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Thread: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
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09-02-2012, 11:48 AM #13
Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
Scallawag: I disagree. Merely playing in the same division doesn't elevate another team's status to that of a "rival". I have yet to see any emotional buildup for playing either Ohio team, even those few seasons when there had competitive teams. For our first few years, there had been a lot of Ravens fan to Browns fan animosity; that has pretty much faded away, particularly on our side.
On the other hand, there has always been an extra amount of emotion when playing the Steelers, and to a lesser extent the Redskins, regardless of their competitiveness. I think the difference is interaction with rival teams fans. Many of us have to interact with those turncoat vermin who support the Steelers or Redskins, but don't know fans of the Browns or Bengals.
It's part of the Ravens marketing strategy. The good days of perennial playoff contention will not likely last forever; therefore, building out a fan base into metro DC (which is double the population of metro Baltimore and wealthier) makes good business sense.In a 2003 BBC poll that asked Brits to name the "Greatest American Ever", Mr. T came in fourth, behind ML King (3rd), Abe Lincoln (2nd) and Homer Simpson (1st).
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09-02-2012, 01:07 PM #14
Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
Jake
I currently live in Odenton, which seems to be the border for the Ravens/Redskins fandom. I have been a Ravens fan since they moved and a season ticket holder since 2008. I was 12 when the Colts left so I can't speak to the past history like some of our esteemed fans can but I will answer the questions as a 41 year old fan.
-Do you consider the Redskins and Ravens rivals? Why or why not?
The Ravens and Redskins are not rivals on the football field, they play in separate Conferences and do not meet enough during the regular season to warrant a rivalry. However, the teams are rivals as it relates to building (the Ravens) or maintaining (the Redskins) a fan base. Since 96 the Ravens have been able to expand their fan base into AA, Howard and even PG county.
- What would it take to make this a real rivalry? Or does the fact that they only play in the preseason and every four years in the regular season prevent it from ever becoming a real rivalry?
I don't think they will ever be real rivals unless they face each other in the Superbowl. The lack of meaningful games prevents the establishment of an on field rivalry.
- Who takes the "rivalry" more seriously? Redskins or Ravens fans? Why?
Redskins fans like to poke fun at Ravens fans, but in their hearts they wish their organization was run as professionally as the Baltimore Ravens are.
- What are your feelings toward the Redskins and why do you feel that way? Do you hate them, root for them, or are you indifferent? What are your feelings about Redskins fans? Why do you feel that way?
I am indifferent to the Redskins, and I feel sorry for their fans.
- What plays or moments from past Redskins-Ravens games stand out to you?
October 10, 2004 at Fed Ex field. Ravens won the game 17-10 but with the game still close Redskins fans started heading for the exits. When I asked why, they said, "You'll see." Waited 45 minutes for a bus to take me to the metro and I swore I would never go back to Fed Ex. M&T is so much easier to get out of.
Good luck with your article.Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less"--GEN R. E. Lee
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09-02-2012, 01:10 PM #15
Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
I'd say that there is a definite rivalry between Skins fans and Ravens fans, particularly as you approach the D.C. area. I lived in PG county for many years prior to retiring to Florida. As a contractor consultant, I traveled the DC Beltway supporting Federal Government clients for years. The Redskins subject would always arrise with clients. It became a near personal sort of thing. They appeared to know little about the game itself, while predicting a winning season for their 'skins' at the start of every season. I would always wonder what the basis of their opinion was, especially in their obvious week seasons. So many "out of towners" come to town and immediately become skins fans, even if they didn't understand the game and could not discuss game elements.
As a Baltimore born guy, I grew up with the Colts in the late forties, beginning with Y.A. Tittle to Billy Hillenbrand touchdown passes at single tier Baltimore stadium on 33rd St. Their uniforms were green and silver/Gray. Tailgating had not yet begun. Then the league went out of business. I followed B'more football all those early years. Then came purchase of the Dallas Texans and the uprise of the new Baltimore Colts behind Johnny Unitas. That was around 1955 as I remember being in Navy boot camp in Bainbridge MD. For those who did not live through that era, you missed a lot.
When I moved to the DC suburbs around 1973 was when I began hearing about how great the Redskins were from their fans. Kinda hated to go to work on Monday mornings if they won the day prior. Redskins fans can be super individuals like all people, but as football fans they flat out suck. They'll tell you the Skins are the best but they cant tell you why they think so. Thats my story and I'm stickin to it.
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09-02-2012, 01:43 PM #16
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
Another thing is they love to point to their 3 Lombardi's and their fight song. Nevermind that those 3 Lombardis are covered in about 20 years of dust and suckitude. I suppose one more element of the rivalry is the band/song...Redskins have probably the most famous fight song in the NFL, while Ravens have tried to carryover the Baltimore Colts Marching Band. The difference is that most Redskins fans celebrate their fight song as a big piece of their culture, while the majority of Ravens fans are pretty indifferent about our band (Some want them gone). My little brother is a music teacher and he's said that his opinion of the Marching Ravens are that their musicianship is pretty lacking.
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“When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.
Call me a Special Teams coach again. I dare you! I double dare you, MFer!
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09-03-2012, 06:30 PM #17Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
I don't really consider it a true "rivalry" I just always root against them, and hope that they never become greater than the Ravens. I have a way of feeling that if we go 11-5, and they go 12-4, it's a lost season. It's a competition for fans and bragging rights more than anything.
