What's wrong with high expectations?

July 13, 2010 12:37 PM by Dan Kolko View Comments

In an interview on 105.7 The Fan yesterday, Derrick Mason shared his thoughts on the upcoming season and his expectations for the Ravens.

"Anything less than a Super Bowl win, really, is a disappointment to us," Mason said.

"I think we've done more than enough over the last three years to put ourselves in a position to win a championship," the Ravens' wide receiver added. "To do all we've done and not come out of this thing with a championship would be disheartening, especially for me because I'm looking at one, two years tops before I leave."

These comments have gotten a lot of attention throughout national media outlets, and some have suggested that Mason would have been wise to avoid such big talk.

This interview, those say, will only draw the ire of other teams around the league and serve to put a target on the Ravens' backs.

My take on the situation is far different. Why should Mason's comments offend anyone?

Every team in the NFL should have winning the Lombardi Trophy on the top of their To-Do lists entering training camp. Is anyone truly happy when the season ends if they can't call themselves Super Bowl Champions?

If there's a player on the Steelers, Saints, Colts, Jets or any other team around the league that hears Mason's interview or reads his comments and gets offended, then they have some serious sensitivity issues.

Mason didn't bash any other players or teams. He didn't pull a Chad Ochocinco and toss around claims that his team would crush their division rivals. He didn't say the Ravens were going to go 16-0 or arrogantly predict a No. 1 offensive ranking.

All he said was that if the Ravens don't win the Super Bowl, he'll be disappointed.

And who can blame him for that?