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Raven Rituals
Things are quiet at the moment, with not a lot of Ravens news to report on. So let’s take this time to get to know what kind of Ravens fans we really are. I mean what rituals do you have on game day? Or what Ravens memorabilia do you own? Each of us have something to share I’m sure. I’ll start with me first, and you can add your comments to get the discussion going.
While I don’t consider myself to be a superstitious person, I have been known to switch jerseys during a game, thinking I might be giving the team bad Karma with my choice of clothing. I know, that’s borderline psychotic, but when the team is losing, and I’m sitting at home watching it I’ll make any sacrifice necessary.
I have more Ravens clothing then any other sort, mainly because my family buys them for me for every holiday, birthday, etc. They know how much of a fan I am and they think they’re doing the right thing. And they are! You can never have too many Ravens shirts, jerseys, shorts, hats, jackets, and purple camo pants now can you.
My garage workshop has a 1947 hanging light that I painted purple, and affixed a Raven emblem to. There’s a Bud Light Ravens cardboard display hung above it. They go with the 5 Ravens posters that adorn the walls. I also converted a 1965 Coleman camp stove to a purple cooking machine with Raven emblems covering most of the surface. I get a lot of comments and compliments at tailgates. Speaking of tailgates I dress up my GMC Envoy with 4 large Raven magnets, along with 6 or more car flags. Tailgating is a bit of a competition and you have to come well armed.
I haven’t missed viewing a game since the team came to Baltimore, but I don’t count pre-season games in that stat, as they aren’t real games to begin with. I sometimes give those tickets to friends. It keeps them from asking me for my regular season tickets, which to paraphrase the late Charelton Heston, “you’d have to pry from my cold, dead hands.”
I listen to all of the local sports radio shows every night, read any Ravens news I can find, and try to find as much information as I can on the team. I consider it my calling in life, being a Raven junkie. Some may say I’m obsessed, I call them the non believers. Hey, it beats the hell out of the local quilting club! Everybody needs a hobby, and the Ravens happen to be mine.
I know each of you have your own game day rituals and favorite memorabilia so let’s hear about them. After all what the hell else are we going to talk about at the moment?
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10 Responses to “Raven Rituals”
June 4th, 2008 at 6:11 am
My Entertainment stand in the living room is littered with Ravens stuff. I have the original 1996 coke bottle unopened. Numerous mini helmets and McFarline player figures including one of Ray, Ed, and J.Lewis hugging after the game. My jersyes are Willis(purple) and Ray(white) in the $70 replica variety, and a Authentic purple Ed Reed. My Favorite item is the 2 foot build-a-bear that my kids (6&12) got me for Christmas. It sits right beside out main television. I have a cool wife that allows me to litter the living room.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I won’t wash my jerseys during the season (although I may have to break that strange habit this season with the new baby). I wear a jersey almost everytime I go somewhere not-the-work (but I am wearing a Ravens T at work as I type this right now)
Jerseys in the house
Mine: I have an authentic black Ray, a Purple Ray, and a split Purple/White Ray jersey (a guy out here does custom home & Away jerrseys out here - they are damn cool), A purple Reed and a black Scott. I need variety in my wardrobe.
My wife has a purple and a black Heap.
My 6 month old Daughter has a purple Reed.
Lord knows how many t-shirts, visors & hats we have…
We are actually looking for a nice big picture of the stadium. We want to put it up above our TV in the living room (and I love the fact my wife loves the idea as much as I do). I got the idea from my brother he has a giant print of Dodgers stadium in his living room.
To everyone we know around here, from the bar(s) to the grocery store we are knows as ‘The Ravens couple’ (not family). But seeing as I’m in Orange County, California Ravens fans are a rarity.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am
(darn typos)
I mean “now family” …. silly typos…
need coffee this morning… it is still early out here.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I probably represent the more casual fan, or maybe the oxymoronic type since while I am in the process of getting a PhD in business and (very generally) study what makes one firm perform better then the competition, I am totally against succumbing to corporate merchandising schemes (i.e. supporting the Raven’s business success). Come to think of it, I might just be the moronic type as I will elaborate here.
