Team of Destiny? No. Magic Cat is the answer

On April 30th of last year, I had to put my cat Bonnie to sleep. She was old and in pain and was originally Dawn's cat, but when we moved in together I adpoted her and she me along with her brother Clyde. We had to put him to sleep 4-5 years ago. Dawn and I were going to wait a while before we considered getting another cat. But fate played a hand and Jinx came into our lives. 3 years old and she looks like our old cat Clyde except fuzzier. It took Jinx some time but she now appears to be very happy in our house and with us. Thank heavens we got her because she is magic also.

The legend that is Magic Cat started this past fall. The Baltimore Orioles were doing the impossible. Standing tough in the American League East against such teams as the Yankees, and Rays, both of which were playing close with them also for first place in the AL East. The Orioles had not been to the playoffs in 14 years and this team of no names and surprises was right there in the mix of things. Dawn and I would watch some of the games and cheer our teams on. Jinx would come and sit on Dawn's lap and the Orioles would all of sudden do something. A miraculous stop, a home run, a key base hit. We didn't think much of it til the Orioles made the playoffs. To get into the first round against the Yankees, the Orioles had to win a 1 game Play-off (Play-in whatever you want to call it) against the Texas Rangers. It was a tough game and we wanted the Orioles to win it badly. It was looking a little bad when Jinx walked in and sat in Dawn's lap and the Orioles got some key hits and won the game. They went to the playoffs. That was when we started calling her Magic cat. (actually Dawn came up with the name).

The Orioles were in a 5 game playoff with the Yankees and sure enough when Jinx would be in Dawn's lap the Orioles did good. But being a cat she got fickle and got down soon and then they started getting beat. Eventually the Yankees were too much for magic cat and the Orioles were knocked out of the playoffs. Then football season. Magic Cat was around for some of the games, mostly the night games when the crazy kids were asleep in bed. She helped when the Ravens pulled out the victory early in the season against the Patriots. But pretty much during the regular season she was not around so much since the Ravens only had 4 night games and during the day she stayed hidden.

Then the playoffs started and the legend grew with the Broncos game. The Broncos Ravens Playoff game was a back and forth all night. Magic Cat had stayed away most of the night. But sure enough when I was watching and the Ravens needed a big play she came strolling in and sat on my lap. When we picked off Peyton Manning, when Jacoby Jones caught the 70 yard pass to tie the game with 30 some seconds left Magic Cat was in my lap. When they went to double overtime and Justin Tucker kicked the game winning field goal. She was in my lap. She gets up sometimes in the middle of the game and I swear it seems like something bad happens when she is gone. Finally this past Sunday the Ravens played the Patriots again. The first half the Ravens offense looked horrible and the defense while giving up lots of yards was actually holding their own. The Patriots went in at halftime with a lead 13-7. Magic cat was nowhere to be seen at this time. The game was late so I missed a little of the third quarter when I had to help put my kids to bed.  So after that was done. I sat down and the Ravens had the ball. Lo and behold here comes magic cat. She sits in my lap and the Ravens have a killer drive which leads to a touchdown and the lead 14-13. And she stays on my lap as the Ravens stop Brady and the Patriots. Then score again 21-13. And still hold Brady and the Patriots to nothing. Eventually we got another touchdown and a pick of Brady and the game was over and the Ravens were going to the Playoffs. The whole time Magic cat is in my lap. So there is the legend of Magic Cat. The Super Bowl is coming but we will probably be more than likely at a Super Bowl party elsewhere. However I may find a way to smuggle Magic Cat to where ever we end up going. Go Ravens! Go Magic Cat! The real reason the Ravens are going to the Super Bowl. Not that they have been playing good. No MAGIC CAT is the key!! 

