Ravens Chix Chat: December 2011

Very Superstitious – Will the Flacco Manchu bring the luck the Ravens need?

Posted by Kosmo Krys Thursday, December 29, 2011 1 comments

It’s that time during the football season when fans and players alike heighten their belief in superstitious actions and belief. My son, on college break, brought his Ray Rice jersey home. After he wore it to Saturday’s game, I wanted to toss in the wash. In an attempt to grab it he leaped over a pile of dirty clothes and he exclaimed “You can’t wash my jersey! That would bring us bad luck! I haven’t washed it all season!”

Eeeew, he has worn this jersey for 15 games plus every Purple Friday and every Monday win or loss! Ugh, that means it hasn’t seen soap in 15 weeks! I was about to disregard his plea and toss it in for its first well deserved washing when I started to wonder, “If I wash it, will I be the one to put a jinx on this Sunday’s game?”

We haven’t we won in Cincinnati in three years and only once in the last 6 years.

Let’s face it, we need all the luck we can get.

Yep the very superstitious bug had me too! I tossed the stinky jersey back to my son – there was no way I was going to take a chance.

Everywhere I turn there are signs of superstition. We have invited friends to come watch the game on Sunday. Our guest’s responses have included “I‘ll be there as long as I can sit in the same spot on the sofa as I did the last time.”; “We’d love to, but we have to watch the game at my brother’s house – that’s where we were the last time we won!”

For the past 3 years my husband wears the same tattered gold Ravens hat and the same long sleeve shirt for every game. He is sure that if he wears something else it will bring bad mojo to the team. How soon he forgets that we have both won and lost games since he started wearing the gear. There is no reasoning with a fan and the realities of his or her superstitions!

Even players don’t want to rock the boat. Players have routines and traditions that they follow before each game. Common rituals that athlete’s follow include eating certain foods, warm up routines and wearing specific gear. This year it’s the “hair thing” that many players have gotten hooked on. Long dreads and even longer locks of hair are hanging out of the bottom of the helmets of many NFL players. Even our beloved yet always controversial, Joe has grown a Flacco Manchu!

Back in November Joe started growing the stash that surrounds his mouth and drops to his chin. Fan reactions to the Flacco Manchu are mixed. Most females favor him getting a close shave ASAP! Though you can bet he isn’t shaving it off this weekend!

Nope! No way, no how!

It doesn’t matter that even since wearing the stash he has lacked consistency. We may think that the key to playing well is athletic talent and teamwork. Joe is not about to leave his team’s future in just plain talent, hard work, determination or coaching. He appears to have added in the notion in that superstition also plays a part in winning.

Maybe Joe’s superstitious idea is that growing a bit of facial hair will bring the Ravens the success they need to achieve home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Well we are in the Playoffs! You go Joe! With the crazy season of play that we have had anything is possible and every kind of help is needed.

Call it illogical, gullible and delusional. I’m not about to mix with our QB’s mojo. If the Flacco Manchu gives Joe the extra confidence he needs to take us into the Super Bowl… I’m Whacko for Flacco! Coach H and the entire team should sport the Flacco Manchu!

Do you have thoughts on Joe’s Fu Man Chu? Share your comments here or meet Ravens Chix at Liberatore’s Perry Hall this Thursday Dec 29 8-11pm. We will be interviewing fans about their thoughts on Joe and the Ravens!

Rave On

Kosmo Krys

He's just an average Joe

Posted by Sheila Tequila Tuesday, December 27, 2011 24 comments

I’ve tried for a long time to keep the faith in Joe Flacco. Like the Ravens organization, I wanted to believe that he was going to be our franchise quarterback. But I just don’t see it.

It’s not that he’s bad. He does some things that make you go hmmm. But his inconsistencies drive me nuts. One day he’s leading the team 92 yards with about 2 minutes to go in a game needing a touchdown and delivers; the next he can’t even manage to direct the team to a first down until the midway point of the THIRD QUARTER!

