Who's the bum now? Derrick Mason demanded to know following Baltimore's 500 yard, 38-point offensive showcase against the Chiefs yesterday.

In the wake of that victory, the former retiree WR made this rebuttal to current retiree WRs Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter:

Keyshawn Johnson is the bum, that's why he's in the analyst seat. He tried to come back to football but no one would sign him. He was never that good a player. He got lucky and signed on in Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl because they had a great defense.

"Just look at the two people doing the criticizing, that's all I'm saying. Keyshawn was overrated and Carter is in the same boat I'm in. He doesn't have a Super Bowl ring either. He's in the analyst seat without a ring. At least I'm playing. He still wants to play but he can't anymore. We're the bums? That's why you're in the analyst seat. Just be quiet and keep dreaming you still could play.

Ravens Offense Explodes, On And Off The Field [PFT]

Ravens Win With More Than Just Defense With Flacco Behind the Wheel [CBS Sports]

UPDATE: ESPN maintains that Johnson/Carter never called Flacco "a bum" during the press conference. " nobody specific was being addressed during that comment...They were just talking and said that the Ravens have not spent all their money on receivers...they spend it on defense."

The team thought they had solved their wide receiver issues by picking up a guy with one catch in 2008, who had been dumped by his previous team two years into a six-year $30 million dollar deal. They gave him a physical and the veteran minimum of $745,000, never suspecting that his bum knee would flare up less than 48 hours later. I assume he doesn't get to keep all of the money, but still ... not a bad weekend for Drew.

(Also missing from Ravens camp? Movie hero Michael Oher, who hasn't yet signed.)

The good news for Ravens fans is that Derrick Mason is maybe yet not retired yet and will probably drag his will he/won't he drama out through most of training camp, just like that other soon-to-be purple wearing dolt that everyone hates. Thus rendering my maudlin tribute to him both unnecessary and inappropriate, forever spoiling my remaining faith in heroes. Thanks, sports!

Bennett Retires [Baltimore Ravens]
Ravens Insider: Signing Drew Bennett can't hurt [Baltimore Sun]
Mason, Oher absent as Ravens open camp [The Capital]

How can a football player, who is my age, who went to my school, in my class, be finished with his career already? It doesn't make sense. I remember watching his touchdown punt return against Michigan—maybe the most thrilling game I ever saw in person—and that was ... geebus ... 14 years ago? How old am I?

He was never the best player on any of his teams (and I'm pretty sure he never accidentally shot himself in the thigh), but he was always reliable and occasionally great. He returned punts and kickoffs and caught passes with competence, which is suprisingly rare these days. He played in a Super Bowl—one of the most thrilling games I ever saw on the TV—and two Pro Bowls and again, never shot anyone, which for MSU wideouts is pretty impressive. He was just ... good. For quite a long time actually and now he's going to retire (earlier than he needs to, by the way) and will probably stay retired and open a car dealership or something. That's pretty neat. And maybe a little depressing for me.

I wish there was a YouTube of the pass he caught—lying on his back, after a horrible Tony Banks pass went right through the hands of freshman Charles Woodson—to keep that game-winning drive rolling back in 1995. I guess you had to be there.

This should suffice for the moment.

Baltimore Ravens WR Derrick Mason calls it quits after 12 years [ESPN]
Derrick Mason wasn't the receiver of the '00s, but he was close [Shutdown Corner]