More Than Just a
Game
The Baltimore Ravens community,
otherwise known as Ravens Nation, is a large community that represents many
different people united together. To me, the three major aspects of Ravens
Nation include the team itself, the fans, and most importantly how those two
groups relate beyond the typical game day interactions and excitement. There
are two primary areas of tension that come to mind when I think about the
tenure of this community. The first area occurred when the Baltimore Colts uprooted to Indianapolis in the
middle of the night. The other area of tension occurred this past spring when
Ravens players and coaches went into different neighborhood in the city in order to bring a sense of peace and distraction during the difficult aftermath of
the Freddie Gray tragedy. Ravens Nation is a prime example of how life is
so much bigger than football. What happens on the field is only a fraction of
the importance that teams of Baltimore bring to the city. Both current and players and ones of the past have embraced the city as their own which has helped to establish such a strong relationship between the two.
In the middle of a snowy night on
March 29, 1984, led by team owner Robert Irsay, the Baltimore Colts packed up
all team gear and equipment, and headed to Indianapolis. The team needed
fourteen “Mayflower” tractor truck trailers and without telling practically
anyone made a heartbreaking change that will never be forgotten. The team told very few people and for the utmost secrecy even the drivers were not told where they
were going until the next day.[1] This level of secrecy obviously left
the community in shock. It largely caused hatred amongst players and fans all
directed toward Indianapolis. Some fans have expressed their displeasure with the Irsay family by saying "We hated Irsay. We hated Indianapolis. We
hated (former Indianapolis mayor Bill) Hudnut," Ziemann said.
"Together, we hated them. There's no two ways about it. They took
something away from us that belonged to us and they had no right to do that. No
right at all.”[2] The lifelong fan and
once Colt’s band member continued by expressing his new found love for the
Ravens but admitting that “The scar will always be there, The wound has healed,
but the scar will always be there and you can't erase history of what was done
to us.“
(Picture
of Colts leaving Baltimore) (Robert Irsay introductory Press
Conference)
One of many reasons that this
move was so difficult for Baltimore was because of the team’s involvement in
the local community away from the football field. Most well known players, even the most well-known had
to hold down jobs outside of football. Even Johnny Unitas,
arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, was often seen
in the community at his local hardware store helping customers who occasionally
did not even know who he was.[4] There were also many players who worked
and owned local restaurants, bars, and car dealerships. Players were
friendly and very engaging with fans, which only enhanced the strong fan
support. The Baltimore Colts fans were always recognized as some of the more
passionate ones in the league, and Memorial Stadium was always seen as one of
the best home field advantages.
I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and the Colts leaving Baltimore is a prime example. Without this dramatic move, although it was very painful for the players and fans, who knows what Baltimore football would be like today if the Colts had stayed? A “what if” scenario is so difficult to analyze because no one truly know what would have happened 35 years ago if Robert Irsay did not move the team. It is however extremely disappointing that all of the Baltimore Colts' rich history is credited to Indianapolis instead of Baltimore. Even Johnny Unitas’ son acknowledged that the team history had nothing to do with Indianapolis, which is why they shouldn’t receive any credit for all of the team’s accolades. This point shows that fans do have an influence on the game and team as a whole and the players do appreciate it. I know for all fans and former players it is very strange and even difficult to watch the “Blue Horseshoe” on Indianapolis helmets but I know they have all embraced the new franchise.
I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and the Colts leaving Baltimore is a prime example. Without this dramatic move, although it was very painful for the players and fans, who knows what Baltimore football would be like today if the Colts had stayed? A “what if” scenario is so difficult to analyze because no one truly know what would have happened 35 years ago if Robert Irsay did not move the team. It is however extremely disappointing that all of the Baltimore Colts' rich history is credited to Indianapolis instead of Baltimore. Even Johnny Unitas’ son acknowledged that the team history had nothing to do with Indianapolis, which is why they shouldn’t receive any credit for all of the team’s accolades. This point shows that fans do have an influence on the game and team as a whole and the players do appreciate it. I know for all fans and former players it is very strange and even difficult to watch the “Blue Horseshoe” on Indianapolis helmets but I know they have all embraced the new franchise.
