Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams has NFL fans and media members alike reaching for old poetry textbooks this Friday afternoon
The Davante Adams drama in the NFL has taken a poetic turn.
Literally.
When reports emerged that the star wide receiver had requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, every media outlet under the sun kicked speculation over potential landing spots into overdrive. We here at SB Nation were absolutely not immune, posting a story regarding six potential trade destinations before taking the matter to the critically-acclaimed* series “Football Court.”
*Who are those critics? Family members, mostly. But we digress …
However, the latest twist to the tale has every member of the sports media world reaching back to their high school days, and remembering their poetry. Or trying to, that is.
On Friday Adams posted an image of none other than Edgar Allan Poe, the famous American poet and author of numerous works of mystery and macabre. Including, of course, “The Raven,” a work that tells the story of a mournful student lamenting the loss of his lover, and a visit from a talking raven:
That work from the Baltimore native also inspired the nickname utilized when pro football returned to Maryland, with the Baltimore Ravens.
As you might expect, that post prompted many to conclude that Adams would be heading to Baltimore. Although some, at least around the water coolers at SB Nation’s offices, believed it was merely an indication that Adams wanted to pay for the Raiders “nevermore,” as the often-quoted line from “The Raven” reads. In the poem only word the raven would say was “nevermore.”
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
So, you can see why NFL fans and media members alike are trying to recall their high school literature classes …
Of course, there is a simple explanation here.
Adams just really likes Poe’s work.
(We will ignore the fact that Poe is also the name of the Ravens mascot).
