…starring Willis McGahee and Hiram Eugene.

Willis’ stiff arm is a well-known part of his game, but the one he threw during his 77-yard TD run against the Raiders was a thing of beauty. I actually feel bad for Hiram Eugene, as his team is going to be making some serious jokes about that play when they study the game film.

Go Ravens!

No Ben Roethlisberger? No Troy Polamalu? Heck…no Charlie Batch? No problem, right?

Um…not exactly.

Our love for driving long distances in the middle of the night before a workday is so strong that we opted to go to the Ravens/Steelers game on Sunday night in Baltimore. When the news that Roethlisberger was going to be riding the pines came to our attention Saturday, Steelers fans seemed to have a serious reason to worry. With Charlie Batch out with a broken wrist, and third-string former Oregon standout, Dennis Dixon, as their only option, many thought this game was going to be an easy out for the Ravens.

Of course…this is still the Ravens and Steelers, and even without Troy for half of their games, the Steelers came into the game as the league’s top-ranked defense. Sorry, but even without their starting QB, the Steelers are a formidable opponent. Just ask the Vikings who surrendered two 90-plus yard TD returns to the Steelers defense. You can stuff the Steelers offense as much as you want, but the defense is just plain unstoppable and can change a game at any moment. After this game, I’m standing by the fact that Ben might be a very good QB, but nearly ANY QB in the league can “win” games when they have a defense like that to back him up.

The reality last night was that the Steelers would’ve probably lost by a much larger margin had their defense not stepped up and forced two key turnovers. The first major turnover happened on the opening drive of the second half, with the Ravens driving. After catching a long pass, Mark Clayton was stripped of the ball for a momentum-killing turnover. The Steelers’ pass rush got to Flacco, twice forcing a fumbles – once when the Ravens were driving in the fourth quarter on the Steelers side of the field, and the other right at the end of the game. Although the one at the end of the game was recovered by Ben Grubbs, the Ravens couldn’t stop the clock to try to edge their potential game-winning field goal try closer.

While the Steelers running game did well, their passing attack wasn’t very effective outside of the play-action-based TD drive. The Ravens did a decent job of keeping the ball out of Hines Ward and Heath Miller’s hands, but their lack of pass rush allowed Dixon to keep his composure for most of the game. Regardless, the Steelers offense was as stale and safely played as you would expect for the most part. It was nice to see them draw up a play for their mobile QB on Dixon’s touchdown run.

The Ravens, on the other hand, actually moved the ball really well. Their running game was working against the Steelers, and with Flacco spreading the ball around a little more, the passing game was successful. The real problems began in the second half when the Ravens started dropping back and not focusing on the run as much. When you’re averaging 4.5 yards a carry, keep running. It’s not often that you can move the ball like that on their defense. Enjoy the moment. McClain, Rice, and McGahee were all getting some touches with positive effect. The Steelers have a great pass rush, and I don’t think the Ravens did a good enough job designing plays to get the ball out fast enough in the second half. The Steelers clearly made an adjustment at halftime, and the Ravens didn’t.

All-in-all, the game was excellent…especially since the Ravens won, but I’m weary of being too optimistic. I’m convinced that the Ravens have the raw talent to go far, but they lack the discipline and experience right now. Flacco is going to have to continue using ALL of his receivers if they’re going to keep winning down the stretch. The Ray Rice & Derrick Mason show might have a good ring to it if it’s the next Ravens radio show, but it’s going to kill them down the stretch (like it did against the Colts). Both are extremely talented, and Rice blows my mind every game, but the rest of the offense has to step up.

Special teams were moving the ball, but the penalties are woeful and becoming so consistent that any positive yardage results in me scanning the green fields for yellow cloth. This game, against one of the worst special teams coverage unit in the league, killed potentially great field position with stupid blocks in the back penalties. Billy Cundiff, though, might just be the man (shown above hitting the game winner in OT). After two games, I already have more faith in his leg than I had in Hauschka. With Hauschka you prayed…with Cundiff, you have faith.

The defense is actually playing pretty well for the most part, with Lardarius Webb looking like a future impact player, but Dominique Foxworth has to find a way to improve before Monday. Aaron Rodgers will go after him all game, just like every other QB this year. It’s time for this team to step up, or the end of the season could be a heartbreaker. I have a feeling the Ravens are going to have to win out to get a wild card spot. I guess the hope continues Monday night at Lambeau…

Go Ravens!!!

