Lewis likes Hawaii just fine

Ray Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens' 10-time Pro Bowl linebacker, said it is "sad" that the NFL All-Star game is being moved from Hawaii for at least one year. Next year's game is in Miami and Lewis, who lives in Florida, said he might not play in it if selected.

"Yeah. Seriously. That's no vacation going to your same city," said Lewis, who played college football at Miami. "I live in Florida, so why am I going to drive my car and say 'Hey, I think I'll go play in the Pro Bowl right down the road.'

"I just don't see that as being as exciting as an honor coming to Hawaii, really just learning things new. Seeing something different. You know, because what you have to understand is, wherever the Pro Bowl is at, somebody plays in that city, lives in that city. You don't want to go have a good time in that same city. You want to take your family and go on a vacation."

Next year's Pro Bowl is set for Miami after 30 years in Hawaii and will be played a week before the Super Bowl. Beyond 2010, the game's location is uncertain, although the Hawaii Tourism Authority is in negotiations with the NFL to bring it back to the islands.

The NFL has said it would like to keep Hawaii in the rotation.

"Sad. Sad day," Lewis added. "I just look at it as a great opportunity, when you work so hard in all these different states and all these different cities and things like that, and your reward is to be voted to the Pro Bowl in this getaway. Get away from your normal life. Hawaii is probably one of the greatest places on this Earth and just to have the connection of being over here, to be away from everybody else ... that's the reward. To think about it never being here again, that's not a good thing."

(starbulletin.com)