LOMBARDI'S WAY: Thanks For The Memories AD

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Lombardi's Way - LOMBARDI'S WAY: Thanks For The Memories AD

Baltimore swallows a bitter pill with the loss of All-Pro LB

Posted On: 2/22/07

Written By:

Tony Lombardi

LOMBARDI'S WAY: Thanks For The Memories AD

A friend of mine once said, “Music is like a bookmark in time.”

Boy did he nail it!

How many times have you heard a song and your thoughts drift to another place and time? After the first few chords you recall someone – perhaps an old friend who was once close but is now distant, separated by circumstances. Life got in the way.

Recently while driving alone after dropping off my daughter at school I heard a song by Counting Crows, Time & Time Again. It came with one of those bookmarks and I happily held on to the memories tied to it. It was as though I captured the feeling and temporarily re-lived those moments – moments that because of that tune will live in my mind forever. The song acts as a picture frame to that snapshot in my mind.

As I drove along degrees of separation seeped in. I tied that person connected to Time & Time Again to memories of another and then another and before I knew it, I was re-living a 7 year career with a previous employer. I was fortunate to have traveled that path and I missed those that accompanied me on that journey.

And then I thought of Adalius Thomas.

And then Ed Reed.

And then Terrell Suggs.

I have a confession to make. I actually watched the entire Pro Bowl this year. I did so for a few reasons one of which had to do with AD. You see I had this feeling that it might be the last time that I could watch AD represent the Baltimore Ravens. And I wanted to witness it all firsthand.

I also witnessed the genuine affection that Reed and Suggs have for their teammate. Reed certainly made that clear, overwhelmed I suppose by a momentary lapse of reasoning when he insinuated that the Ravens’ dealings with AD were “shady.” I don’t think Reed meant any harm. I believe in a way he was beginning the grieving process of losing a friend, a teammate, a co-worker to a competitor.

Perhaps you’ve had a friend who was a co-worker leave your firm. Maybe they even left the State and moved out of town. It’s hard to say goodbye.

Maybe you’ve moved on to another employer in your past in order to provide for your family more effectively. Do you remember how it felt when you closed your employer’s door for the last time?

Time moves on. People move on. Players move on. Companies move on. And football teams move on.

Things will never be exactly the same way again.

I remember the first time that I took notice of AD. Back then he wasn’t AD just yet. He was a rookie named Thomas who seemed to be having his way with opponents during a preseason game back in 2000. There always seems to be one of those players, those preseason standouts who never see the field when the games are for keeps. Adalius Thomas was once one of those standouts.

But Thomas kept at it and worked hard. His journey took him from a sixth round disappointment to an All-Pro who is about to become the blue chip free agent in the 2007 offseason. He’s earned it and although we’ll miss AD, we should be ashamed if any of us is less than happy for such an outstanding individual.

The fans, the media, the Ravens' organization and of course his teammates will swallow his absence like a bitter pill. But instead of feeling regret I’ll simply be glad that he came along and wish him all the best. I’ll be happy for those memories – those bookmarks in time, instead of fretting what will never be again.

Time and time again, that’s the way it is in the NFL. Change is the nature of the beast and sometimes the beast has a painful bite.

And for awhile, this one’s gonna hurt like hell.