With the Ravens history of outstanding defenses, we don’t need Tom Brady or Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers (but wouldn’t that be sweet?). We just need consistently above average quarterback play.

A couple of years ago Ozzie Newsome sat at a press conference and told us all that on the days his defense can’t measure up, he wants to be able to win that shoot out. Well I don’t see it happening with Flacco I’m afraid.

During the broadcast of the Ravens @ Chargers on Sunday Night Football (there’s three miserable hours I won’t get back) NBC threw up a stat that the Ravens had lost 18 straight on the road when they trailed at halftime. Well that streak now sits at 19.

Now I didn’t bother to look but I’m guessing that some of those losses are on Kyle Boller and maybe even Steve McNair. And I’ll venture to guess that most of those deficits at the break during those losses had more to do with the team’s struggles on offense and not defense.

Do you think the Patriots or Saints or Packers will ever have such a sad streak?

I watch their quarterbacks and marvel with the same sort of “I wish I had one of those” gazes when I see that save-the-world-wench Angelina Jolie with Brad Pitt. Sometimes I even think that there’s a better chance Brad will serenade me outside my bedroom window before the Ravens get a stud QB.

Is it too much to ask for consistency at QB?

Is it greedy on my part to want my team’s quarterback to kick ass during a playoff game against a tough opponent?

Is there more than a snowball’s chance that maybe, just maybe the offense could carry the defense in a postseason game? Hell I’ll even take an important season finale game.

I guess it could be worse. We could have New England’s defense and go one and done again in the playoffs.

Well, if you’ll excuse me I DVR’d this scene from Salt where Jolie gets beaten like a red-headed step-child. I’m sure I’ll even throw a challenge flag at the TV just so I can watch it again. Is that bad?

Go Ravens!

Go Joe the Quarterback!

The Quest for a Home Playoff Game Starts on the Road

Posted by Melissa Rubin 0 comments

Santa gave Ravens fans a win against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. Though the win wasn’t pretty, it was still a win and kept the Ravens on track for a first round bye and a home playoff game.

The Ravens started off on a good note. In the 1st quarter, CB Lardarius Webb intercepted the ball and TE Ed Dickson caught the first touchdown pass of the game. In the 2nd quarter, RB Ray Rice scored another touchdown and K Shayne Graham, who filled in for the injured Billy Cundiff, kicked a field goal to make it 17-0 at half time.

It was a different story after half time. The defense looked tired and the offense couldn’t get it going. Special teams floundered when Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs scored a touchdown on an 84 yard punt return. Cleveland RB Peyton Hillis ran all over the Ravens defense, but thankfully they were able to stop him from running into the end zone.

Cleveland scored another touchdown in the 4th quarter, but ultimately they suffered from bad play calling and poor clock management and the Ravens had a 20-14 victory over the Browns.

The win gave the Ravens a perfect home record and head coach John Harbaugh gave the game ball to the fans.

The NFL is salivating over week 17’s match-up between the Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. It is essentially a playoff game for both teams. If the Ravens win, they will claim the AFC North. If they Bengals win, they will clinch a wild card playoff spot.

The Ravens NEED to win on Sunday to give them a first round bye and a home playoff game. Reaching the playoffs is one thing. Getting to the next level is another. The Ravens have a spotty road record and they owe it to themselves and their fans to bring a playoff game to M&T Bank Stadium.

It’s been a long season full of ups and downs and some key Ravens players have the injuries to prove it. They can still control their destiny, they just need one more road win to do it.

Keep playing like Ravens!

In purple we trust.

12th Man Pride on the Road

Posted by Kosmo Krys 0 comments

Ola Chicas!

Happy Holidays Ravens Chix! Like most everyone the past several weeks have been a bit hectic for me. Besides the usual running around to make the holiday season jolly and bright for my family, I jumped on a plane to San Diego for the Ravens game! Ugh! Whew! Between the holiday rush, the travel and the Ravens pitiful west coast loss, my stress level has hit an all-time high!

