Baltimore Ravens
From Free net encyclopedia
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are currently members of the Northern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Ravens have won one Super Bowl title, Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 against the New York Giants.
The history of the Baltimore Ravens is unusual due to the unprecedented actions taken by the cities of Baltimore and Cleveland, Ohio, and the NFL in 1996. On November 6, 1995, then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced his intention to move the team to Baltimore, citing the inadequacy of Cleveland Stadium and the lack of a sufficient replacement along with his heavy debt. The decision triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of Cleveland and the NFL reached a settlement on February 8, 1996. It stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland. A reactivated Cleveland Browns team would then begin play in 1999, while the relocated club would technically and legally be a new expansion team, the Ravens.<ref>Morgan, Jon. Deal clears NFL path to Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun, February 9, 1996.</ref> (The team's name comes from the famous Edgar Allan Poe poem, "The Raven.")
For that reason, past records and Pro Football Hall of Fame players are attributed to the Browns and not to the Ravens. (For more information on the move, see Franchise History of the Cleveland Browns). However, some incorrectly consider the Ravens and the pre-1995 Browns organization as one continuous entity, using terms like "The Modell organization" or "Art Modell's franchise" to denote it. <ref>Scocca, Tom. Welcome to the Big Time, Baltimore City Paper September 23, 1998.</ref>
Conversely, many Baltimore fans, who are still bitter about the Colts football team moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1984, along with many of the Colts' former players, view the pre-1984 Baltimore Colts organization and the Ravens as one continuous entity. In fact, the old Colts marching band and fan club became part of the Ravens organization.
Contents |
Franchise history
After relocating his franchise, retaining the current contracts of former Browns players and personnel, as per the agreement made by the city of Cleveland and the NFL, owner Art Modell hired Ted Marchibroda as head coach, who had previous experience with the Baltimore Colts during the 1970s and the Indianapolis Colts during the early 1990s. Ozzie Newsome, Cleveland's prolific tight end for many seasons, joined Modell in Baltimore as director of football operations. He was later promoted to Vice President/General Manager.
1996 Season
The NFL officially made its return to Baltimore after a 13-year hiatus on September 1, 1996, with a 19-14 Ravens win over the Oakland Raiders. That was one of the team's few highlights in their inaugural season. Despite 33 touchdown passes by Vinny Testaverde (second behind Brett Favre) - fourteen of them to Michael Jackson - the Ravens blew several leads through the season and finished 4-12.
1997 Season
Testaverde and the Ravens struggled in the 1997 season after starting off with an early winning streak. Peter Boulware, with 11.5 sacks, was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year, but the Ravens finished 6-9-1.
1998 Season
Baltimore continued to struggle in 1998. Testaverde, who had left for the New York Jets, was replaced with former Indianapolis Colt Jim Harbaugh, and later, Eric Zeier - neither of which proved to be very effective. Cornerback Rod Woodson joined the team after a successful stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Priest Holmes started getting his first meaningful playing time of his career and ran for 1000 yards, but the Ravens could only muster a 6-10 record.
After three consecutive losing seasons, Marchibroda was succeeded by Brian Billick, who had served as the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings the season before.
1999 Season
The 1999 season, their first at the new PSINet Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium), Baltimore showed a marked improvement. Quarterback Tony Banks came to Baltimore from the St. Louis Rams and had the best season of his career with 17 touchdown passes and an 81.2 pass rating. He was joined by receiver Qadry Ismail, who posted a 1000-yard season. The Ravens struggled early, starting 3-6; but rattled off four consecutive wins to put themselves in playoff contention. A loss in the final week sent them home early with an 8-8 record.
2000 Season: Super Bowl Run
Banks shared playing time in the 2000 regular season with Trent Dilfer. Both players put up decent numbers (and a 1300-yard rushing season by rookie Jamal Lewis helped too), but the defense became the team's hallmark, and bailed a struggling offense out in many cases through the season. Ray Lewis, who had been charged with murder in the offseason, was named Defensive Player of the Year. Two of his defensive teammates, Sam Adams and Rod Woodson, made the Pro Bowl. The season started strong, with a 5-1 start for Baltimore. But the team struggled through mid-season, at one point going four games without scoring an offensive touchdown. The team regrouped and won each of their last seven games, finishing 12-4 and in the playoffs for the first time since the team was based in Cleveland.
Since the divisional rival Tennessee Titans had a record of 13-3, the Ravens had to play in the wild card round. They dominated the Denver Broncos 21-3 in their first game, their only playoff game in Baltimore. In the divisional playoff, they went on the road to Tennessee. Tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter, an Al Del Greco field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Anthony Mitchell, and a Ray Lewis interception return for a score put the game squarely in Baltimore's favor. The 24-10 win put the Ravens in the AFC Championship against the Oakland Raiders. The game was rarely in doubt. Shannon Sharpe's 96-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter followed by an injury to Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon were the differences as the Ravens won easily, 16-3.