The best part about the Browns being awful? Cheap seats.

Meadows and I picked up tickets to the Monday Night Football “showdown” between the Ravens and Browns for $50/ticket…3 rows off of the field! While I had originally planned to watch the game at home, the cheap seats were too much to pass up. Unfortunately, the game was probably only worth about $50 total to watch, but it was still a good time.

At 4-4, the game was a must-win for the Ravens as they tried to make a push, ANY push, for a successful second half of the season. For the Browns…well, sometimes getting that second win of the year has to come at some point, right?

The Browns defense actually played really well. In fact, if the Browns had any semblance of a NFL-caliber quarterback, I think they could’ve pulled off the win. With the Ravens playing uninspired – as if they knew that an average game would be enough against the Brady Quinn-led Browns – the Browns defense was able to keep their team in the game until the second half. The scoreless first half, with the sole highlight being what I had to assume at the time was Steven Hauschka’s last field goal miss in a Ravens uniform, consisted of some of the stalest football I’ve seen. There was just nothing going on. Two teams playing it safe, as if they knew the only real separation would be in the turnover column. I saw more punts than canine-related costumes, and other than the two drunken morons that kept rousing Meadows, the crowd aspect of the game failed to inspire.

Fortunately, the NFL came up with the brilliant idea of a second half. With the way the Ravens have been sleepwalking through the first half for the last few weeks, I was optimistic things would pick up during the final 30 minutes. After the Ravens got a big play from Derrick Mason, Ray Rice took advantage of the Browns only having 10 men on the field and put the Ravens up 7-0.

The one thing that I had to assume coming into the game was that the Ravens would be taking out pigskin loans from the Quinn interception reserve. While Quinn was off in the first half, none of his passes made it into the right hands…until the ensuing drive after the Ravens first TD. Quinn’s pass met the hands of Robert Royal, who clearly didn’t want anything to do with it, and the ball deflected into the hands of a surging Dawan Landry for a nice pick-six. After that score, though, Hauschka decided to cement his lack of a future with the Ravens by missing the PAT. I immediately wanted to drive to Owings Mills to tryout.

Of course, Quinn decided that his highlight-reel night wasn’t complete when his pass slightly behind his receiver resulted in another deflected interception by Chris Carr on the following possession. In frustration, though, Quinn’s found his lone success…a low block on Carr’s short return that was quite effective in the spraining of Terrell Suggs’ knee. Great…just in time for the important games. I guess even Quinn wanted to finally see Paul Kruger in action after he hear that the rookie was suited up for the game.

We stuck around until the end of the game, but it was definitely one of those match-ups that we should’ve stayed home for. It was a game that I had to assume the Ravens would win, and despite the soft score line, the Ravens were never at-risk of losing. Regardless, we did have a good time, and the win will keep the hopes alive for the Ravens. They’re going to have to play better with the Colts coming to town this weekend, though, because the Colts DON’T have Brady Quinn behind center.

Go Ravens!!!

Just when I thought my weekend couldn’t get any better, the Ravens proved me wrong. After an amazing Pearl Jam show on Saturday, I shunned the idea of sleeping in and woke up early to make the relatively short drive from Philly to Baltimore for the Ravens game versus the Broncos.

After the tough loss in Minnesota two weeks prior, this game against the undefeated Broncos (6-0) was a game the Ravens needed desperately to stop their 3-game skid, and they took to the field with a serious desire to win. If anyone thought the Ravens were the underdogs, the Ravens weren’t buying what they were selling. On the first play of the game, Jarrett Johnson leveled Kyle Orton to set a tone, and there was no looking back.

With the rowdy crowd backing the team, the Ravens dominated the Broncos all over the field. While the Ravens couldn’t find the endzone in the first half, you could tell it was only a matter of time before the Ravens would take control of not only the play on the field, but the scoreboard as well. In fact, the only scoring drive the Broncos could muster was aided by stupid penalties committed by the Ravens…including a 45-yard pass interference call, a 5-yard offsides penalty after the Ravens stopped the Broncos on a 4th-and-1 AND another pass interference call that gave the Broncos a first-and-goal from the one. It was ridiculous, but exactly the type of stuff that kills the Ravens week-after-week. I guess we could also point to the stupid personal foul penalty on Michael Oher that erased a long Ray Rice run in the first half that would’ve give the Ravens a first down at the 8-yard line. The Ravens would truly be scary if they could be a little more disciplined.

