Shrubbs' Journal Time

**Shrubbs** · 01-10-2019, 10:32 PM

Today I found myself getting a little emotional about Flacco. Usually when I have a lot of thoughts and emotions, I like to write them down to sort of organize them. I thought, since it's Ravens related, maybe I should write it here in case anyone is interested. Read it if you want to. It might be kind of long, I don't know I haven't written it yet.

Joe Flacco was drafted when I was in 7th grade. He's been the Ravens' starting Quarterback for most of the time I can remember. When I was young I watched and played football all the time, but I never knew any of the players (besides Heap who I loved and obviously I knew who Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were) and didn't really know the game too well. But when we drafted Flacco, I just so happened to start paying attention. I started playing High School football and really understanding play design and the ins and outs of the game, and I became a junkie. I watched Flacco each and every time he played. Thinking back to the pre Super Bowl Ravens doesn't even feel real to me anymore. It feels like some sort of dream. I feel distant memories of Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice and Todd Heap. It legitimately doesn't feel real. But now, Flacco will move on in the off season. And though the "glory days" of Joe Flacco don't seem real, at the same time I feel like they could be achieved again. If the Ravens would just get Joe some legitimate targets and some help he would be great again. I was and still am convinced that Flacco is a great quarterback. I think the actual quote that got me thinking about all this was this one:

Originally Posted by fastlax16

Watson had 35 receptions for the saints this year. Their #1 receiver had 125...

As I thought about this today, I realized fastlax was right. I always knew we didn't help Joe out much as a team, but this for some reason really made me feel the gravity. And it's not like Boldin, Smith, Rice, and Pitta were an all star cast. They were like the NFL minimum that most teams give their Quarterbacks. And I know he makes millions of dollars and whatever, but I found myself feeling bad for Joe. He never complained about this. He never complained that we sold his weapons out of town and didn't replace them adequately. He never complained that fans and media slapped bullshit narratives like he doesn't even like football or he's a nine to fiver on him just because he has a more reserved and introverted personality. He never complained when we drafted his replacement.

Joe Flacco is one of the greatest athletes, teammates, figures, and leaders in the history of Baltimore sports. Joe Flacco, quite frankly, played his heart out for the Baltimore Ravens for 11 years. He knew when we drafted Jackson that his time was up and you know he realizes that this organization wasted his prime. He had to have known. But he actively sought to make Jackson better. He sacrificed for this team even on his way out. Contrasting with Big Ben who went out on the radio and talked shit about the QB the Steelers drafted. Honestly, I'm sad that Joe will have to leave the life that he has built here. But ultimately for his career, it may be the best. If Joe goes to another team that actually tries to build around him we might see the old Flacco. The Flacco who had 5 consecutive playoff berths and a Superbowl. I really hope he finds a ton of success where he goes. I hope I get to see that guy on the field that I saw all those years ago. The guy who seems almost like a figment of my imagination. I just wish he didn't have to leave... I just can't imagine the Ravens without Flacco. And I really can't imagine Flacco on another team.

I hope Flacco will still like us as an organization. I hope one day he's one of our legends of the game and I hope that I can see him again. I hope he wants to be in our ring of honor. It's emotional for me, but looking ahead, I hope the organization has learned. I truly don't believe they are as tone deaf as many imply. DeCosta and Jackson represent so much potential to me, but we need to put Jackson in a place to succeed. He didn't ask to be thrown into the Joe drama. He seems like an awesome kid and I hope he wins us a lot of games for a lot of years. And I hope Joe does the same for his new team. I hope I can grow to love and appreciate Jackson as much as I've grown to love and appreciate Flacco. But at the end of the day, Joe will always be my quarterback and I'll always love him. Thank you, Joe.

**jhoff66** · 01-10-2019, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by Shrubbs

Today I found myself getting a little emotional about Flacco. Usually when I have a lot of thoughts and emotions, I like to write them down to sort of organize them. I thought, since it's Ravens related, maybe I should write it here in case anyone is interested. Read it if you want to. It might be kind of long, I don't know I haven't written it yet.

