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Michael Phelps outlook helped by Ray Lewis; more NFL | The MMQB with Peter King
From Peter King's MMQB:
RENTON, Wash. — Ray Lewis watched the men’s 4x100 medley relay from Alabama, where he was dropping daughter Diaymon off at college. He watched Phelps enter the water six-tenths of a second out of the lead and exit the water with the U.S. team holding the lead by four tenths of a second lead on the way to the 23rd gold-medal-winning race of Phelps’ life.
They had already spoken during the afternoon, about four hours before the race, on FaceTime—Phelps in Rio, Lewis and daughter at a barbecue joint in Alabama.
“I miss you Michael!” Diaymon told him. “I am so proud of you! We all are!”
Then Ray got on the screen. “Keep going!” Lewis told Phelps in his own evangelical way, invoking this Lion Order deal he talks about to Phelps. “Finish it!!”
Strange to lead a football column in the middle of training camps with an Olympic story. But this isn’t any Olympic story. It’s the end-game story of the most decorated Olympian in the history of the Games, and his relationship with the most famous player on the team Maryland resident Phelps loves the most, the Baltimore Ravens. They got close because as Phelps began to garner gold in 2004, there weren’t many peers playing on the same level in sports who could relate to his battles with fame and staying on top. Lewis, one of the best middle linebackers in NFL history, was one of those people. Over the years, you’d see Phelps at Ravens’ games, or at practices, most often around Lewis.
If you saw Phelps after the race Saturday night talking to Michele Tafoya on NBC, you saw Phelps say he was ready to move on with his life after his fifth Olympiad. “I have the future ahead of me to kind of turn the page and do whatever I want,” Phelps told Tafoya. “I was talking to Ray Lewis earlier today. I know he’s watching. We just had a great talk. It’s not the end of a career. It’s the beginning of a new journey.”
On Facebook Live on Saturday, before the race, Phelps spoke about his relationship with Lewis. “Ray is a brother to me,” Phelps said. “Ray has become a brother from another mother for me … He had some very inspirational messages for me this week that have helped me.” Phelps said he’s read two books this year—“The Purpose-Driven Life,” and “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”—while preparing for the Olympics. He said: “One person gave me both those books: Ray Lewis. He … told me to read those books and they have changed my life, that's for sure.”
One of Lewis’ last thoughts to Phelps before his final race was in the Lion Order vein. In the Lion Order—a culture Lewis said he established with former University of Miami teammate Rohan Marley, son of Bob Marley—close friends share everything meaningful while pushing each other to the limit personally and professionally. They think that’s what a pride of lions does. Lewis preached that to Phelps over the past few years. So when Phelps told Lewis, “Lion order,” he was telling him, I feel you with me trying to win my last race, and it’s important, and you’re meaningful to me.
That’s why Phelps made Lewis a co-star Saturday on Facebook Live, and again on NBC.
When I reached Lewis on Sunday, he was shopping in an Alabama store, getting stuff for his daughter’s dorm room. Ironic, really. He said what he’s been doing with Phelps recently is preparing him for the rest of his life—his post-swimming life—and in the past three weeks, he’s dropped off one son at college in Utah, and here he was, dropping off his daughter in Alabama.
Lewis has harped with Phelps on how life moves on. He’s told Phelps every chapter is good. Want to know why Phelps hasn’t been outwardly overly emotional as he ends the most successful career in the history of the Olympic games?
“When you get ready to retire,” Lewis said, “everybody says, ‘Are you gonna miss it?’ So I’ve talked to Michael about that a lot. Told him, ‘Enjoy this frickin’ ride! IT’S NOT SAD! IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL THING EVER!’”
As Lewis yelled this, someone in Alabama must have heard his passion, and recognized Lewis. I heard him tell someone he was sorry, he was doing an interview now, and please excuse him. Then he continued.
“I’ve told Michael, ‘This is the beginning of a great life. You’ve got a BABY BOY! Watch him walk. Take him to first grade. You know how great first grade is going to be? And you’ll be there for him, with him!’ You got a son, YOU BRAND HIM!’”
Lewis is preaching.
“I think I can give him the words he’ll appreciate, from someone who has been in his shoes. I’ve been through the ups and downs with him. Always tried to tell him there will be a great life for him after this. But it’s life too. It’s not easy all the time.”
Lewis told a story about the last series of his NFL career, in the Super Bowl against the Niners three-and-a-half years ago. He said he preached to the huddle on each down the same thing: One play. Give me one play. He said before fourth down, he closed his eyes and thought of every moment that had brought him to this point, because he knew it was probably the last play of his life.
Colin Kaepernick threw incomplete for San Francisco. The Ravens won 34-31.
And Lewis, recalling the moment Sunday, said: “It was over. And it was perfect. So now, people ask me, ‘Do you miss it?’ I say, ‘Heck no!’ I lived it! I loved it! I had my time. It was great. Now it’s time for other things.”
Hours after the race, Phelps texted Lewis that people were bugging him to not retire—they needed him in the sport, for another Olympics. Lewis and Phelps knew better. Who knows what the future holds? I don’t know Phelps. I don’t know if he’ll ever get in a pool bigger than a kiddie pool the rest of his life.
Lewis thinks it’s over. And he’s happy for his friend.
“He’s ready for life,” Lewis said. “Michael is a simple guy with crazy drive. And as a man, now he wants to be free.”