Fortunately, Steve Hauschka rebounded from his missed game-winner in the Metrodome to hit all 3 of his field goal attempts, 2 of which helped buy the Ravens time and a 6-point lead going into the second half, where, much to my enjoyment, Ravens rookie Lardarius Webb returned the opening kickoff to the house to extend the lead to 13. Once the Ravens started clicking, it was all over. Flacco tied a club record with an 80% completion percentage, including 14 straight completed passes. They took control all over the field and it was a great game to watch…especially from our awesome seats in section 118! I just hope this confidence spills over into next week’s game.

Go Ravens!!!

This past weekend started with a nightmare and ended with disappointment, but all-in-all I had a blast with my dad in Minneapolis.

I took off Friday because I had a 6:35 flight in the morning. Unfortunately, I was unable to fall asleep, and then I slept right through my alarms. Yes, more than one alarm. After missing my flight, I was put on standby, went home, and caught up on sleep. Upon returning to the airport, I found out that my morning flight was actually cancelled due to a flight gear issue…which meant that EVERY person originally on my flight now was going to be fighting for spots on the rest of the flights to Minneapolis. After waiting on standby for two more flights, they finally sent me home with a guaranteed ticket for 6:35 am on Saturday. Even though I wasted a PTO day at work and spent nearly all day in Pittsburgh International Airport, I was content. I’m pretty sure I’ll hate Delta/Northwest for a long time, though.

I made my flight Saturday, and finally met up with my dad in Minneapolis. It was my first time in the city, and I have to say I had a great time! Granted, the weather was phenomenal for October in the Midwest, but I think I would’ve enjoyed the city regardless. The people were really nice, the city seemed pretty cool, and the food was good. I don’t really ask for much more than that. After eating a ton of food, getting drunk with my dad while watching in anger as the Yankees beat the Angels, and walking nearly every square foot of downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, we were set for the real reason we made the trip…the Vikings and Ravens game!

Having never been to the Metrodome, I was really excited to experience a new team’s home field and crowd. The Metrodome was unimpressive, but it was cool to go to my first dome game. The vibe was a lot different from most of the games I’ve gone to, since the Vikings and Ravens hardly ever play. The lack of a rivalry was evident from the outset. The fans were very friendly and there was such a passive vibe during the game. There wasn’t any trash talking or anything…just pure enjoyment of the spectacle on display. Legends and top-tier players everywhere on the field – Brett Favre, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, Ray Rice, etc. Waching players like that is worth every penny.

The two most memorable parts of the Vikings stadium experience was the player introductions. While the inflatable viking ship seemed a little cheesy at first, once Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song started, and the inflatable vessel started moving side to side, I have to admit…I was HYPED for some football. It gave me a serious rush. The second thing I remember was the song that they sing after every score. While a little goofy, it gives you a real idea of the traditions that these old school teams have. It’s really cool, despite it’s redundent nature (when you’re team gets scored on a lot).

Anyway, the bonus to seeing all of the great players on display was that the game itself was probably the best game I’ve ever watched live. After an awful start, where the Ravens went 3-and-out while the Vikings responded with 2 touchdowns, the Ravens woke up and faught back little by little to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, 4 things kept the Ravens from winning: Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Sidney Rice…and Steven Hauschka.

Peterson came up with huge plays all day, but Brett Favre and Sidney Rice were the real killer. The Ravens secondary couldn’t stop that connection…especially when Frank Walker was covering Rice after the Ravens took a late fourth quarter lead. Amazingly, even after the Vikings regained the lead, the Ravens drove back down the field to put themselves into a position to win with a field goal. At this point, I’m pretty sure my dad and I were both sitting there with all of the confidence in the world. The way this game was going, there was no way the Ravens were going to lose. It just seemed like the storyline was so perfect…

Unfortunately, Hauschka sent the numerous Ravens fans that we saw in the Metrodome home questioning Harbaugh & Co.’s decision to let Stover walk away during the offseason when he hooked the would-be game-winning field goal wide left from the left hash from 44 yards out. Ugh.