As usual traveling by air was quite an adventure! Six hours on plane with no movies, no internet and no food! Exactly when did providing a bag of peanuts become a gesture above and beyond costumer service?

Whenever I travel out of state I dress in my Ravens gear. I want to be sure that everyone across the nation recognizes that I am a fan of the best team in the NFL! Since this was a vacation built around a Ravens game I proudly wore my Ravens tee, purple jeans and several “adorable purple” accessories, which got me nods not only from fellow Ravens Chix but other travelers as well! Even my husband, who usually reserves his fan gear for Sunday home games, proudly wore his purple pride!

So you can imagine our delight when we passed through airport security and arrived at our departure gate to a crowd of purple clad travelers! Yes we were on the nonstop Love the Ravens plane to San Diego! Oh this was a great way to start off the very long trek across the country.

Yep. Road trips with Ravens fans are without a doubt a fun way to travel. Win or lose (I won’t discuss the particulars of that loss) meeting fellow fans in other cities is a blast. It makes you feel connected and heightens your hometown pride. The unspoken bond between Baltimore fans is entertaining to say the least.

All weekend long fans wore their Ravens gear. Hats, shirts, jerseys, purple hair, pomp-pomp, face paint, you know how we roll. You name it someone had it on! Whether we were walking down San Diego’s Gaslamp District, having brunch in Coronado or working out in the hotel gym, we came across hometown fans. And when Baltimore fans meet up in other cities they do much more than smile or nod at each other. They give out hugs, high fives, scream out of car windows, lift their drink glasses and in true Bawlmer fashion they hoot and howler! Oh yea Hon! The energy and excitement that came with these greetings was exhilarating.

On game day the enthusiasm spilled over to the parking lots! It was amazing how many fans were in California to represent our Ravens. When it comes to hosting a tailgate party the West Coast Baltimore Ravens fans (The West Wing LA) do our hometown proud.

California fans are every bit as dedicated and as hospitable as we are here in Bmore. They had a line of busses and a party set up that took over an entire section of the parking lot! They filled it with music, food, drink, dancing and tons of Purple Pride!

Once inside the NFL’s ugliest stadium, a sea of Purple and Black fans filled the sections behind the Baltimore Ravens bench. Yep 3,000 miles from home the Ravens 12th man was loud and proud! Unfortunately for us the Ravens never got the memo and didn’t post for the west coast. Standing silently for 4 quarters the sea of purple and black left the game baffled and numb.

Even after the embarrassing loss, Ravens fans slowly composed their disappointment and continued to sport their colors proudly. On the streets and in the airport they rallied around each other to give support and lift spirits. Yep the best part about the road trip to San Diego was the fantastic fans that we shared it with. Ravens fans are definitely the best fans in the NFL!

To the 12th man heading southwest this weekend to the Queen City, wear your Purple proudly. Let’s hope that those fans traveling to Cincinnati will have more than fan camaraderie to celebrate.

Rave On

Kosmo Krys

"Who Dey" gonna be on Sunday?

Posted by Sheila Tequila Monday, December 26, 2011 3 comments

Home Ravens or Road Ravens?

I’m sure you’ve heard this before or maybe you’ve even said it or felt it:

“The NFL has it in for the Ravens!”

Of course if you ask any other fan from any other NFL city they will say the same thing. Bad plays, bad breaks, bad calls must be someone’s fault, right? I mean it can’t be that your favorite team messed up, can it? And when it happens more than once it morphs into a conspiracy?

Puh-lease!

Now if you told me that certain quarterbacks get preferential treatment I would agree and unfortunately Joe Flacco isn’t one of them. Knock Flacco if you wish but one thing no one can criticize him for is his toughness. He’s taken shots and gets up every time and that cannot be undervalued.

