Poll: As a Skins fan, Should I hate the Ravens and Why?

[skinsarethebest]

Observation so far: Well, it seems that Skins fans (as a group as a whole) are pretty much split 50/50 regarding whether or not they hate the Ravens, but the key difference being MD Skins fans seem a LOT more likely to hate the Ravens, while VA Skins fans are much more likely to pull for them. DC and out-of-town Skins fans are about evenly split in this.

[skinsarethebest]

Observation so far: Well, it seems that Skins fans (as a group as a whole) are pretty much split 50/50 regarding whether or not they hate the Ravens, but the key difference being MD Skins fans seem a LOT more likely to hate the Ravens, while VA Skins fans are much more likely to pull for them. DC and out-of-town Skins fans are about evenly split in this.

Which also makes sense, b/c it seems that the farther away you get from Ravens FANS, the more able you are to tolerate the team.

[Hail Gibbs]

I live in MD and I hate the Ravens b/c of their fans hatred of the Redskins. At first I was indifferent to the Ravens but their fans hatred for the Redskins, usually for very weak reasons, is why I hate them.

I do admire how they run their team though, and I like Biscotti. Reading next man up gave me a respect for Biscotti. Plus he is a Terps fan.

[MLSKINS]

Apparently, you've been more blessed than I have. The Steelers fans I know are the most obnoxious people you will ever meet. More arrogant and less knowledgeable than Cowboy fans.

Really???

Most Steeler fans I talk with knew tons of football, even the women (I am not saying women don't know football.) Now of course I ran into some Steelers who are annoying, but you saying that they are more arrogant and less knowledgeable then Cowboy fans is unbelievable.

[Mista T]

I will flip this discussion to provide the opposite perspective.

I grew up a Colts fan, indifferent to the Redskins. If anything, I was sympathetic to their (and the Senators' ineptitude). I never rooted for the Redskins, but I did respect their teams successes under George Allen and Joe Gibbs.

I met my first Redskins fans in college -- they were pretty cool, just envious of the Colts success. Then I hit the workplace in metro DC, and began to truly loathe Redskins fans' attitudes. The Colts were winning championships, while all they would do was tout Jurgensen's stats and cheer the few Colts losses. When the Orioles lost to the Mets and the Colts to the Jets, Redskins fans were literally having smak parties in the offices. I never appreciated where they were coming from -- jealousy or just plain meanness?

The low point for me was when Jack Kent Cooke conspired with Tagliabue to block Baltimore's expansion bid with the bogus Laurel Stadium proposal. We had the best offer on the table, but instead Jacksonville got the team, and now covers up 10,000 seats to avoid not selling out.

Today, I find Redskins fans to be not as obnoxious as in the past. Maybe because I work from my house and no longer mingle with them in the workplace, or maybe because the Redskins fans have improved. Many of my social friends are Redskins fans, who behave themselves, even the week prior to the Ravens-Redskins game. It's moreso a problem with Redskins fans on our message boards. I moderate several Ravens message boards: we have to remove as many or more Redskins flamers who violate anti-smak rules than those of any other team except the Steelers. What's funny is that many of y'all claim to be be indifferent to the Ravens, yet bombard our boards. Odd.

As to:

Ravens fans talk all this **** about the Redskins, but half of those cowards were probably rocking the burgundy and gold a few years ago. I have no respect for them, or the purple jerseys they wear.

I know literally hundreds of Ravens fans. I know of only one who flipped from being a Redskins fan. Few if any former Colt fans supported the Redskins after the Colts were stolen. A major complaint was having Redskins game broadcast on baltimore TV stations. ..... I just watched college football for those 12 seasons without the NFL.

I initially had no ill will toward the Ravens. I liked the way their team was built and their defense was always one to covet.

But then, in the last year I've read and heard more about Ravens fans being hateful towards us for no reason in particular.

Sorry, there's plenty of reasons. Arrogance of at least some Redskins fans. Flaming our message baords. How many here have stated that the Ravens are not a rival, yet 5,000 Redskins fans showed up in Baltimore, many of whom were pumped up at your tailgate parties about getting bragging rights in Maryland for the next 4 years.

Ravens fans just like to pick a fight with everyone to make people want to care about their little purple existence when in reality no one is gonna care about a 12 year old franchise the way they care about teams that have been around for 70 plus years.

