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Titans — not Ravens — will open season in Pittsburgh on Thursday night

Nestor Aparicio

Some breaking news from the NFL Owners Meetings: It will be the Tennessee Titans, not the Ravens, who will draw the short straw of opening the season on Thursday Night’s kickoff in Pittsburgh as the Steelers hoist their sixth Super Bowl banner at Heinz Field. There has been weeks of speculation that the Ravens would be the “preferred” opponent for the Steelers but the Ravens made it clear that they preferred to not play a nationally televised evening game in Pittsburgh for the fourth time in five years. My sources tell me that it was a “competitive balance” issue more than being “afraid” to go to Pittsburgh, which the Ravens will do anyway at some point this season as they do every year. The Ravens thought it was unfair that the league has continually made them sit in a hotel stewing on the road all day and then being forced into short rest the following week. The mandate from Ravens’ management was simple: we’ve gone up there enough for evening games so make them come down and play in Baltimore for a nighttime game for a change. I don’t agree with the Ravens position, but as one team official told

Live from Southern California…

Nestor Aparicio

It’s been a chilly trip all the way around. It’s cold in California this week. It was freezing at Dodger Stadium last night and Laguna Beach is no better. I’m spending the next three days here in Dana Point at the NFL Owners Meetings, chatting with coaches, executives and owners from around the league. Most of the media has commented that it’s “quiet” here this week, with no major rules changes or negotiations to be held. The only potential “landmark” concept is the notion of making the regular season a 17 or 18-game affair, with the elimination of those dreadful preseason games. It appears that changes to overtime possession aren’t coming right now. There’s too much support to keep the current (yet flawed) system. But it’s truly the calm before the potential financial storm as the NFL Players Association has named its new leader in DeMaurice Smith last week. Commisioner Roger Goodell is addressing the entire contingent this morning with a “State of The NFL” speech, which no doubt will be addressing the sagging economy and the paramount issue of a new collective bargaining agreement with the players, which could be a dog fight over the next 18 months as

Torry Holt released by Rams: Are Ravens interested?

Nestor Aparicio

We’ve been waiting several weeks and with all of the talk of Torry Holt’s imminent departure from the St. Louis Rams, it’s now a reality. Holt was released this afternoon and the Ravens now have the opportunity to pounce if they are indeed interested. We’ll see what happens over the weekend with Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens’ glaring need at the wide receiver position.

Ravens tell Matt Stover he’s no longer in their 2009 plans

Nestor Aparicio

Earlier in the day, Ravens officials said they were still essentially “on the fence” regarding Matt Stover’s future with the team. This afternoon, Matt Stover made it official telling the world that the Ravens have informed him that he’s no longer in their plans. Stover, the last of the “original” Ravens to come off the boat from Cleveland when Art Modell and the Browns made the move east, has made his last appearance in purple. It was clear that the franchise always valued his reliability and professionalism but his leg strength — specifically on kickoffs — was always an issue. He wasn’t going to kick the 56-yarder to win the game, but he wasn’t going to miss the 45-yarder to win the game. One of the classiest Ravens there will ever be, Stover hasn’t ruled out going elsewhere to prolong his 17-year NFL career. At the age of 41, he’s still a solid choice for many teams. Apparently, the Ravens will rely on second-year Steve Hauschka who handled most kickoffs last season. Speculation that Matt Stover could end up with the Jets apparently ended yesterday when Jay Feely signed with Rex Ryan.

Ray Lewis and Matt Birk both in the Ravens’ fold

Nestor Aparicio

In the span of 20 minutes, we got two well-sourced confirmations that both of Ozzie Newsome’s shopping sprees today have come full circle. Both Matt Birk and Ray Lewis have agreed to terms with the Ravens in the 4 p.m. hour today. Word is that both Lewis and Birk received a 3-year deals. Lewis was reported at $22 million and Birk at $9 million, with $6 guaranteed. WNST will continue to talk about these huge signings all of Thursday on AM 1570 and comments here are welcomed. I will also be hosting my annual “Pop’s Birthday Celebration” with four hours of tributes to dads everywhere. For Immediate Release RAVENS AGREE TO TERMS WITH LEWIS, BIRK The Baltimore Ravens reached agreements in principle with two Pro Bowl players Wednesday afternoon. LB Ray Lewis will remain a Raven. “We have agreed in principle on a multi-year contract that will allow Ray to finish his career as a Baltimore Raven,” general manager/executive vice president Ozzie Newsome announced. “From beginning to end as a Raven… Wow! To be with the same team with the same fans for an entire career, that doesn’t happen in the NFL,” Lewis said. “The bottom line for me is

