Halftime Salute to the Colts/Ravens Marching Band

[caliraven]

<<Welcome to the boards ....

Now please go find daddy's shotgun, go into a room all alone and play with the trigger. >>

Wow, I guess its evident there are idiot Ravens fans out there. Sorry I don't get my worth out of how many "posts" I put on the board. Been to every home game except 1 since the beginning, and am posting what Everyone in my section thinks. Why does the band get booed regularly? THEY SUCK.

I guess from the violent, divisive nature of your reply I can only assume that this was taken as a personal attack, so I guess I'll just say, have fun at tuba practice this week!

What kind of person boos a volunteer organization that is out there trying to entertain? That's inconsiderate, childish, and lame.
The shotgun thing wasn't very nice, but he probably took it personally as a Baltimorean. People get upset when others attempt to piss on that which symbolizes positive history and, thusly, their past, their memories, their family, and the heritage of local football.
The derogatory comments about the band were insensitive and inflamatory given their timing the morning after that movie raised so much emotion and pride. You're probably not a bad guy, but you're "the bad guy" in this situation. Sometimes it's best and more proper to keep your opinion to yourself, even though you have the right to its expression.

[ravensscott57]

Caliraven, I don't boo, but it is certainly done. I also don't tell people to go kill themselves. Coming from a family that has been affected by suicide I'm suprised that a board like this allows comments like that from a "seasoned" user.
I guess the band being all volunteer (what marching band isn't) is a good enough excuse for being technically awful. Thats nice they single handedly kept the football spirit alive in Baltimore and were the driving force behind us getting a team. As a lifelong Baltimorean I just happen to think thats not the case. Why not honor the Colts Corrals... i.e. future Ravens Nests.... did they not have the same part in keeping the dream alive?
Week after week putting out a seriously inferior product that is the constant "but" of jokes gets to be embarrasing. Its kind of like in todays society where every kid gets a trophy....
I had a friend fly in for the Chiefs game and he almost doubled over laughing when the band performed at halftime. He couldn't believe how awful they were....

[srobert96]

I did not watch the film yet but I seriously doubt that the band was the reason that Baltimore got a team. I guess I am too young too understand the significance of the band to Baltimore football. I have never watched them perform at halftime. Never booed them but also have never been inclined to watch. Their existence does not bother me nor would I be upset if they went away.

Baltimore got a football team because they had the ability to offer a new stadium not because of a band. It also did not hurt that the Baltimore Stallions had tremendous support from the fans.

[caliraven]

I did not watch the film yet but I seriously doubt that the band was the reason that Baltimore got a team. I guess I am too young too understand the significance of the band to Baltimore football. I have never watched them perform at halftime. Never booed them but also have never been inclined to watch. Their existence does not bother me nor would I be upset if they went away.

Baltimore got a football team because they had the ability to offer a new stadium not because of a band. It also did not hurt that the Baltimore Stallions had tremendous support from the fans.

The band was one of the reasons because it helped to keep Baltimore's football spirit alive and its national visibility in NFL circles alive. All the factors you mention were huge too. You should definitely see the movie!!!!! Old or young, I bet you feel it.

[caliraven]

Caliraven, I don't boo, but it is certainly done. I also don't tell people to go kill themselves. Coming from a family that has been affected by suicide I'm suprised that a board like this allows comments like that from a "seasoned" user.
I guess the band being all volunteer (what marching band isn't) is a good enough excuse for being technically awful. Thats nice they single handedly kept the football spirit alive in Baltimore and were the driving force behind us getting a team. As a lifelong Baltimorean I just happen to think thats not the case. Why not honor the Colts Corrals... i.e. future Ravens Nests.... did they not have the same part in keeping the dream alive?
Week after week putting out a seriously inferior product that is the constant "but" of jokes gets to be embarrasing. Its kind of like in todays society where every kid gets a trophy....
I had a friend fly in for the Chiefs game and he almost doubled over laughing when the band performed at halftime. He couldn't believe how awful they were....

I understand. We shouldn't get at each other's throats on this board. This is the only chat stuff I do, because internet anonimity makes people not their best sometimes. It's ok to attack opinions, but not each other. If only in one area, love for the Ravens, we are all like minded.

See the dang movie and those jokes will just go in one ear and out the other as you stand and applaud the disonant stylings of the marching band.

[Galen Sevinne]

I am not suggesting that the band is "the reason" why we have the Ravens but they are "a reason" the Ravens are here. The band kept Baltimore visible as an NFL town for all of those years when Baltimore did not have a team. That's a big deal.

Also, the band serves as a bridge between current Baltimore football and what was argueably one of the most storied franchises in NFL history. I was lucky to come in on the tail end of it and have family that lived through it from the beginning.

To criticize the band, you are criticizing a history that, for many of us, includes important family members to us and important times we shared. If you don't like the band and don't like what it symbolizes then don't participate in a celebration of it. Its that easy. It always looks a little odd to me when someone goes out of their way to piss on someone else's parade. Its not like the band takes up a lot of space in your life?

