line doesn’t drop below $100 million in 2013 and who is plotting his next nuclear courtroom war with MLB owners over MASN and how much of “his” money he’ll have to gift to the Washington Nationals for the remainder of his life.
Peter Angelos is doing all he can to make money. He’s not really concerned with the starting rotation, an Opening Day first baseman or who will replace DeMarlo Hale. As long as it doesn’t cost more than $90 million in payroll, Angelos ensures himself $100 million in profit. While the Kansas City Royals were improving this week, the Orioles were re-signing Nate McLouth and calling it an impact move.
Steve Bisciotti also has a budget and a salary cap and is doing everything in his power to win and evaluate the value of his franchise quarterback simultaneously even if it doesn’t really make sense to John Harbaugh or some of the rest of us. It appears that 9-4 isn’t good enough for him and many other fans based on the Facebook statuses I see every day. Just making the playoffs won’t be good enough this year.
Now to be fair to Bisciotti, it’s not only his team but it’s also his quarterback and a very complex and pricey negotiation that will be taking place in the offseason no matter how the remainder of the season goes.
But, clearly, Joe Flacco is going to get paid based on what happens between now and the first Sunday of February. And the price of poker is steep if a championship is in the offing for the Ravens because No. 5 will be leading that charge.
Flacco is playing for a contract — with millions of dollars hinging on every snap. Ray Lewis is nearing the end. Matt Birk is nearing the end. The team was 9-2 and playing for a No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home field advantage and suddenly they’re 9-4 and playing for the right to play in January as the Manning brothers aren’t bringing holiday spirit and egg nog with them to Baltimore over the next two Sundays.
The battle of Flacco vs. Cameron has played out. Flacco is staying. Harbaugh is staying. Jim Caldwell will be holding an offensive play card and making calls for the first time in his professional career this Sunday.
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And it’s all because the owner made a bold decision to fire Cam Cameron. He’s been right many, many times before in regard to personnel. But, for better or worse, he’s now involved in the remaining drama regarding whether the Baltimore Ravens win a Super Bowl championship. Bisciotti has injected himself into the storyline at a critical time.
Meanwhile, the Orioles just completed a miraculous season and Peter Angelos finally met some of his players during the first — and only — week of playoffs we’ve had in Baltimore in 15 years. He set his budget, which isn’t much different than last year. And the Orioles and MASN will print a couple of hundred million dollars this year and life will go for Angelos.
Winning doesn’t drive Angelos, profit does. He’s already “winning” every time you pay your cable bill. He’s getting his $3 and that’s all that matters.
Meanwhile, Steve Bisciotti is 9-4 and eating salaries, plotting next year and beyond and trying desperately to win a championship before the Ray Lewis and Ed Reed window closes for the Ravens.
Like I said, it’s an interesting contrast…
And before I go, a few words from Steve Bisciotti that I think you’ll enjoy and you’ll see the kind of dedication he has to wanting a Super Bowl for Baltimore.
And you wonder why I’m a Ravens fan? This is hilarious…but very accurate!
And make sure you watch it until the very end! You’ll see what I mean…
