The Fall of the Ravens Empire

[gaiusrex]

It is not really losing that has lost people. We have been losers before and people stuck around. The difference now is that this team is boring as hell to watch and they don't have any impact players worth watching. Ed Reed was a fun guy to watch play the game and with him when things looked bad you just knew you were Ed Reed pick and lateral away from a huge swing of momentum. Now, we have no one. If I were doing a fantasy draft in Madden the ONLY Raven that would be my first choice at his position is Tucker. I honestly can't think of a player that would be one of my top 5 choices at his position.

I agree with this completely. We are here to be entertained.

I am so tired of hearing people who thing they know how to be a General Manger of any organization or an HR rep of any organization or an Executive Officer of a billion dollar organization. More often than not, they don't know shit.

I hope the person who invented fantasy football is dying a slow, torturous death while watching his family suffer the same. It has ruined everything.

[Uli2001]

This was difficult to write, particularly on the anniversary of the Mile High Miracle. But in part, looking at that footage again inspired the article. Missing such moments of glory and wondering what the Ravens need to do to get back to those moments. It's long, and as always, your feedback in welcome...

*************

It’s been a long time coming.

It started on February 3, 2013. That’s the night when the lights went out in New Orleans.

It was a happy ending that evening, but the Super Bowl 47 win, set in motion a gradual decaying of a winning franchise. It was then that the Ravens empire began to fall.

Throughout the 2012 playoffs, Joe Flacco performed like he never had before or since. He was magnificent and for once, he carried the team on his back. Ever since he’s weighed upon the back of the organization with the league’s heaviest cap figure while performing like an average quarterback.

Give Flacco credit. He bet on himself, rolled the dice and performed under pressure. The Super Bowl MVP cashed in, taking advantage of an organization intoxicated by its second Lombardi Trophy and the thought of a long-time franchise quarterback.

Meanwhile there was a shift in power. When John Harbaugh hoisted Silver Betty as the cascade of purple, gold and silver confetti fell from the rafters of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, his clout within team headquarters skyrocketed. The victory, for all intents and purposes, enabled Harbaugh to shape the team the way he wanted.

Alpha males that dominated and led the Ravens locker room moved on. Ray Lewis retired. Ed Reed wasn’t re-signed. Anquan Boldin was traded. Bernard Pollard was released. Nearly overnight, the swagger that once defined the Baltimore Ravens had vanished.

Good character in players became a highly-desired trait, seemingly trumping on-field accomplishments. This shift in personnel direction was exacerbated by the Ray Rice elevator incident, a public relations nightmare for the team, worsened by the club’s amateurish handling of its sordid details.

LINK TO THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

It's simple, it's the Curse of the Boldin. The last six years flashed before my eyes the minute I heard he was released because of a 1 mil difference (or so was the reason the FO gave). You can go back on this board and read my comments back then (a lot of other posters felt the same, while others mocked us, the teams had just been SB Champs, in Oz we trust, etc.)

[Uli2001]

It is possible that the team has finally taken on Harbaugh's personality. An average uncontroversial team, not terrible, but not good enough. The Old Ravens, who everyone in the league hated (and feared), went away when the last holdouts of that team (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Boldin) left.

[Jay D83]

It is possible that the team has finally taken on Harbaugh's personality. An average uncontroversial team, not terrible, but not good enough. The Old Ravens, who everyone in the league hated (and feared), went away when the last holdouts of that team (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Boldin) left.

Yeah my friends won't even engage in trash talking with me anymore. They give me the look of pity and don't even respond. Now that's some disrespect!

[BustOfPallas]

It is possible that the team has finally taken on Harbaugh's personality. An average uncontroversial team, not terrible, but not good enough. The Old Ravens, who everyone in the league hated (and feared), went away when the last holdouts of that team (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Boldin) left.

This.

The Ray Rice Debacle did more lasting damage to this franchise than anything. Period. Combined with Harbaughs boyscout style and intolerance for strong voices in his locker room in favor or corporate Kumbayah and yes men. It burned Bisciotti badly too. It was a media witch hunt that was close to #metoo in intensity and Bisciotti, who had a strong personal relationship with many of his players including Rice, got BURNED badly by a guy he extended himself for. Rice's weasely betrayal of Bisciotti via his pony-tailed greaseball attorney Diamondstein was like a Julius Ceasar moment. I don't think people remember that the media was this close to calling on Bisciotti to be forced to sell the team much like the owner of the Warriors Donald Sterling. I think the Ravens, after that incident, became totally risk averse and it screwed up their ability to evaluate football talent. Correction, I don't think, I know. That was the year we started drafting like crap. The fact that a scandal could reach and touch the owner in such a personal way (his tweets being exposed and a guy he vouched for stabbing him in the back...) is to me the main thing that derailed this franchise. If not for that incident I think we draft with clearer vision for talent. I think Harbaugh is probably not a great influence either with his inability to deal with men with strong personalities. We need someone a little more like Billick to be honest but of course better with Xs and Os than both.