It’s the third straight loss for the Ravens, but it’s hard to not be at least somewhat optimistic after a game like this. The last three games have been incredibly close, and a play here or there could’ve seen the Ravens sitting anywhere between 4-2 and 6-0. Unfortunately, they lost those close games, but if the Ravens can correct some of their mistakes, anything can happen going forward.

Regardless, I loved the trip, the city, and spending some quality time with my dad. I’m looking forward to catching the Vikings for the second straight week when they come to town next weekend to play the Steelers.

This is why I refused to go to the game on Sunday:

Granted, I’m fully aware that these types of asshats exist in parking lots nationwide – from high school sports to the pros, but damn. There’s absolutely no way I’d take a punch to the face and not put that guy’s face onto a hot tailgating grill. I try to be Mr. Peace all the time, but that’s too much to deal with. I want to know what the lead-up to this was, as someone had enough foresight to grab a camera and hit record.

Hell, I snapped on a guy for simply cheering when McGahee looked like he died on the field. That’s classy, dude. I hope you’re never immobilized and put into an ambulance…I’d hate to chuckle like human life is just an asset, simply because a dude plays on a team that isn’t “my” team. I didn’t cheer when Ben was down a few weeks ago – and Ben’s a renowned douchebag.

Props to the Steelers fans for breaking it up, and to the Ravens fans who obviously have more class and composure than me. Or maybe they had just started drinking. The next game I go to Heinz Field, Mundis and the big black dude (Ravens fan!) who works at Soho are coming with me. Davis can come, too, but the rhino attack isn’t going to work as well now that he weighs less than a Primanti’s sandwich.

Please, karma, tell me that knob from the video walked into a wall at some point. Nothing too painful, but payback-ish.

Peace, people. Peace.

I went to the Ravens/Browns game yesterday thanks to Ticketmaster having some extra seats available. Despite being in the very last row, I was really excited as this might be the only Ravens game I get to this year. Plus, while the picture seems like the seats might suck, I don’t think there’s a bad seat in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

After going to eight games and only seeing two wins last year, I was weary of making another drive to see them play, but this Ravens team just seems different. I was so excited when the Ravens drafted Joe Flacco, but never expected him to play this year. Sure enough, 8 games into the season, the guy is playing pretty well and helping to lead the Ravens to the same number of wins (5) as last year with eight games remaining. Yesterday’s game just showed how much he’s improving with each game. He still drove me nuts when missing wide open receivers down field, but that should come at some point. He threw some great passes into really tight places when it mattered yesterday, and the conversion of a third-and-long (16, I think) deep in his own territory kick-started the Ravens comeback.

The diminutive Ray Rice – who I was touting as a serious running threat this year after seeing him in training camp – came up huge yesterday, rushing for 154 yards on just 21 carries while filling in for Willis McGahee. It’s a shame that Le’Ron McClain is getting the short-yardage TDs in the red zone after Rice’s efforts, but I’ll take it. That combo worked for the Steelers a few year back when Bettis got all of the TDs after Duce did all the hard work, and if it keeps working for the Ravens, so be it. The dude is exciting as hell to watch…when he’s not dropping kickoffs, that is.

The biggest thing for me yesterday didn’t really revolve around the rookie players as much as it did the Ravens rookie head coach – John Harbaugh. For all of the question marks surrounding his hiring…you know, “can this young guy control a veteran-laden team”, or “is an untested coach going to be able to turn this franchise around after a 5-11 season?”, yesterday’s come-from-behind win definitely showed me that the Ravens have a turned the page in a lot of ways.

With the team trailing the Browns by 14 in the third quarter and the momentum clearly going against the Ravens, I was guilty of thinking this Ravens team was the same one I’d been watching for the last decade. A team that would let their heads get too into the game. A team that would give up and throw fits at the first sign of adversity (or maybe throw flags into the crowd). Down 14 and watching Flacco get sacked deep in the Ravens territory on 2nd down to set up a long 3rd down, the Ravens offense did something none of us fans were expecting. They got the 3rd-and-long…on a pass! I think it was an 11-play drive in total, topped off with a McClain rushing TD that brought the Ravens to within 7.

