Since the Baltimore Ravens owner provided his “report card” on some of his favorite media members at Tuesday’s press conference – and let’s be honest, we all know I didn’t make the “professional” grade cut because I bring tough questions and uncomfortable truths – I’ve decided to provide my inaugural (if he comes back every year) “Steve Bisciotti Press Conference Report Card.” Because people keep asking me what I think in addition to asking why no one reads anything anymore at The Sun behind a paywall.
So, I want to make sure I give Mister Bisciotti a proper report card for his hour schooling fans on his power and involvement in Owings Mills.
Honesty / Straight talk — B
Admitted “underachiever,” owned the Harbaugh break, and didn’t hide the regression.
Honest… in the way a guy is honest when he’s already decided to fire him, but in totality it was a very limited volume of questions and topics for eight years of absence.
Integrity / Consistency — C+
Said fan noise “isn’t that important,” then admitted the narrative “ate” at him. Both can’t be true at full volume. The message was steady; the reasoning wobbled.
Accountability — B-
Forcefully and directly owned the decision to fire Harbaugh. But accountability for the ecosystem (front office, roster philosophy, internal culture) felt politely foggy and absentee. Took the wheel, but didn’t pop the hood. Right, Oz? Right, Sash?
Clarity of purpose — C
Reset? Re-calibrate? Modernize? We got “here’s what went wrong” more than “here’s what we’re building.” Lots of diagnosis, light on the prescription. Guess that comes with the new head coach and post-Lamar signing offseason moves with a new staff.
Transparency / Specifics — C-
Fans wanted “what changes Monday?” Instead they got “trust the process” with fewer breadcrumbs than a gluten-free crab cake. Clear enough to quote with authentic “quips” and one-liners, vague enough to dodge. And isn’t that the goal of these things?
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Respect for fan investment — D+
A touch too much “you don’t matter” energy for a city that mortgages emotion (and PSLs) into the brand. The upper deck heard: “Thanks for your money, just don’t confuse it with a vote.” Probably an ‘F’ to a lot of ears, who were already turned off by the accrued arrogance of the operation or Justin Tucker, The Wembley Knee or the dishonesty of the Ray Rice accountability disgrace.
Empathy / Human touch — A-
The Harbaugh friendship, the emotion, the vulnerability – real enough. That part landed. Sounded like a sentient human, which kinda made the business part feel even colder. Over the phone but love each other for life. Did him a favor. I’ll buy that, I guess, for now.
Command presence / Leadership vibe —B
The Boss certainly controlled the room. “I have the power.” Projected ultimate authority. But at times it felt like power explaining itself rather than leadership earning it. Boss energy: high. “Captain on deck” energy: medium, especially when you own the team (love football) and don’t care to meet a dozen brilliant NFL coaches on a Zoom call to vibe them as the “people picker” billionaire who made his coin picking humans. Weirdly lazy and surprising for a guy who cares about 7th round draft picks every April.
Football acumen / Self-awareness — B+
Hit on the big ones – on-field failures, fourth-quarter collapses, playoff ceiling. No fairy tales. He knew the tape…even if the solutions stayed in the film room. The man knows his depth chart and roster, even if he doesn’t know the humans so much anymore.
Future vision / Direction of franchise — X (Incomplete)
Teased what he’s “intrigued by” (recycling a former head coach, context matters), but didn’t paint a clear Ravens 3.0 identity. We heard the playlist; can’t wait to hear the new album. We’ll await the purple plumes of smoke on the WNST Text Service.
Process credibility (Head Coach search) — C
The “if I sit in on one Zoom I have to sit in on all” logic sounded like an owner negotiating with…his own calendar, time and priority agenda that isn’t the football team. If the hire is great, nobody cares. If it’s a mess, this quote will live forever.
Relationship with Lamar / Locker-room read — B-
Positioned Lamar as consulted-but-not-empowered, and tried to tamp down drama. It helped…some, until he’s either heard or not this offseason. “He has a voice, not a vote” is fine until the quarterback starts voting with his feet. Oh, and the “get his ass up here from Florida” would be far more than his old “boss” John Harbaugh could ever get away with – or get outta Lamar for that kind of buy in.
8Media handling / PR discipline — B-
Mostly steady… until the “Holy shit! Wouldn’t that be awesome?” moment. That was the realest and sloppiest soundbite. The mask (almost purposefully) slipped, and the internet caught it in 4K. And the animus he entered the room with like entering a cage fight was weird.
Avoiding deflection / Owning hard questions — C+
Didn’t hide, but did sidestep the deeper cultural critiques (why the organization keeps repeating the same ending). He answered the questions asked, not the questions fans are screaming. There was no opening or closing statement of substance.
Fan confidence boost — C-
The presser didn’t fully calm the city. It managed the moment more than it inspired a future. It certainly wasn’t a rally or a recruiting tool. We assume he’ll appear again in two weeks when it’s time to anoint the new king of The Castle. Remains to be seen if that “wows” the Ravens Flock.
Real Media Participation — F
I wasn’t there but did provide a primer and a list of 25 pertinent questions about the real state of the Baltimore Ravens organization and a personal letter to Steve Bisciotti regarding its true culture. Also, where was Jason LaCanfora, who like me, has covered the NFL and ownership at the highest levels of anyone in the marketplace? Taking any questions from people who “work” for the company you own doesn’t make it media; it makes a hostage question. At the first press conference in eight years where JLC and yours truly have been “ICEd” by Chad Steele, I’d say Steve got off very light given the initial “cage match” disposition when he entered the room. He didn’t have anyone to fight with beyond insulting Jerry Coleman. Bisciotti later even concurred when giving back rubs and endorsements to writers from ESPN (owned by the league) and The New York Times and passing them off as his “favorite” locals, which is its own punchline.
Overall Grade: C+
Bisciotti won enough of the national media and the “Holy Shit” moment will reassure everyone that he’s still a real guy from Severna Park. But, overall, a press conference that felt like a checked-out billionaire with total power trying to prove he still has total control – while quietly admitting he’s not around the building like he used to be. The whole process of owning the team and being accountable feels burdensome to him. If he’s checked out, why should the fans check in?