Today’s Ravens guest: center Matt Birk of Vikings

Nestor Aparicio

According to the Minneapolis media machine, highly intelligent center Matt Birk — he graduated from Harvard — is here in Baltimore talking shop with the Ravens brass today. Hopefully, he’s smart enough to sign here and make our offensive line better. FYI: per Pro Football Talk, Birk is represented by Joe Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta. Incidentally, I met Linta in Tampa at the Super Bowl. He’s a good dude…

Jason Brown will be a big loss in the middle for the Ravens

Nestor Aparicio

The economic reality of the NFL comes to us every March when players we like, players we know are quality performers and citizens, wind up in different jerseys due solely to the salary cap and the league’s ability and desire to disperse its talent equality. (Or at least that’s the goal!) So, late last night (you might’ve received the WNST Text just before 11 p.m.), the Ravens lost another one of their “good” guys in center Jason Brown, who just got overwhelmed with an enormous offer by the St. Louis Rams. Brown, like his wealthy counterpart free agent Bart Scott, was one of the standup guys in the locker room, a movie buff in his spare time and a joy to be around and chat with. He always kept a photo of a brother he lost to the war in the Middle East in his locker. The Ravens will hope that Chris Chester continues his emergence as a starter on the offensive line and would also consider Marshal Yanda in the mix in the middle. No doubt they’ll use a draft pick or two on the O line. It sure doesn’t help with stability — and let’s be honest, the

A trip to the mall and Bart Scott was sold on the Jets

Nestor Aparicio

There will be no statues built for Bart Scott or streets named after him in Baltimore. But he was a really cool, good Raven during the time he spent here. Scott was underappreciated on draft day, worked his way through development, special teams and finally onto the roster for good and now has gotten a bigger contract than his Hall of Fame counterpart Ray Lewis, who was left at the alter by Rex Ryan yesterday when the big contracts were being handed out. Apparently, Rex Ryan, Mike Pettine and Bart Scott all went out for a trip to the local mall near the Jets facility while the agents and financial folks were working out the terms. As a fan, it might not sound like a big deal. But those are three, special dudes there who will no longer be working every day to make the Ravens better in Owings Mills. It’s hard to replace good people… Scott was a kid from Detroit who always had to work a little harder and a little smarter to make his way. He was polite, sharp, loquacious and charming. He was frequently spotted at the team facility in the offseason pushing his kids through

Has Ray Lewis vs. Ravens turned ugly already this morning?

Nestor Aparicio

Adam Schefter of NFL.com just posted a bombshell on the Ravens and Ray Lewis on the league’s official website. Schefter, quoting ties close to Lewis, says that Lewis is miffed beyond repair at the offer from the Ravens and the negotiating and that Lewis will not be coming back to Baltimore. Essentially, Schefter says that Ray Lewis will sign anywhere BUT Baltimore. Or potentially retire (which we find VERY hard to believe). I’ve been saying for years – YES, YEARS – that when it was time to end his playing days in Baltimore that I would be shocked if it ended with peace, harmony and that long-awaited “statue” of Ray Lewis wearing his No. 52 at M&T Bank Stadium. It’s fairy tale stuff and gives us the warm fuzzies but it’s always been a longshot given the economic climate for a 34-year old linebacker whose legend will now outweigh his future contributions. My views are well founded and well researched after 13 years of following Lewis’ career here and his business dealings. Ray’s play on the field has been superhuman. His “off the field” decisions have always been a bit suspect and flawed. I have simply called Ray Lewis “mercurial.”

Let the NFL Free Agency games begin!

Nestor Aparicio

This morning if you awoke to read any website with NFL-related headlines, it appears that the world is upside down and the apocolypse is near. Albert Haynesworth found a cash-rich suitor in Daniel Snyder down in D.C. (yes, he’s at it again!) Linebacker Bart Scott is off to see Rex Ryan and potentially get overwhelmed with a generous offer by the New York Jets. Peter King of SI.com is reporting that No. 57 will get $8 million per year in a deal that could be five or six years in length. Jason Brown and his agent released the “news” that the Ravens aren’t interested in him anymore, when the truth is that they were never “not interested” in the free agent center/guard. In fact, they made him a multi-million dollar offer. Brown will apparently be in St. Louis today. It all makes good radio and good web rumorama. But the truth is that this free agent game hasn’t changed so much over the years. It’s just that the Ravens and several of their key players are involved in the fray in a major way this weekend and this year. Let’s be honest: today is the first day that Ozzie Newsome

More on Baltimore’s Jim Schwartz: The Lion King

Nestor Aparicio

Perhaps you heard my reunion last week with Arbutus native and Mt. St. Joe grad Jim Schwartz, who has beeen a regular for years on our Friday afternoon shows on WNST. If you missed it, it’s in our audio vault. The new coach of the Detroit Lions was featured over the weekend with a magazine-style piece in The Boston Globe about his roots to Bill Belichick among other things. It’s a good read.

So lemme guess: you skipped the Pro Bowl again?