From there, the game was all Ravens. Some strong defensive plays, and the incompetence of Browns receiver, Braylon Edwards, who failed to bring in a perfect pass from Derek Anderson gave all of the momentum to the Ravens, who would take the lead after a 60-yard run by Rice set up Matt Stover’s 3rd, and final, field goal of the day. Once the Browns were forced to take their game to the air, the Ravens started blitzing and forced Anderson into errors – one of which was a pick-six by Terrell Suggs. 24 unanswered points later, the Ravens were in cruise control.

The amazing thing was that the Ravens didn’t give up. The drive, spirit, and discipline displayed in their comeback showed me that John Harbaugh’s philosophy is coming to fruition. This same team under Billick would’ve folded immediately when things started going against them. While the Ravens realistically may not make the playoffs without 11 wins, the fact is that this team has put itself in the position to win in 7 of its first 8 games this year. Each game has shown an improvement, albeit against some less-than-stellar teams. With the Ravens coming into this season as a team dubbed with the ole “rebuilding” tag, they’ve outperformed everyone’s expectations, and with a half of the season to play, their season still has endless possibilities.

It’s amazing that this team, led by a rookie head coach, quarterback, and yesterday, running back, could even be in this position. Here’s to a great second half of the season. I hope this team continues to improve because they’re finally playing exciting football! Go Ravens!

It’s going to be a long season, but an extremely exciting one, if you’re a Ravens fan. I went down to Westminster on Monday to experience my first training camp, and I must say, it was a lot of fun.

I arrived around 8, and hunkered down for the day in my seat on the covered bleachers. I have to admit that I was really excited to see the team practice, especially the rookies. The whole “who’s going to be the Ravens quarterback” saga was something I was looking forward to with childlike excitement.

Troy Smith was the first person that I saw come out in the morning, followed by Flacco, followed by about 3 tons of offensive linemen. The defense came out wearing white game jerseys, while the offense was wearing the home purple game jerseys, and the drills seemed to begin very quickly. The whole practice only lasted for a little more than 2 hours, but it was a reasonable amount of time to get a decent glimpse at the new Ravens under first-year head coach John Harbaugh.

As far as the rookies go, I was incredibly impressed with Ray Rice, the 2nd-round running back out of Rutgers. I was really liked his speed, lateral movement, and ability to find openings. In all honesty, he looked about 50 times better than the Ravens incumbent starter, Willis McGahee.

I was also fairly impressed with rookie WR Justin Harper. He seems very fast, and looks like he’s got decent hands despite being stripped after one of his catches. Who knows if he makes the team…

There’s also been a lot of hype surrounding rookie safety Haruki Nakamura, but I think I missed a lot of his big plays when a large group of people who were too important to kneel down blocked the view of just about everyone on the bleachers. These tools must’ve been agents because they had a nice sheen of arrogance about them, yet they didn’t look like coaches or players. This caused me to move down to the endzone that the offense was driving towards. From there, I was able to get a better view of everything, plus from that perspective you can really see the quarterbacks and routes better.

Flacco didn’t look so good, but…and I hate this, all of his good plays had an air of Roethlisberger about them. That’s right, broken plays where he scrambled outside, buying time for his receivers, or simply running. I think he took one ball to the house on a 40-yard scramble up the far sideline. He’s not a bad passer, he’s just not showing me anything better than the other quarterbacks in camp.

As for the other QBs, I’m putting my money on Troy Smith being the starter to begin the year…and I’m excited about that. While he did throw a pick, which Corey Ivy high-stepped, hand behind the head Deion-style, for a would-be touchdown, Smith honestly looked the most assured out there. Where Boller plays it really safe and still messes up, Smith seems to actually move the ball. His mobility and willingness to make plays with his feet negates the talk of his height, and his ability to feel pressure better than Boller will be crucial with the patchwork offensive line the Ravens will be using. I also love how Troy interacts with his teammates between plays. He’s really a leader and seems to have the team behind him. Of course, I don’t see any Peyton Mannings on the field, but time will tell.

