I think Jamal Lewis might have misinterpreted the concept of April Fools, which in essence is the day you say something serious only to follow it up with a "sike" all in one day. Unlike a Long Con (shout out to our LOST fans here) where a con is supposed to be dragged out over a span of time, an April Fools joke is restricted to one day. Based on the events that have transpired though, Lewis completed (or at least revealed) his Long Fool today.
Back on November 1, following another tough loss with the Cleveland Browns, Lewis had this to say:
Jamal Lewis can only take so much more and he says one half a season is the extent of it. Lewis said in the locker room a few minutes ago that he is retiring after the season.
Today, April 1, it was revealed that Lewis visited the New Orleans Saints. While a formal offer has not been made to him, Lewis would probably fit well in the Saints' offense that likes to substitute players in and out, so he doesn't suffer too much wear and tear. By virtue of Lewis' interest in the Saints and the revelation, Lewis' "long fool" was a way to say "gotcha, I'm not really retiring!"
The problem? I doubt anyone in Cleveland really cares, especially after seeing how our backfield improved tremendously with the combination of Jerome Harrison and Chris Jennings at the end of the season. On top of that, rumors had already circulated before this that Lewis did not plan on retiring after all, despite the fact that he was persistent during the regular season that he would stick to his word.
0 recs | 45 comments
Good riddance, silly old man.
BTW, I am irrationally pleased that this page now ranks #1 in Google for the words “jamal lewis fool”
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 1, 2010
Haha, that’s might good work by the SB Nation tech team and how they’ve helped grow this platform. Less than 10 minutes after the post, you’re right — already indexed and No. 1 in Google.
Chris Pokorny - April 1, 2010
Why the hating on Jamal? He did a very good job for us in 2007 and he was pretty much a class act for all three years here. Why doesn’t he have a right to see if another team wants to have him? This post just seems to reinforce the reputation Cleveland fans have of hating on former players when they leave regardless of the reason for their leaving.
TheDriveStillHurts - April 1, 2010
he played really well when
he waas plaaying for a contract extension
SipedUp - April 1, 2010
but jamal didn’t leave to go find another team. he told us he was retiring. he lied.
he was also anything but a class act in 2009.
notthatnoise - April 1, 2010
I would have agreed with you up until last year. Announcing his retirement during the season in what just seemed like a gesture of frustration? Saying he’ll always think of himself as a only a Raven and not a Brown? Whining to the press about how Mangini was working the team too hard? Admitting that he had never even discussed this with Mangini before said whining to the press?
Some people step up during a bad season like last year’s. (Hats off to you, Mr. Cribbs and Mr. Harrison.) Some people just follow events down into the gutter.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 2, 2010
Yes.
Roger Dorn - April 2, 2010
You can’t really blame him for thinking of himself as a Raven. He had his best years in Baltimore.
BAL_Hawk - April 3, 2010
I can blame him for declaring that he’ll think of himself as a Raven only, though. Maybe I’ll just reciprocate.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 3, 2010
Fair enough.
BAL_Hawk - April 3, 2010
I wasn’t trying to hate on Jamal as much as I was trying to (un)cleverly find a way to tie the scenario to April Fools Day. But, as some of the comments below point out, his attitude started to get a tad annoying in his final year, though I guess I can’t blame him for being frustrated.
Chris Pokorny - April 2, 2010
Rather, after seeing where my post went, I should say “comments above me.”
Chris Pokorny - April 2, 2010
Jamal Who?
SIKE! Na that dude ran all over the Bengals every time we played seems like, guess he hated us. But he did stink in all the other games. Jerome Harrison is 20X’s better
TennBengalfan - April 1, 2010
He bulldozed over us too from his Baltimore days.
Chris Pokorny - April 1, 2010
he would bulldoze over us too. he just hated everyone in the division I think…
bross09 - April 1, 2010
Getting out while the getting is good.
If he was still with the Browns after the Holgram as our team President trades Quinn for some socks-I would probably6 ask for my release if I was a player.
GOD'S OTHER SON - April 1, 2010
Quinn was probably only worth a pair of socks.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 1, 2010
Wow
You’d actually give up socks for Quinn?!
SamIngro814 - April 1, 2010
Do not let me forget
Hokgram was teaching the Offensive cordinator his offense.
GOD'S OTHER SON - April 1, 2010
Actually Holmgren hired Gil Haskell to teach our offensive coordinator his offense. Mangini has stated that the WCO next year will not be the primary offense.