Nestor Aparicio

I spent the afternoon yesterday at Sylvia’s house in Parkville watching the Pro Bowl, eating chicken wings and pizza and drinking Miller Lite. Honestly, I’m glad we did make a date to watch the game with her many Ravens buddies and waiting for a random big play from a guy in a purple helmet or to get a look at the many Ravens staffers donning Don Ho-style red Hawaiian flowered print shirts. The entire coaching staff from John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron right on down looked like Peter Schmuck at Camden Yards on a summer night. But the Pro Bowl sucks even when you’re with people you like in a really cool basement (Sylvia won our “Miller Lite Purple Palace” contest last month). We all know that. Vanilla defenses. Lots of “no shows,” including our own Ed Reed. Even the quarterbacks stunk yesterday, with everyone from Peyton Manning to Kerry Collins to Drew Brees to Kurt Warner throwing these wobbling dying duck passes all over the Honolulu turf. Brendon Ayanbejdo played more base defense in the Pro Bowl yesterday than he did during the entire NFL season. LeRon McClain missed at one shot at the endzone and got in on

Live from Tampa…minus the purple!

Nestor Aparicio

The reality of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl visit has finally set upon the land here in Tampa, as we’ve spent the day setting up our Radio Row coverage for the week from here at the Convention Center. Downtown Tampa has changed dramatically over the past eight years since the purple Gasparilla Festival here in January 2001. Lots of buildings, new hotels and empty-looking condos sitting dormant on the open market. Our Coors Light coverage will begin at 6 a.m. Monday morning with Drew Forrester doing the Comcast Morning Show until 10 a.m. and I’ll be live from 2 til 6 each weekday this week with one exception. Forrester and I have already alerted Ray Bachman that he’ll be the special “guest host” during the 2 p.m. hour on Thursday when Bruce Springsteen holds his special pre-halftime press conference here in the Media Center. We expect well over 100 guests during the week here in Tampa, including Brian Billick’s co-hosting duties on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Virtually every NFL star in town drops by the Radio Row setup, which is noticeably smaller and more compact this year with the down economy in national media. There just aren’t as many media

Who wants to go to Pittsburgh on “the cheap”?

Nestor Aparicio

It’s been one of the wackiest weeks of my sports life to say the least. This has been the most improbable, unexpected turn of events I can ever remember in sports. Other than the 1989 Orioles (a team that never even played a playoff game), this 2008-09 Ravens team will go down in the annals of local fandom as one of the greatest ever, no matter how this plays out on Sunday. (That said, I think the Ravens are going to win on Sunday. I really do!) Every person I know here in Baltimore thinks that they’re going to the game in Tampa. And I’ve seen $200 tickets sitting online for this Sunday’s game for 24 hours and no one from Baltimore is buying the tickets. I’m absolutely shocked, to be honest with you that the prices have dropped but even more shocked that there aren’t a line of a thousand buyers at $200 per ticket. As a matter of fact, I’m stuck with a handful of tickets (and I’ve taken calls from a few others who have far more than I have) for the game and no one wants to buy them here in Baltimore. And these must be

Suddenly, I’m a Detroit Lions fan…

Nestor Aparicio

Everyone at WNST is delighted and happy for our very own Jim Schwartz as he accepts the head coaching job of the Detroit Lions today. I got the text from Schwartzie around 3:45 p.m. and we’ll look forward to watching his progress as he takes over the worst team in NFL history. It can only go up, right? For those of you who don’t know, Schwartz has been a regular contributor and supporter of WNST for nearly a decade, ever since his role as Marvin Lewis’ assistant from 1996 through 1998 on Ted Marchibroda’s staff with the original Mean Machine Ravens. Schwartz left to go to Tennessee as as a defensive assistant and has been the defensive coordinator there for eight years. He has always been a staunch supporter of Baltimore sports and has faithfully called in to WNST every Friday through all of the years. He says he calls in so all of his friends and family in Baltimore know how he’s doing because he doesn’t have time to check in with all of them every week and it’s his way of checking in with his Mt. St. Joe boys. A hearty congrats to the myriad of Schwartzes in

Pittsburgh bus and party update

Nestor Aparicio

BUY SEATS ON THE MILLER LITE PITTSBURGH BUS TRIP HERE! We have just a handful of seats for our WNST Miller Lite Pittsburgh Bus Trip on Sunday. We are feverishly working on throwing a gigantic indoor tailgate party in downtown Pittsburgh. By early this evening, we’ll have all of the details here at WNST.net and tickets for the purple pep rally will be on sale here via pay pal. Here are all of the pertinent details for the bus trip. Trip leaves at 8 a.m. from White Marsh Park and Ride. We will make an 8:45 a.m. stop at the I-70 Park and Ride (the one OUTSIDE the beltway toward Frederick) for pickup westbound. This is a RAVENS FAN bus. Trip will drop off and depart from the Pittsburgh Hilton across the river from Heinz Field. We will depart one hour after the game from the Pittsburgh Hilton. We expect to arrive in Baltimore at 3 a.m. Monday. Trip includes ride to and from Pittsburgh, one upper deck reserved ticket and limited Miller Lite, food and drink from a WNST sponsor. If we throw a pre-game tailgate party at an event location, you will also be granted admission to the

