632 replies to this topic

[bmore_ken]

I think all the bitching show people care.  I don't see any apathy, but that is JMO.

I agree. Maybe with one or two people, but that's about it. 

[Ravens2006]

Apathy is running rampant. Apathy is worse than anger. Anger means you care at least.

Ticket sales and re-sales are tough these days, and have been for several years now. I don't know that I would say apathy is rampant, but the passion is certainly down a little.

I rant about Harbs horrendous game management all the time, so I'm sure this comes across as extreme bias, but regardless... I think he has gotten stale. A new face / voice / personality there could at least temporarily reignite a little more fire in fans. Results would determine how long that lasts though...

Also there was something to be said for having that brash, loud, highlight reel, big clutch play making defense for so long with Lewis, Suggs, Reed, etc. Offense gets a team the casual, national fan interest. The Monday morning shouting heads shows rave a lot more about the big TD than the big sack or INT or forced fumble. Overwhelming hard hitting defense bores the casual watcher, but damn does it light up a home crowd. I would like to see Hamilton and Smith take on a little more of that Lewis and Reed on-field persona, waving on the crowd and all. Not saying they can be the same players (though Roquan is close, only the rules are different now)... but I think the home games are more appealing and exciting when you have "that" defensive attitude.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

RoQuan is an absolute dog. The defense gives this team a chance to beat anyone. Its the offense that is inconsistent and underperforms.

[jamesdean]

I hopefully won't get to the apathetic stage but I sure am irritated and frustrated after that debacle in Pittsburgh.  Totally unacceptable for their talent level and they should be 5-0.  They should never lose to the Titans either but knowing the dysfunction of this team, 3-3 heading back to the states is a very real possibility. 

[Mike B]

The Pittsburgh game was a disgrace.  Poor Oline play, dropped passes, special team issues etc.  The Ravens IMO are a much better team than the Steelers.  It is time to pull things together and begin to play well.  I am worried about how they handle playing in London in what is the third week of a 3 week road trip.  I think the Ravens rally and win this week, but it will be tough.

[ivanbalt]

The Pittsburgh game was a disgrace.  Poor Oline play, dropped passes, special team issues etc.  The Ravens IMO are a much better team than the Steelers.  It is time to pull things together and begin to play well.  I am worried about how they handle playing in London in what is the third week of a 3 week road trip.  I think the Ravens rally and win this week, but it will be tough.

Since the last couple seasons of Big Ben, the Ravens feel a need to bail out an inferior Pittsburgh at least once a year with turnovers and horrible coaching decisions.

[Mike B]

Since the last couple seasons of Big Ben, the Ravens feel a need to bail out an inferior Pittsburgh at least once a year with turnovers and horrible coaching decisions.

Most of those games were played by the Ravens with depleted rosters, and Tytler Huntley playing QB.   I got over those, but last week, the Ravens were far the better team.  The Ravens should have been up 3 TD's going into the third Q.  Every phase of the team failed last week.  I sat and watched the game and for 50 minutes, I thought Lamar was terrific.  The last 8 to 10 he was awful.  A disgraceful performance by the players and coaches.  

I am getting over it.  Hopefully they take it out on the Titans.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Ticket sales and re-sales are tough these days, and have been for several years now. I don't know that I would say apathy is rampant, but the passion is certainly down a little.

I rant about Harbs horrendous game management all the time, so I'm sure this comes across as extreme bias, but regardless... I think he has gotten stale. A new face / voice / personality there could at least temporarily reignite a little more fire in fans. Results would determine how long that lasts though...

Also there was something to be said for having that brash, loud, highlight reel, big clutch play making defense for so long with Lewis, Suggs, Reed, etc. Offense gets a team the casual, national fan interest. The Monday morning shouting heads shows rave a lot more about the big TD than the big sack or INT or forced fumble. Overwhelming hard hitting defense bores the casual watcher, but damn does it light up a home crowd. I would like to see Hamilton and Smith take on a little more of that Lewis and Reed on-field persona, waving on the crowd and all. Not saying they can be the same players (though Roquan is close, only the rules are different now)... but I think the home games are more appealing and exciting when you have "that" defensive attitude.

I haven’t had an issue selling any tickets when I had to

[BSLChrisStoner]

The Bank: Previewing Week 6 vs. The Titans In London

https://podcasters.s...-London-e2ahdas

[NewMarketSean]

I haven’t had an issue selling any tickets when I had to

I have had to significantly lower the asking prices for most teams. The Steelers are really the only games I can make money and even then it's not much the few times I've sold those games.