Ray Lewis' Last Ride

As many of you know I am a huge Baltimore Ravens fan. have been since they came to Baltimore in 1996. One guy who has been with them since the beginning is Ray Lewis. Probably the most famous Raven of them all, the team leader both physically and spiritually. He took no excuses made no excuses. pumped you up and made you play better while keeping your mind in the game. Keeping you aware that this was a team sport and you were part of a team. One person fails you all fail, even if that one person was not named Ray Lewis. If they lost a game because of one person, never called them out publically pushed that we failed as a team. He knew one play does not change everything. You should have converted on that third down in the first quarter, you should not have been called off-sides. You had to play perfect, one mistake did not take the game from them, all the missed opportunities and mistakes did that. Ray knew that and he preached that. He was your motivator, your enemy, your best friend, your teacher, your student. He learned and he processed the information to make him one of the most feared and one of the very best Linebackers of all time.

17 years is a long time and for the last 5 years or so he has not been the same Ray Lewis as he was earlier in his career, but that was on the field. His mind was still sharp, he was still your motivator and he was your General. The game is probably never going to see anything like it again. Early in his career he had his run-ins with the law and the situation in I believe Miami where he witnessed the murder of two guys committed by his so called friends put a big black mark on his record that do this day is still brought up in jokes and stories about Ray. But to me and probably most everyone else in Baltimore, that was a wake up call for Ray and from that point on he knew he had to change his ways, and he did. Even going so far to help counsel kids and give them a positive role model. He helped everybody and he was a better man for that.

He has the uncanny ability to motivate anyone. Going so far as to have colleges from all over the country, not just in Maryland ask him to come speak. And he brings his A game every time. If he wanted to he has a huge career ahead of him as a motivational speaker. Some of his speeches are really good and they are to kids who need a positive role model. I know I am repeating a lot but that is just who Ray is.

His will to play has ebbed, his body has failed him a number of times, and this last 9 weeks or so he has gotten a view of where his priorities should be, with his family who is growing up quickly and he is missing it, and he doesnt want that. Sure he's going to do some broadcasting, but it is nowhere near what it is like being a player. It's a hard life being a player, that's why the players are younger, they have the time to do their thing before they realize what is really important and that is family. Ray gets it. He may have left school early to go pro, but he is smart enough to realize someday he will not be able to play and he needs skills. Retiring at 37 is crazy since most people still have to work 30 years before they retire. Ray knows theres more out there. So he went back to school and got a degree. HE gets it. He's one of the smart ones and he is trying to spread his message to others.

Sunday's playoff game may very well be the last game he plays in Baltimore, though there is an outside chance we may host the Championship game if we win all our games and the Bengals win all of theirs. Realistically this is his last home game. Retiring while his team is on top is not a bad way to go. Godspeed Ray, you deserve your retiremement. Cant wait to see what you will do with the second part of your life.

The Baltimore Ravens A look back

I have lived in Baltimore my whole life. When I was younger I never was really into football all that much. Like most young kids Baseball was my sport. That was interesting though because Baltimore is notoriously a football town. I think I went to one Baltimore Colts football game in my whole life before that terrible day in 1983 when like thieves in the night the Colts were moved to Indianapolis, which coincidentally is where this year's super bowl was held. For 13 long years from age 10-23 I was without Baltimore Football. But as mentioned above was satisfied with Baseball. I watched the Super Bowl like everyone and occassionally a football game, but I do not remember to much about that. I even couldn't get into it during college when that was all that was going on Sunday and Monday.

During those 13 long years, I would visit my grandparents who lived outside of DC. They were huge fans of the Redskins and when we visited they usually had the game on and I watched it since to be honest there was not a lot to do at my grandparents house. So I became a fan of the Skins, which according to actor Josh Charles is a sacrilige. (He responded to one of my tweets last year calling me out.) I can understand Baltimore fans hatred of the Redskins, but you need to see my side. After the Colts left, who was I supposed to cheer for? The Steelers? (Though a lot of Marylanders did) The Cowboys? (who were America's team at the time. No thank you!) My grandparents liked the Redskins and they were pretty good during that time, so I became a Redskins fan. Not an ardent fan but one who followed them, again not too closely but would always be happy when they won, or bad when they lost. Then 1996 hit and Baltimore was getting a new team.

