Ravens Fan Base And Bandwagoners Increasing

[Militant X 1]

my wife and i just landed in Texas a few hours ago. we flew from Norfolk, VA into Houston and then Austin, Texas. we then drove an 1hr up to the FT. Hood/Killeen, TX area. i must say...with the exception of a few Houston fans the Ravens are gaining a huge following here in Texas. lol! i always travel with my Ravens gear on in airports. my hat, Ray Lewis jersey, Ravens necklace and watch etc. people have been approaching me in the airports and stores all day today wishing our Ravens good luck and wanting us to beat the patriots.

but what is really surprising is the fact that my wife and i went into the Killeen Mall to see if i could pick up a few more Ravens items from a local sporting goods store and to our surprise...the store had NOTHING for the Ravens. absolutely nothing! but here is why. the store manager said that since the Ravens beat the Texans and are playing in the AFCCG, that many of the locals came in and bought out all the Ravens stuff in support of the Ravens to win the Superbowl! lol! people stopped my wife and i in the local walmart chanting, "go Ravens!" and wishing us well. they were coming up to me with all of my gear on saying, "go beat the patriots!" and..."your Ravens are gonna win!"

i have been blown away by the receptivity and support for our Ravens here in Texas. i met a few Ravens fans in the mall (once they found out i was from VA..not to far from Baltimore) who invited me to the local sports bar and grill to watch the game with them over pizza and wings. lol! i have a great feeling about this game tomorrow and just wanted to share with the flock the fact that our Ravens are getting some serious love down here in Texas.

Gooooo Ravenssssss!!!

~Mili

[CorvusCorax]

Glad to hear you're having a great time down there! Gotta love that Texas hospitality! I'm certain you'll make some new friends while you're down there.

And Go Ravens!

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

Glad to hear it, unfortunately where I am in NY, we get no love

[ratedr]

I also noticed that the Ravens now have more fans than the Redskins on Facebook. The Ravens were also #10 in merchandise sales last year. Pretty impressive for a young, small market franchise.

[Tonymontana45]

I'm a Ravens fan in Columbus at Ohio State. Since being in the playoffs the amount of gear I've seen has doubled. A lot of Bengals and Steeler fans have been wishing me good luck. Say they are rooting for us. Browns fans, well they are browns fans, lol.

[Gordo52]

Maybe they just really really hate the patriots lol

[gotekiraven]

Well if the Texas folks want us to win, then we can't disappoint our fans down there. Let's get it done!!!

[IMissMattStover]

Thats awesome! Texans are generally a hospitable bunch, but that is great.

[Dudeman]

I'm all for loading up on the bandwagon, as long as those fans aren't just here for the fair weather.

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='Dudeman' timestamp='1327191050' post='961516']
I'm all for loading up on the bandwagon, as long as those fans aren't just here for the fair weather.
[/quote]

there will always be fair weather fans...nothing you can do about that cause everyone loves a winner! i'm just glad to see the Ravens gaining more support...and here in Texas? after we beat the texans? it has been pleasant to see the amount of Ravens love our boys are receiving. just goes to show us...that there are more with us than against us! go Ravens!

~Mili

[D-Rey]

Wish there were more Ravens fans here, but it's been all negativity by ignorant Bears fans. Their jumping on the Patriots band wagon around here.

[IMissMattStover]

As much as I am irritated by fair weather fans, It is nice to see so many people who can stand the Pats.

[Shishkeberry]

It's funny... I live in Steeler's country so the Walmart here sells Steeler's and Penn State stuff year round. They actually have a small section for it. I had to run in there the other day and for the first time I saw one, lone Ray Lewis jersey. i would have bought it if I had enough at the time. I guess I'll stick with my Ray Rice.

[IMissMattStover]

[quote name='Shishkeberry' timestamp='1327192221' post='961543']
It's funny... I live in Steeler's country so the Walmart here sells Steeler's and Penn State stuff year round. They actually have a small section for it. I had to run in there the other day and for the first time I saw one, lone Ray Lewis jersey. [img]http://content.boards.baltimoreravens.com//public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.png[/img] i would have bought it if I had enough at the time. I guess I'll stick with my Ray Rice.
[/quote]

Its a shame you couldnt have bought it. I wish I lived in Steelers country just to provoke people, and the Steelers fans responses just prove the points I make about them.

[Shishkeberry]

[quote name='IMissMattStover' timestamp='1327192389' post='961548']

Its a shame you couldnt have bought it. I wish I lived in Steelers country just to provoke people, and the Steelers fans responses just prove the points I make about them.[/quote]
So far I haven't had a stranger harass me over my Ravens stuff (just Steeler fan friends, of which I have many ). Though the overwhelming majority of bumper stickers I see are Steelers, I'm not the only Raven fan around town.

[IMissMattStover]

I have a lot of Steelers fan friends too. My girlfriend is a Steelers fan, but they dont seem to provoke easy. They are pretty atypical for Steelers fans. Im sure there are even more Ravens fans there than there are here in Gainesville.

[Shishkeberry]

Haha, I'm sorry, I can't imagine dating a Steelers fan. That must be nuts. My landlord is one and his wife is a Ravens fan. I imagine that makes things...interesting. Lol! My son is a Bengals fan but it isn't quite the same.

[IMissMattStover]

[quote name='Shishkeberry' timestamp='1327193202' post='961563']
Haha, I'm sorry, I can't imagine dating a Steelers fan. That must be nuts. My landlord is one and his wife is a Ravens fan. I imagine that makes things...interesting. Lol! My son is a Bengals fan but it isn't quite the same.
[/quote]

Yeah, it is a little crazy at times, but she is a very happy go lucky person, and she doesnt hold a grudge. That has got to be an intense marriage during football season. Yeah, Bengals aret quite the same thing. It must be wierd to buy Bengals stuff for him though.

[Shishkeberry]

[quote name='IMissMattStover' timestamp='1327194088' post='961578']

Yeah, it is a little crazy at times, but she is a very happy go lucky person, and she doesnt hold a grudge. That has got to be an intense marriage during football season. Yeah, Bengals aret quite the same thing. It must be wierd to buy Bengals stuff for him though.
[/quote]

I might be getting a taste of the craziness if both the Ravens and the Giants make it to the SB. My fiance is a die-hard Giants fan. People looking at our car probably don't know what to think with my Ravens decals and his Giants license plate holder. I'm glad that you and your girlfriend are able to make it work.

We bought our son a Bengals beanie for Christmas and he wears that thing everyday. I felt weird buying it, I admit. I almost told the cashier that it was for my son and not for me! [img]http://content.boards.baltimoreravens.com//public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.png[/img] I had to cheer for them a little bit this year when they made it to the playoffs and that felt even weirder. But my son is only 7 so he's not old enough yet to take their losses (or my teasing) gracefully.