Rex Ryan spends his off day with Jets and Rams

Nestor Aparicio

As we predicted earlier in the day, it was indeed today that Rex Ryan spent his “down time” with the N.Y. Jets and St. Louis brass in the hopes of being their next head coach. Obviously, this can be a tricky situation, coaching who are still in the hunt for this year’s Super Bowl to interview for their next job. It’s weird. Everyone who has ever gone through it has told me that. But this morning reps from both franchises flew into Baltimore and spent a few hours with Ryan. By this evening, when the game between San Diego and Pittsburgh is over, Ryan will be back on track to lead the defense to an AFC Championship Game and a chance for another Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh and San Diego travel and party plan info is here

Nestor Aparicio

While I sip on another cup of coffee this morning here in Nashville and watch the NFL action unfold, I’m busy plotting next weekend’s WNST purple pep rally and parties and exploits in Pittsburgh and San Diego. Obviously, it’s impossible to have anything set in stone when we don’t know where the game will be. Here’s all of the current information I have as of noon EST: Let’s start with Pittsburgh, since that’s the more realistic trip for everyone in Baltimore. We WILL have a Pittsburgh bus. It will probably be in the $500 range. We will leave on Sunday morning and return after the 6:30 p.m. EST game. It will keep the prices lower and there’s no real need for an overnight trip and dealing with hotels, etc. We will have some beer and food on the bus for sure. It’s a four-hour ride to Pittsburgh and we’ve done this bus trip about 10 times over the years. I am considering trying to find a central location in Pittsburgh to throw a party. Hey, we’ve done it before several times but never for the heated AFC Championship Game. Stay tuned…we’re gonna do something like we did last weekend. If

Ravens locker room giddy for trip to Nashville

Nestor Aparicio

The kudos for the continued brilliance of Ed Reed and the poise of Joe Flacco permeated the Ravens locker room following today’s big win over the Dolphins here in Miami. Other than the defensive breakdowns on the late third-quarter drive that nearly got the Fish back into the game, it was a day of celebrations, high fives and memories of what a January run feels like. The Ravens punished the Fins in the first half and only let up long enough to wait for another turnover. No play was bigger than the botched handoff to Ted Ginn, which sealed the fate of Miami and propelled the Ravens back to a second-round playoff matchup on the Cumberland River in Nashville at 4:30 this Saturday. As you know, our buses are filling up fast. You can book you trip here. We will also be announcing a major indoor tailgate party/pep rally in downtown Nashville for Saturday morning for all visiting purple fans. To show his support for the purple contingent on the road, head coach John Harbaugh visited with the fans as he exited the field in Miami this afternoon and went out of his way to praise the road warriors, many

Miami Strategy

Nestor Aparicio

Watching the Colts and the Falcons get eliminated last night brings to focus the reality of today’s “do or die” game here in Miami against the Dolphins. It also will revisit the overtime argument about possession and coin flips and the fairness of the current NFL doctrine. Should the Colts have at least gotten ball last night? My thought is “sure”…except when it’s the Colts. Good riddance to them! The Ravens’ path to the Super Bowl got a lot easier last night when San Diego won the coin flip and went down the field and euthanized the Colts’ season. So long, Peyton! See ya in those commercials during the rest of the playoffs! It’s a beautiful morning here in Miami — it’s expected to reach 80 degrees by game time. Our party at Alabama Joe’s last night was outstanding as the bar was packed with purple with representatives from all over the state of Maryland as well as several “expatrioted” Baltimoreans living down here in the land of depressed housing and sunshine. We’ll be blogging he

Could Baltimore’s Jim Schwartz wind up as head coach in Cleveland?

