Baltimore Sun: Ravens-Redskins not your usual preseason bore-a-thon

[Stugein]

Is it really a rivalry when only one half of the parties involved care?

I don't think so.

[Kindred]

As much as their fans/media want to create a rivalry, I simply dont believe anything exists between the teams themselves. As for myself, I wont forget this:

So as far as I'm concerned, there is no "rivalry" there. Their fans should focus on teams in their own division, and I wish them well.

[tthorsen5]

you're right in my neck of the woods bro. I just moved to Abingdon, HARCO.

Welcome to HARCO. Its good to have another skins fan in the area. We need more B & G here instead of all that purple..

[BobDigi]

ahhhhhhh im gonna be at the beach this weekend and will most likely miss the game...

i hope zorn doesn't get booed but i feel like its definitely gonna happen.

[darklight1216]

The Ravens may not be our "rivals" but I certainly want our first team offense and defense to finally show up for a game against them. Like it or not the Ravens have been a perennial AFC powerhouse consistently for almost ten years now. We on the other hand, have been the laughing stock of the league outside of Gibb's two playoff seasons. The Redskins need this "rivalry" more than the Ravens do because we have something to prove. They've already proven that they can knock us in the mouth on national television. In 2004 (SNF) they got that big punt return from Deon Sanders of all people, and a sack/ strip/ fumble return for a TD that made Mark Brunell and Ladell Betts look stupid. In 2008 (SNF) they got the strip/fumble return for a TD against Portis, and beat up JC all night long. I've never been more embarrassed than watching us just get outmatched by them., even in the preseason last year they ate chunks out of our first team defense, and Michael Oher pancaked Ronaldo Wynn like a *****.

You don't think that the Steelers "home game" in Washington was worse?

I see what you're saying, but who cares if we look better than them in a preseason game? Yes it would be nice for our first team offense and defense to come out firing like that did last week, but what does it matter? There isn't a trophy given out at the end of preseason to the best team.

Yes they've made us look bad lately, but do you really think CP is going to go out there and try to run over people? This is the same Portis who hates playing in the preseason. Do you think McNabb really cares that much that the last time he played the Ravens he got benched. McNabb is on a completely different team now and still took the Eagles to the playoffs that year. Yeah maybe its a friendly rivalry between the guys that went to "The U", but that's all it is. Like I said, how many rivals play each other once every 4 years?

It really is all a marketing ploy to get fans from DC and Baltimore to care about a preseason game. If we win what does it mean? Our first teams looked good against the Patriots' first teams last year, how did that work out? The Lions went 4-0 in the preseason in 2008, how did that work out? Bottomline is that its just a preseason game between 2 teams that are close in proximity. Yeah it would be nice to beat the Ravens, but until there is something more at stake between the 2 teams, there is no rivalry.

Preach it!

[RedskinsNation]

I dont see how a rivalry can exist in this situation (preseason game) when the results are going to mostly be based on the performance of BACKUPS (2nd, 3rd & 4th string players).

Trust me, I despise the Ravens...but losing 42-17 or winning 42-17 wont make me feel any sortof joy outside of knowing we escaped the game injury free.

ITS THE PRESEASON, BRAGGING RIGHTS SHOULD NOT EXIST!! LOL.

[authentic]

Welcome to HARCO. Its good to have another skins fan in the area. We need more B & G here instead of all that purple..

no doubt

[authentic]

Huh? Sure, "The Redskins are ALWAYS the first team talked about on local news stations", as long as those local news stations emanate from DC.

The Sun prints multiple articles each day in-season and provides an occasional blurb on the Redskins. The Post does the complete opposite. The local broadcast stations (WMAR, WBAL, WJZ and the little guys) cover Ravens throughout the week, and don't mention the Redskins until a 10 second spot on Sunday nights, if at all. DC local broadcast stations do the complete opposite. MASN carries Ravens programming, and CSN carries Redskins programming.

What are you talking about?

You're right. I think he was just talking about Comcast SportsNet which is based out of Bethesda (Metro. DC).

[The Full Monty]

We will get a sense of how good our 3-4 run defense is because the Ravens will have a steady dose of Ray Rice and McGahee, behind a young and solid o-line, and they'll try to run it run down our throat because that's their identity, even with Flacco developing.

This will be a real test.

[Godfather151981]

Lol wow they have some idiodic fans. The one who thinks 7*7=42 lol. Then the other saying he thinks the Skins used to have a big rivalry with the Steelers because we were close lol. There are some ignorant Ravens fans.

I think he was probably referring to the fact that we used to play the Steelers in a scrimmage before preseason even started. I used to have no issue with the Steelers, but when they won the Super Bowl and their fans got arrogant I started rooting against them.