[FellsPointRaven]

I'd advise anyone inclined to criticize the band to at least view the Levinson documentary first. Lawmakers in Annapolis have gone on record as admitting that they were swayed by the band's appearance at the state capitol and then Governor Schaefer still believes it was them that tipped the balance in favor of a vote for Baltimore to pursue a team. It's further documented in other books on the period by a number of authors including John Steadman. Simply put, if they hadn't kept Baltimore in the minds of local lawmakers and football fans across the nation, there would BE no Baltimore Ravens, as stadium funding would likely have been allocated elsewhere.

For that alone, they should be allowed to do whatever they damn well please at half time.

[HoustonRaven]

Funny thing HoustonRaven... I've been a member of "The Boards" longer than you have.... whose the "Newbie"?

Point?

Yes, I was a little over the top with my comments but clearly you have little comprehension of the heritage and, after seeing the documentary last night, I found your post to be VERY ill timed.

[RavensDomination]

Caliraven, I don't boo, but it is certainly done. I also don't tell people to go kill themselves. Coming from a family that has been affected by suicide I'm suprised that a board like this allows comments like that from a "seasoned" user.
I guess the band being all volunteer (what marching band isn't) is a good enough excuse for being technically awful. Thats nice they single handedly kept the football spirit alive in Baltimore and were the driving force behind us getting a team. As a lifelong Baltimorean I just happen to think thats not the case. Why not honor the Colts Corrals... i.e. future Ravens Nests.... did they not have the same part in keeping the dream alive?
Week after week putting out a seriously inferior product that is the constant "but" of jokes gets to be embarrasing. Its kind of like in todays society where every kid gets a trophy....
I had a friend fly in for the Chiefs game and he almost doubled over laughing when the band performed at halftime. He couldn't believe how awful they were....

Wow....POST OF THE DAY! Where to start...

First, with some of the other posters here and their drivel, just consider the source. 'Nuff said. But don't think people here "tolerate" it...I certainly won't that stuff be forgotten.

Regarding the band - you are 100% right. Believe me, the small yet vocal minority will never change the opinions of 95% of all Ravens fans that a) the band is terrible, b)the band is useless, and c) their contributions to bringing football to Baltimore is incredibly overblown.

Remember your heritage! What a joke. Remember heritage that is worth remembering is what I say to that. The marching band is my heritage along with the "gino giant" and drive in movie theaters - big deal. I know plenty of people who used to go to Colts games and I've never heard one single word mentioned about the band. Ever. Not one. I talk to old timers at Ravens games they all hate the Marching Ravens too. I've heard people booing them plenty of times. At the Patriots game they have nothing at half time and it was quite peaceful. They, like 30 other NFL teams, don't feel the need to pipe some horrible marching band through the loudspeakers (in front of the maybe 5,000 people who stay in their seats at halftime).

[ravensscott57]

Point?

Yes, I was a little over the top with my comments but clearly you have little comprehension of the heritage and, after seeing the documentary last night, I found your post to be VERY ill timed.

My "point" is that before you told me to go kill myself you "welcomed" me to the boards as if I had no business being here, yet I found it funny that while I don't post unless it is something that matters to me, I've been a "member" of this community longer than you have HoustonRaven.

I saw the documentary. Well done, but way overblown. I'll say it again, with the amount of high end programming that goes into the "performance" end of putting on a Ravens game on Sunday afternoon, the band is an absolute JOKE. Instead of celebrating the future (letting young children experience the thrill of being on a field in front of 70k fans) we have a bunch of untalented clingers to the past who take and get WAY more credit than is warranted or deserved. Do the opening, practice a routine so that you can actually perform it well maybe twice a season at halftime, but give me a break.... do you really have a clue as to how awful they are?

Many old Colts fans could give a rip about "the band", don't try to speak for us all.

[baltimore_hokie]

For anybody who missed the first time it played on TV (as I did), here is the schedule of when it will replay:

http://30for30.espn.com/schedule.html


It looks like tomorrow (Thursday) at 9pm it will be on ESPN2.

[Mista T]

I saw the documentary. Well done, but way overblown. I'll say it again, with the amount of high end programming that goes into the "performance" end of putting on a Ravens game on Sunday afternoon, the band is an absolute JOKE.

Ever heard of "the Grinch"? While many Baltimore football fans are enjoyiong the afterglow of Levinson's fine documentary, why come here to spoil it as a troll?

Instead of celebrating the future (letting young children experience the thrill of being on a field in front of 70k fans) we have a bunch of untalented clingers to the past who take and get WAY more credit than is warranted or deserved.

Now that's a joke in itself. Why would we want to spend $500+ per game to watch a bunch of kids running around? They have their leagues -- it's not adult entertainment.

Get real. Those little kids have absolutely nothing to do with the legacy of Baltimore football; the band has a lot to do with it.