After Baltimore Raven rider Ray Lewis belittled the sport last week ("But we don’t need no hope. Y’all can keep your hope because we’ve got enough hope over here. We’re packing our bags, and we’re not packing our bags to come play water polo."), HHR water polo aficionado Greg Mescall challenges the linebacker to put his Speedo where his mouth is in the NYT's Fifth Down Blog today:
With all due respect to the luggage industry, what I get out of this is that Ray Lewis thinks water polo is easy. We know otherwise. Ray Lewis has distinguished himself as one of the greatest linebackers in the N.F.L. over his storied playing career. Now his career as a water polo player, that is something I’d like to see...
Take Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones, who played water polo with one of the top clubs in Europe, in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for his reality show. Or Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd, who told me at the 2008 Olympics that he once took part in a water polo practice with the California Bears men’s team back in college; he said it was brutal. As one reporter described the sport, water polo is “boxing plus sprinting plus basketball plus wrestling — with no floor beneath your feet.” Sounds about right...
So Ray, we welcome you to come play water polo — after the season, of course. Pack lightly; it’s a long time to stay above water.
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