From the UK. Intrigued by your team and city.

[DrewBear]

Ok, confession time.  Up until a few days ago, I knew nothing about the NFL.

I live in London in the UK - a place with a minority NFL following that is growing rapidly.  A friend of mine invited me to their Fantasy NFL league, and I thought if I'm doing this, I'm going to do this properly.  So I started to research the sport, the history and all the teams.  I started to get into it, and then I wondered which team I should support.  So I looked at pictures of all the jerseys, logos and stadiums, then went on instinct.

I chose the Baltimore Ravens (though the Carolina Panthers came close).  I like how the Ravens are marketed - very slick with a hint of edge.  In addition - correct me if I'm wrong - they seem to be a "sleeping giant" team.  This appeals to me since I support an English team called Tottenham Hotspur in what you call soccer. 

I am going to buy into the Ravens experience for a whole season.  I want to learn not just about the team, but also about you the fans, the city of Baltimore and its culture. Perhaps it will become a life-long affair.  I don't care much for trophies, I just want a team that is unique and has soul. 

I came up with 3 questions, feel free to answer them:

a) What makes Ravens fans unique?

b ) What does the rest of the US think of Ravens fans? 

c) If you live in Baltimore, what is your favourite thing about your city? 

I am interested in people in other parts of MD too - what's your town like?  I look forward to hearing from you all.

Edited August 17, 2016 by DrewBear
Correcting the auto-emoji

[K-Dog]

1) Baltimore has always been a football town.  Originally we had a team called The Baltimore Colts.  Without getting into specifics here, they left town in the middle of the night back in 1983.  This city went 13 years without a home football team. That dry spell made fans truly appreciate having a home team.  We know what it is like to be without. As a result we are fiercely loyal, at least many of us who can recall the hurt of loosing our home team.

 

2) Outside of the Pittsburgh steeler fans, Cleveland Brown fans and the New England Patriots fans we are to one degree or another fairly well liked. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have a bitter rivalry.  Both teams play very very similar style. They match up so very well.  The overall record for the two teams is 24-20 in Pittsburghs favor, with a TOTAL point differential of less than 40 points.  That is less than a one point differential per game !!!  That game is absolutely one of the highlights of every football season.  Dollars to donuts, it is the best game you will watch every season.  Despite the bitter rivalry, the vast majority of players and fans hold each other in the highest respect.

Browns fans hate us because the Ravens used to be the Cleveland Browns.  Just like how the Colts moved to Indianapolis, the Browns moved to Baltimore, the difference being, Cleveland maintained the name The Browns, as well as all rights and records.  That was NOT the case with the Colts.

New England fans pretty much hate everyone.  We really don't take it personally. They are arrogant and think their Q.B. walks on water.

3) I am from a suburb of Baltimore.  I am roughly 20 minutes south of Baltimore, but I have lived here all my life.
Right now much of the city is a mess, but there are some good parts as well.  There is a tremendous history in Baltimore including the location of the writing of our National Anthem, as well as the home of Edgar Allan Poe for most of his life.  Trivia for you, the Baltimore Ravens are actually named after Poe's poem "The Raven". 

[DrewBear]

On 18/08/2016 at 0:56 AM, K-Dog said:

Trivia for you, the Baltimore Ravens are actually named after Poe's poem "The Raven". 

I was really, really hoping that was the case.  They're like a football team for goths!

Well thanks for taking the time out to write all that info, much appreciated.  You said there were good parts in Baltimore, where would you recommend?