largeeyes

almost as bad as the Yankees........... I think I've made that fairly obvious.
Now, my question regards the move of the colts to Indianapolis. Did people
hate them merely for being the team that left Baltimore for a number of years?
I mean, now they're everyones fav's because of their high scoring offense. But
I hate Balt. because a) Ray Lewis is on par with Sapp on annoyingness and
overratedness b) Brian Billick is #2 to Cowher in terms of
god-I-hate-that-coach factor c) Art Modell is an ass that, in essence, moved
the NFL's version of the Cincinnati Reds or NY Yankees. So again, my question
is, was there this sort of hatred for a number, say 5-10 years after the Colts
left Baltimore simply because of the cir***stances? Sorry, I just wasn't
around the NFL back then.

ernest.p.worrell

I'm sure Bob Irsay is still the most hated man in Baltimore, Art
Commodell in Cleveland, and Bud Adams in Houston. Not to mention
the Raiders, Rams, and Cardinals who have all moved. A few years
ago their was talk to the Cards moving to LA to replace the Rams,
who had moved to St. Louis to replace the Cards...

I don't hate any team. I just hate the greedy owners who hold the
fans and cities hostage to get new stadiums. Mike Brown falls into
this category, BTW. The worst are the ones who actually move their
teams, but all the owners who blackmail their cities are s***, feeding
at the goverment teat. They're no better than a drug addict babymaking
welfare mom.

If I start a business, the city isn't going to give me a plant or
office building. Why should a sports team get a free ride? The
stadium should be part of the cost of doing business, just like my
office lease.

From Alabama,
--
TJH

tjhiggin.at.hiwaay.dot.net

joemira

If you must, hate the Ravens because you don't like their players, coaches,
or overall successes, but there is no basis for you to hate the Ravens or
Baltimore on anything related to the Browns move. If you do, it is based on
ignorance. Read on.

No, the move of the Colts was a much bigger crime against a city and sports
fans in general. Baltimore was left without football for 13 years and in
the process had the rights to an expansion team stolen from them by the
commisioner. The colors and the team name were never returned. There was
no Internet or widely available ESPN or USA Today to cry foul on a national
level. There were no fax machines to clog up in the commissioner's office.
Buffalo did not host a Baltimore day. There is no section or even a
reference to the Baltimore Colts in the Hall of Fame. The old Colts stars
have rightfully abandoned the team and hitched their legacy to the city of
Baltimore but are left to endure the indignity of revisionist history in a
Hall of Fame that casts them as Indianapolis greats.

Contrast this with Cleveland, who lost only three years of watching the
Browns and nothing else. They rightfully were returned (by Modell)
everything related to the legacy of the franchise. In return, they got rid
of an owner they already hated, got a new stadium to replace what had been
the worst venue in all of sports, and had double draft picks for years and
other generous concessions meant to accelerate the team's return to
prominence. The fact that their front office has screwed it up royally
doesn't alter the fact they were given every possible competitive
opportunity.


JM

stebain

Nobody is as bad as Sapp (Crapp) as being a real asshole (Keyshawn tried).
Sapp is really overrated, I don't know if I would consider Lewis overrated.

I'm no fan of Billick. I did see him on an Ooold episode of "Match Game" on the gameshow network.


Colts

blackvelvet

bottom line is, we kicked y'all ass.... Ding!-ding!-ding! Rack'em...

rãvnsfãn ®

....because you are envious, ...period. Get a life troll-boy.


--
RãvNsfãn ®

"Talk is cheap..., lets go play"
( NFL Hall Of Famer... Johnny Unitas - Baltimore Colts )

rãvnsfãn ®

More like "stupidity" Joe. You give him too much credit by assuming mere
ignorance.

--
RãvNsfãn ®

"Talk is cheap..., lets go play"
( NFL Hall Of Famer... Johnny Unitas - Baltimore Colts )

michael lawson

Rack'em...

And so did we to you.

--Mike L.

rãvnsfãn ®

I'm thinking that Black Velvet, Large Eyes, Locotus, Kantou and the like
all would have so much more fun if they started their own usenet ng. It
still wouldn't increase their IQ's of course but it is obvious that
isn't what they are seeking on usenet.
--
RãvNsfãn ®

"Talk is cheap..., lets go play"
( NFL Hall Of Famer... Johnny Unitas - Baltimore Colts )

jon young

Most people (outside of Baltimore) don't understand the passion that the
city of Baltimore had with the Colts. Perhaps I've unfairly justified it in
my own mind but Irsay moved the team in the middle of the night after
several adamant denials that was his intention. To have a team taken away
like that for good was a horrible thing to experience. I choose to believe
that it was somehow different with Modell but I'd guess the Cleveland fans
might object. I know money was a big issue with Cleveland and Modell.
Virtually every team has recently built new stadiums or made modifications
to add the big ticket luxury boxes. I sure don't have all the details on
Modell but from what I think I've heard, he was in trouble financially due
to his other businesses. The new football stadium was apparently not
negotiated soon enough for his liking? I don't know but didn't Cleveland
build Jacobs Field and the Rock N Roll HOF before starting on the stadium?
Where was the money coming from for a new stadium and how soon would it be
there? Either way, I'm not saying that Modell was in the right but if I
were going broke and the city weren't moving quick enough (by whoever's
standards I guess?) to bail me out, then I might look real hard at another
city making me an offer.

Without knowing all the details about the Modell situation, I "could" be
convinced that the moving of the Browns was as unfair as the moving of the
Colts. The big difference to me is what happened afterwards. Baltimore got
completely ****ed and Cleveland got to keep their history after a three year
hiatus. The NFL screwed the Ravens repeatedly. We all knew during the
expansion fiasco that Carolina was getting a team. We also were certain
that we were getting the second team. We had complied with every request of
the league. Imagine our horror when that announcement day came and Carolina
was awarded a team and the second team is (drumroll please.....) Uh, we're
going to hold off for 30 days to announce the second team. 30 days later,
Jacksonville was awarded the second team. Excuse me, what the hell was that
all about? Baltimore had completed every requirement and was prepared by
the deadline. Jacksonville obviously was not. Tagliabue was asked
something to the effect of "What would you like to tell the people of
Baltimore now that they've lost out on expansion"? And his replay was to
"Tell them to build a museum".

So you see, we do indeed feel screwed by the NFL. I know Cleveland lost
their team too and they have a right to be upset but the cir***stances
regarding the loss of the Colts and subsequent treatment by the NFL are far
more unf****vable.

Do you honestly, objectively believe Ray is over-rated? You are in a very
small minority if you do. I certainly can understand that people find him
annoying (particularly if they're fans of our opponents) but his act is
geared towards firing up the Ravens and I believe he accomplishes exactly
that with it. If it additionally irritates our opponents to the point that
they make mistakes, so much the better. He lives, breathes and sleeps
football. Other teammates have commented about the countless hours of
additional film study they do at Ray's house. Personal opinion here but I
think any team's fans would love to have him (all the dancing and strutting
too!) on their own team. He is the most well prepared player in the game and
one hell of a team leader.

I also understand people finding Billick annoying. Being a military retiree
and living most of my life near DC, I'm just so sick and tired of the
politically correct spin control you see whenever anyone sticks a microphone
in front of coaches and athletes. Do any of them ever surprise you or do
you already know what they're going to say before they say it? Billick is
arrogant, ****y, and annoying but he is honest. If you're gonna' "talk the
talk", you better "walk the walk". Billick has a Super Bowl ring and is
likely to get more before his coaching career is over.