hartwell - Ray helped make those guys multi-millionaires as free agents - but they weren't able to live up to expectations, because Ray helped make them look better in other teams eyes.

When a 6'9 man throws his helmet on the sideline and has a temper tantrum - how exactly does that help the rest of the offense? If I'm the other offensive players, I would see that "Model" and cry and whine also INSTEAD of working together to try and IMPROVE on your teammates around you. I didn't see evidence that JO made his other lineman better.

I think that is selfish on JO's part. I think that his conditioning is also not something to win over teammates. Does Ray ever come to camp out of shape? Does Ray ever hold out of training camp? I think the ravens were seriously set back last year because Adam Terry had to practice almost exclusively at LT, but he needed more reps at RT, because that was where he was going to play when the season started.

JO will be in the Hall-of-fame. But I'm glad he is gone. We have a new coach, new offense, new QBs, and like it or not, a new offensive line. Who knows? Maybe Jason Brown or Ben Grubbs will go to the Pro Bowl in JO's place. How many pro bowls did Mulitalo, Flynn, etc go to?

[Art Modell]

Shouldn't this article be who is the best Brown of all time? You'd have to go to with Bernie Kosar you inner harbor suckwads

[Big Herb]

The question of who is the Mr Raven, Ray Lewis Or Jonathan Ogden is a no win debate. Both have & had stellar careers, both have many admirable traits and both have played at a higher level at their respective position than any other player at that position. Why don't all of you people who bad mouth one or the other just sit back, enjoy and reflect on two GREAT HOF careers.
The only one who wants a vitriolic debate is that poor excuse for a sports journalist, Mike Preston.

[Kellen Winslow]

"Shouldn't this article be who is the best Brown of all time? You'd have to go to with Bernie Kosar you inner harbor suckwads"

Yeah, you should be jealous in Lorain, OH. No player drafted by the "new" Browns could carry the jock of Ray and JO. You are definitely welcome to have Kosar for your puny list of "greats".

[bmore]

this one is a no brainer for me. ray "THE GENERAL" lewis without question. JO was a great LT, maybe the greatest. but he didnt have the leadership no the work ethic of ray ray. he didnt make his team mates better. he never showed that love of the game that you see from ray even in practice.
we all know preston hates on ray, and is a hater in general, so this article comes as no surprise. he loves to take subliminal shots.
ray will get a parade when he retires. the entire city will come out of the wood work when this guy calls it quits.
greatest. linebacker. EVER.

[roadglide]

Art Modell wrote:

Shouldn't this article be who is the best Brown of all time? You'd have to go to with Bernie Kosar you inner harbor suckwads

your a a..hole but then again you all ready no that your from cleveland

[Rob]

Mike did you watch the playoff game against the colts?....you remember the one when Freeney ran past Ogden as if he were nonexsistent....just as He had done the previous 4 times the Ravens had played the colts.........Billick didnt have to worry about giving him help.....oh really....you are proving to be just as delusional a sportswriter as Billick was a coach.Ogden commited only 29 penalties in his whole Career..... that's phenominal.....but was he able to elevate the play of every offensive player who ever put on a Raven's offensive uniform hell no....has Ray Lewis been able to be the catalyst for that accomplishment with the defense....... He certainly has...and every defensive player who has left the Ravens after receiving accolades and large contract's has fizzled.....there is no comparison ......and you'r writing is slipping further away from any semblence of reality by the day.

[Melissa]

My 2 cents is Lewis is the greatest Ravens since being the face of the franchise certainly counts in that regards. Both are Hall of Famers - both define their positions and both are great Ravens. But Ray brings it all together for the team. I for one will be very sad when he hangs it up - He's my favorite player in the NFL.(Obviously I'm a bit biased - but he's on that list of great players to watch no matter who's playing.)
Happy Flag Day everyone.

[Man]

I wish I could, but what about Rovers?

[Charlie]

Love both players. Ogden will be missed, and when the time comes Ray will be missed. Grateful that Ogden went out on his own terms and was a Raven to the end, DEFINITELY hope the same for Ray. Both defined their position in their own way and we were blessed to have players of this caliber at the same time.

[OC John]

Leave it to Baltimore's reporters to create some split between fans. When things are going well, they will focus on some "maybe" or "should have done" to create a non-problem Both are great as were other players who gave their all,3104

[david]

Stupid article. A dominant linebacker is simply more important than a dominant OT. Even if Ogden was the best OT in history, it still wouldn't matter. We would have won the Super Bowl without Ogden. We wouldn't have even gotten there without Lewis. Not only that, but Lewis is arguably the best MLB in history, even though there have been many great ones. Not to compare a lineman to a kicker, but a kicker who rates as the best ever is simply not better than the best to play a more important position. If we're already going to compare apples to oranges, Lewis is the best Raven ever.

[stupid question]

it's a stupid question and has no relevance to anything