I say Steve Gets It

[vmax]

Ravens fans are winning this off season.

 

Let me start with a True story.

I had 4 seats for a 15 game Orioles plan for years. Then one night at the park with my kids in 1999, I went to buy them a soda and a hot dog. Not much. It was $50.

The O's were stinking it up, I'm looking at players who can't field,...hitting in the low 200's..... and making millions a year.

Now I loved baseball. I know what good baseball looks like. I grew up on Brooks, Palmer, McNalley, .....I would go to 20-30 games year and listen or watch 100 of them. Since I was a kid.

So I'm sitting there in this boring game, watching a franchise that can't field real ball players and getting more pissed by the minute that I'm helping to fund Guys who can't hit, field and execute the fundamentals of the game. I literally thought I had SUCKER written on my shirt.

Didn't renew the ticket plan.

Go to maybe 2 games a year. Don't listen or watch much,

 

The NFL has been pushing me in that direction for the last few years.

The product is watered down and over priced.

The average Joe with a family really can't afford PSL's. How do you justify that? College tuitions vs massive $$$$$ for some games at the stadium. To watch a boring team find ways to lose.

Family comes first. Me last. (so I work my ass off so I can have some fun! )

But I can do other things with that money. Take a nice trip down to Charleston SC to visit my daughter comes to mind right away.

$149 for a jersey!

 

I want one but I can't justify it.

Looking back, I should have bought the jersey that you can put a name on 3 years ago..... and had SUCKER printed on it.... given the product that they put on the field. As each season ended my eyes burned and brain hurt.

 

But life goes on.

Change can happen.

Good change... if the right people are at the right place at the right time.

 

I'm optimistic right now.

I feel Steve gets it when I look at all they have done this off season.

Across the board we have seen a lot of change.

Apologies to the fans. Huge effort to reach out to us, listen to us and respond. GOOD!

Free agency was good.

Cutting all the dead weight...good.

Stadium improvements good, but there are still not enough TV's on the concourse levels.

Concession prices slashed...very good.

Their draft...I'm excited.

 

They are feeling the heat. That is good.

 

Now...the next step is: Are the coaches going to grow and change too?

Or remain in the rut.

The defense is solid. It's a #1 priority to me. With very good D you have a chance to beat any team, anywhere.

Special Teams excellent.

 

It always comes down to the Offense.

They were OK when Ted was here and Kubiak. That's it.

There were some great offensive games over the years. Don't get me wrong. Games that I will never forget. I know them all.

Yet nothing consistent over the years except being inconsistent.

Last year was like hitting bottom.

 

I don't have much faith in Marty. He's been around long enough to see that he's way to slow to make adjustments. He doesn't develop game plans that exploit his opponents weaknesses. He advertises what he is going to do. I don't think he sees the game and has a feel for the flow. No killers instinct. He's textbook from a book everybody read.

 

Is there some kind of Viagra for him?

 

Anyway....2018 is off the a great start.

I'm excited again. It took an off season like this to bring me back. Wake me up.

One change wasn't going to do it.

 

I'd say Steve "Gets It:" and is making sure his people got it.

 

Edited May 18, 2018 by vmax

[papasmurfbell]

Give it time. Like Obama lots of talk of change but it will stay the same.

[tsylvester]

I think he is just pandering, his apology did not sound real, the only real thing he did was lower the cost of food. The up grades to video, big deal, you go to watch the game live, not on tv.... Escalators, took them long enough, but those things are not going to draw the Ravens back.

 

They pandered once again by signing a black washed up qb, then took a huge gamble by trading up for an "exciting player at the qb poaition, also black.

 

It's like bringing your black friends to a party to "prove" you are not racist.

 

It's adding a running qb, completely contrary to your offense, just because he is exciting.

 

Since so many think Joe stinks, if that is the case, then just like receiver, the Ravens will have never developed a qb either, so what makes people think they can now, with a truly raw talent?

 

The Biscutt gets it all right, he knows how to pull the wool over people's eyes with out them knowing...

[vmax]

Steve wants a fun to watch and winning team on the field every Sunday for the rest of his life.

He's a businessman and he's a fan like us.

He hates losing.

 

He's not pandering.

He's listening and responding and searching for ways to get better across the board.

I think that on the inside he's pissed and had enough.

He wants results as bad as we do.

 

[tsylvester]

On signing Colin Kaepernik; "pray for us".

 

Yeah, he gets it all right...

