Based on the current season, one would never guess that the Baltimore
Ravens are a power house NFL football team with several great accomplishments.
Although our 1-5 record this year is nothing to brag about, in the past, the
Ravens proved that they are a hardworking and driven team that can accomplish
great things and persevere through tough times.
From 1953 to 1983, Maryland was home of the beloved Baltimore Colts
until March 29th, 1984, when the team was packed up and moved to Indianapolis
in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the rich history of the Colts was
lost to Indianapolis. Both Indianapolis and Baltimore wanted the Colts but
Indianapolis prevailed and has been the home of the Colts from 1984 to present.
Baltimore attempted to sue the franchise but proved unsuccessful. However, in
1996 the city of Baltimore received a new NFL team, the Ravens.
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| The Baltimore Colts' logo. |
The establishment of a new team did not come without a struggle.
Several smaller cities were granted franchises while Baltimore was simply
skipped over and left team-less. After outrage from the city's fans and the governor,
Baltimore finally obtained a team. The Cleveland Browns, owned by Art Modell,
were to be moved to Maryland, due to an insufficient stadium and heavy debt in
Cleveland. At first, the team was to be called the Baltimore Browns. This
suggestion sparked several legal debates which culminated in the decision that
the Browns' name, colors, and team history would remain in Cleveland and thus,
Modell's relocated team would be considered a new franchise, the Ravens.
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| The Baltimore Ravens' logo. |
One instance that I find particularly interesting is how the team’s name,
The Ravens, came about. As I explained in a previous post, it originated from
Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Raven" but, it was actually the fans who
gave the team its name. Focus groups narrowed a long list of names down to
three choices: Marauders, Americans, and Ravens. Then, 33, 288 fans voted on
their favorite name, and The Ravens won.
In 1996, the Ravens very first season, they ended with a record of
4-12. From 1997-1998 the Ravens continued to struggle, ending each season with
a losing record. However, in 1999 things started to look up when the Ravens
broke even at the end of the season. While this was definitely exciting, it
could not compare to what was to come in the year 2000.
With big names like Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, and Shannon Sharpe, the
Ravens began to dominate the league and went on to win the AFC Championship and
obtain a record of 12-4. But, the excitement did not end there. The Ravens then
went on to participate in Super Bowl XXXV, in Tampa, Florida, against the New
York Giants. With a 34-7 win, the Ravens obtained their first Super Bowl
victory.
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| Ray Lewis after his Super Bowl XXXV victory. |
From 2001 to 2011, the Ravens entered a bit of slump ending most of
these seasons with losing records. This ten year span felt like an eternity for
fans who were longing to return to the days of super bowl victories. After patiently
waiting for so long, these fans were finally granted their wish in 2012.
The 2012 season is a particularly amazing one to me as it is the
first winning season for the Ravens that I was actually old enough to remember
and participate in. One of my favorite memories of this season was purple
Friday's. Once the Ravens made the playoffs, every Friday we were allowed to
ditch our school uniforms and wear the Ravens uniform with pride as we
decorated ourselves with purple beads and bows to show our support for our
beloved team. But it was not just schools who participated in purple Friday's,
the whole city became involved as it stood clad in purple banners and shining
purple lights into the night sky.
Another memory I have from the 2012 season was getting together with
my friends and family, all wearing our Ravens gear, and heading out to our
favorite local restaurant to eat great food and enjoy great games. Fortunately,
week after week, we watched the Ravens conquer each team and move on to the
next all the way until they reached the Super Bowl.
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| My friend Rayna and I before a Ravens' game. |
On February 3rd, 2013, the Ravens took on the San Francisco 49ers in
Super Bowl XLVII. This Super Bowl stood out among the rest for several reasons.
First, John Harbaugh, coach of the Ravens, took on his younger brother, Jim
Harbaugh, coach of the 49ers. This sibling rivalry added an exciting touch to
the 2013 Super Bowl. In addition, during the Super Bowl, a power outage occurred,
shaking up both the teams and the fans. And finally, this Super Bowl marked
future Hall of Fame linebacker, Ray Lewis’s, last game. After playing with
the Ravens since 1996, Ray Lewis was able to end his career with his second
Super Bowl win.
Whenever I think of this Super Bowl, I think of the excitement and
energy in the room when the Ravens earned their victory. On Tuesday, February
5th, thousands of fans gathered at M&T Bank Stadium to honor the hard work,
dedication, and accomplishments of Baltimore Ravens. My favorite memory from
the parade was when Ray Lewis came out from the tunnel and did his famous dance
for one last time, causing the crowd to explode with joy and love for a man who
dedicated his life to making our team great.
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| Ray Lewis during his famous dance. |
While the next few years proved to be difficult and team struggles
through the current season, myself and other fans have faith in our team. The
Baltimore Ravens are a dedicated and passionate group of men who will strive to
to get us out of this slump and back on the road to victory.
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