jmids1975

And anyone who is still grumbling over Jalen Ramsey is badly in need of a session on a leather couch. It is not like we passed on him. Get over it.

Interesting that A J Hawk is not mentioned. Not a world beater by any stretch but a solid veteran who can at least push the younger guys in camp. And as far as corner goes, I am just doing the math here. Jimmy Smith and Shareece Wright are inked and all but assured starting jobs. We just drafted 2 corners. We already have Will Davis and Kyle Arrington on the roster. How corners do you guys think we are going to carry? 5, 6 tops. And only 6 if special teams is a huge consideration. But logically, 5. Do the math fellas.

Playing to lose just to get a better draft pick is the single most ridiculous idea in sports. First of all, telling your whole team, players, coaches, front office, fans, etc... that this season means nothing, that this game means nothing, that everyone needs to put their integrity and pride aside so that we can all put our hopes for the future on ONE draft pick, is utter nonsense. And explains why typically the same team are drafting top 10 year in and year out, and also why some teams are constantly drafting mid to late 20's every year. Can you have an awful season and find a franchise player in the draft who helps change the course of your team? Sure. But for every Andrew Luck example there are 5 JaMarcus Russell's. For every Peyton Manning there are 5 Vince Young's. If your philosophy is to lose so that you can get better, you just don't get it. Why are the Browns drafting top ten every year? Why are the Raiders drafting top ten every year? Why have the Buccaneers been drafting top ten every year? Winning is an attitude and a culture. One player typically is not going to change all of that. You can not reasonably expect a sports franchise to purposely lose and then because of some 21-22 year old kid, flip the switch, and everyone can win again. It is not a choice. This is not fantasy football. It is not a video game. If we are playing in the last game of the season with a number one draft pick on the line, do you play 3rd stringers and pray they lose? I wouldn't call that crazy. But you do not prepare or coach them to lose.

Could the "season ticket holders" come down off of their high horse and get over themselves, please? Buying season tickets does not mean you are entitled to anything except a seat. IT IS A GAME! And you guys talk like it's your personal stock. You guys are the first one to sell your tickets to comp your money during a bad season. So don't try to tell everyone how much more of a fan you are than anyone else. We are 1-4 for the FIRST time in our HISTORY. And you guys talk like it is Armageddon. If you can't handle tough times, if you can't handle rough seasons, if you can't handle losing, then sports are not your thing and you really should not renew your season tickets. You make our fan base look like a bunch of spoiled, crybabies. With all of the success this team has had with this leadership group and front office, you would think we would be more supportive. No one enjoys losing. Least of all the coaches and players. But to play the all entitled "season ticket holder" card is pathetic.

The funniest part of all of this is... It is the fans, many here on the board, who were touting how fantastic our wide receivers were going to be this year. Not many will admit it now. People rarely admit to being wrong. But go back and read articles about cut down day, any interest in Reggie Wayne, Butler and Waller impress, etc... and read the comments. And for the Flacco haters out there... Look what kind of numbers he is putting up with a 36 year old, retiring wide receiver and a bunch of no names, and without his blindside tackle. You can overanalyze specific plays all day long and try to extrapolate them into something bigger, but I say considering what he is working with, it is showing he is pretty good.

Manning could torch us for 350 yards and 4 td's and that does NOT mean "oh, we are gonna suck this year". If we sack him 6 times and pick him off 3 times it does not mean "Oh, our defense is gonna be great this year!" We been here before. It is the first game. Not a microcosm of a season. By November we will know what kind of team we are. And I predict a very good one. And guys, Denver in Denver is a tough team to beat but we ain't so bad ourselves and make our reputation based off of what we do on the road when everyone is picking against us. I would be WAY more nervous if everyone was picking us to win. Expectations for the outlook of a season based on one game, your first game, are almost always unrealistic. Every week is a different game. It will make us feel better as fans if we keep him in check

I just can't wait to see what becomes of Brown in the NFL. A bunch of guys watch some preseason games, see a few catches, and believe they recognize talent so much that "fans" are saying the move was stupid. This happens ALL the time. I am not saying that no name guys do not come out of nowhere, mature late, and make an impact after failing to impress others. But these preseason superstars are a dime a dozen and are rarely heard from again. We already have 6 wide receivers on the active roster and ONE of them is a proven veteran starter playing in his last season. There is only one ball fellas. We have plenty of "projects" at WR with potential. Kick returner and corner? Not so much. Let's just see how things work out for these guys before we put them in our mental Hall of Fames are start referring to one of the best GM's in the history of the business as "stupid".

There is no real solution to this. Injuries are going to happen. Always have. Always will. Regardless of how many padded practices you are allowed to have. My partial solution/help for this issue is this. I have been wondering it for years and still never heard a good reason for it. You have a 53 man roster. Why can't all 53 dress for every game? It makes no sense to have a 53 man roster PLUS a practice squad and not be able to dress all 53. Why the mandatory inactives? They are on the roster so they are getting paid. So it is not a cap issue. Maybe one of you guys have brought it up and have heard the answer and can share. But it is one of those rules that just baffle me.

How is it not news on Pitta?

So if Trent Dilfer were our quarterback in 2001, we would have repeated? Come on, it was Jamal Lewis' torn ACL that was the death nail for that season and we will made it to the second round of the playoffs. And "Billick went against Ozzie"? Fact check... Ozzie decides who we draft. There is input from many sources but ultimately it is his decision. Billick did not have veto power over Ozzie. And anyone who believes otherwise is very much kidding themselves. Brian Billick was an offensive coach who put aside his ego for the sake of what worked in 2000. To become a power running, field position team went against his basic instincts. But he did it because it worked and we won. A Head Coach is just that, a Head Coach. He is not just responsible for the offense or just the defense, he is responsible for the entire team. But he was smart enough to know that lightening would not strike twice. And going after a better quarterback was the right move. Obviously, we did not have a lot of luck getting a franchise quarterback. And ultimately, that led to his downfall. But to assume that is strictly on him is asinine. He brought us our attitude. He treated his players like men. He let their personalty become our identity. And after 2001 and the cap purge of 2002, we were right back in the playoffs in 2003 with most of our notable, veteran talent gone. THAT is good coaching. 2006 was our year. Our inability to get past the second round of the playoffs that year was gut wrenching. But it was our best regular season in Ravens history. That is the only year we had a seriously legit shot at a second Super Bowl ring. "Wasted several"? That is exaggerating. Before Billick we did not know what winning was. And since him, we have done it pretty consistently. He laid the foundation.

Looks like a lot of our "fans" have already forgot what Brian Billick did to and for this organization to put it on the map as a serious contender. Are we already that type of fan base with the short attention spans and even shorter memories? Anyone who has been here with this team from the start should have no hesitation about Brian's place in the Ring of Honor. I could make a list of reasons but I won't because a true Ravens fan would already know every one of those reasons.