who hates being called a special teams coach — is a ham-and-egger, a grinder and is now charged with leading the ugly Baltimore boys to Indianapolis to win a Super Bowl to avenge our city’s forefathers. But New England and Brady and Belichick and the ghosts of Super Bowl past are in the way.
As he said after Sunday’s gruesome win over the Houston Texans – “by any means necessary.”
Led by the hard scrabble middle class guy from Philadelphia – another ugly place – Flacco is not the only one looking for a moment in the sun with a ring and a Lombardi Trophy.
For guys like him and Ray Rice and Haloti Ngata and Suggs, they wanna shake the “yeah they’re nice players and Pro Bowl types, but they can’t win the big one.”
Hell Tom Brady WON three Super Bowls and that pass to David Tyree in Phoenix has to eat at his candy ass something fierce. Same with Belichick. Because even though the New England Patriots used to win the big ones, they haven’t in quite a while. They have their own demons to slay in Beantown and beyond.
This is a game for the big boys on Sunday in Foxborough.
And I don’t have a problem if everyone is a little uptight this week. They probably should be because there’s a lot at stake.
So, Joe Flacco wants redemption and respect? Great, then go beat Tom Brady.
John Harbaugh wants to erase the comparisons to Billick? Great, go win a Super Bowl.
Ray Lewis wants to architect his final hour with another confetti ride? Great, then go get it for the next 120 minutes and go out with the heart of a warrior and a champion that we all believe is inside that Superman No. 52 jersey.
Ed Reed wants a ring. So do Suggs, Ngata, Birk, who would all have far better odds of getting the rightful attention of the Canton boys and girls club who vote for Hall of Fame busts with two hours of taking care of business in New England and Indianapolis.
The better team goes to Indy on Sunday night. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick don’t “need” this game to prove anything. Lots of guys on the Ravens’ side of the ball – like EVERYONE except Ray Lewis and tight ends coach Wade Harmon – have a lot to prove and the chance of a lifetime in New England.
We still have space on our buses — we even have an early Sunday morning bus for an “up and back” to Foxborough — so we hope you’ll join us on our mission for respect in New England and redemption in Indianapolis.
