This Sunday is a HUGE game for the Baltimore Ravens, so expect to see an even larger sea of purple than usual in Downtown Baltimore this Sunday.
Why is this such a big game? Because the Indianapolis Colts will be in town. The Colts used to be the Baltimore Colts until they picked up and moved in the middle of the night to Indianapolis in 1983. The city of Baltimore was devastated, and even more hurt when the team name was taken as well, as if they never existed in Baltimore. (Meanwhile the Baltimore Colts were named after Baltimore’s horse breeding tradition, so the name made little sense in Indy.)
The city remained NFL teamless until Art Donovan moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in 1996. Unlike the way things went before, Donovan left the team name in Cleveland, so that when they got a new team, that city could continue to have their legacy.
In 1996, The Baltimore Ravens became Baltimore’s home team, and purple has ruled the town since. But that age old hurt comes back whenever the blue & white & the horseshoe come into OUR hometown with a different city name.
So as you see the waves of purple on Sunday, understand the significance and pride behind the city of Baltimore in wearing it. I expect to be hoarse on Monday because I will be screaming my lungs out in support of our Ravens!
Living in Indy I still find it hard to believe that everyone still talks about the Colts up rooting to move from Baltimore to Indy. It’s been 25 years. I grew up where the Colts initially had summer training camp. I remember as a young kid talking to the players while getting their autographs. All the players said how they where so excited to actually have fans come out and support them, that the people of Baltimore had stop going to games and practices.
On the bright side you’ve got a great team now. If we could get Ray Rice or Ray Lewis then I could definitely understand some pain.
It was a great game, but still GO COLTS!
Jeremiah, I am not originally from Baltimore, so I wasn’t here for any of it. That being said, my mother is, and my husband’s family is. They don’t feel as strongly about it, but it is amazing how many people do.
Baltimore is a very unique place. They love hard, and they hurt hard. Grudges don’t leave easily, and history is as much of the present as the present is! 🙂
And I must disagree — GO RAVENS! 🙂
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