Franchise FAQ

how old is the ravens franchise

by Ruben Sawayn Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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Who is the founder of the Ravens?

In 1972, the Ravens wheelchair basketball team was founded by Ralph Smith, long-term resident of Baltimore, second Vice President of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) and Member of the NWBA Hall of Fame. The name "Ravens" was inspired by Bob Ardinger, a member of the Ravens wheelchair basketball team.

What is the Ravens basketball team?

In the 1990s, the naming rights were later sold to the football team when they came to the city and the wheelchair basketball team became known as the Maryland Ravens, Inc .

How many yards did the Ravens get in 2019?

The Ravens finished the 2019 regular season with 3,296 rushing yards, the most rushing yards by any team in NFL history during a season and they became the first team in NFL history to average at least 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game in the same season.

How many seasons did Jarret Johnson play for the Ravens?

Jarret Johnson spent nine seasons with the Ravens from 2003 to 2011. After beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 of the regular season, the Ravens advanced to the playoffs as the Number 2 seed in the AFC with a record of 12–4.

What is the Ravens poem?

The name "Ravens" was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe 's poem The Raven. Chosen in a fan contest that drew 33,288 voters, the allusion honors Poe who spent the early part of his career in Baltimore and is buried there. As The Baltimore Sun reported at the time, fans also "liked the tie-in with the other birds in town, the Orioles, and found it easy to visualize a tough, menacing black bird". Edgar Allan Poe also had distant relatives who played football for the Princeton Tigers in the 1880s through the early 1900s. These brothers were infamous players in the early days of American football.

What division is the Baltimore Ravens in?

The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division.

Why did the Ravens finish the season 12-4?

The Ravens finished the season 12–4, second in the division due to a tiebreaker with Pittsburgh, and earning a wild card spot. Baltimore headed to Kansas City and defeated the Chiefs 30–7, but once again were knocked from the playoffs by Pittsburgh in a hard-fought game. Terrell Suggs during practice in 2011.

Who bought the Ravens?

03/27: NFL owners approved the sale of 49% of the Ravens to Anne Arundel County (MD) business executive Steve Bisciotti. In it, Bisciotti had an option to purchase the remaining 51% for $325 million in 2004.

Who is the Ravens head coach?

01/19: Brian Billick became the 2nd head coach in Baltimore Ravens history when he accepted a 6-year contract from owner Art Modell. Billick, the highly successful offensive coordinator for Minnesota, directed a Vikings' attack that set a variety of NFL and team records, including the league's all-time scoring mark of 556 points in 1998.

How many games did the Ravens miss in 2004?

01/02: Finishing the 2004 season with a 9-7 record, the Ravens missed the playoffs for the 3rd time in 5 years. Baltimore produced a 6-2 mark at M&T Bank Stadium and a 3-5 record on the road. Injuries caused regular starters to miss 53 games, including the entire season for Pro Bowl OLB Peter Boulware. Other Pro Bowlers who missed considerable time included: TE Todd Heap (10), RB Jamal Lewis (4), LT Jonathan Ogden (4), and CB Deion Sanders (7). C Mike Flynn missed the 1st 7 games.

Where is the Ravens stadium?

09/06: The Ravens opened their new NFL Stadium in downtown Baltimore before a host of dignitaries, a packed house and the Steelers. The Ravens lost, 20-13.

Where is Ravens training camp?

03/18: The Ravens and Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) entered into a five-year agreement to hold training camp at the Westminster, MD campus.

Where did the Ravens play in the Hall of Fame?

8/2: For the first time in team history, the Ravens played in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton, OH... Baltimore bested the Bears, 17-16, just two nights prior to LB Ray Lewis' Hall of Fame induction.

Who did the Ravens draft in 2000?

04/15: The Ravens went for offense in the 2000 NFL Draft, selecting Tennessee RB Jamal Lewis (5th overall), Florida WR Travis Taylor (10th overall), and Louisville QB Chris Redman (75th overall) with their 1st 3 picks.

Who is the greatest player in the history of the Ravens?

Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden became, arguably, the greatest to ever man their positions in the history of the game. A few years later they added Ed Reed , who many believe to be the greatest in the history of the game at his position. We're talking GOATS here, people. Not much to squabble about.

What is the pick six superfriend?

The Pick Six Superfriends examine some of the most interesting 'Franchise Fives' from the AFC as our writers picked reps from each team.

Is Ozzie Newsome on the franchise five?

The only thing really up to question is how longtime GM Ozzie Newsome could not find a way to be on this Franchise Five, because the architect of it all certainly belongs in this group. My hands we're tied. Coaches only. But they say 'In Ozzie We Trust' around here for good reason, and even his final NFL draft, where he used his final first-round pick on Lamar Jackson, continues to cement his status as the key figure in the franchise's history to this point.

Who is the most forgiving fan?

Browns fans are the most forgiving people in the world. Since 1964, we have forgiven everything the Browns have failed to accomplish. We have understood the problem the team faced ever since one single gentleman entered the picture. Art Modell.

Who was the owner of the Browns and Colts?

Neither team was “stolen”. Irsay was the Colt’s owner. Modell was the Brown’s owner. Each team owner grew weary of the old and somewhat dilapidated stadiums of operation. Each owner attempted to negotiate a facility upgrade and failed. Colt’s attendance in Baltimore had faltered significantly, primarily because of an inferior product provided by owner Irsay. Contrary to the sports media portrayals, teams moving in search of greener financial pastures was nothing new. It had been happening in many sports leagues for generations. The one important difference in the Colts and Browns moves involve

What happened to the Browns when Art Modell moved to Baltimore?

Sort of. When Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore, the City of Cleveland sued. A part of the settlement was that the Ravens would, legally, be an expansion team, and all the Browns’ intellectual property would stay in Cleveland. Cleveland as part of the deal was guaranteed that the Browns would be “reactivated” by 1999.

