lewis

FOXBORO — The current war of words between Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas and former teammate Ray Lewis this week has been met with all the fervor of Hollywood gossip-mongers who trail Britney Spears, waiting for her next train wreck.

During his Tuesday radio show, Lewis responded to Thomas’ comments in last week’s Sports Illustrated cover story in which he was quoted as saying the Ravens “sought the limelight” and were a “star-studded system” with players who beat their chests.

Never one to let an opportunity to hear himself speak pass, Lewis called Thomas a coward, and actually claimed that Thomas is the one who seek the limelight because he didn’t celebrate with his teammates in Baltimore.

It was a bit surprising that Thomas commented on Lewis’ claims yesterday, given the Patriots’ aversion to potential bulletin-board material. And while those on the outside who have taken shots at New England and coach Bill Belichick this season haven’t gotten much in the way of incendiary responses shot back their way, at least in the media, this is personal.

“As far as calling me a coward, I think that goes to something personal,” Thomas said. “I don’t like it. I will address that with Ray myself.”

Thomas may yet call Lewis, but the two have already said plenty — even though Thomas claimed yesterday that he didn’t want to set off a media frenzy. Neither held back too much with their recent comments.

“You don’t become a Super Bowl champion in this business without having character and dignity for what you do for your teammates, OK?,” said Lewis. “We won a Super Bowl without Adalius Thomas. The New England Patriots won three Super Bowls without Adalius Thomas.

“You’re talking about a guy who we put in . . . great talent, great talent, don’t ever get me wrong, but systematically we had to fit him into our schemes. Now, is that discrediting AD? No.”

Taken by the Ravens in the sixth round in the 2000 NFL Draft, Thomas was named to the Pro Bowl as a special-teamer before becoming a key member of Baltimore’s vaunted defense and earning another Pro Bowl berth last year. So he sees things a bit differently.

“To attack my integrity, as far as that goes, and say that you had to make a scheme up for me, I didn’t know they made up outside linebacker just for me,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know that. I know that you (Lewis) were crying about having a big man in the middle to keep blockers off you. I don’t know if that’s a scheme.”

Thomas said his entire quote wasn’t used in the SI article, and that he mentioned that he got to play with Hall of Famers with the Ravens, from Randall Cunningham to Deion Sanders to Lewis.

And while Lewis is talking about being a man and not going to the newspapers to say something, Thomas points out that he should look in the mirror — in that same radio show, Lewis criticized the play-calling of Baltimore coach Brian Billick.

“As far as that goes, you want to criticize the head coach, talk about coward, you can go right upstairs and talk to him like a man,” Thomas noted.

In the end, Thomas reverted to the company line and said he just wants to focus on the Washington Redskins, New England’s opponent on Sunday.

But Lewis will be getting a call from his former teammate.

“I’ll call him myself and I’ll talk to Ray,” Thomas said. “There’s a lot of things that can be said right now (but) I’m not going to go back and forth with he said/she said. Anybody that knows me, I don’t hold my tongue for nobody. If I got something to say to Ray, I’ll say it to Ray.”

smanza@projo.com