The defense…well, they’re banged up a bit, but you can tell which side of the ball is ready to go. Even without Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata, the defense was all over the run game, and they easily made the offense look stuck in Billick ball mode – short, safe passes underneath, and runs with little potential for a big play. I’m not sure they’re going to pose a huge threat to New England or Indy’s offenses, but they should be fine. Ray Lewis is definitely looking solid already…and that’s without Ngata in front of him.

Finally, the team under Harbaugh. This is my first training camp attendance, so I have no idea what it was like under Billick, but man, Harbaugh is working this team harder than I’ve seem some of the guys play in real games, and I like it. Yeah, there’s a lot of guys who are picking up little injuries, but that’s to be expected. Acute injuries are impossible to avoid, and they happen constantly in the game, but injuries caused by lack of conditioning and training are inexcusable at the NFL level. It seems like Harbaugh is going to weed out those who aren’t taking their conditioning seriously, and at a minimum, develop a team that’s ready to play 60 minutes every game – starting week one. Gone should be the days of a slow-starting Ravens team playing up to game speed in the first half of the season. They may not win a lot of games, but they’ll be ready to play.

My predictions at this super-early stage:
1) Ravens go 9-7
2) Troy Smith starts…all year, barring injury
3) Defense finishes top 5
4) Ray Rice scores more rushing TDs than McGahee
5) Heap plays 16 games
6) Clayton leads in TD receptions
7) Mason gets the most receptions

Yesterday, our friends over at PETA hit out at the Baltimore Ravens for the organization’s plans to have a real raven fly out of the tunnel before the players are introduced at each home game starting this season. Here’s the letter sent to the Ravens VP of Marketing yesterday:

Dear Ms. Dow:

I am writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters. Dedicated to the protection of animals, PETA was founded in Maryland and has tens of thousands of members and supporters in the state, including many in Baltimore. We have received numerous complaints from people who are gravely concerned and upset that the Baltimore Ravens are planning to feature live African white nape ravens (members of the Corvidae family) at upcoming games, including having the birds “fly out of a smoky tunnel.” After carefully considering the following information, we urge you to cancel plans to feature live birds at games immediately and implement a policy prohibiting the use of live animals at all Ravens games.

Anyone who has attended a sporting event can attest to the sheer intensity of these games. The energy is palpable, and it is part of what makes attending these events so enjoyable. But the bright lights, screaming fans, and loud noises–such as air horns, bands, and amplified sound systems–are terrifying for animals who can’t possibly understand what is going on. Regardless of how these birds are trained, they are likely to be severely distressed by the overwhelming confusion of the situation. Corvids are highly intelligent animals–one study found that that they have cognitive abilities on par with those of great apes. They form strong (and sometimes lifelong) partner bonds and possess a strong sense of community.

Public sentiment is rapidly moving away from the antiquated notion that animal displays are acceptable or fair to animals. Costumed humans are undeniably the most effective–and humane–entertainment for sports fans. The versatility of human performers allows them to entertain and interact directly with fans throughout the game.

Can I please hear from you regarding this important matter right away?

Sincerely,

Kristie Phelps
Assistant Director
Animals in Entertainment Campaign

Did anyone else laugh…at least a little? Am I out of line for thinking PETA should really find something better to do with their time? Seriously. PETA’s Director, Debby Leahy comes off sounding so petty and childish with her snide remarks like, “If the Ravens want to increase fan support, they don’t need cheap gimmicks. They just need to start winning games.” The last time I checked, I don’t think the Ravens were struggling for fan support. We’re not talking about Atlanta here. Plus, PETA isn’t above using “cheap gimmicks” themselves. Remember the nude women in cages? Of course you do…that gimmick worked…aside from the fact that I still don’t mind ordering a filet. Now, if I think with a PETA-sized mentality, I could go, “using nude women in cages exploits and demeans women.” PETA would say, “well, we’re humans, and we chose to put ourselves in a cage for the sake of animal cruelty”. I would say, “exactly…who are you to talk about cheap gimmicks, when you chose to sell animal rights initiatives by taking your clothes off in public. There are kids walking around who could see you.” If we’re all going to be sensitive about every little thing, let’s be fair. Let’s also consider that there’s just over 2 million members in PETA…approximately .8% of our population. It always amazes me how PETA even gets airtime for stupid issues like these, and how with such a small percentage of population, they think their issues are on-par with the rest of the country’s concerns. A little arrogant there, huh, PETA?