Something else that shouldn’t be undervalued is the Ravens good fortune the Ravens have enjoyed this season via the misfortune of their opponents. Uh, in other words they’ve been lucky and here’s why:

* Dial it back to Game 4 against the Jets. No Nick Mangold and the Ravens exploited that weakness from the outset of the game and won that game easily even though Flacco couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.

* A tough Texans squad comes to town without their two best players – Andre Johnson and Mario Williams. Think of the Ravens going into Houston without Ray Rice and Terrell Suggs.

* The pesky Bengals come to town without ace rookie AJ Green and despite a favorable non-TD call the Ravens just squeak by Cincinnati and rookie QB Andy Dalton.

* A few days later the 49ers are forced to fly from the west coast to the east coast late in the season (Thanksgiving) during a short week, something that hasn’t been done in decades. And if not for a bad call during a long Alex Smith to Ted Ginn scoring strike that took the TD off the board, the outcome may have been different.

* The Colts come to town without Ravens nemesis Peyton Manning who held an 8 game winning streak against Baltimore.

* The Browns and Pat Shurmur come to town and bumble and stumble all over themselves, soil the bed of clock management and still almost upset the Ravens.

We are not looking very good at the moment and this game in Cincinnati scares the Who Dey out of me!

I thought the lame crowds out there in the Queen City might be a help to the Ravens but now I hear they are doing a 2 for 1 special on unsold tickets.

If only the Ravens could do a 2 for 1 on touchdowns.

Yep, color me nervous.

Bolts Zap Birds

Posted by Melissa Rubin Wednesday, December 21, 2011 1 comments

The Ravens clinched a playoff spot for the 4th consecutive season before Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers. Clinching was the only bright spot of the day as the Ravens put on a lackluster performance in another nationally televised game.

The game was ugly and painful to watch. The Chargers aren’t a great team and struggled this season, but their toughness outweighed that of the Ravens and the bolts “charged” through them to win the game 34-14.

The heart and soul of the Ravens defense, LB Ray Lewis, was back after missing the last four weeks with a turf toe injury. Sadly Lewis’ return failed to generate enough drive to keep the Ravens alive. He looked tired and off stride and the rest of the Ravens defense followed his lead and looked lifeless.

The offense didn’t fare any better. QB Joe Flacco regressed again and fell short in throwing to his receivers and was picked off twice. Kicker Billy Cundiff is still nursing a calf injury and missed another field goal. His injury is a major concern to the Ravens, especially when they fail to convert in the red zone and need a healthy kicker to add field goals to the score board.

We can only speculate about the reasons for the Ravens inconsistencies all season. Coaching? Play calling? Shortened preseason? Injuries? While we will never know the cause, we can only hope the Ravens learn from their mistakes and move on.

And with that the loss, the Ravens were knocked out of first place and pushed down to fifth place. However, luck was on their side Monday Night when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens can thank their head coach’s younger brother for the win which moved the Ravens back to the No. 2 SEED and kept the dream alive of hosting a home playoff game. The dream only stays alive if they win their last two games. They have a winning record at home and home is where they need to be.

The last two weeks of the regular season bring divisional match-ups against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. Both promise to be tough games, especially the week 17 road game against the Bengals who are currently in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Once again the Ravens can control their destiny and this week’s match-up is a home game against a team without a winning record, a combination that may help them walk away with another win.

We Beat That Professional Team from Indianapolis*

Posted by Purple Maven Wednesday, December 14, 2011 0 comments

That’s what my brother calls them. The PTFI. It’s appropriate. I can’t blame him. He was a huge fan when the old team left in ’83. I was still a kid (and a chick) so I don’t have the deep scars like my brother and Dad.