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
i despise the colts for leaving baltimore but for some reason i am a wizards fan. i think it was because they eased out of baltimore and maryland. they were the capital bullets and than became the washington bullets.
it seems like there is a big push to get the bullts name back. you see a lot of bullets jerseys. polin changed the name because of the assocation of bullets and washington dc crime but wiht abe gone the nostalgic name could be coming back. they will suck again this year as well but i still watch them.
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09-06-2012, 12:01 PM #19Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
no rivalry between a hammer and a nail.........sorry
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09-06-2012, 04:11 PM #20Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
The only rivalry here is between their marketing departments due to the overlapping fan base.
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09-07-2012, 11:20 PM #21Rookie Poster
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
Thanks for your responses and participation, everybody. I will be checking this thread every now and again for new posts.
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
Maybe to a small degree. I would probably compare a rivalry between the Ravens and the Skins to a rivalry between the Eagles and Steelers or maybe even the Jets and the Giants. Sure, there is some mild form of rivalry there, but it is largely due to geography and not necessarily the actual teams. The problem with trying to define teams like that as being rivals is they just don't ever play each other. The Ravens and the Steelers are a legitimate rivalry. Both cities are similar, the fan base is similar, and they play each other twice a year. My father was an avid Redskins fan and from that I know that the Redskins' true rival is and will always be the Dallas Cowboys.
- What would it take to make this a real rivalry? Or does the fact that they only play in the preseason and every four years in the regular season prevent it from ever becoming a real rivalry?
- Who takes the "rivalry" more seriously? Redskins or Ravens fans? Why?
- What are your feelings toward the Redskins and why do you feel that way? Do you hate them, root for them, or are you indifferent?
- What are your feelings about Redskins fans? Why do you feel that way?
- What plays or moments from past Redskins-Ravens games stand out to you?
- What is the best/funniest/most memorable story you have about you or a friend/family member that is a Redskins fan (prank, joke, memory during a game, etc.)?
One day after practice LaVarr Arrington was shooting the breeze with some of us and asked what our record was the previous season. He said if we wanted to get better then we needed more "soul" on our team and we needed more bass in the locker room. He was joking around and didn't mean anything serious by it at all. *The reason he even said that was because Dickinson College (while an extremely good school) has always had troubles with the diversity of their student body.*Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.
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11-28-2012, 11:01 PM #23Rookie Poster
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
I just wanted to thank you guys for your participation in this.
The December issue of What's Up? Annapolis Magazine is out now and the article is one of the cover stories.
Feel free to pick it up in the Annapolis Barnes and Noble or your local grocery store.
Also, you can follow me on Twitter @_JakeRussell. My 1,000th follower (Only 17 away!) gets a free autographed magazine from me personally.
Thanks again!
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11-29-2012, 01:09 AM #24On The Practice Squad
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Re: Ravens-Redskins "Rivalry"
First off, in order to be a rivalry, both teams have to win once in a while. So that leaves the Redskins out.
Second, it's impossible to have a real rivalry between teams in different conferences. Ravens - Redskins, Yankees - Mets, Cubs - White Sox, etc....it's a novelty game, not a rivalry.
Third, we all work with Redskins fans. We all have 1 in our family. We all regularly go to events and places in Redskins territory. And you just can't have a rivalry with a team who's fan base is so ingrained into your own. I mean I hate Steelers fans. I think something is wrong with them as a species. That's a rivalry! You can't have those kinds of feelings for large groups of people you like!
Forth, we play them once every 4 years. You can't have a rivalry with 1 game every 4 years. It's not possible.
A true rivalry requires key ingredients. You have to play the other team regularly, have to be in competition for the same prize (meaning your division), have to be competitive with one another (Browns - Steelers should be a great rivalry because of distance and history and being in the same division, but the Browns have sucked for a decade so no one cares). And the fans on both sides have to dislike each other equally. If you lack any of these things, it's not a rivalry.
And you can't share other teams. Skins and Ravens fans are both Capitals fans in large numbers. You can't mix fan bases of rivals like that just because another sport is involved. Can you imagine large amounts of Ravens fans rooting for the Penguins? It's not going to happen. Heck I'm a huge Orioles fan but if I go to Oriole Park and see a guy in an Orioles jersey and a Steelers hat I both hate him and thin he's mentally unstable.
Even Ravens - Indy isn't a rivalry because it doesn't meat any of the above criteria. Games like that are in a different category where one fan base just utterly hates every single last thing about the other franchise, it's fans, and it's city.
Even playing regularly isn't enough by itself. Take Orioles - Nationals. They play 6 games a year. The media wants that to be heated like Yankees - Red Sox, but have you ever been to one of those games? It's one of the most laid back, casual, friendly environments you could attend! Everyone there likes each others. It's not hostile at all!
Hell the Orioles take the Oriole Bird to Nationals Park...AND bring the costume home in one piece. If you can bring your mascot home in one piece, it's not a rivalry. I'd venture to say that if Poe went to the Redskins game against the Ravens that he'd be fine, and might even take some pictures with the Hogettes and everyone would have a good time. Can you imagine if Steely McBeam showed up in Baltimore this Sunday? I can guarantee you with absolute certainty that the costume would not leave the stadium in the same condition it arrived in.
So in closing, this upcoming Ravens - Redskins game isn't a rivalry. It's an all in good fun exhibition that happens to count in the standings.
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