January, 29th 2013

Football Team's Namesake Poem Published Today in 1845

By Amy Mulvihill

I interrupt the steady stream of Ravens football coverage to bring you Ravens poetry coverage. (Hey! Where are you going?!)

Turns out, in a nice bit of serendipity, Edgar Allan Poe's most-famous poem, The Raven, was first published today in 1845. The Awl has a nice little post about it and the effect it had on Poe's career. (He became famous. He stayed poor.)

Of course, Poe famously died (allegedly) drunk and (definitely) penniless in Baltimore four years later. He wasn't much for happy endings, but here's hoping the Ravens get one this Sunday.

[Image by David Hofmann, via Wikipedia Commons.]

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Tags: Edgar Allan Poe, Ravens, sports, Super Bowl

January, 29th 2013

Confused about the playoff overtime rules?

By Max Weiss

Yeah, us too. Let the choir from the Old St. Paul Episcopal Church chant it out for you (while showing some love for our hometown boys) in this, the Ravenlican Chant.

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Tags: Ravens

January, 29th 2013

SI Cover: God, Ray Lewis and the Super Bowl

By Ron Cassie

Courtesy: Sports Illustrated's Facebook page

Sports Illustrated released the cover for its upcoming issue Tuesday morning: a photo of a shirtless Ray Lewis, in prayerful pose, chest-deep in blue water — which, from the looks of it — is somewhere near his Florida home and not the Inner Harbor.

The question the SI cover poses: "Does God Care Who Wins The Super Bowl."

Our feeling: We don't know who He may be rooting for, but we're sure He will be watching. Maybe from Federal Hill.

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Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Federal Hill, God, Ray Lewis, Sports Illustrated

January, 28th 2013

F. Scott Fitzgerald's house for sale

By Jess Blumberg

This past weekend I rewatched one of my favorite movies, Midnight in Paris, in which the main character Gil Pender (played by Owen Wilson) travels back in time to 1920s Paris. Among the prolific artists he gets to meet are F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, arguably one of the most fascinating couples of the 20th century.

Well, now you can own part of that golden history, as F. Scott Fitzgerald's former house in Bolton Hill is for sale. The 3,600-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath Victorian townhouse is located on Park Avenue and comes with a private garden, fireplace mantels, and a garage. The asking price is $450,000.

A plaque on the front of the house reveals that Fitzgerald published Tender is the Night (1934), Taps at Reveille (1935), and essays from The Crack-Up (1934-36) all while residing here.

To see what inspired...

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Tags: real estate

January, 28th 2013

Inner Harbor Send-Off for Ravens Today

By Ron Cassie

Courtesy: Baltimore Ravens' Facebook page

Baltimore officially sends the Ravens off to New Orleans and the Super Bowl today with a rally at the Inner Harbor's amphitheater, located at Pratt and Light Streets, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

WBAL’s Gerry Sandusky will welcome members of the Ravens’ 2000 Super Bowl XXXV team and current players and coaches. Head coach John Harbaugh and middle linebacker Ray Lewis, playing in his last game this weekend, are scheduled to arrive at the rally at 12:15 p.m., according to a Ravens' press release.

Baltimore’s Marching Ravens, the Ravens' cheerleaders and team mascot, Poe, will also be on hand.

This event is free and open to the public. Let's not let a little wet weather dampen our spirits...

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Tags: Inner Harbor, John Harbaugh, Ravens, Ray Lewis

January, 23rd 2013

The Ravens roller-coaster season

By Jess Blumberg

The Ravens have certainly had a roller-coaster ride of a season (or, as I heard sports commentator Scott Garceau say, more like three mini-seasons). We rank the moments and see how the Ravens have gone from crab-tastic to crabby and back again. [Post-game image: courtesy of Baltimore Ravens]

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Tags: ranking, Ravens

January, 23rd 2013

Ravens' Super Bowl Jerseys: The Good Guys Will Wear White

By Ron Cassie

Courtesy: Baltimore Ravens Facebook page

Just as they did in 2001, the Baltimore Ravens will don their white jerseys for Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on Feb. 3.

However, the team also announced today that unlike 2001, the Ravens will go with their black pants. When the Ravens beat the New York Giants in 2001, the players wore all-white uniforms. The Ravens, as the AFC champs, are considered the "away" team at this year's Super Bowl. The home and away designations between the AFC and NFC alternate each year.

Traditionally, home teams wear their dark-colored jerseys in football and away teams wear their white jerseys. (In baseball, it's reversed with home teams traditionally wearing white.)

As the Baltimore Ravens' website notes, the Ravens have worn the white jersey/black pants combo the last...

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Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl, uniforms, white jerseys

January, 23rd 2013

Hipsters vs. Lumberjacks: Bike Party Rides Again

By Ron Cassie

Courtesy: Baltimore Bike Club Facebook page

The theme for this month’s last-Friday-of-every-month Baltimore Bike Party — a Hipsters vs. Lumberjacks, beards and flannel trek around the city — looks like a timely choice given what might be challenging weather conditions.

Hopefully, flannel gear and hefty beards for the Lumberjack crowd and lycra cycling tights beneath skinny jeans for the Hipsters will do the...

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Tags: Baltimore Bike Party, Claddagh Pub, hipsters, Kickstarter, lumberjacks

January, 22nd 2013

SI Super Bowl Covers Released: There Will Be Blood

By Ron Cassie

Courtesy: Sports Illustrated's Facebook page

Sports Illustrated released its special Super Bowl covers today, with four prototypes, including the national cover featuring Jim and John Harbaugh facing each other in full-throated sideline profiles.

The headline for the national cover reads: "There Will Be Blood: Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh Face Off in a Fiery Showdown in New Orleans." There's also a nod to the "HarBowl Sunday" nickname that the game has garnered.

Better yet, in our opinion, are the covers of Ray Lewis ("There Will Be A Valiant Last Stand") and Joe Flacco ("There Will Be A Parade In Baltimore").

San Francisco running Frank Gore is pictured on a fourth cover, but we don't know why and don't care.

What's your favorite cover?

Covers courtesy: Sports Illustrated's Facebook page

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Tags: Baltimore Ravens, cover, Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh, Ray Lewis, Sports Illustrated

January, 22nd 2013

Billboard Notes Ray Lewis Retirement Party's New Date

By Ron Cassie

Photo credit: Ron Cassie

Last week, Boston somewhat infamously put up several billboards counting down to Ray Lewis' inevitable retirement after Sunday’s AFC title contest against the Patriots in New England.

Of course, the Ravens upset the favored Pats — with help from their future Hall-of-Fame middle linebacker who registered 14 tackles — and so Ray now has more game to play.

Monday in Baltimore, just off Russell Street and south of M&T Bank Stadium, a new billboard posted the official date of Ray’s retirement, which has moved to Feb. 3. That's Super Bowl Sunday. The billboard adds in parenthesis: “New England Not Invited."

Ray said in an interview that he’d actually seen a billboard in Boston prematurely announcing his retirement and it got to him.

"I was hurt when I saw a sign that actually said my retirement would [start] tonight," Lewis said. “Man can’t dictate that. God dictates that."

...

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Tags: Baltimore Ravens, billboard, Maryland Live!, Ray Lewis, retirement, Super Bowl