[papasmurfbell]

Are you really sure he hates losing? BC he has shown he is pretty cool with it the last several yrs. He just wants the money.

[oldno82]

Steve wants to win. Guys that build billion dollar businesses hate to lose at anything.

 

Let’s review all this in 2019 after this season does well with the new infusion of talent or implodes due to a bad front office.

 

We still need more data to reach a conclusion.

[papasmurfbell]

I think all 32 owners are billionaires. Many have shown winning is not that important to them.

[oldno82]

Well, I think Steve wants to win. He impresses me as a 'can do' guy.

 

Like I said, we'll all find out after this season. That's what makes this coming year so interesting.

[papasmurfbell]

He allows a lot of losing for a guy who wants to win.

[tsylvester]

Yeah, Steve gets it, allowing the front office to continually be up against the cap, face massive dead money because of bad contracts.

 

Allow the front office to make draft picks even the fans can easily see will not pan out.

 

Take "leaps of faith" with draft day projects when there are more developed players still available & at a position of need.

 

Allow the coaching staff to keep failing at developing players, the medical staff to keep failing to help players stay healthy.

 

One or two seasons of injury is one thing, but every year for the past almost decade?

 

Yeah, we as fans are "lucky" two Super Bowl Championships in 22 years, one catch away from a 3rd appearance, a missed field goal from over time away...

 

Nonetheless, after fleecing the fans with higher ticket prices, and exorbitant concessions prices for years only now, after another failed season where attendance has dwindled, does he try to lure them back.....

[papasmurfbell]

Yeah, Steve gets it, allowing the front office to continually be up against the cap, face massive dead money because of bad contracts.

 

Allow the front office to make draft picks even the fans can easily see will not pan out.

 

Take "leaps of faith" with draft day projects when there are more developed players still available & at a position of need.

 

Allow the coaching staff to keep failing at developing players, the medical staff to keep failing to help players stay healthy.

 

One or two seasons of injury is one thing, but every year for the past almost decade?

 

Yeah, we as fans are "lucky" two Super Bowl Championships in 22 years, one catch away from a 3rd appearance, a missed field goal from over time away...

 

Nonetheless, after fleecing the fans with higher ticket prices, and exorbitant concessions prices for years only now, after another failed season where attendance has dwindled, does he try to lure them back.....

I can't put the injuries on the medical staff. By all reports the Ravens have one of the best staffs in the league. The injuries are a lack of prevention. That is from a strengths and conditioning area. I am reading a biography on Parcells now. His first yr of coaching the giants he had 25 go on IR. He said that was unacceptable. HE brought in a new strength coach to stop that. The guy followed him to NE.

 

Other than that spot on.

[varaven45]

Max, I like and appreciate your enthusiasm and optimism. Juxtaposed to the woeful Os, the Ravens look like a juggernaut.

And like yourself, I’m one of those old Os fans that miss the glory days when it was a model organization. I have little confidence the Os will ever return to a model franchise. Plus, all the media (ESPN) cares about are teams with $500 M payrolls (NY,Bos). How can anyone want to watch that ?

 

With the Ravens and the Biscuit, however, I do hold out hope they can turn the ship around especially ina parity driven league. Plus, they at least have an owner who seems to care and is about winning. Perhaps we see that winning formula return soon although it might be a while. Time will tell.

[Tornado700]

I'm with you Max. Nothing wrong with a little hope. That is what all sports are about-hope.

 

Nice Job Max.

[papasmurfbell]

Hope is the exact same thing as wishing.

[tsylvester]

The O's fans have hope every spring and by summer, it is gone with the wind...

 

I "hope" this team isn't turning into O's part II

[oldno82]

I didn't have any hope for the Birds this spring...not enough moves to strengthen the team

 

At least the Ravens did make moves.

 

I think Steve gets it but I think he also has downward loyalty.

[papasmurfbell]

The O's fans have hope every spring and by summer, it is gone with the wind...

 

I "hope" this team isn't turning into O's part II

 

 

I didn't have any hope for the Birds this spring...not enough moves to strengthen the team

 

At least the Ravens did make moves.

 

I think Steve gets it but I think he also has downward loyalty.

I am seeing poor moves still being made.

[vmax]

 

 

I am seeing poor moves still being made.

 

Keep looking real hard. And don't forget to let us know every one that you find, as often as possible...like 20 times a day.

Edited May 30, 2018 by vmax

[papasmurfbell]

At least I don't make excuses for them.