Nestor Aparicio

As the coaching “hiring” season heats up over the coming weeks, the candidates are lining up in Cleveland, Detroit, Denver and with the N.Y. Jets and that’s only “so far.” Who knows what’s going to happen in St. Louis, Dallas, Tampa Bay and a few other places? And then there’s Oakland — the Siberia of NFL coaching. Our very own WNST.net Friday companion Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans and Arbutus native, is next up in two places — Cleveland and Detroit — while Rex Ryan is slated to speak with the N.Y. Jets, St. Louis Rams and Detroit at some point over the next few weeks. Schwartz was in Cleveland for a few years in the mid-90’s and was part of the Berea Brigade, when the fans boycotted the facility after Art Modell made the announcement that the Ravens were coming to Baltimore. He spent three years as Marvin Lewis’ assistant here and left for Tennessee when Brian Billick was hired in 1999. He’s been the defensive coordinator for the Titans for eight seasons now and has interviewed in four organizations (San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and Washington) for head coaching jobs. He is expected to leave Tennessee

Rex Ryan receives permission to interview with N.Y. Jets

Nestor Aparicio

‘Tis the season to gain head coaching employment in the NFL and with the 11-5 regular season finish and the Ravens headed back to the playoffs in Miami this weekend, it’s not a shocker that defensive coordinator has received permission to interview for the head coaching position with the New York Jets. As first reported by the AP, Ryan is expected to interview for the job in New York at some point in the near future. Earlier this week, NFL.com’s Adam Schefter reported that Ryan would be a lead candidate in St. Louis, once the Rams fire interim head coach Jim Haslett who replaced Scott Linehan in midseason. Ryan, along with tight ends coach Wade Harmon, were original hires of Brian Billick when he took over the head coaching job in January 1999. It’s very unusual to allow an existing assistant to interview during the week of a game but perhaps Ryan will have time to interview after the Ravens victory in Miami on Sunday. Many times “deals” are cut to wait for specific coordinators, as was the case when the Ravens waited three weeks to interview Brian Billick after his Vikings lost in the NFC Championship Game. Last year

Ravens will play in Miami at 1 p.m. on Sunday

Nestor Aparicio

Here’s the skinny on the Ravens 2009 Postseason Festivus schedule: The Ravens drew the 1 p.m. game on Sunday in Miami. If they beat the Dolphins they would return to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans in the early game on Saturday, Jan. 10th at 4:30 p.m. As for next weekend, San Diego will host the Indianapolis Colts at 8 p.m. on Saturday night. The NFC schedule is set: Atlanta travels to Arizona at 4:30 on Saturday and Philadelphia will play the Vikings in Minnesota at 4:30 on Sunday. WNST is attempting to organize a last-minute purple charter flight to Miami, but we will not have more information until midday on Monday. The individual flights to South Florida are jam-packed for the holiday weekend. We are not optimistic or pessimistic, but will attempt to make it work if at all possible. We realize that everyone’s wallet is a little light these days and this trip would be a $600 to $800 trip. (Chartering planes ain’t cheap!) Feel free to drop me a note if you have interest in traveling to Miami next weekend for the Ravens’ first-round playoff game. If the price makes sense, we’ll do it. There are two

What a great day to be an NFL fan

Nestor Aparicio

If you’re looking for the “juice” in being a sports fan – the payoff, if you will – today is that day. All of the affection, all of the combine coverage, draft coverage, training camp coverage, PSLs, tailgating and Sundays spent at the game or in front of the TV comes down to one day. Today. It all either pays off – or crushes us – later today. And, wow, what a great schedule of games and interesting side stories in so many places. Can the Detroit Lions stave off the eternal damnation of 0-16 by beating the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field? (Kinda reminds me of the Week 16 “Kenneth Sims Bowl” in late 1981 between the Colts and the Patriots. We kindly called it the “Stupor Bowl.” And the Colts STILL drafted two stiffs in Johnnie Cooks and Art Schlichter in the worst draft class in NFL history!) Will the New York Giants lay down for the Minnesota Vikings or will the Bears be able to win in Houston and sneak in? Will Carolina be able to go into the Superdome and bring back an NFC South title? Or will Atlanta win an unlikely division title by

Getting a grip on the Festivus activities

Nestor Aparicio

So, it looks like we’re getting into the playoffs. Well at least we can talk that way for a few more days and as a 10-point favorite against Jacksonville this weekend (and please note the gametime change to 4:15 p.m., which means the coldest possibilities for us) the Ravens should win. Heck, if they don’t win they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs, really. So, assuming that the Ravens are going to win this week and advance to the playoffs I started putting together playoff possibilities onto a cocktail napkin on Sunday and this is what I came up with…and I can’t imagine the NFL scheduling gods could have cooked this weekend up with a whole lot more drama than what they have – several cool matchups and playoff spots on the line in both conferences. Indianapolis can now pack their bags for Denver or San Diego. But that Sunday night game is gonna be a good one. You gotta think that the Chargers have all of the momentum and the home field. What a story that would be, digging out from 4-8 to make the playoffs. Kinda unheard of… Clearly, Nasvhille and Pittsburgh are just sitting tight, taking

