Thanks in large part to Lewis' outstanding play this season, the Ravens are playing in Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa on Sunday. But should Lewis lead Baltimore to victory over the Giants and be named the game's Most Valuable Player in doing so, it remains uncertain whether the All-Pro linebacker with a tainted past will be asked to smile into a TV camera and tell the world he is going to Disney World.

Disney officials, citing marketing strategy, said they prefer to keep secret the identity of players on their priority list of commercial candidates.

"We like to keep the element of surprise going and we never say if or when or who might be in the commercial," Disney World spokesperson Rick Sylvain said. "We have had exploratory talks with players and their representatives, but it's our policy not to discuss that."

Disney is known to be "generally ... looking for the MVP," according to Mark Bartelstein. Bartelstein speaks from experience. He is the agent of St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, last year's Super Bowl MVP and the player Disney picked to visit its Magic Kingdom.

But it appears Lewis shouldn't be practicing his postgame lines just yet. Unlike Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer, Lewis has not been contacted regarding the possibility of handling what has become an annual post-Super Bowl marketing honor. Eugene Parker, the linebacker's agent, said Monday he hasn't spoken to Disney, although that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be a deal since the company has been known to negotiate contracts throughout the week leading up to the game.

The Disney postgame tradition began 14 years ago in Pasadena, Calif. Moments after leading the Giants to a 39-20 victory over the Broncos in Super Bowl XXI, New York quarterback Phil Simms stood in the middle of the Rose Bowl and, while showered with cheers from fans and the flicker of flashbulbs, uttered those memorable four words: "I'm going to Disneyland."

Since then, 11 out of 13 Super Bowl MVPs have followed in Simms' footsteps. Come Sunday, someone else will be saying the famous line. Could it be Lewis, whose name recognition comes as a co-defendant in a double-murder trial, rather than for Associated Press Defensive Player of Year Award? Disney has a tradition to uphold of picking the game's star. But it also has the perception of the visitors trotting through the company's theme parks to contend with.

If the Ravens win, and their defense shines, Lewis is a potential MVP favorite.

Lewis seemingly would be a rare defensive candidate for a deal. But it's also possible that, despite having the double-murder charges dropped last year in exchange for his testimony against two co-defendants, he is still remembered more as the man standing before a judge wearing an orange prison jumpsuit rather than for his on-the-field exploits.

Marketing research conducted months ago seems to support that theory.

According to a Harris Interactive poll conducted in February 2000, shortly after Lewis was charged in the double-murder case, 33 percent of people interviewed said they had heard of Ray Lewis, and 36 percent of those that had gave him a favorable rating. In July, a month after the trial, another Harris poll revealed that 36 percent said they were aware of Lewis, and 39 percent of them gave him a favorable rating.

Athletes often have favorable ratings between 65 to 70 percent, according to Shaun Rife, manager of sports and entertainment research for Harris Interactive. Tiger Woods' rating has been as high as 95 percent and only two athletes -- Marty McSorley (35 percent) and Mike Tyson (10 percent) -- ranked lower than Lewis during the past two years.

There's also evidence that suggests much has changed since the July poll. Lewis jerseys have been flying off the shelves and footballs bearing his signature have been sold recently for more than $300. On Tuesday, Lewis will sign 50 items for 50 fans, who each paid an average of about $65 on eBay to have their item signed, with a videotape to prove the item's authenticity.

If the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV and Lewis is named MVP and doesn't get to say "I'm going to Disney World," some might argue the integrity of the commercial, sans MVP, will be sacrificed.

It may be the price Disney is willing to pay in order to avoid the moral question that may follow. The MVP hasn't always been the chosen one. So passing on Lewis wouldn't be a first. Signing up someone with the linebacker's controversial past, however, would.