Did the Browns move to Baltimore?

Basically yes - the playing roster, front office and other staff that belonged to the old Browns outfit all followed team owner Art Modell in relocating to Baltimore after the 1995 season. Only a few of the coaching staff went though, as head coach Bill Belichick and most of his assistants were fired after losing six of their last seven games in Ohio following the move announcement and all the controversy that came with it (the team finishing 5–11).

Is the Browns fan friendly?

But Browns fans are a forgiving bunch.

Where did the Browns move to?

All the players and employees of the Browns, and their contracts, followed the team to Baltimore.

Who was the Browns' coach in 1996?

The old Browns staff & roster meanwhile formed what was officially an expansion team with a new name (the Ravens) for the 1996 season, with one-time Baltimore Colts coach Ted Marchibroda taking the reins from Belichick. They didn’t do much that first year (going 4–12) and wouldn’t have a winning season for rest of the decade. But in 2000, they went 12–4 with Brian Billick at the helm and won their first title - albeit with only two players from that last season in Cleveland (K Matt Stover and DT Larry Webster) [ 1] . They did however keep former Browns star TE Ozzie Newsome in their front office - he would help build that title-winning team and another in 2012 - he’s due to step down as general manager at the end of this current season after 16 years in the job.

When did the Washington Redskins become the Boston Braves?

The Washington Redskins were established as the Boston Braves in 1932 when George Preston Marshall was awarded the inactive Boston NFL franchise. Marshall named the team Braves after the name of the field the team used, Braves Field, which was the home of the National League baseball team. The team was moved to Fenway Park in 1933 and the its name was changed to the Redskins.

Which NFL team has never moved?

While the Green Bay Packers did not join the NFL until its second year, the team does have the distinction of being the oldest continuous franchise that has never moved or changed its name. From its inception in 1919, the Packers, who were sponsored by the Indian Packing Company, have been based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

What year did the NFL change its name?

For the 1922 season, the APFA changed its name to the NFL and the other teams on this list joined in subsequent years. All of these teams played an important part in establishing the rules and customs of today’s NFL.

How many teams are there in the APFA?

The APFA started off with 10 teams, which had already existed in some form as regional teams. Today, only two teams from this initial line up are still around, the Arizona Cardinals (formerly the Chicago Cardinals) and the Chicago Bears (initially the Decatur Staleys). For the 1922 season, the APFA changed its name to the NFL and ...

Why did the Braves get their name?

Marshall named the team Braves after the name of the field the team used, Braves Field, which was the home of the National League baseball team. The team was moved to Fenway Park in 1933 and the its name was changed to the Redskins.

When was the American football league founded?

American football dates back to the mid 19 th century when colleges began playing games using modified rules from soccer and rugby. As football grew in popularity, many companies sponsored professional teams. This laid the foundation for the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was started in 1920 as the direct forerunner of the National Football League (NFL).

Who bought the Philadelphia Eagles?

The Philadelphia Eagles have been part of Philadelphia sports history since 1933 when a syndicate headed by the late Bert Bell and Lud Wray purchased the former Frankford Yellowjackets franchise for $2,500. Although the Yellowjackets had won the NFL championship in 1926, the franchise went broke midway through the 1931 season and immediately stopped playing. Bell and Wray revived the franchise and named it the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Overview

Franchise history

The name "Ravens" was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven. Chosen in a fan contest that drew 33,288 voters, the allusion honors Poe who spent the early part of his career in Baltimore and is buried there. As The Baltimore Sun reported at the time, fans also "liked the tie-in with the other birds in town, the Orioles, and found it easy to visualize a tough, menacing black bird". Edgar Alla…

Rivalries

By far the team's biggest rival is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are separated by a less-than-5-hour drive along Interstate 70. Both teams are known for their hard-hitting physical style of play. They play twice a year in the AFC North, and have met four times in the playoffs. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 30–24, and holds a 3–1 advantage in the four matchups in t…

Logo controversy

The team's first helmet logo, used from 1996 through the 1999 Pro Bowl, featured raven wings outspread from a shield displaying a letter B framed by the word Ravens overhead and a cross bottony underneath. The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict that the logo infringed on a copyright retained by Frederick E. Bouchat, an amateur artist and security guard in Maryland, but that he was entitled to only three dollars in damages from the NFL.

Uniforms

The design of the Ravens uniform has remained essentially unchanged since the team's inaugural season in 1996. Art Modell admitted to ESPN's Roy Firestone that the Ravens' colors, introduced in early 1996, were inspired by the Northwestern Wildcats 1995 dream season. Helmets are black with purple "talon" stripes rising from the facemask to the crown. Players normally wear purple jerseys at home and white jerseys on the road. In 1996 the team wore black pants with a single l…

Marching band

The team marching band is called Baltimore's Marching Ravens. They began as the Colts' marching band and have operated continuously from September 7, 1947, to the present. They helped campaign for football to return to Baltimore after the Colts moved. Because they stayed in Baltimore after the Colts left, the band is nicknamed "the band that would not die" and were the subject of an episode of ESPN's 30 for 30. The Washington Commanders are the only other NFL te…

First round draft picks

The team's first draft was the 1996 NFL Draft, where they selected UCLA offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden fourth overall and University of Miami linebacker Ray Lewis 24th overall. Both players won a Super Bowl with the team, earned numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, and are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Along with their pick in the next year's draft, this was the highest first-round draft pick that the Ravens have had. In 1996, 2000, 2018 and 2020, the Ravens had tw…

Further reading

• Smith, Dean Bartoli (2013). Never Easy, Never Pretty: A Fan, A City, A Championship City. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1439911068. (available online)

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