[Godfather151981]

Now the NFL is obviously going to keep matching us up against each other in the preseason and its a game the Redskins need to measure themselves by. So no it may not be a traditional rivalry, but don't dismiss it like it means nothing to our players or team. You think the Giants and Jets or Eagles and Steelers dont know that they're both good teams vying for NFL supremacy when they play each other each preseason? No their not rivals but they sure do take it personal, just look at Eli Manning's head. Clinton and Santana always come up short to Ray and Ed when the "U" go head to head in these skins vs birds games. You think Ray and Ed dont tell them how soft the Skins are? That's a friendly rivalry in itself. So it may not mean much to local fans, but it sure as hell needs to mean something to our team.

Teams are responsible for making their own preseason schedule (aside from games such as the Hall of Fame game and overseas games), much like college football coaches make their own non-conference schedule. I'm sure the league has to approve it and physically schedule the game with refs and so forth to make it official, but the Redskins chose their opponents mutually with that other team. It kind of makes sense for them to play the Ravens each season, alternating the site (I assume next season we'll play them in Baltimore like we did last season). It makes for each team to not have to travel too far to play every other year, and sure it probably does add a bit of interest for the fans. If we happen to play them in the regular season that year then I would see not playing them in preseason. The Ravens just played the Carolina Panthers last week and they play them again (in Carolina) week three of the season; that's pretty poor scheduling on the part of both teams. If you generally play things "close to the vest" in preseason anyways, how much closer to the vest are you doing to play it against a team that you'll play for real down the stretch? How can you properly evaluate talent?

[darklight1216]

We will get a sense of how good our 3-4 run defense is because the Ravens will have a steady dose of Ray Rice and McGahee, behind a young and solid o-line, and they'll try to run it run down our throat because that's their identity, even with Flacco developing.

This will be a real test.

The first real game will be the real test.

Teams are responsible for making their own preseason schedule (aside from games such as the Hall of Fame game and overseas games), much like college football coaches make their own non-conference schedule. I'm sure the league has to approve it and physically schedule the game with refs and so forth to make it official, but the Redskins chose their opponents mutually with that other team. It kind of makes sense for them to play the Ravens each season, alternating the site (I assume next season we'll play them in Baltimore like we did last season). It makes for each team to not have to travel too far to play every other year, and sure it probably does add a bit of interest for the fans. If we happen to play them in the regular season that year then I would see not playing them in preseason. The Ravens just played the Carolina Panthers last week and they play them again (in Carolina) week three of the season; that's pretty poor scheduling on the part of both teams. If you generally play things "close to the vest" in preseason anyways, how much closer to the vest are you doing to play it against a team that you'll play for real down the stretch? How can you properly evaluate talent?

Carolina is fairly close, so it was probably just convenient to play them. It was the first pre-season game and the Ravens don't care what the Panthers do, they're looking at the Ravens in the first fake game. It's probably the same way for the Panthers too.

[Santana_89]

Is it really a rivalry when only one half of the parties involved care?

I don't think so.

bingo:D

[Godfather151981]

The first real game will be the real test.

Carolina is fairly close, so it was probably just convenient to play them. It was the first pre-season game and the Ravens don't care what the Panthers do, they're looking at the Ravens in the first fake game. It's probably the same way for the Panthers too.

You're probably right. The way I see it, we should play the Ravens in preseason every season, along with teams such as the Patriots, Jets, Steelers, Browns, Bengals, Dolphins, Jags, etc. Those are all close enough to where it's not a huge hassle for other side to travel. Why we're hiking all the way to Arizona for the last preseason game this year is beyond me.

[THEREALTOR1]

Why we're hiking all the way to Arizona for the last preseason game this year is beyond me.

Maybe coaches want to see how we respond in road games after a long flight.

[ChampSkinsFanatic]

Its a rivalry for some of us, I work in DC full of an office of Baltimore commuters "Ravens this Redskins suck that" It has always been a big deal for me when we beat the Ravens. Players like Lavar understood the rivalry, especially with that whole Comcast Sports Net sharing thing.

[Taylorfan2179]

Ravens fans truly make me hate baltimore. I used to like it, hell Im an o's fan. but seriously, screw the ravens and screw baltimore.

[Godfather151981]

Ravens fans truly make me hate baltimore. I used to like it, hell Im an o's fan. but seriously, screw the ravens and screw baltimore.

We're thirty miles apart from each other...for crying out loud WE'RE ALL THE SAME PEOPLE!!!

[Mista T]

We're thirty miles apart from each other...for crying out loud WE'RE ALL THE SAME PEOPLE!!!

:doh:

You hit the nail on the head. I have dozens of friends who are Redskin fans, even some relatives. I hang around them at bars, and at tailgate parties. Except for some drunken strangers who may have excess testosterone, I don't dislike any Redskins fans. They are my friends & neighbors who are just a little misguided about which team represents their home state of Maryland and which team represents DC.

Team ownership is a different story. Jack Kent Cooke was public enemy #1 for blocking expansion with his phony Laurel stadium. Dan Snyder is an arrogant jerk - but his wrecking of your franchise over the past dozen season evokes sympathy for Redskins fans, not animosity.

