And All Was Quiet in Baltimore

Monday, January 23, 2012. It’s a foggy morning in January, the kind where visibility is low and the mist from the low-lying clouds dots your windshield.

It’s a quiet Monday morning; a Monday after the Baltimore Ravens lost in the final seconds of the game to the New England Patriots.

To some, it’s a sad day. To others, it’s a day to rejoice. A day to reflect on all of the things you dislike about the Ravens, ball it up into quick one liner jokes and poke fun at a team you despise.

Many will call this jealousy. Many will call this being a poor sport. I, on the other hand, call it serving justice.

SO MANY people on Facebook and Twitter couldn’t accept the fact that their beloved Ravens didn’t win the game. The blame game immediately initiated and the finger-pointing began as soon as the clock said 0:00.

The blame game soon turned to blaming all other NFL team’s fans for the Ravens loss. Suddenly, the hate and anger from the loss was directed to any and every person who made fun of the Ravens losing a big game, on a big stage, in front of millions of viewers. This, my friends, is what many would call, an EPIC FAIL.

Many used the same old, worn out comment such as, “Whatever…I don’t remember seeing your team in the playoffs,” or “Shut up…Your team just sucks and you wish you could’ve made it to the AFC Championship,” and lastly, “We beat Pittsburgh twice this season, so shut up Pittsburgh fans.”

And all I can say is this, and I quote, in bold, all caps, to make a sarcastic, smart-ass point: IT DOESN’T MATTER. It doesn’t matter that my team didn’t make it to the playoffs. It simply doesn’t matter that my team finished 5-11. And it definitely doesn’t matter that your team may have beaten their biggest rival twice in the regular season.

Here’s what matters, in sequential order:

1. The Ravens disappointed their city and entire fan base with their loss in the AFC Championship.
2. The two times you beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season mean absolutely, positively nothing! NOTHING!
3. The Ravens did not live up to the expectations many experts discussed at the start of the season.
4. The better team prevailed in the AFC Championship game.

Here’s my rebuttal to any negative comment you may be brewing in your head to formulate this terrible opinion about me that is otherwise untrue; unless you truly mean it, then I guess you’re probably right, so we can end the argument and move on.

But for those who want to continue reading and hear my opinion (the truth), turn your ears this way and glue your eyes to these next few paragraphs.

Rebuttal of Comment #1

You can’t be “proud” of your team if they finished below your expectations. Point blank. End of story. You can be happy they made it that far, but they ultimately failed; and because of that, it’s heartbreaking. And I know all about heartbreak, I’ve been a [Insert Color Here]skins fan for all of my life. But my expectations for my favorite team were set extremely low, which didn’t allow this season to disappoint. It was the complete opposite for Ravens Nation.

Rebuttal to Comment #2

Granted the two wins against Pittsburgh helped your chances of making the playoffs; to use this line directed at Steelers fans after losing the AFC Championship game is ludicrous. Yeah, the Ravens beat them, but you know what? Just like Steelers fans, Ravens fans will be on the couch (along with the fans of 30 other NFL teams) on Super Bowl Sunday, dreaming of next season. Ergo, those wins mean nothing!

Rebuttal to Comment #3

Ravens + Expectations = Super Bowl. If we follow the fundamental laws of common algebra, we can see that when we carry the Ravens over to the Super Bowl, adding the two, we are left with the Expectation that the Ravens will be in the Super Bowl. However, in order for this equation to compute, each factor needs to be isolated individually as its own variable, and held responsible for its value.

• Ravens Value – Really good team; can they win when it matters most?
• Expectations Value – High
• Super Bowl Value – AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion

The Super Bowl holds its value. The expectations remained high for the Ravens. And the question was answered: The Ravens cannot win when it matters most. Therefore, this equation cannot hold up and the Ravens did not live up to their expectations.

Rebuttal to Comment #4

You can blame the loss on Lee Evans. You can blame the loss on Billy Cundiff. But for some reason, no one is looking at it from the other perspective (maybe they are, but I don’t have time to read sports news all day). The New England Patriots had the better team. Better coaching; a much better QB that underperformed; and an alright defense. Of course the Patriots aren’t a “lights out” defense like the Ravens, but they’re hard-nosed, scrappy players. This was proven when Moore stripped Evans of the touchdown that should’ve been…He wanted it more. The better team wanted it more. And the better team won!

So, Ravens fans, I invite you to join all other 30 NFL teams that didn’t make it to the Super Bowl and reminisce, laugh, cry; whatever you need to do to realize the dream for this season is over…And as every [Insert Color Here]skins fan says, “We’ll get ‘em next year!”

Regards – RJ   

‘Tis the Season

September is quickly approaching, and that can only mean one thing: My one year anniversary…No, wait, my wife’s birthday…Hold on, I mean FOOTBALL.

For some, it’s a time of the year where you can pull out your old jersey with the numbers flaking off, grab your trusty, worn out slouch cap and sit back in a comfortable recliner with your favorite beer to watch your team dominate their division each and every week.

For all others, it’s that time of year when you go out and buy a new jersey because you are certain that this is the year for your team. A new jersey brings new hope. This is the year your team will win it all. Super Bowl bound.

It’s a great feeling to have at the beginning of the season. But it hurts when you begin to realize that after week 4, your team’s chances of making it to the playoffs are slim to none.

“Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs? We’re just trying to win a game!”