Joe Flacco was drafted when I was in 7th grade. He's been the Ravens' starting Quarterback for most of the time I can remember. When I was young I watched and played football all the time, but I never knew any of the players (besides Heap who I loved and obviously I knew who Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were) and didn't really know the game too well. But when we drafted Flacco, I just so happened to start paying attention. I started playing High School football and really understanding play design and the ins and outs of the game, and I became a junkie. I watched Flacco each and every time he played. Thinking back to the pre Super Bowl Ravens doesn't even feel real to me anymore. It feels like some sort of dream. I feel distant memories of Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice and Todd Heap. It legitimately doesn't feel real. But now, Flacco will move on in the off season. And though the "glory days" of Joe Flacco don't seem real, at the same time I feel like they could be achieved again. If the Ravens would just get Joe some legitimate targets and some help he would be great again. I was and still am convinced that Flacco is a great quarterback. I think the actual quote that got me thinking about all this was this one:

As I thought about this today, I realized fastlax was right. I always knew we didn't help Joe out much as a team, but this for some reason really made me feel the gravity. And it's not like Boldin, Smith, Rice, and Pitta were an all star cast. They were like the NFL minimum that most teams give their Quarterbacks. And I know he makes millions of dollars and whatever, but I found myself feeling bad for Joe. He never complained about this. He never complained that we sold his weapons out of town and didn't replace them adequately. He never complained that fans and media slapped bullshit narratives like he doesn't even like football or he's a nine to fiver on him just because he has a more reserved and introverted personality. He never complained when we drafted his replacement.

Joe Flacco is one of the greatest athletes, teammates, figures, and leaders in the history of Baltimore sports. Joe Flacco, quite frankly, played his heart out for the Baltimore Ravens for 11 years. He knew when we drafted Jackson that his time was up and you know he realizes that this organization wasted his prime. He had to have known. But he actively sought to make Jackson better. He sacrificed for this team even on his way out. Contrasting with Big Ben who went out on the radio and talked shit about the QB the Steelers drafted. Honestly, I'm sad that Joe will have to leave the life that he has built here. But ultimately for his career, it may be the best. If Joe goes to another team that actually tries to build around him we might see the old Flacco. The Flacco who had 5 consecutive playoff berths and a Superbowl. I really hope he finds a ton of success where he goes. I hope I get to see that guy on the field that I saw all those years ago. The guy who seems almost like a figment of my imagination. I just wish he didn't have to leave... I just can't imagine the Ravens without Flacco. And I really can't imagine Flacco on another team.

I hope Flacco will still like us as an organization. I hope one day he's one of our legends of the game and I hope that I can see him again. I hope he wants to be in our ring of honor. It's emotional for me, but looking ahead, I hope the organization has learned. I truly don't believe they are as tone deaf as many imply. DeCosta and Jackson represent so much potential to me, but we need to put Jackson in a place to succeed. He didn't ask to be thrown into the Joe drama. He seems like an awesome kid and I hope he wins us a lot of games for a lot of years. And I hope Joe does the same for his new team. I hope I can grow to love and appreciate Jackson as much as I've grown to love and appreciate Flacco. But at the end of the day, Joe will always be my quarterback and I'll always love him. Thank you, Joe.

Great post! Joe Cool will always be cool in my book

**Shrubbs** · 01-10-2019, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by jhoff66

Great post! Joe Cool will always be cool in my book

Thanks jhoff. Writing this down really helped me realize why I feel the way I feel:

1) Flacco is just an amazing athlete and person and I'm sad to see him go
2) I always held onto this fantasy that the old Joe would come back, but now that it's over I'm grappling with the fact that he never will, at least in a Ravens uniform
3) Flacco has been a rare point of stability for me personally as a legitimate fanatic of the sport and the team, and now it's gone

**RavenIsh** · 01-10-2019, 10:57 PM

It is sad. I followed Flacco while he was at Delaware. Although I wanted Matt Ryan, I really liked Flacco and thought he'd be another Rothlesberger. I'm sad that his story ends as it did, with an injury but that's football. Don't get me wrong, it was time for him to go. But I appreciate all he gave to this organization.

**I Touchdown There** · 01-10-2019, 11:22 PM

Well said and preaching to the choir! I've been a Ravens fan since they started, but didn't really follow them weekly/really get into them until the 2006 season. Then 2 years later, they draft Joe, who's my age...just as I'm getting my career started, so is he. Just found lots of dumb parallels like that. Got engaged a few weeks after we won the Superbowl. He's the first QB we've had who I really loved. So many great memories. 11 years is a long time!

I am thinking of starting a thread when it's OFFICIAL...maybe Flacco's top games? We shall see.

PS, if you don't follow the Ravens subreddit, I recommend it...they call Joe ELITE DRAGON and Lamar is LLAMA :)

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