When the Ravens moved to Baltimore (Maryland born residents).

**charmcityraven** · 11-25-2020, 05:04 PM

Quick question for those Ravens fans who were born in Maryland, and were here when the Ravens moved here. Do you feel the Ravens fanbase has gotten more bandwagon over the years vs when they moved here? Remember Tracey Ham and the Stallions at memorial? I've been a fan when they weren't that good. I feel like many users who aren't from here had a team and switched over. Does that bother you? I can tell by the switching up every week by certain people on here when they lose.

I feel the Ravens have gotten more bandwagon fans because of the Ravens winning tradition, world class organization, the drafting, superstar players (reid/lewis). Thoughts?

**riprulz8** · 11-25-2020, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by charmcityraven

Quick question for those Ravens fans who were born in Maryland, and were here when the Ravens moved here. Do you feel the Ravens fanbase has gotten more bandwagon over the years vs when they moved here? Remember Tracey Ham and the Stallions at memorial? I've been a fan when they weren't that good. I feel like many users who aren't from here had a team and switched over. Does that bother you? I can tell by the switching up every week by certain people on here when they lose.

I feel the Ravens have gotten more bandwagon fans because of the Ravens winning tradition, world class organization, the drafting, superstar players (reid/lewis). Thoughts?

As much as it can be a nuisance, bandwagon fans are the calling card of NFL royalty. I'm pleased that our fledgling 25 year old organization has been consistently good enough to warrant bandwagoners.

That being said, I despise bandwagon fans.

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**TheBLTRaven** · 11-25-2020, 05:15 PM

The care level has gone from 110% to about 50% after we won the Superbowl. Before the Superbowl most people I knew where diehard and now most of the people that where diehards don't even watch.

**RavensQB** · 11-25-2020, 05:19 PM

Once they kneeled In LONDON it dropped fast.

**Ravenswintitle** · 11-25-2020, 05:19 PM

Just read the threads.

I always say the Ravens win so many games in December because the bandwagon is much lighter then

**Desert Raven** · 11-25-2020, 05:26 PM

Don’t know about the bandwagon fans, they certainly aren’t here in Vegas. You’d see a Lamar jersey here and there last year, but not now. Was born in MD, very young when the Colts left, moved out of Baltimore in 2014. Was happy to be there for the Ravens glory years. Talking to friends back home the enthusiasm doesn’t sound like what it used to be, but you really need to live there to feel the true vibe. It’s really hard to know from afar, but this board is nice because it still provides something of a connection to it.

**ravenfever** · 11-25-2020, 06:19 PM

Most of the younger fan base of the Ravens never really experienced a losing team, even when the Ravens were supposedly on the downslide after 2012 they were always competitive, for the most part we always had meaningful games going into December.

Older fans remember the dismal Colt years from 78'-83' when winning 5 games would have been successful, 83' I think they finished 7-9 but 5 years of pathetic football, Ravens never had a prolonged stretch of bad football.

Point is the current fan base seems to be bored of just going to playoffs and being competitive, they are somewhat spoiled. Unfortunately we Probably need a good stretch of subpar seasons for fans to really appreciate what the Ravens have done.

**wecoxepa** · 11-25-2020, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Desert Raven

Don’t know about the bandwagon fans, they certainly aren’t here in Vegas. You’d see a Lamar jersey here and there last year, but not now. Was born in MD, very young when the Colts left, moved out of Baltimore in 2014. Was happy to be there for the Ravens glory years. Talking to friends back home the enthusiasm doesn’t sound like what it used to be, but you really need to live there to feel the true vibe. It’s really hard to know from afar, but this board is nice because it still provides something of a connection to it.

this...we could only wish for bandwagon fans...the Ravens are not marketable and have zero following sans a familial Baltimore connection. The uniforms are busy, garish, gaudy and ugly. That's why the ugly shield is danced on, it just invites it. Nobody would dance on the Steeler logo. As an extension of the Carolina/Jax expansion, it's basically punishment by NFL properties, in my opinion. Maybe for the Speros lawsuit or for carting that weird Boogie guy in front of them. Loud purple sux (U of Wash matted purple would work well from a traditional, simpler, streamlined approach to our appearance)....the Vikings could never generate the national interest the Cowboys, Steelers and Raiders...and Colts...could in the 70s, and it didn't have anything to do with losing the Bowls. It was the Easter egg purple and yellow and outdated black shoes. Despite the purple people eaters, they were goofy and not one SB opponent had fear. Stram had a field day hamming it up.