Baltimore then went to Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants. The game was, once again, dominated by the Ravens. They recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, one of which was a Kerry Collins interception returned for a touchdown by Duane Starks. The Giants' only scoring was a Ron Dixon kickoff return for another touchdown, but the Ravens immediately countered with one by Jermaine Lewis. The Ravens became champions with a 34-7 win, becoming only the third wild card team to win a Super Bowl championship.
2001 Season
In 2001, the Ravens attempted to defend their title, but with a new quarterback: Elvis Grbac. An injury to Jamal Lewis and poor offensive performance stymied the team. After a 3-3 start the Ravens needed a win over the Minnesota Vikings in the final week to clinch a wild card berth at 10-6. In the first round the Ravens showed flashes of their previous year with a 20-3 blowout over the Miami Dolphins, in which the team forced three turnovers and outgained the Dolphins 347 yards to 151. In the divisional playoff the Ravens played the surprising Pittsburgh Steelers. Three interceptions by Grbac ended the Ravens season, as they lost 27-10.
2002 Season
Baltimore ran into salary cap problems in 2002 and were forced to cut several players, including Sam Adams, Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe. The Ravens regrouped through the draft with picks like safety Ed Reed. Longtime backup QB Chris Redman took over behind center. The Ravens stayed somewhat competitive, before a December slide cost them a playoff spot with a 7-9 final record.
2003 Season
In 2003, the Ravens drafted their new quarterback, Kyle Boller, but he was injured midway through the season and replaced with Anthony Wright. Jamal Lewis ran for 2066 yards (including a record 295 yards in one game against the Cleveland Browns on September 14), easily tops in the NFL. With a 10-6 record, Baltimore won their first AFC North division title. Their first playoff game, at home against the Tennessee Titans, went back and forth, with the Ravens being held to only 54 yards total rushing. The Titans won 20-17 on a late field goal, and Baltimore's season ended early.
In April 2003, Art Modell sold 49% of the team to Steve Bisciotti, a local businessman who had made his fortune in the temporary staffing field. After the season, Art Modell officially transferred his remaining 51% ownership to Bisciotti ending over 40 years of tenure as an NFL franchise owner. Modell still has an office at the Ravens' headquarters in Owings Mills, Maryland and acts as a consultant.
2004 Season
The Ravens looked like they had traded for Terrell Owens in the 2004 offseason, but the NFLPA filed a grievance with the NFL, claiming Terrell Owens should have been granted free agency. Just before a judge made a decision in the case, the NFL and NFLPA came to a settlment, which set up a 3 way trade between the Eagles, 49ers, and Ravens. Owens went to the Eagles, and the Ravens received the pick they traded to the 49ers back and were also granted a 6th round draft pick. Boller remained quarterback through the entire season. Ed Reed became a full-fledged star on defense, with nine interceptions. Baltimore remained in playoff contention the entire season, but a 2-4 slide in their last six games ultimately forced them out of the postseason at 9-7.
2005 Season
In the 2005 offseason the Ravens looked to augment their receiving corps (which was second-worst in the NFL in 2004) by signing Derrick Mason from the Titans and drafting star Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Clayton in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
The 2005 season (the Ravens' 10th Anniversary season) began as the featured Sunday Night Football game televised by ESPN. This game against the Indianapolis Colts led the announcer to state, "What a wonderful way to begin the season, the game between the team that plays here now and the team which used to play here." The game's first half was a defensive slugfest, with the score at the half 3-0 Colts, but the second half saw the Ravens fall apart and starting QB Kyle Boller was lost to a foot injury (Colts 24, Ravens 7). In the 2nd week road opener versus historic rival Tennessee, backup QB Anthony Wright failed to spark the offense and the defense couldn't hold the Titans back, allowing the second straight loss (25-10). During the team's bye week, coach Billick tried to install the idea that after the bye, the season starts anew and they forget about their past losses. This strategy led the Ravens to a Week 4 Win against the Jets (13-3), but the Ravens fell apart against the Lions (35-17), setting a franchise record for penalties in a single game (21). The Ravens rebounded at home the next week against the Cleveland Browns, with a final score of 16-3. However, from Week 7 to Week 10, the Ravens would lose to the Chicago Bears (10-6), the Pittsburgh Steelers (20-19), the Cincinnati Bengals (21-9), and the Jacksonville Jaguars (30-3). The Ravens would get things working for them in a Week 11 rematch with the Steelers at home by winning 16-13 in OT, but in a week later, they would get season-swept by the Bengals 42-29. The Ravens would win a week later against the hapless Houston Texans 16-15, but they would lose a week later on the road against the Denver Broncos 12-10. Then, they Ravens played their final two home games under the prime time light. First, they man-handled the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night 48-3. Then, they destroyed any playoff chance that the Minnesota Vikings had by winning on Sunday Night 30-23. Despite the recent resurgence of Kyle Boller, they couldn't carry their momentum entirely. Despite leading the Browns 13-6 at halftime, they lost the lead in the 3rd Quarter and trailed for the rest of the game. They lost 20-16. The Ravens ended their season at 6-10. Despite having the same regular season record as the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens were technically third in the AFC North, since they beat the Browns on Division Records. In the AFC North, the Ravens were 2-4, while the Browns were 1-5.