That PTFI has had our number since their first meet with the Ravens in October of ‘96and so my battle scars around that damn blue horseshoe are much more recent and raw. Since the Ravens were born, they’ve beaten us NINE times (I’m hearing Ed Rooney’s voice from Ferris Bueller in my head right now). Twelve matchups, nine losses gives us only 25% win percentage against them. And if it feels like our other nemesis beats us a lot? We’ve actually won 40% of our games with those black and gold punks. Not impressive but it’s still better than 25%.

I was in Indianapolis when the Ravens played there in October of 2002. We were down most of the game until the 4th quarter when we pulled ahead 20-19 only to lose to a field goal in the final seconds.

We went on to have two more losses to the PTFI in 2004 and 2005.

Then, it was the end of the 2006-07 season. We had posted our best record ever (13-3). We had clinched the AFC North Division. We had a first round bye. We were feeling the power of our Ravens and knew this was our year to get back to the big game. And to sweeten the deal, that PTFI was coming to OUR house.

I was sitting in Section 543 of Ravens Stadium in January of 2007 when we played the PTFI in that divisional round of the playoffs. Once the battle of the kickers was over and we lost 15-6, I slurped out of the stadium with 70,000+ other fans and listened to the crickets chirp because not one fan…said one word…the entire way down the ramp. (Of course, this is the season the PTFI went on to win their only Super Bowl).

Then we had 4 more years of losses between 2007 and 2010, which I’ve pretty much blurred out.

Which leads us to this past Sunday.

I was at Ravens Stadium this past Sunday. I watched. I waited. We played against an 0and 12 team that doesn’t even deserve to be in this elite league called the NFL this year. A Ravens “W” is always a great day, but this “W”? Against that Professional Team from Indianapolis? It felt kind of hollow to me. Maybe it was because their Captain was watching from the sidelines. Maybe it was because I feel those boys are throwing their season on purpose just to get a little “Luck” next year.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic that we racked up another win in this amazing season. But in my mind and memory, this year’s “W” against that PTFI gets a little asterisk next to it.

Mind your x’s and o’s

The Purple Maven

Ravens Fanatic swaps Holiday Shopping for West Coast Ravens Trip

Posted by Kosmo Krys Tuesday, December 13, 2011 1 comments

Ola Chicas,

Yep! It’s the holiday season and I’m packing my suitcase with tons of purple tees and shorts! Ravens are on the road to Indy by way of San Diego and Ravens24x7 is tagging along! On this cold and frosty morning, the West Coast sounds like the place to be.

As I’m throwing in all of my lightweight Ravens purple apparel in my bag I’m wondering “have I lost my marbles?” It’s December for gosh sakes! Just two weeks before Christmas! I ‘m a mom and wife with Holiday shopping to do, cookies to bake, presents to wrap, eggnog to make and tons of decorating left! Santa will be here before you know it! I have children and a family expecting me to make the Holidays bright jolly. Here I am flying across the country to watch a football game?

Well, it sounded great when we booked our flight back in September.

So now I have to try to rationalize this trip. I’m not crazy. I am a die-hard Ravens fan!

But when did I become such a fanatic?

It might have started with my childhood. Everyday my parents would rearrange the living room furniture so all 9 of us (YES 9) could watch the Colts game on our tiny rabbit eared TV... Our traditional Italian pasta family dinners were served during half time and clean up postponed to the end of the game.

Maybe I became a fanatic when I attended by first professional game. I fell in love with the excitement that I got from the roar of the crowd, the horns in marching band and the grunts and groans on the field as the players banged up and down the field.

My best friend took me to my very first game on my 21st Birthday. The Baltimore Colts beat the Jets at Memorial Stadium. It was the first of only 5 wins that year. Bert Jones (aka Hurt Bones) was out again and starting in his place at QB was an aging Greg Landry. By the end of the year Coach Ted Marchibroda was out, much to my dad’s dismay.

Loving Baltimore football back then was akin to loving Orioles baseball today!

Years of football despair came next when we lost our beloved Colts. Trying to find a replacement was impossible. I waited patiently until that wonderful Sunday in 1996 when I returned to Memorial Stadium to welcome our new Baltimore Ravens.