I own just one single Raven’s item, it is my Adalius Thomas authentic black jersey, which I bought on e-bay right before he signed with the Pats and their cheating coach (I do not buy his excuses at all). The reason I got it? I see the Ravens as a defense oriented team and like the number 96. Nothing personal against any of the players, but I do not find any of them worthy of idol status, especially not Mr. Ray Lewis, and this is regardless of my appreciation of his (and others’) on field skills and performance. At the same time, I find putting a fake number and/or my name on the back to be vane. Like I said - moronic. I wear the jersey whenever I can allot the time to watch/listen/follow the game, and never otherwise. I also do not wash it during the season, it helps wiith my mindset during the games.
When I watch games at home I always sit in the same spot: the right side of our three seat sofa puts me dead center in front of our 42″ full HD TV. While I will leave the seat frequently and irregularly, no one is allowed to take it, not even to keep it warm. Nor do I relinquish control of the remote. Usually that is not a problem since I will not have guests at game time, since by now most of our potential guests know better then to join me for the game.
There is no talking on the phone during the games, not even if my parents call from abroad (they a knack for doing so at any and all inconvenient times). Actually, that is not completely true, I do call a buddy of mine, who is also a Ravens fan who moved to Denver, CO to complain about the refs, weather, players, coaches and TV coverage. I only do that because my wife is not always willing to bear the burden of my ranting (being a geek at a PhD level can bring ranting to a new level) and because I know he will not answer the phone or listen to the message till after the game. So I am not bothering him, I am just venting.
There is always food and beverages available during the game. I find that irrigation keeps the irritation low…
If I can’t watch the game I will follow it on the web, or radio. Or not at all. It seems I am not bothered by having to miss games during the season. The world will keep spinning and I will stay alive and well.
But if I do watch a game, the rituals have to be followed.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Judging by the comments so far I know that I’m not the only rabid fan, or one that could be called obsessive. I knew it! I’m vindicated!
Let’s get a little deeper here and keep this thing going……
June 5th, 2008 at 9:30 am
The Wife(tm) and I have 2 main issues we are going to have to deal with this season.
1- should we get direct TV and the Ticket thing. It’ll be hard on everyone to bring a baby to the Restaurant (read: bar) every Sunday - and out here lets say Ravens games are rare.
2 - We both can give any drunken sailor a run for their money when it comes to ‘conversing’ with the refs on the TV.
I’m thinking we’ll have to curtail that - I’m pretty sure I don;t want my daughters first sentence to be “What #$%^&ing pass interference?!?!?”
Anyone here know where I could get a big print of the stadium? I was talking to The Wife(tm) last night and she is actually jazzed (that’s right, I said jazzed) about getting one.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I am sure FedEx-Kinko’s will be happy to take your money and turn any picture/diagram (pre-approved by The Wife(tm) of course) into a poster…
June 5th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Khaine,
Check out this link for the poster you’re looking for. http://www.allposters.com/-st/Baltimore-Ravens-Posters_c12642_.htm
It was the cheapest one I found. I’ve got the one that has Baltimore printed on the bottom in my Ravens/Colts football shrine room.
June 7th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Well, I am obsessed. Living in Tennessee and being a die hard Ravens fan can be difficult at times. I own several jerseys (Purple Lewis, Mason, McGahee, Heap and on this Father’s day I will add Authentic Purple Reed). The kicker for me is that my fabulous wife has allowed me to actually make a Ravens room in our house. The walls are the officially painted team colors with a black ceiling. We have even went so far as to put down artificial turf on the floor. I know the Ravens play on the newer stuff, but this was the best I could do. And as another poster stated I find myself in a dilema. First, I actually want the Ravens head tatoo on my leg, ankle, calf. I dont know if this is too much, but like I said I am crazy about this team. Second, I am thinking of getting Direct TV to get the NFL package. There are not many Ravens games broadcast here unless they are playing Prime time or on Monday Night Football. It sucks though as I have Comcast for cable and computer high speed. The thought of a change causes concern. And I almost forgot, I have Ravens plate on front of car (Tennessee doesnt have front plates) and fairly large decal in window. Gets a lot of nasty comments in these parts.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:13 am
My Ravens Ritual is this: I simulate the actual weather conditions of the home games by moving my TV outside to my screened porch in the backyard. If it’s 30 degrees F. for the game, then I’m sitting in 30 degrees F., and so is my TV. If it’s raining at the stadium, then the rain is blowing in on me through the screen windows. If Kyle’s fingers are freezing on a Monday night game in December, then so are mine! The simulated weather gives me a better appreciation for what the athletes are trying to accomplish on the TV screen and what both teams are up against; also, it takes me back to when we actually used to play the game as kids and young adults. You know, outside in the weather, not on Playstation!
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