These people are so over-the-top it’s kind of sad. I especially love this other quote from Ms. Leahy, “Edgar Allan Poe would be spinning in his grave if he knew that his poem had prompted Baltimore to harm ravens in the name of marketing”. Really, Debby? You know the mentality of a guy who died 159 years ago? I would think that a guy who married his 13-year-old cousin who was half his age at the time isn’t necessarily worried about birds. In fact, being that he only made a whopping $9 off of “The Raven”, he’d probably be thrilled to see some financial success and legacy brought about from his poem. Way to attempt to speak for Mr. Poe, Debby. Bringing up Poe’s name to help dramatize the situation to your idiot followers is, in itself, a cheap gimmick…ma’am.

The reality is that these ravens were brought in as baby birds, and are being cared for way better than any wild bird. Just as we’ve adapted to PETA’s nonsense at times, these birds will adapt to their surroundings. Similar to caged animals in zoos, or dolphins performing in front of large crowds, these Ravens will be trained to deal with the stadium noise and surroundings. They’re going to live a pretty good life and are going to be able to avoid the struggles of nature – fighting for food, finding shelter, and sickness. It’s not like the Ravens are asking the birds to do something they’re not naturally capable of, like horse racing does. Just fly out of a tunnel, crap on the opposing team’s fans and players, and fly back to your trainer…10-12 times a years, max. Plus, with a billionaire owner, I’m sure these birds are going to have a more cushy life than most PETA members.

Is the Ravens organization using a shameless gimmick to market the team and game? Sure. Is having live birds flying out of the tunnel on game days necessary? Nope, but does it really matter? This isn’t an oil spill. This isn’t over-fishing. This isn’t dog fighting. This isn’t factory farming. No one is eating the animals, or mistreating them. I could even understand raising concerns about taking these particular ravens – native to Africa – out of their ecosystem, and the possibility of diseases being introduced to local bird species if they got away, but the things that Kristie Phelps brought up is total speculation. The Ravens have a professional caretaker dealing with these birds. If that guy is fine with it, I’m going to side with his professional opinion, not some PETA hacks with nothing better to do with their lives than worry about two, yes, TWO birds in the entire world.

The only thing that bugged me a little bit about the whole thing is that the organization is going to dye the white nape on the birds black to resemble ravens native to the U.S. If you’re going to argue against something, pick that, but let us enjoy seeing this spectacle, PETA-free, no matter how cheesy it is. I just think PETA trying to force any form of policy on these lines is absurd. Stick to real animal cruelty issues like cleaning up corporate factory farming, and stay out of the NFL.

Of course, if these people can speak for dead people, they’re probably equally adept at knowing exactly what animals think and feel.

I endured yet another 4 hour drive down to Baltimore yesterday for the final regular season game of the year. Two things were surprising to me. First, there were a lot less Steelers fans than I had expected, and second, the Raven actually pulled out the victory – the first victory for Troy Smith, at that! It was a good game, and I’m glad I went. It was the 8th game I’ve been to this season, but at least they finished it off with a win. I definitely think I was the only person driving back to Pittsburgh with a smile on his face.

One annoyance of note is the Steelers fans talking about how their team didn’t care and how they didn’t have Ben, Hines, and Troy in. Um. Is it even necessary for me to mention how laughable those claims are? Is the tunnel vision so intense that Steelers fans can’t look across the field and see Ray Lewis, Todd Heap, Samari Rolle, Chris McAlister, Willis McGahee, Trevor Pryce, Quinn Sypniewski, Daniel Wilcox, Kyle Boller, Steve McNair, and Demetrius Williams standing in their track suits? Sorry, if Ravens fans can’t throw the injury card at you for our lousy season, I’m not sure why you can toss out your claims after this loss.

Let’s also enjoy, at least for a moment, how the Ravens, with NO tight ends, and Troy Smith under center beat the Steelers starting defense (minus Troy). Even if the Steelers offense could’ve, would’ve, should’ve scored more with Ben in there, their overrated defense couldn’t stop a rookie and the oft-under performing Devard Darling. I just hope the Jags run all over the Steelers…again.

Here’s a picture of Kree, Dad, and myself after the game: