ExtremeRavens Posted 10 hours ago Posted 10 hours ago The Ravens will celebrate the team’s 30th anniversary at Sunday’s home opener against the Browns. Cleveland radio host Andy Baskin considers the timing of the event to be “a giant middle finger” to Browns fans. “I just think it’s kind of horse you-know-what that they’re doing this against the Browns,” Baskin said Tuesday on “Cleveland’s Talking Heads,” a show on 92.3 The Fan. “I understand that they probably wanted to do it in their season opener, and I get that, but did you really have to pick the Cleveland game to do this? You want to talk about poking the bear on this one.” Baskin takes exception to celebrating the 30th year of the Ravens’ existence against the Browns. In 1996, Browns owner Art Modell moved the franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. The team’s name was swapped from Browns to Ravens, and the Cleveland Browns franchise returned in 1999 as an expansion team with different players. Since returning in 1999, the Browns have just three 10-win seasons. They have more winless seasons (one, 2017) than AFC North titles (zero). “It’s such a wound because we haven’t had success since then,” Baskin said. The Ravens have won a pair of Super Bowls since their creation in 1996, and they’re the AFC North favorite this year despite an 0-1 start. “The problem I have with the whole thing is, I care, people my age care, anyone that rooted for the Browns more than 30 years ago cares,” Baskin said. Baskin suggested he can’t be the only Browns supporter who feels the same way, although his cohost, Jeff Phelps, pushed back on Baskin’s idea. Phelps didn’t feel the timing was mean-spirited, but rather a scheduling coincidence that put the Browns in Baltimore for the franchise’s home opener in the Ravens’ 30th season. “What a bunch of clowns the Ravens are,” Baskin said. “Yes, good organization. Yes, we love Ozzie [Newsome] for what he did in Cleveland, but did they really have to pick this game to celebrate their 30th season?” Planned celebrations for the franchise include pregame recognitions of the first Ravens season in 1996 and a halftime show featuring franchise legends. Fans attending the game will also receive a “Ravens Forevermore” flag commemorating the team’s 30th season in existence. “They should’ve spent 30 years in prison for this,” Baskin said. “Ravens Forevermore” is a brand campaign the team plans to use throughout the 2025 season. “Our 30th season is just the start,” Ravens senior vice president of marketing Brad Downs said in an August news release. “The Ravens have solidified themselves as a pillar of Baltimore sports over the last three decades, and this year’s team is excited to add to that remarkable legacy.” “The next line should be, ‘the legacy of how we stole a team from Cleveland the same way Indianapolis stole a team from us,’” Baskin said. The Baltimore Colts, of course, moved to Indianapolis in 1984 in a move that surprised and angered Baltimore football fans. For Ravens fans, Sunday’s game offers a chance to reminisce. Not only about the start of the franchise, but also about its quarterback lineage. The Browns named Joe Flacco their starter ahead of the 2025 season. He famously won a Super Bowl in Baltimore before being replaced by Lamar Jackson. The switch worked well for the Ravens, as Jackson has won a pair of MVPs as the Ravens’ signal-caller while Flacco has bounced around franchises as his career winds to an end. Jackson, however, is still looking for his first Super Bowl. The Ravens are big favorites Sunday, favored by 11 1/2 points over the Browns. “Man, I hope the Browns stick it right to them this weekend,” Baskin said. “I’ve never wanted them to win more than I do this week.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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