It felt great to be back amongst the fans. Early on fans had to work to embrace the Ravens as our own team. When the thrill of a Super Bowl victory came in January, 2001even the most obstinate Baltimore fan became a believer in the purple and black.

That super year has been followed by years of hanging onto the edge of triumph. Fans like me expect and thrive on the ups and downs the highs the lows. The team rivalries and the player antics on and off the field all make the sport appealing.

We can rant, rave, and root for this unpredictable but always engaging and entertaining team. How could I not be a fanatic Ravens fans?

It’s not that crazy that I am jumping on a plane to see our Ravens! YES! I am a die-hard fan! I may not study play formations, know all of the rules (does anyone anymore) or track the stats of each player (I know enough that Sizzle has 13 sacks). However I do have the most important element to being a football fan, I have the 12th (wo)man enthusiasm and adoration for the game! I know enough to know that this trip to the west coast is ever so important to our rankings in the playoffs.

So here I go ready or not! This is my first trip to an away game but I know it won’t be my last! Bah Hum Bug I may not have all my Holiday list complete! Cheers to basking in the warm west coast sunshine with my awesome travel companions! We have great seats right behind our Ravens bench where, wearing my Ravens Holiday hat, I will rave rant and root us onto victory!

This year presents, cookies and decorations are taking a back seat! This little side bar trip is my present to that very special Ravens fanatic I know and love…ME!!!

San Diego or Bust!

Rave On!

Kosmo Krys

How a Steelers chick inspired me to get out of line and get online!

Posted by Sheila Tequila Monday, December 12, 2011 5 comments

So I’m at the mall looking for some new Ravens’ gear for MYSELF! You see I also am taking MYSELF to San Diego this week to watch the Ravens move another step closer to the No. 1 seed in the AFC. How bad ass would that be? The road to Indianapolis is through B’more.

I LOVE THAT!

Ok back to the mall…

I zeroed in on this hoodie and knit cap. Naturally after a Ravens win coupled with the “season to be jolly” spending, the lines were sick. So I’m waiting and waiting like I was in the bathroom line at M&T. Finally, I’m on deck.

Unfortunately it was my dumb “luck” that I was behind a Steelers fan who was returning a James Harrison jersey and the dude at the counter just so happened to be a Steelers fan too. My lucky day!

Before you know it, they are engaged in this discussion about how the NFL hates the Steelers and Harrison because of all the fines and how the league doesn’t protect Ben like they do Tom Brady. I thought I was about to hurl.

It took everything in me and the lessons learned from the road rage segment from The Doctors TV Show that morning to keep from tying the arms of that hoodie around the neck of this not so svelte chick in front of me who when considering her brown pants and matching sweater (who wears brown pants?) reminded me of a UPS truck.

Finally this pity party ends and that coupled with the lengthy line made this buying experience seem about as pleasant as a trip to the GYN. Now I’m thinking that this hoodie has bad mojo and if I could be certain that the same line and the same Yinzer behind the counter would NOT be there, I might return this thing like now!

Maybe I’ll wait until after the Holidays but I know at least two things: 1) I’m buying my gear online from this point forward; and 2) This thing ain’t going to SoCal in MY suitcase! I can’t be bringing that bad karma out there to Qualcomm Stadium. The Ravens need to go on a roll!

And hey, if the Ravens can manage to run the regular season table, I love our chances of going to Indy for SB XLVI! How ironic would it be that the BALTIMORE Ravens visit the city that stole our BALTIMORE Colts to claim a World Championship for BALTIMORE during the same season that their lame team makes history by going 0-16?

Talk about giving new meaning to the old cliché, “What goes around comes around.”

But really, why is the Super Bowl in Indianapolis? The NFL is all about making the Super Bowl the centerpiece of a vacation week in some fun, warm place like Miami or New Orleans. Indianapolis? In February? This might be the first time that the teams fly in the day of the game.