Check out the cool purple videos with your football today

Nestor Aparicio

Like the rest of you, I’m monitoring all of the Sunday NFL action today, albeit running through an airport or two en route back to Baltimore from frigid Dallas. When we arrived here on Friday, it was 78 degrees. This morning it was 19 degrees. Right now, it’s about 34 degrees. It’s amazing what a “pep in your step” we all get when the Ravens win a game like that. From what I’m hearing and feeling at home – via WNST.net and Facebook – I get the vibe that the city is jacked up for the holidays and next Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. (My wife is talking about busting out the purple rope lights!) I spent most of the morning watching the “Miller Lite Purple Palace entries.” It’s AMAZING some of the stuff we’ve gotten for entries. Click here if you want to see all of the contestants. Feel free to comment here as well. We’ll have our three finalists selected (the WNST staff is feeding back) tomorrow morning. Usually, on a Sunday like this we’d all have to be watching some of these snowy games with a rooting interest, cheerinf madly for a team that would help the Ravens’

Ravens beat Dallas 33-24, throw a purple party in Dallas

Nestor Aparicio

It’s become a joke amongst the local media, calling the Ravens “mighty men.” It’s John Harbaugh’s favorite “term of endearment” and corny catch phrase for his team. Tonight in Dallas, they were indeed mighty men, dropping the vaunted Cowboys like a bad habit at home on their special night and the hyper-emotional closing of Texas Stadium. The Ravens were impressive in dispatching the local stars, 33-24 to urinate on the biggest party in the biggest state in the swan song of the state’s greatest icon on a brutally cold evening. Tonight, the real “stars” were wearing the purple helmets with the B’s. Strangely enough, it was punter Sam Koch who not only did his thing booting the ball effectively all night (including a 61-yarder) but it was the trick draw play on a field goal fake that stole the show and changed the momentum of the game. Really, who in the world was expecting that? A brass balls move if there ever was one by Harbaugh and the crew. If this team makes noise in January, they’ll look back on this bounce back from that Pittsburgh fiasco and see the huge emotional breakthroughs. They finally beat a quality opponent on

Strange, nostalgic day to be in Dallas

Nestor Aparicio

It’s a crazy day to be in Dallas. They’re shutting their stadium tonight amidst a potential season-wrecker if Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis and the Ravens come in a steal a victory. It’s the Ravens’ first-ever trip into Dallas, the final city they’ve never played in over the 13-year history of the franchise (not counting the Minnesota preseason game two years ago). And the civic pressure is on here in “Big D.” You can almost feel the anticipation for this game if you just drive around town and hear people talking. If the 2008 Dallas Cowboys lose their final game in Texas Stadium to get essentially bumped from a playoff spot, they’ll be all-time chumps. Especially on the backend of Tony Romo’s January meltdowns and T.O.’s loudmouthed nonsense. This game is significant here — the lead story on every TV channel and the headline of every newspaper. A big giant “love in” is scheduled for the pre-game and the in-game. The pageantry they’re putting on – and you do know that EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas – will rival what we did for the Orioles in Baltimore on 33rd Street back in 1991. If you really want to vomit and hate

Blowing up another ghost of Bob Irsay

Nestor Aparicio

We all know that Tiger Bob Irsay left us many years ago, but alas the final “icon” of the mayflower vans and the Indianapolis Colts is about to leave us as well. This morning, they’re blowing up the Hoosier Dome, the house that Bob built in Indianapolis. (I know, I know…”You should get over it!”) Maybe this is one more step in the healing process that never seems to heal. Keep an eye out on the web for the implosion videos…

A win today paints Baltimore purple for the holidays

Nestor Aparicio

The next 24 hours are yet another example of how great it is to have the NFL in Baltimore. Every watercooler and chat room and bar conversation in the city is buzzing with talk of Ravens vs. Steelers. There are Ravens hats and jackets and flags out all over the place. Indeed, as the holiday music plays, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The anticipation, the buildup has truly been a lot of fun for anyone who loves Baltimore. It’s the most significant regular season game that’s been played in Baltimore since the Toni Linhart fog game against the Dolphins on 33rd Street. It’s the biggest game of the NFL weekend and the rivalry is starting to get some true national heat for the first time since Baltimore got back into the league in 1996. We’ve ALWAYS hated the Steelers, but now they kinda hate us as much. It’s a legit “Hatfields” and “McCoys”! And at 4:15, it’s all on the line. The season, in some ways, comes down to the next 60 minutes of football against the team we all love to hate! It’s almost perfect! So, you know what happens if we win? A piece of

Induct Art postmortem…

Nestor Aparicio

It’s been a busy couple of days in my real life and I haven’t had a chance to write a full follow up to my tireless efforts last week to bring awareness to the fact that Art Modell is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and should be. (Special thanks to the many of you who have inquired about my Mom. Thankfully, She’s doing much better!) The facts about our “Induct Art” campaign are pretty clear: We tried hard. We educated. We made our case. We supported it with the expertise of many people who agree that Modell should be in the Hall of Fame. We printed 20,000 signs. We distributed them. We encouraged people to cheer at the beginning of the second quarter. We froze promoting the cause. And… Well, it all happened kinda fast. I heard the roar building behind me. I saw people standing and clamoring. The Ravens did their usual cheerleading, marketing between the quarters. I heard an “INDUCT ART” chanting brewing for sure. But then a few things happened rapidly. First, Jason Campbell snapped the ball pretty quickly. Second, it was 3rd and long and our defense was on the field so the

OUR BIGGEST CIVIC NIGHTMARE: What if Art Modell never came to Baltimore?