Logo controversy
Image:Bwings.gif Image:RavensdrawingBouchat.jpg From 1996-1998, the team originally used a logo that featured raven wings flanking a shield with the letter "B". However, the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the logo infringed on the copyright rights of Frederick E. Bouchat, a Maryland amateur artist and security guard.
Bouchat sued the Ravens, claiming that he was the first one to design the "B" shield shortly after the team announced their intentions to move to Baltimore. The team defended themselves claiming that the logo was made independently. But the court ruled in favor of Bouchat, stating that team owner Modell had access to Bouchat's work: Bouchat had faxed a copy of his design to then-chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority John Moag, who shared the same office building as Modell. [1]
As a result of the lawsuit, a new logo was designed, featuring a purple and black raven's head in profile, with the letter "B" superimposed in metallic gold and white.
Uniforms
Despite the logo controversy, the Ravens' uniform design has essentially remained the same since the team was established in 1996. It consists of black helmets, white pants, metallic gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. Purple "talons" rise up from the facemask up the center of the helmet.
In 2004, the team introduced an alternate uniform design featuring black jerseys and black pants. It has been worn for select prime-time national game broadcasts.
Season-by-season records
Template:Start NFL SBS Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season Template:NFL SBS season |- !Totals || 83 || 83 || 1 |colspan="2"| (including NFL playoffs) Template:End box
Players of note
Current Roster
Template:Baltimore Ravens roster
| Note: The following lists players who officially played for the Ravens. For other Hall of Famers, players whose numbers were retired, and not to be forgotten players who played for Baltimore teams, see Baltimore Colts. |
Pro Football Hall of Famers
None
Retired numbers
The Ravens have not yet honored any player by retiring his jersey.
Ring of Honor
The Ravens have a "Ring of Honor" which is on permanent display encircling the field of M&T Bank Stadium, including a sign with the names and dates of play viewable from the seats. The ring currently honors the following: [2]
- 21 Earnest Byner, Running back, played for Modell in both Cleveland and Baltimore, inducted 2001.
- Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts, inducted in 2002 following the death of Unitas. The numbers of the following Hall of Fame Colts players are honored:
- 19 Johnny Unitas
- 24 Lenny Moore
- 70 Art Donovan
- 77 Jim Parker
- 82 Raymond Berry
- 83 Ted Hendricks
- 88 John Mackey
- 89 Gino Marchetti
- Art Modell, original owner, inducted 2003.
- 99 Michael McCrary, defensive lineman, inducted 2004
Not to be forgotten
- Derrick Alexander, WR
- Tony Banks, QB
- Gary Baxter, CB
- Jeff Blake, QB
- Rob Burnett, DE
- Ben Coates, TE
- Trent Dilfer, QB
- Marques Douglas, DE
- Sam Gash, FB
- Elvis Grbac, QB
- Edgerton Hartwell, LB
- Kim Herring, S
- Priest Holmes, RB
- Qadry Ismail, WR
- Michael Jackson, WR
- Brian Kinchen, TE
- Jermaine Lewis, WR
- Jeff Mitchell, C
- Bam Morris, RB
- Casey Rabach, OL
- Chris Redman, QB
- Errict Rhett, RB
- Deion Sanders, CB
- Shannon Sharpe, TE
- Jamie Sharper, LB
- Tony Siragusa, DT
- Duane Starks, CB
- Brandon Stokley, WR
- Duane Starks, CB
- Travis Taylor, WR
- Vinny Testaverde, QB
- Eric Turner, CB
- Rod Woodson, S
Head Coaches
- Ted Marchibroda (1996-1998)
- Brian Billick (1999-present)
Current Staff
- General Manager - Ozzie Newsome
- Head Coach - Brian Billick
- Offensive Coordinator - Jim Fassel
- Defensive Coordinator - Rex Ryan
- Special Teams Coach - Frank Gansz Jr.
- Quarterbacks Coach - Rick Neuheisel
- Running Backs Coach - Tony Nathan
- Wide Receivers Coach - Mike Johnson
- Tight Ends Coach - Wade Harman
- Offensive Line Coach - Chris Foerster
- Defensive Line Coach - Clarence Brooks
- Linebackers Coach - Jeff FizGerald
- Defensive Backs Coach - Mark Carrier
- Strength and Conditioning - Jeff Friday
References
<references />
External links
- Baltimore Ravens official web site
- RavensInsider Fan Site
- Chamber of Ravens Nests. Established Ravens fan club
- ExtremeRavens.com. For the Fans. By the Fans.
- Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
fr:Ravens de Baltimore he:בולטימור רייבנס it:Baltimore Ravens ja:ボルチモア・レイブンズ pt:Baltimore Ravens sv:Baltimore Ravens