Now I realize we did to Cleveland what Indianapolis did to us, but it was never as bad for Cleveland as it was for Baltimore, because that tool Paul Tagliabue came to their rescue when he ignored Baltimore...TWICE. The first time was during expansion in the early 90s. Two new teams were going to be introduced to the NFL. We had the best package of any of them. We had funding set for a new stadium, a rabid fanbase to guarantee sellouts, and we were screwed 10 years earlier. Logic dictated that one of the teams was going to Carolina (which it did) because there was no team between Washington and Atlanta, that's fine. They were the first team to be announced, then they said they were going to hold off for a while to reveal the 2nd one. WHY? Baltimore was the best city. We learned later he picked Jacksonville, having that time between announcements to help the Jacksonville investors get a better bid together. Plus he wanted another locale to play the Super Bowl. End of story we got screwed. That was when he used the infamous museum quote, saying we should use the stadium money to build a new museum since we were NEVER going to get a team while he was around. Meanwhile Art Modell in Cleveland was getting screwed himself. Cleveland had built a new stadium for the Indians, and built the Rock n Roll hall of fame. But when Art asked for some money to upgrade his stadium, they laughed at him. So he decided to go someplace where he could get a new stadium and have a government behind him. Baltimore was the place. He moved the team and the outrage it caused not only in Cleveland (which is understandable) but in the NFL. Sorry Tagliabue looks like we got a team and we have treated her well, whereas there is rumblings Jacksonville maybe moving to LA. HMM what city looks better now PAUL!  Sorry I am still bitter, but here is where it gets really frustrating. Tagliabue promises them a new team in 3 years. WTF???? What happened to getting a team in Baltimore after they moved? We had an NFL history as rich as Cleveland. Hell the Colts had gone to two Super Bowls. Cleveland none. Now Art Modell is being blacklisted from the Hall, but I think Bob Irsay made it in. Art belongs more then anybody because he was devoted to Cleveland and he was treated like garbage in the 90s. So I don't blame him for the move. I blame Irsay because if he wasn't a jerk, John Elway would have been a Colt and he very well could have had the career he had in Denver in Baltimore and this whole post would be moot. Oh well. Brighter days now. Baltimore has Football!

They spent their first two or three years in Memorial Stadium while the new stadium was being built, Coached by Ted Marchibroda with Quarterback Vinny Testeverde and two first round draft picks by the names of Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis. They won their first game ever, but stumbled to a 4-12 season including a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. I went to a Miami game with my dad, my first Ravens game ever which they lost. I did not make it back for a few years until they moved into their new digs and my dad and I have gone to 1 game a year which we still do to this day.

Then in 1998 I started working for WLIF 101.9 FM and 1300 AM who were at the time the flagship stations for the Ravens games. So as part of my job I had to work every home game of the Ravens at our courtesy tent, and sometimes I was given free tickets to the game.  I also got to work signings by the Ravens. I worked Jamal Lewis' first ever appearance at Towson Town Center. I got to meet and work with a lot of former Colts as well. I shook Johnny Unitas' hand, I got to wear Tom Matte's Super Bowl ring. And when the Ravens won the Super Bowl, I got to touch the Lombardi Trophy.

I've been to my fair share of great games. The first ever playoff game the Ravens were in also happened to be the first ever home playoff game they ever had on December 31, 2000. They played the Broncos and my dad was able to get tickets. However they were not together so we agreed to meet at halftime. It was also bitterly cold and I had a cold as well. They won and then had to go on the road to continue their march to the Super Bowl, which they ultimately won. I went to the exciting game where the Ravens first beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. They had a horrible record against them since 96, but they soon won a great game at home. My wife and I went to a night game where we saw a punt return for 107 yds. A bitter cold night game where the Ravens played the Redskins and my wife and sister who are skins fans went to the game with my dad and I. Ravens won and the ladies were good sports. I have seen utter drubbings, The Ravens destroying the Lions 41-7 on a rainy sunday in December.

I am a huge Ravens fan and have been very lucky that our team has been fairly good for their whole career here, especially the last 4 years with 4 straight playoff apperances. They just have not been able to take that next step. This past season was a heartbreaker for the Ravens faithful, where we got all the way to the Championship game and outplayed the Patriots only to lose on a dropped touchdown and a wide left field goal try. I have hope that this year we will be able to push through and get another super bowl appearance, I know my team can do it. I love the Ravens, and I love football. Just wait til next year...