3. When the team said this preseason that it was canceling Lewis? dance, the city of Baltimore wentberserk.

4. Another high-profile player wanted a piece of the spotlight and his own dance.

(Stop me when this gets ridiculous.)

5. Lewis vowed on Aug. 17 that the dance would return, restoring temporary peace to the land but fueling a growing power struggle within the organization.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the NFL in 2006.

I once heard the WWE described as a soap opera for men. If pro wrestling has cornered the soaps, the NFL is Lifetime on steroids. (Not that I know of any positive B samples.)

When my colleague, Matt Palmer, broke the news about Lewis? dance last month, half the city went into mourning and half went for their torches and pitchforks. Chat rooms kicked into overdrive. WJFK ESPN 1300 immediately booked Palmer for an interview. Fans even started an online petition, hoping to convince the Ravens to stop the madness.

People, it?s ? just ? a ? dance.

To be fair, I need to admit a few things. Despite being a native Marylander, I have never given the Ravens a second thought. I grew up in Montgomery County bleeding Redskins burgundy and gold. As such, I admittedly had no clue about Lewis? pre-game antics before taking this job. (Amazing how one man?s treasure is another man?s trash.)

If anyone is still reading, my point is this: What has the NFL become? All too often, it?s a circus with bearded ladies and Harry the Wonder Llama diverting our attention from the main entertainment ? the game itself.

I love football. But if there?s one thing I can?t stand about the NFL, it?s the self-glorification that has taken over the game. Answer honestly: When was the last time you saw a player make a great play without throwing a party for himself afterwards?

Don?t get me wrong. I love a little theatrics with my football. Last year, Redskins running back Clinton Portis greeted the local media at his weekly press conference by playing different personas in outlandish costumes. One week, he was Rev. Gonna Change. Another, Dollah Bill or Sheriff Gonna Getcha. Perhaps the funniest was Coach Janky Spanky, who denounced Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams? $8 million contract extension and said he would?ve done the job for a hundred grand.

That?s good stuff.

But all this other narcissistic drama subtracts from the game.

Maybe I?m old-fashioned. We created the beast and we feed the beast, so I guess we have to clean up after the beast when it goes on our shoe.

It?s a tough hair to split ? football and the accompanying side drama. Still, when it comes to these matters, I always ask myself one question: What would Coach Spanky say?

Joshua Cooley is the sports editor for The Examiner.