[beavery]

Tony's article really nailed it. After 6 years of post season and a super bowl win, the organizational arrogance became its undoing. Harbaugh believed he was something that he wasn't. His ego took over. He believed that his voice was more important than it was. The media hyped his response to the alleged mutiny. In my humble opinion, I think he took more credit than he deserved during the team's playoffs and super bowl runs. I think he believed that he was the impetus that led his team to successful seasons. Harbaugh has made sure that his double standards and dog houses will go unchallenged by his players and staff. This team hasn't had an edge since the super bowl.

Our front office believed their own hype. They became complacent and valued numbers of draft picks rather than choosing obvious talent . In Ozzie we trust. We do things the Raven's way. They sold us on trusting the process. Who we pick will somehow become a hall of famer because that's what we do. Over the last 5 years the process has not produced results and rather than change the process, they continue to trust in a process that ain't working.

The dysfunction at all levels in this organization is alarming. Their belief that the fandom will accept the non answers, obvious problems ranging from drafts, salary cap, player development, poor game planning typifies the incredible arrogance of harbaugh, newsome and biscotti.

[WrongBaldy]

fuck this team and harbaugh. pats throwing the ball in 4th quarter up 3 TDs.
mismatch rbs vs lbs.
ravens would be run run pass punt.
fuck this whole tam

[WrongBaldy]

What if the Ravens decide not to host the State of the Ravens press conference?

TL, i was thinking more about this today. IF the ravens are not planning a major change or two this offseason i dont think there is any upside to holding the STOR.
its all downside risk. only bad things can come out of it. the fans will be more mad then they are now. they will made the die hards more miserable with the whole continuity talk.
if they plan no changes they should not have the STOR and not make it any worse on the fans. i cant see any good coming out of it

[The Excellector]

Hyperbole aside, I think we can all agree that the team cares about winning. However, they are being just a tad bit condescending right now.................................................just a tad.

[SugarRay52]

Hyperbole aside, I think we can all agree that the team cares about winning. However, they are being just a tad bit condescending right now.................................................just a tad.

Believe in the Sword everyone

[steelerhater]

Hyperbole aside, I think we can all agree that the team cares about winning. However, they are being just a tad bit condescending right now.................................................just a tad.

Yes, but not enough. It seems that personal relationships trump winning.

I will give them credit for one thing though - they figured out how to stop our coaches from being plucked away by other teams. By hiring and retaining terrible coaches they stopped that cycle.

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

[Corey]

This.

The Ray Rice Debacle did more lasting damage to this franchise than anything. Period. Combined with Harbaughs boyscout style and intolerance for strong voices in his locker room in favor or corporate Kumbayah and yes men. It burned Bisciotti badly too. It was a media witch hunt that was close to #metoo in intensity and Bisciotti, who had a strong personal relationship with many of his players including Rice, got BURNED badly by a guy he extended himself for. Rice's weasely betrayal of Bisciotti via his pony-tailed greaseball attorney Diamondstein was like a Julius Ceasar moment. I don't think people remember that the media was this close to calling on Bisciotti to be forced to sell the team much like the owner of the Warriors Donald Sterling. I think the Ravens, after that incident, became totally risk averse and it screwed up their ability to evaluate football talent. Correction, I don't think, I know. That was the year we started drafting like crap. The fact that a scandal could reach and touch the owner in such a personal way (his tweets being exposed and a guy he vouched for stabbing him in the back...) is to me the main thing that derailed this franchise. If not for that incident I think we draft with clearer vision for talent. I think Harbaugh is probably not a great influence either with his inability to deal with men with strong personalities. We need someone a little more like Billick to be honest but of course better with Xs and Os than both.

The Ravens have no one but themselves to blame for the Rice situation. They botched the hell out of the PR. They tried to get ahead of it and rushed to paint Ray as a saint when they should have just let the investigation run its course. It was their rush to repair their image that cost them. In this day of social media where facts change quickly the best thing to do is sit down and shut up until you have every fact.