Well it could be worse I guess.

At least it’s not in Pittsburgh.

Indianapolis Bound

Posted by Mandy Knight Thursday, December 8, 2011 0 comments

First and foremost, this is the year Baltimore goes all the way. The Ravens started out their season with a bang, defeating our rivals the Steelers 35-7. Sitting in the nosebleeds that game, it gave me chills to see Roethlisberger throw 3 interceptions leading to a rumbling stadium of fans cheering for the Ravens. Last season, the AFC divisional playoff game ended with a heart breaking loss to Pittsburgh. It left a bad taste in every Baltimore fan’s mouth and now we are out to bring it home.

The Ravens were able to bring out the broom for the first time since 2006 and sweep Pittsburgh in the season series. Coming off that incredible win and going into the Seahawks game, I had no clue it would end in a 22-17 loss. Luckily we were able to redeem ourselves in a nail-biting win against the Bengals. Torrey Smith gained 165 yards that game which is the third highest in Ravens history.

Moving on, it was time to get ready for the Harbaugh Bowl on Thanksgiving. With the heart and soul of the Ravens on the bench, Ray Lewis, Baltimore had to keep mistakes to a minimum and play with high intensity leaving it all on the field.

The Thanksgiving game was built up on emotion and the players were proud to bring home the W for their coach against his younger brother. Terrell Suggs had a big game the second half and the Ravens tied their franchise record with 9 sacks in one game.

Going into the game against Cleveland, some fans may have been nervous because of the saying “the Ravens are only as good as the team they are playing.” Baltimore sure proved that statement wrong. Ray Rice set a new record for himself rushing 209 yards with 29 carries and a score. Granted the Browns defense is not top-notch, Baltimore took advantage of this and played to their potential.

The Ravens next opponent is the 0-12 Colts at M&T Bank stadium. Baltimore has not lost at home all season. A loss at home is not a possibility because the way the Ravens feed off their fans energy. After the Colts, we play the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium, The Browns at home and the Bengals in Cincinnati. It is never good to look past any team, but it is fair to say the remainder of our schedule could be cake if we can get our heads in the game against Cincinnati. If the logistics work out to Charm City’s liking, there will be 2 playoff games in Baltimore and the Ravens will be Indianapolis bound.

Ravens Beat Broken Browns

Posted by Melissa Rubin Tuesday, December 6, 2011 1 comments

After back to back home wins against the Bengals and Niners, the Ravens played the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday. It felt weird to be nervous about the game, but it was only natural to feel that way following the Ravens pattern of beating the competitive teams and playing down to ones with losing records.

The game had the potential of being long and ugly. Mother Nature was cruel and sprinkled the field with rain during the entire game. Playing on a cold, muddy field with a wet football is not favorable for any football team. Add a dash of a divisional match-up in the city where the Ravens originated from with Cleveland fans who still despise them made the Ravens faithful cross their fingers and pray that another ugly loss would not take place.

The Ravens stuck to their tried and true method of running the ball. They were good at running the ball, RB Ray Rice was the workhorse of the team, he had 29 carries for 204 yards and one touchdown and RB Ricky Williams had 16 carries and one touchdown.

While weather conditions weren’t ideal for throwing the ball, QB Joe Flacco went 10 for 23. TE Ed Dickson and WR Anquan Boldin led in receiving, but unfortunately weren’t able to score.

This was the third consecutive game without defensive leader LB Ray Lewis. Lewis stood on the sideline as he cheered and motivated his team. It was still hard not seeing #52 on the field. In his 16th season, his number is the centerpiece of the Ravens defense. During Lewis’ absence, other defensive players stepped up and took charge. DL Pernell McPhee sacked Cleveland QB Colt McCoy two times and DE Arthur Jones took McCoy out of commission for a bit when he hit him and hurt his knee.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the game was K Billy Cundiff’s two missed field goals. Thankfully the score wasn’t close and the missed field goals did not affect the outcome of the game, but one cannot help to worry about what would have happened if that game (or any other game) was close and a loss was attributed to those six points being left on the field.

