Regardless of what happens Sunday...

[Beau Petard]

I've been along for the ride from back in 1996 for the inaugural season, the lean years of defense and Vinny tossing the pigskin for "miles" on offense, the Super Bowl dream of 2000-2001, the re-building seasons, the Boller experiment, the "almost" had it playoff years, having PSLs and season tix in the nosebleeds originally, and "coming in from the cold" to the club level eventually,....

and I'll tell ya what!

I do NOT want to see the Ravens come out 2nd best on Sunday, but no matter what happens, I expect to see a superior/best effort from the team, and even though I am no longer a resident of the Old Line/Free State, whatever the final score is, I'm one happy mothe(*&(&^f(*^(er for having watched and supported this team this season! I appreciate the support y'all have provided, the information and insight and comraderie that I've received, and the absolute great times I had as a "local" and now as an "ex-pat" in the wilds of North Cackalackee!


GO RAVENS, beat the Niners! ALLEZ LES RAVENS!!!!!!

[B-more Ravor]

As always, well said Beau!

[Beau Petard]

Ravor,
Thanks, your comments are always well-received.

I'm sitting here sipping down a nice Pinot Noir (Sideways, anyone? ;)), and feeling a little homesick, watching the clips and not being there in B'more for the send-off rally, and thinking that this forum may be a most significant link for me to my football "roots", be they BALTIMORE Colts, or BALTIMORE Ravens. I truly appreciate your contributions as well as those of all (okay, MOST! :respect) of the other posters, and hope to make it back up to M&T for a game now and then over the rest of my gentle years.

Allez les Ravens!!!!

[Real Fan Dan]

I am having a glass of Mondavi's private Selection, a Malbec, Mendoza 2013 - Whatever TF that means ;), but it is certainly being imbibed in your honor sir I assure you. My boss gives me a bottle every year since I told him the tale about you bringing me two bottles of a vintage known as "Ravens Roost" from your wine judging forays in Virginia.

Like fine wine the franchise we all know and love as the Baltimore Ravens has aged to ripened maturity. 15 years, 4 Division championships, 9 playoff runs, two AFC Championships and now our second Super Bowl (in unfrickenbelivable fashion no less!)approaches.

I'll be glad as hell to join you in "happy mothe(*&(&^f(*^(er" - ville there buddy!

I'd be honored to have a glass with you sir, even across the miles that separate you from your hometown. The bottle stands by you!

[esmd]

Nosebleeds, eh? I've never gotten a nosebleed in them.

MD is worse off for you not being in it.

[akashicrecorder]

Excellent thoughts, Beau. And as usual, my friend, I am with you 100%.

I always wear my Ravens gear with pride, but there is something about this year, this time, this playoff run ... it's special. I feel like I'm struttin' in my Ravens hat/scarf/jersey these days!

I agree: As long as we come out firing, like banshees to the lion's den I believe Billick once said, I will be able to live with the results. Sort of like the Denver game ... even before it was decided, by a certain point I realized I'd be just as proud win or lose because the effort I was seeing was otherworldly.

GO RAVENS.

[Beau Petard]

Dan'l--
A votre sante, mon ami! Although I have less access now to "Ravens Roost", know that those were some good times.

I don't mean to sound so maudlin, but I am "the happiest girl in the whole USA" right now, and assuming the Ravens are SB winners this year, it just doesn't get any better than this --- beating the forever despised Indy franchise, AND the "nemesis" Peyton, AND the "Ohhh, Ohhhh, ref, they hurt me!" Brady, and with the penultimate two..at THEIR houses!!!!!

Think about it - Flacco and the offense AND the defense AND the STs AND the coaches AND FO AND owner AND the unsung heroes like stadium staff and clean up folks and Balt City PD traffic control AND bus drivers AND local taverns AND [fill in whoever I've omitted] have kicked ass, taken names, and given us a real treat this year! I rue being away from all of the excitement and celebration, although SWMBO and I are blessed to be where we are. But I think back to watching the 2000-2001 Ravens on a little screen at Tersiguel's back in 2001, kicking some major Gints petard, and being so over-served that a sober employee had to to drive me home! I really miss the "scene", and only hope that y'all can hear the bellowing joy from down here in the holler on Sunday evening after the Ravens come out victorious v. San Fran!!!


GOOO RAVENS!!!

e-
Je t'aime, mon frere!

ak-
Smooches, hon! Our boys are going to win!!!

[RavenScallywag]

I decided to go back to some "historical threads" and found this:

http://www.russellstreetreport.com/f...-John-Harbaugh

Now, yes, I am tooting my own horn on being on the Harbaugh bandwagon early, but...

This season has impressed me because several times, this team ended up with a shitty hand. Several times, we had absolute bad beats (to call out a poker term)....Harbaugh, Pees, Caldwell (and yes, let's throw Cam in there)...they found ways to get it done. back when we dropped 3 in a row, were sitting at 8-5 but somehow holding a playoff berth, there were few on here who pegged us for anything better than a 1st round out in the playoffs.

But this TEAM. Got. It. Done.

Win or lose...I have no doubt in my mind, Harbaugh was the right coach to get us back here, and get this team into shape. Absolutely no doubt.

And I will proudly cheer this team on next year to keep working our way back, year after year.