 

I'm not at the apathy level but these kinds of losses have an effect for sure, and not just me.

 

Plus we're 30 years into this franchise's existence. The mediocre play these last few years doesn't help fan motivation. If 2019 had been the start of an exciting KC or BUF level run the place would be sold out and rocking every game.

 

The product on the field dictates the fan interest. Right now we're not delivering it.

[BaltBird 24]

Tickets were in fairly high demand from basically the beginning of the Harbaugh era up until after the Kubiak season then the apathy set in.

Then it peaked in 2019. 2020 was obviously the covid ruined season then I think the barrage of injuries in 2021 and 2022 just killed enthusiasm.

[cprenegade]

I do believe there is a degree of apathy that has set in regarding the Ravens.  It's not a scientific thing, more an eyeball test.  I'm sure people who attend the games would disagree.  I'm going more by bar talk, office talk, family and friends and just people I know like neighbors.  It's not hard to figure out.

 

First, most of the sports excitement around town has been sucked up by the Orioles, rightly so.  Despite the big egg laid in the playoffs, they were an exciting team of young players who played the game because they loved playing it and they played for the team.  Last year it started to turn around and this year they delivered a 101 win season.  And they did it without any drama, without any infighting.  It was just a bunch of young players who played hard every inning night after night.  Most comeback wins in the league this year says it all.  They refused to give up.

 

Second, every year since 2019 some prognosticator has picked the Ravens to win the SB.  And every year whether it was injuries, bad play at clutch times, or bad coaching they have failed to even come close to that.  Last year they had bad losses against Jacksonville and the NY Giants.  This year after 5 games they've already had 2 bad losses.  And that comes after an offseason of drama that turned quite a few fans against Lamar Jackson who was probably the most idolized sports figure in Baltimore just 3 years ago.  Lamar can still turn it on and break some ankles, but he also seems to have a knack for throwing that bad pick or fumbling in a close game.  The receiving group looks no better this year than last despite being overhauled.  Quite simply put, many fans have seen this movie before and just aren't really excited about what will probably be the ending.  

 

So yeah, I do see some apathy at this point regarding the Ravens.  

[Slidemaster]

I do believe there is a degree of apathy that has set in regarding the Ravens. It's not a scientific thing, more an eyeball test. I'm sure people who attend the games would disagree. I'm going more by bar talk, office talk, family and friends and just people I know like neighbors. It's not hard to figure out.

First, most of the sports excitement around town has been sucked up by the Orioles, rightly so. Despite the big egg laid in the playoffs, they were an exciting team of young players who played the game because they loved playing it and they played for the team. Last year it started to turn around and this year they delivered a 101 win season. And they did it without any drama, without any infighting. It was just a bunch of young players who played hard every inning night after night. Most comeback wins in the league this year says it all. They refused to give up.

Second, every year since 2019 some prognosticator has picked the Ravens to win the SB. And every year whether it was injuries, bad play at clutch times, or bad coaching they have failed to even come close to that. Last year they had bad losses against Jacksonville and the NY Giants. This year after 5 games they've already had 2 bad losses. And that comes after an offseason of drama that turned quite a few fans against Lamar Jackson who was probably the most idolized sports figure in Baltimore just 3 years ago. Lamar can still turn it on and break some ankles, but he also seems to have a knack for throwing that bad pick or fumbling in a close game. The receiving group looks no better this year than last despite being overhauled. Quite simply put, many fans have seen this movie before and just aren't really excited about what will probably be the ending.

So yeah, I do see some apathy at this point regarding the Ravens.

I go into every season with the mindset of "Maybe this team is the one."

Then they have a game like last week and it's obvious they aren't a real threat to win anything, and I kind of lazily pay attention the rest of the year.

Once they tell me who they are, I listen.

[makoman]

I go into every season with the mindset of "Maybe this team is the one."

Then they have a game like last week and it's obvious they aren't a real threat to win anything, and I kind of lazily pay attention the rest of the year.

Once they tell me who they are, I listen.

I don't think it's that simple. The 2012 team lost to an Eagles team in week 2 that would go 4-12. They got destroyed in week 7 by a Texans team that was going to be one of their big AFC rivals. A Charlie Batch led Steelers team then beat them in week 13, to start a 3 game skid that included yet another big AFC rival, the Broncos, also destroying them. You should have tuned out that team long before the playoffs.

