Today, on the eve of the Big Game (because you can't say Super Bowl...it's trademarked and copyrighted...oh, wait...shit)* I thought I might reflect on this years Ravens season.
I could only be happier if they had won the whole shebang.
I mean, let's face it. Nobody gave the Purple and Black any chance. Not with a rookie head coach. And then during the preseason when Kyle Boller got hurt and Troy Smith got really, really, really sick, they had the hand the keys to the offense to a rookie QB (albeit a first round draft choice) in Joe Flacco, one they were planning on having hold a clipboard his first season. Most experts pegged them as a 5 or 6 win team. Then, through a really bad break from Mother Nature, their week 2 game is pushed back to their bye week midseason, effectively not giving them a proper bye (they might not have played in Week 2, but they did practice normal because of the scheduled game).
So what do they do? They go 11-5 and make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Then, Joe Flacco becomes the first rookie QB in NFL history to win 2 road playoff games, including taking out the number 1 seed in the second round.
Then they got in to a out and out brawl with the Steelers in the AFC Championship game...a game that if you told me they'd be playing in back in September, I would have told you that you were being irrational...and ended up losing.
Am I disappointed that we didn't get to the Super Bowl? Sure. Do I think that diminishes the awesome that was this season for the Ravens? Heck no.
I do have to admit, though, it's really strange to be Wacko for Flacco. I mean, I'm a Towson alum and staff member. He came out of UDel. That's oil and water, folks. :D But I am Wacko for Flacco. With my birthday a month away (and the season only a month old) I asked Jessie for a Flacco #5 jersey. I then proceeded to wear it every Sunday until this past one, and I'll probably wear it when I watch the Super Bowl on Sunday out of general principle. Here's a shot of me and Erin (she's wearing Ravens gear too!) the first day I wore it.
So we didn't win it all. It was still a great run, a great season. I'm proud to be a Ravens fan after that season.
*This is SO a joke my father would make. One of his fav's was "go get me something out of the refri...refrid...re...ref...the icebox. I have to say icebox, because I can't say refrigerator."
