Formation of Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens came into being in 1996, when Art Modell, the then owner of the Cleveland Browns, expressed his intention of relocating the franchise to Baltimore. According to the mutual agreement between the league and the city (Cleveland), Modell had to let go of the Browns’ name and color and form a new brand of the team. However, he was allowed to pick the players he wanted to bring along to Baltimore, where the formation of the new expansion team would be officially announced.
An Impressive Beginning
The Baltimore Ravens started off impressively by finishing their very first game season with a record of 4-12. The team played under the coach Ted Marchibroda, who had previously served as the coach of the Colts. The Ravens enjoyed an attendance of 64,124 at their first regular season match, which they won by defeating the Oakland Raiders. Their second win was against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Their additional victories were recorded against St Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 and Week 14 respectively. Although the team did not win the season but it garnered a lot of attention and applause. Their players Derrick Alexander and Michael Jackson broke the record of the 1000 yard receiving mark.
In the 1997 season, the Ravens finished with a score of 6-9-1. In October of the same year, the team travelled to Landover, Maryland for a match at the Kack Kent Cooke Stadium against their regional rivals, the Washington Redskins. Although it was their first official trip to Maryland, the confident and enthusiastic players defeated the Redskins by a score of 20-17.
In their third year (1998) in the NFL, the Ravens concluded the season with a 6-10 record. Within the same year in November, they welcomed the former Baltimore home team, the Colts to the city for a match. With Jim Harbaugh at quarterback, the Ravens were able to beat the Colts by a score of 38-31.
Major Achievements
Since the year 2000, the Baltimore Ravens have made a total of nine playoff appearances and won two Super Bowls, one in 2000 against the Giants and the other in 2012 against the 49ers. They won the Central Division AFC championship by defeating the Raiders (16-3). The Ravens also brought home the North Division AFC Championship trophy when they crushed the Patriots in the final by 28-13 in 2012. They also have two Wild Card Playoff wins to their credit.
Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers Rivalry
The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry is referred to as the greatest in football. The harsh exchange of words between the players and coaches, sarcastic public statements and to top it all some very interesting match turning moments have increased the level of excitement among the hardcore football fans. Since the Ravens are now once again set to play against their long time rivals, the event is making raves around the country.