That's hysterical. Most of the country today care a lot about that team with the 12 year existence making a Cinderalla run at the Super Bowl. Players like Reed, Lweis, Suggs, and Flacco do get a lot of national attention. Seriously, how many outside of Metro DC care about your team today? Sammy Baugh was one of the NFL's all-time greats, Billy Kilmer was one of the toughest, and the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry was a classic, but that's all ancient history now.

Of course, this pendulum will swing back when the Redskins inevitably contend again and the Ravens fall off. But it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of time that your team moved from Boston -- 70 years in irrelevant.

And they are confused. In a local ad for celebration of the 1958 Championship game between the Colts and the Giants, they had a "Then" half with Unitas and a "Now" half with Flacco. Shouldn't Manning be in the other half lol. I know that makes them sick and I just laugh at them.

The one who is confused is you: John Unitas and Joe Flacco played for Baltimore. Manning plays for the Irsay franchsie in Indianapolis.

[Bang]

If you live in Maryland you should hate them.
1. Because national companies only seem to notice that Baltimore is IN Maryland when ordering their NFL gear, our stores are flooded with it. Finding Redskins gear is increasingly more difficult. I once went to the Sports Authority in Landover,, I could literally see Fedex field from the parking lot, and there were 4 Ravens Jerseys to every one for the Redskins.

2. When the Browns came to Baltimore, our illustrious governor Parris Glendenning gave Art Modell a quarter of a BILLION dollars to relocate the team. 250 million bucks out of our treasury. Did we get a vote?
No we did not. Do we now have to look at gambling to fund our SCHOOLS?
Yes. Yes we do.
How is this related?
well, a quarter BILLION dollars isn't a small sum. Add to that the taxpayer money that built the stadium. Add into that the clause that gave Modell 100% of the revenue from parking, concessions and other stadium services.
Oh, and the Ravens don't pay any tax in Maryland on the money they earn, thanks to the nice litle deal Modell got. Oh, and guess what? The Orioles have a clause n their contract with the state that says that if any other professional sports team in Maryland gets a better deal than they do, then their deal is changed to equal it.
So now Peter Angelos doesn't pay any taxes on the Orioles either.

How much has the Ravens cost us? It's over a billion dollars by now and since they never pay tax, that number will only go up.

Now, to top it alllllll off.. three years later Modell cried that he was broke, and was forced to sell the team.
Where did our money go?
How does one go broke with those kinds of gifts?

Who knows, but Modell did. A quarter BILLION of OUR money, gone up in smoke with absolutely nothing in place to help recoup any of it.

If you live in Maryland and you own a home, your property tax has gone up roughly 6% because of the Ravens ALONE.

I wouldn't mind so much if we'd have had a vote on it. If we had, and the people spoke and said "Give Art Modell all of our surplus", then so be it.
But no, we did this the old fashioned way, and each of us here in MD has paid and will perpetually pay the price for it.

~Bang

[dcnativenerd]

Good point, Bang. When the Ravens moved into town, my folks were still together and we were living in Maryland. My mom and I had a discussion about Baltimore sports recently and she remembered how livid she and my dad were when Governor Glendenning pulled that on the State.

[joejccva71]

I don't hate the Ravens, but I'm not a fan of them. In fact, there are only 2 teams I thoroughly hate and thats the Cowboys and the Steelers. With that being said, I have the utmost respect for Reed, Lewis, and Harbaugh and I'm pulling for them to win the SB this year.

All this "I hate the Ravens, because their fans hate us" crap is childish and some people really need to wake up and smell what they are shoveling.

[Hail Gibbs]

I don't hate the Ravens, but I'm not a fan of them. In fact, there are only 2 teams I thoroughly hate and thats the Cowboys and the Steelers. With that being said, I have the utmost respect for Reed, Lewis, and Harbaugh and I'm pulling for them to win the SB this year.

All this "I hate the Ravens, because their fans hate us" crap is childish and some people really need to wake up and smell what they are shoveling.

How is it childish? I have had to deal with years of unprovoked, poorly reasoned hatred towards the Skins from Ravens fans on a daily basis. Their fans in my area treat the Redskins as if they are bitter rivals. Not quite something that will endear someone to a team. I don't see how that is childish.

[Mista T]

If you live in Maryland you should hate them.
1. Because national companies only seem to notice that Baltimore is IN Maryland when ordering their NFL gear, our stores are flooded with it. Finding Redskins gear is increasingly more difficult. I once went to the Sports Authority in Landover,, I could literally see Fedex field from the parking lot, and there were 4 Ravens Jerseys to every one for the Redskins.

