Ravens training camp might stay in Owings Mills

[cravnravn]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-training-camp-might-stay-in-owings-mills-20111129,0,3253590.story

 

This would truly suck.

[vmax]

I can't believe they'd do it.

Steve needs to step in and say "Your doing camp in Westminster." He doesn't need to give them reasons. Rnd of discussion. It's his team.

[papasmurfbell]

Maybe Steve is making this call. It is a bad call whom ever it comes from. This is how you alienate fans.

[papasmurfbell]

http://www.wbaltv.com/sports/29908627/detail.html

 

They did it.

[cravnravn]

Its official, Ravens camp to stay in Owings Mills per text.

 

What a bummer

[papasmurfbell]

In time I think they will come to regret this call.

[papasmurfbell]

qweenofdiamonds Meghan

 

 

 

 

The #Ravens training camp move seems like something Peter Angelos would do. Not cool, Ravens!

 

 

Well stated.

[cravnravn]

Its ridiculous, I thought Biscuit always stated that he cherished those memories of Westminster with the Colts?? Greedy bastard

[papasmurfbell]

Don't buy his beer and hotdogs. Make the call hurt him in the pocket.

[cravnravn]

Its more to it than that, prior to last year and the years we didnt have a team, I never recall not going to Westminster for camp, I want to say Ive been going out there since 1966, good gawd..I remember 1 year I think Westminster was redoing the fields and they had camp at goucher, that was great caus we lived in Parkville...

[vmax]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[papasmurfbell]

I am finding it interesting how many are cool with this call. They are basically saying that if the team is better then they are OK with this. Why assume the team will be better? I recall Billick liked it because he wanted thhe players away from outside stuff.

[oldno82]

I hate to see it but I understand it. Under the new CBA you only get one practice a day and you've got to have a facility that would support an indoor place to get away from summer storms.

 

I believe the Biscuit will have at least one outing to Westminster and M&T to somewhat make up for it.

 

But, I do miss the old days when the Old Colts were there.

[vmax]

This sucks so bad. I go 3 or more times every year.

This just moves the team behind a solid brick wall for the fans....forever.

 

And for the players on the other side of that wall?????

They now become that much less Baltimore and that much more univested professionals playing for a check.

 

Just get rid of the 12th man Steve. Get it over with.

[papasmurfbell]

We will see when and I do mean when something happens at home or out drinking after practice what people will think. When they are in the hotel or at the campus nothing bad can really happen.

[ForceEight]

I'm sorry, but it's not that big of a deal. Camp became nothing but a bunch of old men standing around waiting for autographs while kids were slammed against the fences all day long. The kid zone thing didn't help that at all.

 

I get the whole loss of a fan connection thing, but the folks being greedy in my eyes are the fans complaining, not the Ravens. There is not one meaningful reason, outside of tradition, to keep camp in Westminster. It became a huge waste of money.

[Dunno]

Terrible idea.

 

I get the point of making it easier to prepare for the season and that's probably true, but if you don't build a really strong rapport with your fans you end with a good team and few fans in stands (see this years version of the Bengals).

 

I don't think this will hurt the team in the short team (or as long as they are successful), but what happens when you don't have a strong connection with your fans and a losing season or two? Well, just look at the Jaguars as an example ... in the process of getting sold and moving away.

 

Like I said, terrible idea. Without a strong fan support, once the winning ends (and it will at some point) so does the local support and there are very few, if any, better ways to build a close relationship with fans, young and old, than what was available at Westminster.

[vmax]

I'm sorry, but it's not that big of a deal. Camp became nothing but a bunch of old men standing around waiting for autographs while kids were slammed against the fences all day long. The kid zone thing didn't help that at all.

 

I get the whole loss of a fan connection thing, but the folks being greedy in my eyes are the fans complaining, not the Ravens. There is not one meaningful reason, outside of tradition, to keep camp in Westminster. It became a huge waste of money.

 

Couldn't disagree with you more.

It shows that you don't go because it's not a bunch of old men trying to get autographs...the crowd is mostly young, lots of women and children...and us old guys happen to enjoy evaluating players and the team.