Roger Dorn - April 1, 2010
Smokescreen.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 1, 2010
Hokgram = Kokutnus (sp?)
rufio - April 1, 2010
Since he was originally still under contract with the Browns for the 2010 season (I think) do the Browns get some say in his decision or compensation from the gaining team?
JustBob - April 1, 2010
No, we cut him.
TheDriveStillHurts - April 1, 2010
bum.
Ryan Kelsey - April 1, 2010
Again. The hate on the guy is just dumb. We cut him. He is looking for another job — what’s wrong with that? And we cut him after he said that he was reconsidering his statements re retirement. I wish the guy the best — he looks like he is through, but if he’s not, I hope he does ok.
TheDriveStillHurts - April 1, 2010
I share this sentiment, he had a lot to do with Harrison’s development, and most of the time, was a leader in the locker room.
North Coast Flea - April 1, 2010
our team is getting younger so we can compete for the future with Harrison, Hillis, and James Davis. Jamal just looking at a team where he can go and possibly compete for a title next year, if he decides to play.
jaws. - April 1, 2010
Yeah exactly. I am not saying we should keep him. I think he is done and don’t think he is going to do well. But he was always a good guy for us (even if he didn’t always play well), and he has every right to reconsider his retirement and try to play somewhere else. I wish him luck and hope he does well.
TheDriveStillHurts - April 1, 2010
He absolutely was not.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 2, 2010
He’s not a bum. I still respect him. I don’t like the way he handled things last year but that shouldn’t mar what he did throughout his career. I think the team is better without him now, but he has the right to keep playing. He’s not the first guy to talk retirement during an emotionally draining season and then reconsider in the offseason.
If anything, Farve has been orchestrating a scheme to get retiring players to unretire so that he has some of the heat taken off of him and Jamal is one of his disciples!
dawgtribe - April 2, 2010
I never said we should sign him either, but all this bum talk is bogus.
North Coast Flea - April 1, 2010
he was a huge distraction and locker room cancer last year.
notthatnoise - April 1, 2010
I like the group of young guys we’ve got now. I especially liked what I saw from Jennings though. It seemed like he had the most success on runs to the boundary or when he bounced inside runs to the outside. If he could find the holes inside a little better, he would be a solid back. If he gets a chance to play again this year like he did at the end of last year, I think this guy could develop into a solid running back.
AG7 - April 4, 2010
Actually he lied. He announced his retirement, and then unretired. This is called quitting on your team.
Roger Dorn - April 2, 2010
He was a bad signing. He wasn’t very good when he was here. We gave him too many carries. And then, when the going got tough, he complained, whined, and eventually quit.
He’s a bum.
And, he considered himself “a Raven”.
He’s a bum.
Ryan Kelsey - April 2, 2010
Time for him to move on.
Thanks for the good times- 2007- a false dawn but it was nice to win for once. (same sentiments to Anderson).
Now, I’m looking forward to seeing a full season of Davis. Davis, Harrison & Jennings in a run-orientated offense. Looks good to me!
LondonBrown - April 2, 2010
Positive and well said, LB. I’m excited about seeing some new blood in the running game this year….
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 2, 2010
Cheers- and to think I forgot Hillis too!
Looks like a really good- if raw- backfield.
LondonBrown - April 2, 2010
can you really blame him?!
After how last season started, I can’t say I blame Lewis for wanting to retire or claiming he wanted to do so.
Unfortunately by the time Lewis came to Cleveland his best years were already behind him. He gave us a good season or two but even they didn’t compare to his heyday in Baltimore when he made the Browns D a laughingstock every time we played the Ravens.
Perplexio - April 2, 2010
To be fair, the Browns defense made the Browns defense a laughingstock every time they took the field.
golanbatrac - April 2, 2010
I really don’t hold the retiring or even the unretiring against him, but he did burn a lot of goodwill off with me during last year.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - April 2, 2010
Yes, I blame a player for fake retiring. It’s equivalent to quitting on your teammates.
Roger Dorn - April 2, 2010
Bingo. he quit on the Browns.
he is a bum.
Ryan Kelsey - April 2, 2010
Yes, I absolutely blame him for fake retiring and quitting on the team. You don’t do that.
As a player, you can view the Browns’ recent struggles in a number of ways: you can want to be a part of turning this thing around and you can work your tail off to do so, or you can stay the hell away from a losing franchise and tell your agent to not even consider the Browns as an option.
rufio - April 4, 2010
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