Like Bud Grant, Bisciotti or whomever is stuck in the previous decades of the times.The number font is awful, too. Wake up Bisciotti. Less is more, people want traditional. It could work with toned down purple, gold trim and nothing else (Warren Moon Rose Bowl, for example). The Cowboys are still the most popular jersey, by far, despite doing nothing on the field. They get respect. What happened when TO danced on the star?

It's about appearances..i.e. the merch people wear. You walk around with a Ravens jersey, not around Baltimore, you're kinda laughed at. Even after a Bowl win. It's what the product looks like.

Why do ex-Ravens who had success with the Ravens but also some other team kind of keep the Ravens stuff on the down low? You'd never think Shannon Sharpe played for the Ravens and was a vital contributor to a Bowl. Broncos, Broncos, Broncos... others, too.

As Desert said, Lamar picked up some fans, kids, really, but that's all gone and was about him.

**Corey** · 11-25-2020, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by charmcityraven

Quick question for those Ravens fans who were born in Maryland, and were here when the Ravens moved here. Do you feel the Ravens fanbase has gotten more bandwagon over the years vs when they moved here? Remember Tracey Ham and the Stallions at memorial? I've been a fan when they weren't that good. I feel like many users who aren't from here had a team and switched over. Does that bother you? I can tell by the switching up every week by certain people on here when they lose.

I feel the Ravens have gotten more bandwagon fans because of the Ravens winning tradition, world class organization, the drafting, superstar players (reid/lewis). Thoughts?

The fan base has definitely become more spoiled over the years. I think after the 2012 SB a lot happened that really changed the franchise. We had the SB slump but we also lost Ray and Ed, who were the heart of the team. We also had the Ray Rice scandal which was a tough pill to swallow. Then you have the kneeling issue that splintered the fan base, that combined with the boring play, really made energy around the organization change.

I also think the Ravens are a victim of the era. The diehards were Gen xers and early millennial. This new generation of kids just don't live and breath sports like previous generations. Both of my boys are casual fans at best. They watch the games because I do but they don't love it and they don't have loyalty to any team.

**Balbirdsfan** · 11-25-2020, 07:10 PM

Tracy Ham, Mike Pringle, OJ Brigance, and the Baltimore Colts/Stallions! Good times!

As for the Ravens and bandwagon fans the simple answer is yes! In 96 my dad & I got season tickets, and even though there were Ravens fans, most people in town still rooted for the team they picked up when the Colts left!

Let’s put it this way, it wasn’t cool to be a Ravens fan. It was the usual taunts of oh their the Browns, you guys stole the team and a lot more.

The team itself was horrid. Yes watching a young Ray Lewis was great but the defense was horrible. The offense was really good but Vinny Testeverde liked to turn the ball over at the worst times.

This all lead to multiple 4-12 seasons and losing records until 99. Opposing fans taking over Memorial stadium, and early on PSI Net, The national media hated us, and so on.

When 2000 happened the whole vibe changed. People wanted in!

Those early seasons were tuff, we were a laughing stock! But still some of the best times I’ve had attending games. People were just happy to have football back in town, be able to tailgate, and discuss the home team.