 

The 2011 team, I think we all think could have been a Super Bowl winner. They got dismantled by a really bad Jaguars team in week 7. They lost to mediocre Titans, Chargers, and Seahawks teams.

[jamesdean]

I'm just not the apathetic type when it comes to football.  I look forward to it too much.  I guess the only thing that would cause me to stop caring would be an epic losing streak, where the season is virtually lost and that hasn't happened since 2007.  Even then, I stayed interested because I was actually hoping they would keep losing so that Billick would be canned at the end of the season.  I will admit that the bloom on the rose isn't quite as bright as it was when Lamar stepped on the field for the first time.  That was an amazing time to be a Ravens fan as the dreary, black and white world of Joe Flacco turned into technicolor as Action Jackson began to revolutionize the sport. 2019 was just about the perfect season to be a fan as the Ravens were not only beating teams but destroying them.  Then came the crushing and shocking loss to the Titans in the playoffs and honestly, it hasn't been the same since.  A lot of the excitement for the fan base died that day.  What's always annoying about this team is they never quite play up to their level of talent.  Injuries have been a major factor but even when relatively healthy, they never seem to play complete games.  There's always something about each game where you want to put your foot through the TV or just sit there shaking your head in disbelief.  It never seems like a particularly smart team and you begin to expect something bad is going to happen on any given play.  Or at least, that's how I feel.  It's like there's something missing in recipe that's making it taste slightly off.  Is that on Harbaugh and the coaching staff?  Perhaps but ultimately, I still think it comes down to the players and how they perform each week.  In any rate, I'll keep watching and even after last week's disgraceful debacle, I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning.  

[russsnyder]

Obviously a tough one to pick.

Ravens win 23-20

[cprenegade]

This is a tough game to pick.  I just don't know what Raven's team shows up.  If the game was in Baltimore, I'm on the Ravens.  Even if it was in Tennessee I might go Ravens, just with a little less confidence.  But being in London I really don't know.  Both teams have only played over there once.  Tennessee lost a close game to the then San Diego Chargers 20-19 after going for two on the last play of the game.  The Ravens only trip to London was a disaster, losing 44-7 to Jacksonville.  

 

Raven's should win this game, but Tennessee has the same bounce thing going as the Ravens.  They play well, then they don't.  Tennessee isn't very good, but they play physical.  I really can't pick this game.  The Ravens are the better team, but something is missing.  They just don't have the look of a team that can consistently win games.  Going 3-2 against the QBs they have faced is pretty weak.  It's really hard to predict week to week what this team is going to do.  I like the under tomorrow because I think the Raven's defense is solid, the Titans defense will play physical, the Titans offense is not very good, and the Ravens offense is totally inconsistent.  It could very well be a very boring 16-13 game.  And who has the 16 is a question mark.  

[jamesdean]

I almost hate trying to predict any Ravens game.  Baltimore obviously has more talent and should win by at least 10 points but we all know that means little.  What I am banking on, though, is that Tennessee didn't arrive in London until Friday which I think is kind of foolish on their part.  It takes more than a couple of days to get your body acclimated to such a drastic time change.  It may turn out to be irrelevant but I'm glad the Ravens got there much earlier.  Other than that, it's imperative they stop Henry in his tracks.  If they do that and force Tannehill to beat them, they should be on their way to victory.  But the turnovers have to stop and the receivers need to catch the damn ball.  Bottom line, it's hard to believe the Ravens can play two consecutive games as badly as last week.    RAVENS 24; TITANS 13

[PrimeTime]

I almost hate trying to predict any Ravens game. Baltimore obviously has more talent and should win by at least 10 points but we all know that means little. What I am banking on, though, is that Tennessee didn't arrive in London until Friday which I think is kind of foolish on their part. It takes more than a couple of days to get your body acclimated to such a drastic time change. It may turn out to be irrelevant but I'm glad the Ravens got there much earlier. Other than that, it's imperative they stop Henry in his tracks. If they do that and force Tannehill to beat them, they should be on their way to victory. But the turnovers have to stop and the receivers need to catch the damn ball. Bottom line, it's hard to believe the Ravens can play two consecutive games as badly as last week. RAVENS 24; TITANS 13

I love that score. I just need something sports related to go right. It's been a crappy week.

[PrimeTime]

I need disciplined football. No turnovers on offense, no special teams gaffes and if the Ravens can those 2 things, they should cover the 5.5 easily.