"Never look for logic in the chambers of the human heart."

Shortly after Ulysees, the main character in O Brother, Where Art Thou, said these very words, it hit me. This was art imitating sports. The three escaped prisoners portrayed in the Coen brothers' latest film bear a striking resemblance to three sports figures we talked about all this week: Rick Pitino, Dimitrius Underwood, and Ray Lewis. All three proved Ulysees' point: it's loyalty, not logic, that rules the human heart.

Ulysses is slick, polished, and well-spoken -- with the natural leadership qualities of Pitino. The former Celtics coach is most comfortable leading those who desperately need direction -- like college kids.

Delmar is a quiet, loving man whose sense of purpose stems from his spiritual beliefs. In one scene he sprints into the river to be baptized with a spiritual zeal that made me think of Underwood. The Cowboys' defensive lineman, however, is still searching for someone to follow.

Pete is a hardened, physical, yet extremely sensitive man who is betrayed by those closest to him. I could only think of Lewis. The Defensive Player of the Year has learned to trust only himself.

Rick Pitino, like Ulysses, wants to go home to his family, which happens to be college basketball. His loyalty has always been to the youth, comraderie and (yeah, I'm saying it) innocence that saturates any college gym on game day. Sure he was seduced by the prestige of the NBA, but it's time to go home. In the movie, Ulysses does eventually make it home. You can bet that Pitino will wind up on some university campus before the snow melts.

Dimitrius Underwood, like Delmar, is a character we can never fully understand. We know he finds comfort, strength and direction in his religious beliefs. Bi-polar disorder is the reason given for Underwood's two attempts at suicide. But there was something else that led him away from the Vikings training camp two years ago. Underwood embodies the words written in 2 Corinthians: "we live by faith, not by sight." His loyalty to a spiritual calling blinded him to the $5.3 million the Vikings were willing to pay him. In the movie, we never find out what becomes of old Delmar. In light of his perilous walk through traffic last week, I'm afraid Underwood's fate is also undetermined.

Both Ray Lewis and this Pete character endure tests of loyalty. In the movie, Pete seeks refuge from his cousin, only to have that cousin turn him into the police. After that, he learns to trust only himself. My favorite scene is when he finally confronts Ulysses: "Who put you in charge anyway?" he says. (Can't you just hear Lewis barking that to Pitino?) After his own literal and figurative trials, Lewis has found a similar strength. We are left without an ending to Pete's saga, but we do know what happens to Lewis. After an off-season of soul-searching, he had one of the best seasons ever by a linebacker and a chance at a Super Bowl.

That's more than poetic justice. It's logical.

Alan Grant, a former NFL defensive back, is a writer/reporter for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at alan.grant@espnmag.com.