**Desert Raven** · 11-25-2020, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by wecoxepa

this...we could only wish for bandwagon fans...the Ravens are not marketable and have zero following sans a familial Baltimore connection. The uniforms are busy, garish, gaudy and ugly. That's why the ugly shield is danced on, it just invites it. Nobody would dance on the Steeler logo. As an extension of the Carolina/Jax expansion, it's basically punishment by NFL properties, in my opinion. Maybe for the Speros lawsuit or for carting that weird Boogie guy in front of them. Loud purple sux (U of Wash matted purple would work well from a traditional, simpler, streamlined approach to our appearance)....the Vikings could never generate the national interest the Cowboys, Steelers and Raiders...and Colts...could in the 70s, and it didn't have anything to do with losing the Bowls. It was the Easter egg purple and yellow and outdated black shoes. Despite the purple people eaters, they were goofy and not one SB opponent had fear. Stram had a field day hamming it up.

Like Bud Grant, Bisciotti or whomever is stuck in the previous decades of the times.The number font is awful, too. Wake up Bisciotti. Less is more, people want traditional. It could work with toned down purple, gold trim and nothing else (Warren Moon Rose Bowl, for example). The Cowboys are still the most popular jersey, by far, despite doing nothing on the field. They get respect. What happened when TO danced on the star?

It's about appearances..i.e. the merch people wear. You walk around with a Ravens jersey, not around Baltimore, you're kinda laughed at. Even after a Bowl win. It's what the product looks like.

Why do ex-Ravens who had success with the Ravens but also some other team kind of keep the Ravens stuff on the down low? You'd never think Shannon Sharpe played for the Ravens and was a vital contributor to a Bowl. Broncos, Broncos, Broncos... others, too.

As Desert said, Lamar picked up some fans, kids, really, but that's all gone and was about him.

You make a fair point, and I don’t think that it can be overlooked as to why the Ravens even after last season couldn’t get much of a national bandwagon going. The Ravens are a difficult team to merchandise because stylistically they’re a tough team to market as “cool”. Especially to kids. Even when I do see the occasional Lamar jersey it’s almost always the black jersey. You either love the purple, or you hate it. I stopped wearing jerseys with the names of other men on them years ago, but when I did wear them I always bought the white jersey. Purple wasn’t my thing, still isn’t. I still wear my black Ravens cap around town here to show my allegiance, but I’ve never bought or worn purple anything because I don’t like a lot of their merchandise, and the Ravens are my team. I don’t disagree that an update of their branding might be a good move.

**balbomb** · 11-25-2020, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Desert Raven

You make a fair point, and I don’t think that it can be overlooked as to why the Ravens even after last season couldn’t get much of a national bandwagon going. The Ravens are a difficult team to merchandise because stylistically they’re a tough team to market as “cool”. Especially to kids. Even when I do see the occasional Lamar jersey it’s almost always the black jersey. You either love the purple, or you hate it. I stopped wearing jerseys with the names of other men on them years ago, but when I did wear them I always bought the white jersey. Purple wasn’t my thing, still isn’t. I still wear my black Ravens cap around town here to show my allegiance, but I’ve never bought or worn purple anything because I don’t like a lot of their merchandise, and the Ravens are my team. I don’t disagree that an update of their branding might be a good move.

So many combinations have led to the decline of the diehard fans. Think winning two superbowls has led to less bitterness over the colts (always sort of enjoyed the bitter edge which in turn I believe led to fans being more diehard). I think the changing of the rules and the deemphasis on hard hitting defenses has at least in my case made me less passionate about the game than I used to be. I think not having a game changing qb/rb/wr until last year makes us less desirable nationally. Also it's hard to replace a generational talent and personality like Ray Lewis. Beyond anything else, the kneeling in London has turned off a huge percentage of the fanbase, I know I sold my season tickets after buying them from my dad and grandfather who were Colts season ticket holders and original ravens PSL owners, and still traveling back 6 games a year from Las Vegas.

Football and the Ravens have definitely changed a lot in 25 years, I just feel strongly that in order to achieve the economic success the NFL has turned its back on the fans that got them there in the first place.