The Baltimore Ravens have been playing in Baltimore since 1996. There is a rich history of football in the city before the Ravens came to town; a few,obligatory words about football in Baltimore before the Ravens is a necessity.
In 1946 Baltimore received the bankrupt Miami Seahawk franchise of the All-American Football Conference. As a result, they renamed the team the Colts. The Colts entered the NFL when the AAFC and NFL merged for the 1950 season. The team did not do fiscally, and there was no team in 1951 and 1952,
Carroll Rosenbloom headed up an ownership group and Baltimore secured the Dallas Texans franchise in 1952. In 1972, Robert Irsay traded his Los Angeles Rams to Carrol Rosenbloom for the Colts. In 1984 Irsay moved the Colts to Indianapolis.
Baltimore Ravens: A New Franchise for the city
In 1996 Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, in a dispute with the city over getting a new stadium, moved his team to Baltimore. Consequently, the team became the Baltimore Ravens. The Baltimore Sun conducted a contest to choose the nickname, referencing Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, as Poe died and is buried in the city.
The Ravens have only had three head coaches during its existence. Ted Marchibroda coached from 1996 – 1998. Then Brian Billick replaced him and led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2001. Some of the key players on the SB XXXV squad included linebacker Ray Lewis, running back Jamal Lewis, safety Rod Woodson, tight end Shannon Sharpe and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden.
The team’s overwhelming defense, considered by many football historians as one of the greatest, overcame an offense that at times was less than ideal for most teams. The concept of having a quarterback who was a “game manager” germinated during this time period, and is today an expression that is still widely used today.
The year before, Modell had sold 49% of his team to Steve Bisciotti. Despite moving from Cleveland for financial reasons, Modell still struggled fiscally. Bisciotti would end up acquiring the entire team in 2004.
In 2002, Ozzie Newsome, the former great Cleveland Browns tight end, became the first African American general manager in NFL history. He would be in the Ravens front office for close to the next fifteen years. In 2003 Jamaal Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards (third-most all-time, behind Eric Dickerson and Adrian Peterson) and was named AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
The Baltimore Ravens play in the AFC North division.
The John Harbaugh Era
The Ravens hired John Harbaugh to replace Billick in 2008. He went on to lead them to a championship in Super Bowl XLVII, defeating his brother Jim and the San Franscico 49ers. Ray Lewis along with safety Ed Reed, quarterback Joe Flacco and wider receiver Anquan Boldin were some of the key players on the team.
The Ravens have only played in two stadiums since their inception. In 1996 and 1997 they played in Memorial Stadium. With a capacity of 60,000 the stadium held less fans than the stadium in Cleveland that owner Art Model had moved away from. Although built in 1931, Cleveland Stadium housed 78,000 fans. In 1998 Model got his new stadium, M&T Stadium which houses 71,000 fans.
Cleveland builds a new stadium
Interestingly, , a year after the franchise left Cleveland, a new stadium was built in the city. Even though Cleveland was now without a professional football team of its own, they nevertheless built a new stadium. Dubbed “Cleveland Stadium” it is located on the site of the old stadium. The old stadium, which had housed the Browns from 1946 – 1995 was torn down before construction. Cleveland would get an expansion team within three years, and the Browns would have a new chapter in their life.
The Baltimore Raven currently play in the American Football Conference (AFC) North Division along with the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens have three players in the Hall of Fame: Jonathan Ogden (inducted 2013), Ray Lewis (inducted in 2018 and Ed Reed (inducted in 2019). Rod Woodson was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2009.
The Ravens are currently led by Lamar Jackson, a 2x NFL Most Valuable Player (2019 and 2023).
Barry Schustermann
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