Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has an interesting take on the infamous blackout that took place during Super Bowl 47. It was one of the most bizarre moments in sports history. One minute the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are battling it out for the right to call themselves champions and the next everyone is left in the dark. According to Lewis, it was no coincidence.
Lewis is known as Reverend Ray for a reason. He considers himself to be very religious, but he doesn’t think the blackout was a sign from above. In NFL Films’ latest installment of the “America’s Game” series, Lewis revealed that he believes someone turned out the lights to slow the Ravens.
“I’m not gonna accuse nobody of nothing — because I don’t know facts,” he said, via USA Today Sports. “But you’re a zillion-dollar company, and your lights go out? No. (Laughs) No way.
“Now listen, if you grew up like I grew up — and you grew up in a household like I grew up — then sometimes your lights might go out, because times get hard. I understand that. But you cannot tell me somebody wasn’t sitting there and when they say, ‘The Ravens (are) about to blow them out. Man, we better do something.’ … That’s a huge shift in any game, in all seriousness. And as you see how huge it was because it let them right back in the game.”
The Ravens won anyway, so it really doesn’t matter. Had the Niners completed the comeback after the lights came back on, the story would have been even more fun to talk about. It may have even involved an investigation.
If you ask Joe Flacco, he would tell you that Lewis has a tendency to not make any sense. I’m sure people would agree with that statement when it comes to Ray’s thoughts on the blackout.
