The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Ravens have each lost legendary players this week.  It begs the question; which loss is worse?

This is one of those debates where there really isn't a wrong answer.  The New York Yankees losing Derek Jeter due to a broken ankle and the Baltimore Ravens losing Ray Lewis due to a torn triceps are obviously both enormous losses.  How do you begin to make an argument for the loss of one player being more significant than the loss of the other?

Both players were both extremely productive before suffering injuries.  The individual production is comparable.  That's when I would look at the nature of the two sports to break the tie.  Ray Lewis is a natural born leader.  He can inspire his teammates like nobody else.  Based on the nature of football, Ray Lewis can have a much greater impact on his team with the emotion that he brings to his defense.

Emotion is often the ally of execution on the defensive end in the NFL.  Ray Lewis is the best emotional leader in the history of the league.  To lose that guy hurts the individual production of many of the players simply because of the leadership and the emotion that Ray Lewis brings to the table.  No disrespect to Derek Jeter, but Ray Lewis going down is the more significant loss.

Brian Noe is the Brand Manager at 104.5 The Team, ESPN Radio in Albany, NY.  Brian also hosts “The Noe Show” weekdays from 1-3 pm ET on WTMM.

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