From Peter King's MMQB:
RENTON, Wash. — Ray Lewis watched the men’s 4x100 medley relay from Alabama, where he was dropping daughter Diaymon off at college. He watched Phelps enter the water six-tenths of a second out of the lead and exit the water with the U.S. team holding the lead by four tenths of a second lead on the way to the 23rd gold-medal-winning race of Phelps’ life.
They had already spoken during the afternoon, about four hours before the race, on FaceTime—Phelps in Rio, Lewis and daughter at a barbecue joint in Alabama.
“I miss you Michael!” Diaymon told him. “I am so proud of you! We all are!”
Then Ray got on the screen. “Keep going!” Lewis told Phelps in his own evangelical way, invoking this Lion Order deal he talks about to Phelps. “Finish it!!”
Strange to lead a football column in the middle of training camps with an Olympic story. But this isn’t any Olympic story. It’s the end-game story of the most decorated Olympian in the history of the Games, and his relationship with the most famous player on the team Maryland resident Phelps loves the most, the Baltimore Ravens. They got close because as Phelps began to garner gold in 2004, there weren’t many peers playing on the same level in sports who could relate to his battles with fame and staying on top. Lewis, one of the best middle linebackers in NFL history, was one of those people. Over the years, you’d see Phelps at Ravens’ games, or at practices, most often around Lewis.
If you saw Phelps after the race Saturday night talking to Michele Tafoya on NBC, you saw Phelps say he was ready to move on with his life after his fifth Olympiad. “I have the future ahead of me to kind of turn the page and do whatever I want,” Phelps told Tafoya. “I was talking to Ray Lewis earlier today. I know he’s watching. We just had a great talk. It’s not the end of a career. It’s the beginning of a new journey.”
On Facebook Live on Saturday, before the race, Phelps spoke about his relationship with Lewis. “Ray is a brother to me,” Phelps said. “Ray has become a brother from another mother for me … He had some very inspirational messages for me this week that have helped me.” Phelps said he’s read two books this year—“The Purpose-Driven Life,” and “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”—while preparing for the Olympics. He said: “One person gave me both those books: Ray Lewis. He … told me to read those books and they have changed my life, that's for sure.”
One of Lewis’ last thoughts to Phelps before his final race was in the Lion Order vein. In the Lion Order—a culture Lewis said he established with former University of Miami teammate Rohan Marley, son of Bob Marley—close friends share everything meaningful while pushing each other to the limit personally and professionally. They think that’s what a pride of lions does. Lewis preached that to Phelps over the past few years. So when Phelps told Lewis, “Lion order,” he was telling him, I feel you with me trying to win my last race, and it’s important, and you’re meaningful to me.
That’s why Phelps made Lewis a co-star Saturday on Facebook Live, and again on NBC.
When I reached Lewis on Sunday, he was shopping in an Alabama store, getting stuff for his daughter’s dorm room. Ironic, really. He said what he’s been doing with Phelps recently is preparing him for the rest of his life—his post-swimming life—and in the past three weeks, he’s dropped off one son at college in Utah, and here he was, dropping off his daughter in Alabama.
Lewis has harped with Phelps on how life moves on. He’s told Phelps every chapter is good. Want to know why Phelps hasn’t been outwardly overly emotional as he ends the most successful career in the history of the Olympic games?
“When you get ready to retire,” Lewis said, “everybody says, ‘Are you gonna miss it?’ So I’ve talked to Michael about that a lot. Told him, ‘Enjoy this frickin’ ride! IT’S NOT SAD! IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL THING EVER!’”
As Lewis yelled this, someone in Alabama must have heard his passion, and recognized Lewis. I heard him tell someone he was sorry, he was doing an interview now, and please excuse him. Then he continued.
“I’ve told Michael, ‘This is the beginning of a great life. You’ve got a BABY BOY! Watch him walk. Take him to first grade. You know how great first grade is going to be? And you’ll be there for him, with him!’ You got a son, YOU BRAND HIM!’”
Lewis is preaching.
“I think I can give him the words he’ll appreciate, from someone who has been in his shoes. I’ve been through the ups and downs with him. Always tried to tell him there will be a great life for him after this. But it’s life too. It’s not easy all the time.”
Lewis told a story about the last series of his NFL career, in the Super Bowl against the Niners three-and-a-half years ago. He said he preached to the huddle on each down the same thing: One play. Give me one play. He said before fourth down, he closed his eyes and thought of every moment that had brought him to this point, because he knew it was probably the last play of his life.
Colin Kaepernick threw incomplete for San Francisco. The Ravens won 34-31.
And Lewis, recalling the moment Sunday, said: “It was over. And it was perfect. So now, people ask me, ‘Do you miss it?’ I say, ‘Heck no!’ I lived it! I loved it! I had my time. It was great. Now it’s time for other things.”
Hours after the race, Phelps texted Lewis that people were bugging him to not retire—they needed him in the sport, for another Olympics. Lewis and Phelps knew better. Who knows what the future holds? I don’t know Phelps. I don’t know if he’ll ever get in a pool bigger than a kiddie pool the rest of his life.
Lewis thinks it’s over. And he’s happy for his friend.
“He’s ready for life,” Lewis said. “Michael is a simple guy with crazy drive. And as a man, now he wants to be free.”
