Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti on Ray Lewis

Were you disappointed in how Ray Lewis handled himself this offseason in regard to talking about other teams?

Bisciotti: No. It humored me.

How did it humor you?

Bisciotti: We already had an understanding of what he was doing. I wanted Ray to explore his options. So, when he came back, he was 100 percent comfortable that Ozzie had given him a legitimate contract. It didn’t bother me at all because Ray is one of the great self-marketers. I think he’s a brilliant guy. I would have been disappointed had he not done the best to try and generate interest from other teams. I was just amused.

Q&A with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti [Baltimore Sun]

Someone get the license of that bus that wrecked Brian Billick. Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti wasted no words in explaining the circumstances of Brian Billick’s firing.

SUN: Billick said he was never given a reason for his firing. Have you talked to him since his dismissal?

SB: No, I haven’t talked to him. I certainly will this spring. I’ve been through thousands of hirings and hundreds of firings in my business career. As Brian stated [in February], it was clear that I had made up my mind and there was no reason to push it any further. You know how much I care about Brian. No matter how detailed the reasons, he’s not going to agree with them. That’s my experience with this process. I’m in the enviable or the unenviable position depending on how you look at it of being the person that ultimately has to decide that we need change.

Bisciotti chalked up Billick’s firing to a “deterioration of confidence in him and his coaching staff”. He agreed that the players’ feelings about Billick led him to fire the offensive genius after giving him a vote of confidence earlier in the season.

There’s something refreshing about Bisciotti’s honesty except when he says that Steve McNair can be the starting quarterback this upcoming season. Lie to me, Stevie. Tell me sweet little lies. It’s bad enough the Orioles have already met expectations with 161 games left.

Don’t feel too bad for Billick. Just wait until he goes head to head with Emmitt Smith on Countdown. Welcome to your personal hell, genius.