Football season frustrates me beyond belief. It’s frustrating because as many of you may care to know, I’m a Washington [Insert Color Here]skins fan. Need I say more?

Side Note: I read somewhere that the owner of the Washington [Insert Color Here]skins is suing people for defamation when using his team name. Therefore, since I know this post won’t be all glitz and glamour as the common folk say, I will have to refer to them as the Washington [Insert Color Here]skins. Apologies for its break in fluency while reading a lackluster post :End Note.

Growing up as a [Insert Color Here]skins fan was, needless to say, tough. As far back as I can remember, my father preached the holy gospel of the Monk (Art that is) and spilled the hymn of Hail to the [Insert Color Here]skins! It was embedded in my DNA at the hospital the day I was born. I imagine it went something like this:

“Doctor, the procedure must be done now, time is running out,” my father said.

“Alright team, Operation [Insert Color Here]skins has been initiated. Begin phase 1 of burgundy and gold injection,” Dr. Gibbs replied.

“Phase one complete, Doc.”

“That’s great news! Initiating phase 2. Fire up the engines for [Insert Color Here]skins download. Almost there, the history is rich. This may take a while. Operation [Insert Color Here]skins was a success. Congratulations, Bobby, your son is now brainwashed. He will bleed burgundy and gold forever!”

I’m not a rocket scientist, nor have I been to Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, but I am certain this operation took place. It had to take place. My father is infatuated with the [Insert Color Here]skins, and his love for the team has permeated down the family tree; systematically placed in our central nervous system.

I’ve only seen my father cry twice, when his dad died and when the [Insert Color Here]skins lost in the playoffs of 1999.

My sister and I had to be a [Insert Color Here]skins fan growing up in the Bean, Sr. house. Cheering for another team was not an option. I remember coming home one day and telling my father I liked the 49ers because one of my cousins liked them. Ten minutes later my clothes were on the lawn, a cab was waiting for me and I was saying my goodbyes to the family.

Point proven.

But in all seriousness, my father would threaten to kick me out of the house if I didn’t like the [Insert Color Here]skins. I would like to think he was joking, but looking back on it, I’m not so sure. Therefore, to save myself from being homeless at the tender age of 11, I decided I should probably like the [Insert Color Here]skins.

And boy did I? My father took me to several games as a kid. I can remember my first game like it was 16 years ago. It was at RFK and the [Insert Color Here]skins were playing against the St. Louis Rams. This was back when the Rams had the bright blue and yellow uniforms and just relocated from LA. We were about 20 rows from the field and the stadium was literally shaking from all of the cheering.

I followed suit with my father to FedEx field, where the [Insert Color Here]skins currently play today. Around the age of 16, my father bought me a season ticket to the [Insert Color Here]skins. What a treat! I was able to go to every [Insert Color Here]skins home game to cheer on a team I grew up with.

It was around this age that I began to develop a passionate interest in the sport, picking up tidbits of knowledge here and there for the daily cafeteria sports argument at school. I was falling in love with the [Insert Color Here]skins.

I didn’t know a lot about football at this time (I still don’t know a lot about football). All I knew was that the [Insert Color Here]skins were signing some of the biggest names on the market, which to me, sounded like the Super Bowl was a sure shot every year. The [Insert Color Here]skins would go after the biggest and most well-known names, regardless of their fit in the [Insert Color Here]skins organization.

I bought into it. Every [Insert Color Here]skins fan bought into it. Many die-hard [Insert Color Here]skins fans wanted to relive the magic from the 80′s and 90′s. I wanted to experience the magic; the glory of my favorite sports team winning the ultimate prize in their profession.

We supported the cause the owner put forth. We bought season tickets; we ordered the hottest jerseys and signed up for the lengthy season ticket waiting lists in hopes of one day owning our own season tickets.

We did our part. We bought into the product the owner was selling us. And what did we get in return? Ten years of being a crap shoot team in the NFL. Ten years of high hopes built on empty promises.

That’s been the culture of consumption in Washington. Spend a lot of money on useless players and expect the [Insert Color Here]skins  fans to buy into it. We can only blame ourselves. And it has taken this long for [Insert Color Here]skins fans to realize that the owner has been pulling our leg and leading us down a dark path. A path only traveled by a few teams (insert Raiders here).

But now, I think the owner is starting to see the other side of things (fingers crossed). Perhaps he is starting to realize that if he can’t put a product worth selling on the field, people won’t buy it. This is evident in the lack of ticket sales for this season and the amount of disgust voiced all over blogs/forums across the nation.

A [Insert Color Here]skins revolution is happening, my football fanatic friends. And with this billion dollar industry called the NFL, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Give it time for the process to take place and unfold. It WILL happen…Eventually. The [Insert Color Here]skins will win a Super Bowl sooner rather than later. Laugh all you want, but it will eventually happen.

I believe this not because I’m a brainwashed [Insert Color Here]skins fan, but because it’s part of the NFL cycle. All teams will go through this phase and all teams will eventually prevail (unless you’re the Bills). It takes time and a lot of mistakes to get things right.

I will always remember what my father drilled in my head as a kid; Joe Gibbs created the earth and populated the empty terrain with the [Insert Color Here]skins, Jesus is a [Insert Color Here]skins fan, and that I should, “Remain calm. All is well;” you know, things of that nature.

Until then, fight on for victory, Washington [Insert Color Here]skins…Or at least a .500 season .

Regards – RJ