Ray Lewis performs last dance as Ravens return to Baltimore

Thousands of fans attending a parade honouring the Super Bowl champions Baltimore Ravens were treated to one last dance by future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.

For 17 National Football League seasons Lewis' pre-game dance got Ravens fans fired up and it was no different this time when he delighted them with his signature moves at M&T Bank Stadium.

Lewis, who retired after Sunday's 34-31 Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers, emerged from the players' tunnel dressed in jeans and a dark blue overcoat.

The 13-time Pro Bowl linebacker grabbed a piece of turf, kissed it, and delivered his dance. The capacity crowd, most of them dressed in Ravens' purple and black, roared.

"There is no place on this earth that's better than Baltimore," Lewis said. "This city, we believed in each other from day one. From 1996 until now, we believed in each other, Baltimore.

"This was my last ride. And every moment, every time I've ever stepped in this stadium, what I received is pure love ... this team was destined to go on and win the Super Bowl.

"The only way on my last ride to repay Baltimore to give back for all the things that you ever did for me, and all the support you ever gave to me, is bring back the Lombardi trophy to Baltimore one more time."

Safety Ed Reed offered Lewis a little musical accompaniment with his rendition of Eddie Money's Two Tickets to Paradise and the familiar chorus of the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army during the rally.

The players travelled in military-style Humvees, football-themed floats and flat-bed trucks for the parade, which began at War Memorial Plaza outside City Hall and ended at the M&T Bank Stadium.

Thousands lined the route despite the chilly temperatures, and as the procession neared the stadium, the people sidestepped the barriers and walked alongside the vehicles in the street.

Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco, who has been on the talk-show circuit and at Disney World in Florida since the game, told the stadium crowd: "Baltimore, we did it! Super Bowl champs, baby. This is for you guys.

"Hey, we've been through a lot this year - a lot of highs, a couple lows. And you guys stood there through it all.

"Just like you always do. You're a special group and we love you. Hey man, it doesn't get any better than this."

Reed's turn at the podium included a poke at the 49ers.

"Who's got it better than who?" he said - a reference to 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh's famed team rallying cry of "Who's got it better than us?"

Harbaugh, of course, is the younger brother of Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh, who wrapped up the festivities by leading the crowd in a chant.

"Our team, I'm talking about all of us, one of the keys was our determination," the coach said. "We played with incredible determination and resolve. And judging by how hard it was to get into this stadium, I would say that's true about our fans, too. We're on the parade coming down here, and every cranny, every sidewalk is full. Every opening where it opens up, every grassy knoll is packed with Ravens fans. They broke down the barriers behind Ray Lewis and mobbed the streets, right? They filled the streets.

"The city's going crazy! For the Ravens! The world champions Baltimore Ravens!"

It was the Ravens' first Super Bowl win since the 2000 season.

"I don't know how many more times we can do this, bringing championships home, before Baltimore loses that chip on its shoulder," said Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. "I hope it doesn't ever happen."

As the Ravens faithful flocked to the parade and rally, US President Barack Obama offered his congratulations in a phone call to Harbaugh and general manager Ozzie Newsome.

According to the White House press office, Obama "commended the Ravens on an unbelievable year and for the steadiness the team displayed through the end" and said he looked forward to congratulating the team in person at the White House.

Reuters, Agence France-Presse