And, the Sunpaper and other media stories notwithstanding: most Ravens fans today have only casual interest in the Redskins, if any: i.e. once every four years and the almost-annual exhibition games or scrimmages. Memories of Cooke have faded, and, unlike the 50s and 60s, the annual Baltimore-Washington regular season game is no longer played.

[Godfather151981]

:doh:

You hit the nail on the head. I have dozens of friends who are Redskin fans, even some relatives. I hang around them at bars, and at tailgate parties. Except for some drunken strangers who may have excess testosterone, I don't dislike any Redskins fans. They are my friends & neighbors who are just a little misguided about which team represents their home state of Maryland and which team represents DC.

Team ownership is a different story. Jack Kent Cooke was public enemy #1 for blocking expansion with his phony Laurel stadium. Dan Snyder is an arrogant jerk - but his wrecking of your franchise over the past dozen season evokes sympathy for Redskins fans, not animosity.

And, the Sunpaper and other media stories notwithstanding: most Ravens fans today have only casual interest in the Redskins, if any: i.e. once every four years and the almost-annual exhibition games or scrimmages. Memories of Cooke have faded, and, unlike the 50s and 60s, the annual Baltimore-Washington regular season game is no longer played.

In the 50's and 60's the Colts and Redskins were in the same division, so that's a bit different in my opinion. The Laurel stadium was just plain stupid, and quite frankly it wouldn't have surprised me had many of the southern Skins fans converted to Panthers fans had they moved there. I was happy when the Ravens won the Super Bowl because I felt that it essentially finished the righting of an old wrong with the Colts leaving like they did.

[Mista T]

In the 50's and 60's the Colts and Redskins were in the same division, so that's a bit different in my opinion.

Not to quibble, but, prior to the NFL splitting into 4, then 6 divisions (reorganized to merge with AFL) in the late 60s, our team was in the Western Conference, along with the Packers, Rams, 49ers, Bears, Lions. The Redskins were in the Eastern Conference, along with the Giants, Eagles, and IIRC the Steelers.

The annual game was part of the territorial compensation to the Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall, for allowing a team 40 miles up the road. It was played once a season in the fifties and sixties, alternating between the two cities home stadiums every other year. My Dad took me to Colts games as a little kid .... I have a very faint remembrance of attending a game in Griffith Stadium, and more distinctly remember attending a couple of games at DC/RFK stadium.

[RedskinsNation]

If the Skins/Ravens played one game a year flip flopping home/away....then it could be considered a rivalry. Until then its a "leap year rivalry"...and non existent really.... since we only play once every 4 years. It doesnt mean they dont hate us, and some of our fans dont hate them....but in terms of an On-Field players vs players rivalry it doesnt really exist.

[MattFancy]

If the Skins/Ravens played one game a year flip flopping home/away....then it could be considered a rivalry. Until then its a "leap year rivalry"...and non existent really.... since we only play once every 4 years.

Pretty much. Here's a question, when you think of rivalries in sports, what teams do you think of?

Redskins/Cowboys

Yankees/Red Sox

Michigan/Ohio St

North Carolina/Duke

Patriots/Jets

Packers/Bears

Ravens/Steelers

Chargers/Raiders

Cardinals/Cubs

Dodgers/Giants

What do all those have in common? 1) They play in the same division (in the case of college, conference) 2) they play at least once a year 3)they're games have a direct effect on each teams' season.

So its hard to consider the Ravens rivals when 1) we don't play in the same division or conference 2) we don't play every year and 3) losing/winning 1 game against the Ravens wouldn't have a direct effect on our season

[authentic]

We're thirty miles apart from each other...for crying out loud WE'RE ALL THE SAME PEOPLE!!!

Yeah, thats the dirty little secret that no one wants to accept. But people would rather stick thier chest out and get all self-rightous by talking wreckless of another city thats so close to you.

[Godfather151981]

Not to quibble, but, prior to the NFL splitting into 4, then 6 divisions (reorganized to merge with AFL) in the late 60s, our team was in the Western Conference, along with the Packers, Rams, 49ers, Bears, Lions. The Redskins were in the Eastern Conference, along with the Giants, Eagles, and IIRC the Steelers.

The annual game was part of the territorial compensation to the Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall, for allowing a team 40 miles up the road. It was played once a season in the fifties and sixties, alternating between the two cities home stadiums every other year. My Dad took me to Colts games as a little kid .... I have a very faint remembrance of attending a game in Griffith Stadium, and more distinctly remember attending a couple of games at DC/RFK stadium.

Hmmm...I never knew that. My Dad always said that the Colts were in the NFC East along with the Skins, Eagles, and Giants (prior to the Cowboys). He's not the biggest stickler for details, so it's possible that he forgot. You learn something knew everyday I guess.