This past training camp none of us knew who looked good or who was developing...which units were going to be strong...We were totally in the dark relying on media reports.

It's the only shot most Ravens fans have to see contact up close...to see the players competing up close and it's terrific to watch it up close.

Not 10 miles away in the upper deck.

Not on a TV.

 

There's intangibles Force...the team-12th man connection which is a major factor in the Ravens great home winning percentage. There's a vital principle called 'Goodwill' that gets fueled by letting the fans connect with the team...and Unity and passion.

 

Money was a non issue...

"This is not a financial decision," Cass continued. "Because of our training camp sponsors and partners, we did not lose money going to Westminster."

 

And Damn!...you are so negative most of the time.

[deeshopper]

I'm sorry, but it's not that big of a deal. Camp became nothing but a bunch of old men standing around waiting for autographs while kids were slammed against the fences all day long. The kid zone thing didn't help that at all.

 

I get the whole loss of a fan connection thing, but the folks being greedy in my eyes are the fans complaining, not the Ravens. There is not one meaningful reason, outside of tradition, to keep camp in Westminster. It became a huge waste of money.

 

I disagree Force. My nephew's first Ravens experience was the training camp two years ago, when he was three. He got to see first hand how big these players were, and how hard they worked. We spent most of the practice throwing the ball around mimicking the players. We didn't seek out autographs (no way were we paying for that kid corral), but my nephew got to meet Ray Rice (a friend of the family), and now the only player my nephew knows is Ray Rice. When he had his choice of jerseys, he wanted the Rice jersey. It's a loss for a generation of fans that will never get to experience it.

[RavensDomination]

There are a bunch of old men trying to get autographs, but there are also a bunch of people just coming out to see their team up close and personal for nothing more than the cost of some gas. Check out the new rookies, see the player interactions. There were always a ton of kids too who loved watching everything. At the very least it was something fun to do with the family. This is just terrible that they are cancelling this tradition. The Ravens have always done the right thing in terms of fan relations, maybe this is the beginning of the end :/

[cravnravn]

I did both, spent the time looking at the talent ewwwing and awwwing at the great catches, the great tackles..I brought my 2 boys out there for the autographs..I got a Ray Lewis autographed jersey out at Westminster..Now who wouldnt cherish that??? I also have a Travis Taylor autographed football, that Im willing to trade with you all

 

This is what camps about!!!! the fans getting to know the players, and the players giving back to the fans.

 

And Force, you are full of shit!!!! Think about it, when I come to the ATM for a CAMP, where do I park, so theres 20.00, vending prices for water or sodas..theres another 20-30.00 where as at Westminster, I walk in with a cooler of bottled waters..Westminster cost me ZERO dollars, Westminster I had the big oak tree in the endzone for shade, I had the sideline tent area for shade where Max and I would do cat calls at Pinky Lombardi..

 

At the ATM Im going to give myself a stroke sitting out there in August, with no shade..Think of us old farts once in a while, afterall its us old farts, that take our young shitheads to football games and get them into the sport.

[TomTaylor]

RAVENS FANS.... THE FIGHT BEGINS HERE. JOIN US SIGN OUR PETITION TO GO BACK TO WESTMINSTER

http://www.gopetitio...r-movement.html

http://www.facebook....306157872739609

[ForceEight]

And Damn!...you are so negative most of the time.

Love you too.

 

I'm not sure why Cass says that it's not a financial decision when it obviously is. Unless they're making this decision solely on the football idea that having an indoor facility there all the time is worth this change, I'm not sure what other motivation there could be.

 

But I'm still in the camp that this will blow over eventually. I don't think they'll open up the castle for the public, but I don't think anyone will miss camp in the long-term. I don't think it's a good idea at all, but (Cass' comment notwithstanding) I understand why it would be done, and I'm not totally against it; I'm just not so gungho about the intangible fan connection that you guys are talking about. And, for what it's worth, I've been easily 40-50 times, and I'm only 22.