The Ravens 24-10 win over the Browns ended the fans’ frustration of the Ravens playing down to less competitive teams. Were they perfect? No. Did they need to be? No. They did what they needed to do; they ran the ball and shut down the Browns offense. They found a way to win and that’s all we needed them to do.

The Ravens still control their own destiny. With a quarter of the season left and two division games on tap, they need to stay focused and keep their eyes on the prize. Take it one game at a time and keep playing like Ravens.

Share Some Cheer?

Posted by Kosmo Krys 0 comments

Ola Chicas,

Whew! We won! I know I was a bit worried about Sunday’s game. I couldn’t help but worry that we would play down to the level of competition on the road as we have in previous losses away from home. Fortunately we broke that ugly cycle! Let’s keep the momentum going! The Ravens will blow Indy out of the water!

For Ravens fans it is the playoff hunt time of year. It is also time to do some holiday shopping for those we love. While you are making your gift list and checking it twice, please keep in mind ways that you can find gifts for your loved ones while helping others in need.

TONIGHT from 5-9pm, Ravens Chix is hosting a holiday event at the Greene Turtle in Hunt Valley to benefit the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. The program provides holiday gifts to deserving children in the area. Greene Turtle will donate 20% of your tab! (click on the picture above for more details)

We will have vendors (some who are Ravens-centric) with holiday gift ideas and door prizes. So shop the Hunt Valley Towne Centre then stop by the Greene Turtle for a bite and check out our vendors!

Holidays are a special time of year for everyone. Help us make it special for the children in need and enjoy some Holiday Chix Cheer!

Rave On!

Kosmo Krys

The Blame Game!

Posted by Sheila Tequila Thursday, December 1, 2011 0 comments

I just broke a freakin’ nail!

My dog just whizzed on my new throw rug!

I’m hustling to my next appointment, get my heel caught in some sidewalk vent and now my left leg is two inches too short!

And of course the worst – THE WORST! I wait in some un-godly long line at a world famous coffee shop, finally get my Caramel Machiato only to find that I was mistakenly handed someone’s rock gut caffeine explosion that could probably burn rust off any corroded pipe.

It’s all Cam Cameron’s fault!

There, I said it!

Freakin’ Cam Cameron!

Surely I jest but I’m sure there’s a clueless Ravens fan out there somewhere ready to blame Cam for most if not all of his life’s miseries.

Go to any game or visit any sports pub dialed into the Ravens that day and as certain as Entertainment Tonight will headline a Kardashian forehead pimple some fan will blame Cam Cameron when Joe Flacco does his version of the Hokie-Pokie in the pocket.

C’mon people!

Now I’m not suggesting that Cam doesn’t have flaws. The dude has more flaws than Joan Rivers has face lifts and that chick has had so many she should be able to dunk on LeBron James by now.

I get that he’s the coach and ultimately someone needs to be held accountable. You can’t fire all of the players but there needs to be accountability with them too.

Joe Flacco can lock in on a receiver like Maverick does an enemy MiG in Top Gun; Ray Rice can at times look like a blind-folded hyperactive child who skipped his Ritalin meds and opted for a case of Red Bull instead; Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin sometimes look like they are playing hot potato out there; and of course the offensive line has resembled a team of accommodating matadors allowing the “bulls” to stampede their quarterback.

So the next time Flacco throws to the wrong color or Rice is dropped for a 2 yard loss on first down or our star receiver Boldin drops a touchdown pass, just remember – it’s not always Cam’s fault even though he is B’more’s scapegoat of choice for all things wrong in Ravens Nation.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to choke the cute little Starbuck’s girl behind the counter.

And please note, it's not the manager's fault…

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