7. John Moag
Almost 19 years after he lured Art and David Modell from Cleveland to Baltimore, local attorney and power broker John Moag lays low locally these days since his departure from the Maryland Stadium Authority in 1999 with a job that could only be deemed as “well done.” Many men tried and failed to lure an NFL franchise to Baltimore between 1984 and 1995 but it was Moag who had the deal in his briefcase that would change the modern landscape of Baltimore sports.
He was entrusted by Gov. Parris Glendening and saw through the hard work of William Donald Schaefer (who will appear later in our slide show) in leveraging several NFL franchise owners in the pursuit of a team for Baltimore that would become the Ravens.
Many tried. He succeeded. Against all odds and with naysayers everywhere, he saw an NFL team on the field in Baltimore before anyone and he made it happen. He will always be a civic hero for anyone whose ever worn the color purple on a Sunday in the land of pleasant living.
See next page for No. 6