Nestor Aparicio

So today let’s pretend that Art Modell never moved the Cleveland Browns. Let’s pretend that there are no Baltimore Ravens and that the team never came and that the NFL continued to ignore Baltimore as a home for a franchise. Maybe some of our younger readers don’t remember the 13 years without the NFL, but I do. I said it on the radio earlier this week and I mean it with every ounce of truth and conviction possible: “The sheer fact that the Baltimore Ravens exist is nothing short of a MIRACLE for our community – a God send!” Of course, this begs the question for our purposes: Would Art Modell be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame if he never moved the Browns? OF COURSE HE WOULD! Here is a “fantasy” nightmare that is not at all far-fetched: In November 1995, after Baltimore agreed verbally to take the Browns, Art Modell went back to the city of Cleveland one last time and state of Ohio agreed to build him a new stadium. (Somewhere John Moag is reading this and saying: “I would have NEVER let that happen!”) Had Cleveland stepped up, this would have essentially ended any hope

Ravens-Redskins game moved to primetime on Dec. 7

Nestor Aparicio

The NFL is apparently as excited about the Ravens-Redskins game here in Baltimore as the rest of us. Earlier this morning, the league moved the big local game from a 1 p.m. start to an 8:15 p.m. NBC national game of the week. So, Al and John will be here on Sunday night and Faith Hill has been waiting a long time for this one. The previous game was listed as New England at Seattle. Get your grills ready and get rady for a major nationally televised death match between the team we love and the team we love to hate.

We’ll learn a lot about Ravens and playoff hopes today

Nestor Aparicio

As painful as it was to witness, sitting home on Thursday night and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers dismantle the hapless Cincinnati Bengals during another god-awful NFL Network telecast got me thinking about where the Ravens really stand in this potential Festivus season of playoff football. The Steelers are now 8-3 and barring any extreme complication they appear to be in the driver’s seat for the AFC North title. By going out on three days of rest and winning at Heinz Field, the Steelers have cranked up the heat on the Ravens today with their scary matchup against Donovan McNabb and the Eagles here at the Crab Cake. I don’t think any of us were under the impression that the Ravens were a Super Bowl team, but after a 6-3 start and with four of the final six at home, you’d like to think on paper that anything short of a “play in” game on Dec. 29th would be a massive disappointment. Of course, I’m not even sure 10-6 will get you an automatic berth given the stack up of mediocrity that the AFC seems to be at this point. It’s been a confusing season for everyone from the bettors to

A rare matchup of cheesesteak vs. crab cake

Nestor Aparicio

It doesn’t happen often when the mean streets of the City of Brotherly Love and the quaint “Wire” world of Charm City get together in a meaningful sports contest. Four years ago, we had the infamous Halloween matchup where Terrell Owens – at that point still en vogue in fickle Filthy – danced over Ray Lewis in the north end zone of The Linc. Twenty five years ago we saw the Orioles take down the Phillies in Game 5 at The Vet to bring Baltimore its final sniff of a World Title in the great game of baseball. Of course, that was “B.A.” – before Angelos. But I can’t think of another time when Baltimore vs. Philly meant much of anything. And that’s a shame, really. So as a guy who travels to Philadelphia regularly for concerts, culture and rock and roll (BTW: Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers are reuniting next Wednesday night for a one-time only show at the Electric Factory) it’s always interesting when a sports battle actually involves Baltimore vs. Philly. As much as there is a “rivalry” of some kind – and let’s be honest, the Phillies are the World Champions and I see their

Are they who we thought they were?

Nestor Aparicio

Any amateur football talking head can tell you that if you run the ball and play defense you’ll have a chance to win in the NFL. Of course, when you can’t stop the run it makes for a long afternoon for your defense. We’ve all been spoiled by the Ravens’ defense over the past decade. They’ve consistently nullified the running game of every team in the league over the past three seasons but today’s effort at Giants Stadium was pedestrian at best and we saw the result: Giants 30, Ravens 10. The Ravens got humbled today at the Meadowlands, beaten badly by the defending World Champions, who at 9-1 seemed to be toying with them after jumping out to a 20-0 lead with three straight scoring drives to start the day. It was a thorough beating by the NFC leaders, showing the Ravens to be more pretenders than contenders for a Super Bowl title at this point. The Ravens knew all week that the running game of Brandon Jacobs and company was coming but they were helpless to do anything to stop it. You had to know they were in the trouble the first time Ray Lewis got punched five

