Baltimore Ravens: Why I’m Proud to Be a Ravens Fan

Nov 11, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh (left) and owner Steve Bisciotti before the game against the Oakland Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Despite my best attempts to remove emotion from my analysis (attempts I would say are largely successful), that I am a Baltimore Ravens fan is not really a secret. And despite the condemnation of every other teams’ fans, I’m proud of that fact.

Somewhere along the line, some NFL fans decided being a Ravens fan is shameful, all because of the actions of one individual. Somehow, these people seem to reason, by cheering for the Ravens, I am actually cheering on domestic violence, and some would still claim I’m cheering on murder as well.

Anyone with a brain realizes that’s not true.

True, there are some knuckleheads in the fan base who continue to wear their Ray Rice jerseys or even make offensive claims like saying Janay Palmer deserved what happened.

Two things about those people: They are not representative of the fan base as a whole, and every fan base would have to deal with those kinds of knuckleheads in a similar situation.

More to the point, the Ravens have long been a classy organization from top to bottom. One bad egg named Ray Rice does not change that fact.

Nobody should have to face criticism for supporting their favorite NFL team, yet Ravens fans have been sought out repeatedly on social media recently. Those cheering on the Ravens 26-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last night were trolled mercilessly. Here is my answer to those would try to make me apologize for my favorite team.

The Apology

Let’s start with the Ravens’ handling of the Rice case, since that is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The Ravens bungled it. The NFL bungled it. But more importantly, almost every team in the NFL would have bungled it.

Where the NFL attempted to cover its tracks, resulting in an independent investigation, the Ravens promptly owned up to their mistake and apologized.

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I was stunned with the honesty, frankness and sincerity of the apology.

Typically, apologies of this nature are “I’m sorry you” kind of apologies. For instance: “I’m sorry you feel that way.” That’s not an apology, it just ducks responsibility.

Bisciotti’s apology was of the “I’m sorry I/we” variety, which is the only kind that matters. The Ravens took full responsibility for what happened, saying, “Seeing that video changed everything. We should have seen it earlier. We should have pursued our own investigation more vigorously. We didn’t and we were wrong.”

Not everyone will believe your apology, Bisciotti, but for me, apology accepted. The Ravens learned from this mess. Hopefully the rest of the league can too.

The apology proves once again this is a franchise that handles itself with sincerity and class. I continue to be a fan because I believe in the way the franchise does business, from the way it handles contract negotiations to the way it deals with adversity.

The Wolf Pack

Despite this rather dark week in Ravens history, the Ravens are one of the most fun teams to be a fan of. What better example of that than the wolf pack?

That’s the name Justin Tucker, Sam Koch and Morgan Cox give themselves as the team’s specialists. Read this piece from the Ravens’ Ryan Mink to get an appreciation for how much fun the group is, from cornhole to Tucker’s constant, energetic singing.

The Ravens love football

Many of the league’s stars seem to be in the league for the money, the fame or something similar. But most Ravens make no qualms about the fact that they love the game of football.

Ray Lewis typified the love of the game, devoting more of himself to the game than almost any other player. From film study to practice to leading the team, Lewis set a tone which pervades the team to this day.

Now, there are guys like Terrell Suggs who relishes every hit with unbridled joy, Steve Smith who brings intensity to practice that most players don’t even bring to games and Marshal Yanda who has played through almost every injury imaginable.

Guys like that make being a Ravens fan easy.

The rings

This should go without saying, but two championships are better than none. Moving on.

In sum, be proud Ravens fans. You have a team largely full of class and character, from the owner to the practice squad. One bad week doesn’t change that. Don’t let the hypocrites bring you down.