(Art Modell Announces the new
team name “The Ravens” in front of an excited Baltimore Crowd)
It can be argued that looking
back, March, 29, 1984 could very well have been a good day for Baltimore
sports. One Baltimore Sun writer explained how he thinks that day actually can be
thought of as a blessing in disguise. “It allowed the city to cut ties with a
desperately flawed franchise and a deeply unpopular owner. It spurred elected
officials to get serious about plans that would keep the Orioles in Baltimore and
attract a new NFL team. Those plans bore fruit in Camden Yards and
M&T Bank Stadium, beloved facilities that are now as intrinsic to
downtown as the Inner Harbor. The Ravens arrived in 1996 and won a Super Bowl
six years before the Colts brought Indianapolis its first Lombardi Trophy.”[5] The city of Baltimore is
very pleased with ownership and management of the team, which would not have
happened if the Colts hadn’t left Baltimore and the Cleveland Browns hadn’t
come to Baltimore twelve years later. Ravens fans are very appreciative of
former owner Art Modell and current owner Steve Bisciotti. The team has
established a positive reputation on and off the field and fan support quickly
returned where it once was with the Colts. As strange as it may seem, and granted
I was not alive for this disheartening time in Baltimore, Robert Irsay moving
the Colts opened many doors for great things to come. Most importantly, let’s
be honest, there’s no debating that Ravens Nation sounds a whole lot better
than Colt’s Nation!
(Images from post game celebration after Ravens Win SB
35 & 47)
On Thursday, April 28, days after
rioting and looting in Baltimore City, members of The Baltimore Ravens took to
the streets to try to support the city in any capacity that they could. These
riots began after Freddie Gray was laid to rest and conversations began surrounding the injustice of his death. The Ravens 85 members, including 55 players to West Baltimore for the day. The team was
dropped off at Matthew A. Hensen Elementary School, where they gave out food to
more than 500 students and families. The team later walked to Fredrick Douglas
High School near a mall that had been looted to meet with students and greet
members of the community.[6]
One of the most notable parts of
the day was when former linebacker Ray Lewis spoke at an assembly. CBS captured
a portion of Lewis' speech in which he reiterated, “We have an opportunity to
change Baltimore. If you want to make real change, be the example of change...
We don't win wars with wars. Go home. Baltimore we got a real opportunity. All
eyes are on us.”[7] Many players reiterated Lewis' message over their social network pages: Baltimore has an opportunity to prove they are more than the violent city that the world sees. Unfortunately violence in Baltimore was not a unique situation, but now members of the community had an opportunity to show the world a different side to the city.
The Ravens took time out of their days to come
to the city because they knew that they would have a strong impact on all
members of the community. The Ravens players demonstrated their desire to give back to the community by supporting Baltimore and its neighborhoods during a very difficult time. The players provided a distraction and served as a beacon of hope for the people to whom they spoke. The team knew that they would be able to send a strong message to many of the people in the community, because they are considered to be role models to many families and especially kids. I
would guarantee that the furthest thing from the players' minds during this time
was football and the upcoming season, training camp, or the draft the next day. This opportunity was another chance for the team to prove
that once again life is so much bigger than football. After the long day in the
city, the Ravens later tweeted “"We love this city. Always have. Always
will. #BaltimoreStrong."[8]
 |
| (Ray Lewis greets students at Matthew A. Hensen Elementary School) |
Win, lose, or draw the Ravens will have the long-term support of the Baltimore fan base. We are all part of Ravens Nation for better or worse. This not only applies to rooting for the Ravens every Sunday, but acknowledging that we all live in the same city and are united in one strong community.
[1] http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2014/03/29/indianapolis-baltimore-move-30-year-anniversary-mayflower/7053553/
[2] http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/01/04/indianapolis-colts-move-baltimore-bitter-feelings/1810527/
[3] http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/01/04/indianapolis-colts-move-baltimore-bitter-feelings/1810527/
[4] Football in Baltimore: History and Memorabilia from
Colts to Ravens, By
Ted Patterson, Dean Smith
[5] http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-03-29/sports/0903280183_1_baltimore-colts-band-colts-heroes-john-moag
[6] http://www.bustle.com/articles/80217-baltimore-ravens-volunteer-after-freddie-gray-riots-challenging-students-to-help-make-change
[7] http://www.bustle.com/articles/80217-baltimore-ravens-volunteer-after-freddie-gray-riots-challenging-students-to-help-make-change
[8] http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-baltimore-ravens-riot-20150430-htmlstory.html
Pictures:
Mayflower: http://media.theindychannel.com/photo/2012/09/29/Mayflower-truck-Colts-move-1984-4870367_166736_ver1.0_320_240.jpg
Irsay Press Conference: http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/SP.IRSAY13P1.jpg
Art Modell Team Announcement: http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2015/8/26/ravens-top-20-naming-the-team
Ravens win Super Bowl 35: baltimoreravens.com
Ravens win Super Bowl 47: baltimore ravens.com
Ray Lewis - http://cdn.patch.com/users/57041/2015/04/T800x600/201504554243de0ba77.png
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