Beating the Giants would make Ravens a legit force in AFC

Nestor Aparicio

As I wake this morning the Baltimore Ravens – and, yes, they used the word “Baltimore” before it was “comprehensive branding effort” – are 6-3 and could be in sole possession of first place in the AFC North if a series of positive events transpire later today at the Meadowlands and in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers host a desperate San Diego Chargers club coming east to play with their season in the balance. No matter what, we’re gonna learn a lot about January today. In my 13 years of fandom I’ve never seen a purple team this hard to read. Are they this good? Or were THEY that BAD? I’m not really sure. Here are the irrefutable facts: • The Ravens have played nine games and have played eight of them well enough to win. That includes solid, representative efforts in Pittsburgh and here against the undefeated and “unstoppable” Tennessee Titans. • The Ravens played one of the biggest turds in the history of the franchise in Indianapolis and any horse player might “throw this one out” if they can legitimately run with the New York Football Giants. • Their only wins have come at the expense of the likes

Mailbag: A postcard from Cleveland

Nestor Aparicio

FROM THE MAILBAG: nestor: by the way, made the trip to cleveland last weekend. found the town and 99% of the people to be great. unfortunately there was one dude about 7 rows behind my 2 sons and i that seemed to have a problem with us wearing the purple. there were some pretty hairy moments, particularly after they scored 10 unanswered to take the lead. i thought i might be watching most of the 2nd half from the lock-up. needless to say, it suddenly got real quiet in the 4th quarter. we had a blast. signed, brad Hey Brad: Well done…send along a pic from the roadie and I’ll post it from now on… My videos are on wnstv…check ’em out… I go every year and I almost have a routine at this point. I love the RTA… I love the flight… I love Paninis…I always order the turkey and the cole slaw and fries are the bomb! I love paying $20 to a scalper for a ticket… I have great memories of Cleveland…from the 1995 World Series, the 1996 playoffs, Oilers trips back in the 1980’s, Indians games at the old ballpark, nights with Ohio’s finest in the

Will the Ravens extend Ray Lewis?

Nestor Aparicio

Ever since Drew Forrester posted his blog here at WNST.net yesterday about Ray Lewis and his pending return to the Ravens next year, folks have been talking. I’ve received several calls from inside the organization (and around the NFL) and the reports are mixed. Many think it’s a “done deal” and others, perhaps closer to understanding the business acumen of Ray Lewis circa 2008, think this is “part of the game.” Let’s start with the absolute obvious here: Twice this year Steve Bisciotti has publicly said what Drew wrote yesterday: Ray Lewis will remain a Raven for life. Bisciotti did this while appearing with the new Miami sidekick on a bad radio show in August and before that poolside at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. at the owner’s meetings. (It’s kinda crazy that NFL Network was reporting that “WNST is reporting Lewis deal imminent,” etc. when it was simply Drew’s blog saying that he believes it’ll “get done.” We didn’t send a text. We didn’t write a headline screaming “Lewis signs 5-year deal with Ravens.” Drew simply put up an informed, sourced blog with good inside information.) But today – somewhat for sheer argument though I actually do feel

MUST I root for the Redskins tonight?

Nestor Aparicio

Tonight is the hardest place for any Steadman-reading, Eckman listening, WNST-enjoying Baltimoron to be. The kickoff in the ultimate matchup of our enemies — Steelers at Redskins — is soon at hand and I’m looking forward to the game. I hate them both equally. It’s so hard to separate. Given the standings in the AFC North and the miracle comeback yesterday in Cleveland, all we can hope for is that the Redskins can derail the Steelers for a few hours tonight and put us in a better position to earn a playoff berth. I won’t be singing “Hail To The Redskins” at any point this evening, but seeing Hines Ward and company get crushed down at Raljon won’t hurt my feelings an iota. The one Redskins fan I allow in my life — Chef Scotto — even called to see if I’d wish the Skins luck. I sheepishly admitted that yes, an old-fashioned burgundy and gold ass kicking of the Steelers would warm my heart and be the “neighborly” thing to do. Just like when he’s gonna need us vs. the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles in the coming weeks. So, yes, it’s shameful but I’ll be “on the bandwagon” tonight

Miami Strategy

Nestor Aparicio

Watching the Colts and the Falcons get eliminated last night brings to focus the reality of today’s “do or die”

Induct Art postmortem…

Nestor Aparicio

It’s been a busy couple of days in my real life and I haven’t had a chance to write a

MUST I root for the Redskins tonight?

Nestor Aparicio

Tonight is the hardest place for any Steadman-reading, Eckman listening, WNST-enjoying Baltimoron to be. The kickoff in the ultimate matchup

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