10 on 1: What is Ravens Nation?

10 on 1

What is Ravens Nation?

1.     Ravens nation is built on passion, no matter if you are talking to fans, players, coaches, everyone is passionate about the Baltimore Ravens and that shows year round. Don’t expect to ask a member of Ravens Nation about the team and not get into a long discussion about how the media overlooks them. Baltimore loves hiding under the media spotlight because it leads to having a chip on the shoulder.

2.    We are a community, you wont hear fans say they won or they lost, after each game, trade, or draft pick the proper response is “We won, we traded him away,” etc. Every Sunday when you are watching the game in the stadium or at a restaurant Ravens fans are a community all united together against the other team. The beauty of sports especially in Baltimore, is every game, fans put their differences with one another aside and are all untied together.

3.    You can’t think of Ravens Nation with out thinking of rivalries! Baltimore is most notable for the rivalry with Pittsburgh but a rivalry with the New England area, as well as Cleveland and Cincinnati is definitely growing.  Anyone who year after year is in the Ravens way of getting to the Super Bowl is a city that fans and players grow to dislike. The feelings are definitely mutual between teams and communities, which adds to the excitement.

4.    Persistent, determined and driven, every year the goal for the Ravens is a Super Bowl, it is the same goal from the owner all the way down to the fans. A lot can be said about the team itself but one thing that has never been said is that they give up or “the effort wasn’t there.” Even if pre-season the Ravens are not projected to do that well, everyone in Baltimore has faith that the team will succeed based on a drive to win and great coaching!

5.    The Team, The Team, The Team: no one comes to Baltimore to chase the money, people come to help the team and do what’s in the best interest for the team. Baltimore has never been a place where flashy free agents come to be in the media spotlight and be the prize and face of the franchise. All free agents and draft picks are all just another piece in the puzzle. This strategy has worked the past 20 seasons and it seems like it’s a good plan moving forward. After each game especially after a loss, no one talks about individual statistics. Sure stats are nice but any player would rather get the win, as well as any fan would rather get the win as opposed to watching their favorite players win the MVP or make the Pro Bowl.

6.    Life is bigger than football! This is an important message in the locker room and football community. All the players and coaches understand that even though there job is helping to deliver the best outcome on the field that doesn’t mean anything if they don’t give back to the community. Athletes constantly need a reminder that life is bigger than their sport and they still have an important responsibility other than “playing a game.” Football is clearly very different for players and fans, for all fans we use football as an escape from regular every day lives compared to the opposite NFL lifestyle. Even though for many, the outcome of a game can be very stressful, every game day is an opportunity for fans to escape and be apart of something bigger than themselves. 

7.    Ravens Nation is built on intensity. Especially in M&T Bank stadium, players and fans pride themselves on intensity and intimidating opposing fans and teams. M&T Bank stadium is one of the hardest stadiums to play in. This isn’t like many other stadiums that are credited with being loud primarily because where the architects designed the stadium to “send the noise straight to the field.” All fans are intense in their own way, but walking down the streets, seeing the city of Baltimore covered in purple, is an intimidating site to see but an amazing thing to be apart of!

8.    Hard work! The Baltimore Ravens are a hard working team just like the city of Baltimore and surrounding areas; we are all apart of a hard working community. The Ravens may not have the most talent each game but their hard work pays off not just in practice but also in dedication towards getting better on the field and in the “classroom”. Baltimore is known for being a hard working blue-collar city, and it is only fitting that the two major teams fit in that definition.

9.    W. I. N. (What’s Important Now!) This was a slogan for the team in the past but was certainly embraced by the community and is still reference by the community. This slogan is perfect for the team because it doesn’t let them get “too high” after a win or “too low” after a loss. All that can be controlled is the next practice or the next game, because that is “what is important now.” I also like to directly relate this quote to my personal life. It’s not that I personally need it but I love inspirational quotes and love to be inspired. This isn’t directly an “inspirational quote” but if you think about it gives you a good outlook on life. I think of W.I.N and I don’t think about the test I just took that I might not have done that well nor getting stressed out about a event a couple months away. W.I.N. is a reminder to live in the moment and only worry about what is important and what can be influenced now!

10. Win, lose or draw, Ravens Nation is definitely devoted. You won’t see the team “throw a game” to get better draft position because they know they owe it to the fans, each and every game. Ravens Nation like all communities has their complaints every now and then. With that said, Ravens Nation will always stand behind the team through thick and thin. Ravens Nation is a definition of loyalty; this works great across the sports community and gives great representation to the great city of Baltimore.