2. When the Browns came to Baltimore, our illustrious governor Parris Glendenning gave Art Modell a quarter of a BILLION dollars to relocate the team. 250 million bucks out of our treasury. Did we get a vote?
No we did not. Do we now have to look at gambling to fund our SCHOOLS?
Yes. Yes we do.
How is this related?
well, a quarter BILLION dollars isn't a small sum. Add to that the taxpayer money that built the stadium. Add into that the clause that gave Modell 100% of the revenue from parking, concessions and other stadium services.
Oh, and the Ravens don't pay any tax in Maryland on the money they earn, thanks to the nice litle deal Modell got. Oh, and guess what? The Orioles have a clause n their contract with the state that says that if any other professional sports team in Maryland gets a better deal than they do, then their deal is changed to equal it.
So now Peter Angelos doesn't pay any taxes on the Orioles either.

How much has the Ravens cost us? It's over a billion dollars by now and since they never pay tax, that number will only go up.

Now, to top it alllllll off.. three years later Modell cried that he was broke, and was forced to sell the team.
Where did our money go?
How does one go broke with those kinds of gifts?

Who knows, but Modell did. A quarter BILLION of OUR money, gone up in smoke with absolutely nothing in place to help recoup any of it.

If you live in Maryland and you own a home, your property tax has gone up roughly 6% because of the Ravens ALONE.

I wouldn't mind so much if we'd have had a vote on it. If we had, and the people spoke and said "Give Art Modell all of our surplus", then so be it.
But no, we did this the old fashioned way, and each of us here in MD has paid and will perpetually pay the price for it.

~Bang

(1) Your sports store near Landover is selling more Ravens gear than Redskins gear because, at the moment, the Ravens are the more popular team due to playoff status. Relax ... Redskins gear will return next season.

(2) the stadium financing and your 6% property tax "analysis" is so wrong that it shouldn't be addressed. But I will!

The stadium in Baltimore was built with no State tax money. Period. It was funded completely by a sports lottery. No one put a gun to the head of any Marylander to purchase the lottery tickets. There is absolutely no correlation between a sports lottery and the property tax. Gimme a break.

Your stadium, however, did involve close to $100 million of state and local tax money, in the construction of the Arena Drive interchange and the Wilson Farms land acquisition.

[RedskinsNation]

The same reason that Orioles fans hate the Nats....an expansion team stealing your team's fanbase.

Not to mention, their fans are annoying, Baltimore is a filthy city, Ray Lewis is an idiot, etc.

Im with you bigtime.

I despise every team involving the city of Baltimore and the Maryland Terps actually.

I would literally skip watching the SB if it were to be the Ravens vs. Eagles....that would be torture knowing one of them has to win.

I HATE THE RAVENS. It really BLOWS that the Titans gave that game away...now every other day there is some sort of RAVENS-RELATED topic on the damm board. Please Pittsburgh....end the raturds season..ive never wanted anything more in my life.

[youngestson]

For me, the Ravens as a team are just part of the background noise in the NFL.

I don't notice them expect for some major hype or events.

The fans on the other hand.... them I am rapidly growing to hate. The typical seventh city mentality of Baltimore has rubbed off on these folks rendering them perpetually obnoxious. Seriously in need of a life.

If I don't care about the Ravens, why do they care so much about hating the Skins?

[BigRay]

I don't hate the Ravens, but I'm not a fan of them. In fact, there are only 2 teams I thoroughly hate and thats the Cowboys and the Steelers. With that being said, I have the utmost respect for Reed, Lewis, and Harbaugh and I'm pulling for them to win the SB this year.

All this "I hate the Ravens, because their fans hate us" crap is childish and some people really need to wake up and smell what they are shoveling.

How is that childish? Do you work with Raven fans ? I have a whole office of them and they are annoying as hell they continue to throw thier one fluke superbowl win in our faces on daily basis.


They always coming up to us Redskin fans saying well the Ravens going to the superbowl this year where are the deadskins ?

I mean come on they are a bunch pathetic, annoying, band wagon jumping idiots. I think they have the Cowboys fan base beat.

At least with some Cowboy fans you can carry on a very good conversation about football with Raven fans no way.

[More Complete]

From VA and hate them. Purple is one of my least favorite colors and I've never cared for MD in general.

[rgibbs]

I have serious issues with Ray Lewis. He should be doing hard time instead of living the good life. He's such an arrogant son of a biscuit.