Why the Ravens?

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Named after a mythical bird in a famous poem, the new NFL team in Baltimore became the Ravens "evermore" team on Friday, March 29, 1996.
"In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore; Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; ...Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

--Edgar Allan Poe, 1845

The naming process for the expansion Baltimore NFL team began in mid-February, as soon as owner and president Art Modell received permission from the league office to move his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. One of his first actions was to approach the Indianapolis organization about their mascot "Colts," but Indy team officials refused to part with the name.

After extensive research, exhaustive panel discussions, focus groups, and fan polling, the name Ravens continued to surface at the top of all lists. In the end, it truly was the Baltimore football fans who named their new team.

But the process took almost two months.

Art's son, David, then-assistant to the president, met with NFL Properties officials to discuss naming possibilities. The initial list was whittled down from several hundred to a mere 17.

"The first promise we made was that we'd bring this back to the fans in some way," said David. "That was important to us."

A focus group was selected by a research firm to start the call to action. The group consisted of three divisions, each representing Maryland-area residents. The age ranges were 25-35 and 35-45. One group consisted of casual fans, while the two others were strong NFL fans.

Each focus group member was required to answer a questionnaire and to listen to some play-by-play tapes using the different nicknames. The main group was then divided into six smaller groups and asked to rank their top five picks.

Two names appeared on all six lists: the Ravens and the Colts. The Ravens was listed first three times, the Colts twice, and the Bulldogs once.

The Modells took the process a step further by partnering with The Baltimore Sun to get more voters and host one more poll.

The Sun's finalists poll began on March 28 and lasted approximately 24 hours. Then names on the ballot were: Ravens, Americans, Marauders, Mustangs and Railers. Each name was subjected to a random telephone poll.

On March 29, team officials gathered with then-Mayor Kurt Schmoke and former Governor Parris Glendening at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater in Baltimore to make the announcement:

The name Ravens was over the top.

The Baltimore Sun announced a record-breaking 33,748 callers telephoned their votes to Sundial, a then-popular feature of the newspaper where readers would interact and express their opinions. The tally: Ravens 22,463, Americans 5,635, and Marauders 5,650.

"The name Ravens won the Sundial poll, and the name tested very well," said David. "It's a strong nickname that is not common to teams at any level, and it means something historically to this community."

At noon, on Wednesday, June 5, the team announced its colors: black, purple and metallic gold. Ravens QB Vinny Testaverde, DE Rob Burnett and WR Michael Jackson, who were in attendance at the March naming event, were the first players to model the Ravens' uniforms at the Inner Harbor Gallery Mall

Side bar on Poe: Poet and spooky short-story writer Edgar Allan Poe moved here with his wife, Virginia, and her mother, Maria Clemm, in 1846. The hope was that the country air would do the sickly Virginia some good. It didn’t; she died of tuberculosis in the downstairs bedroom in 1847. Walking through the cramped and spare interior today lets you see how the poor lived in the 19th century—under low ceilings (smaller rooms are easier to heat) and with few furnishings. Virginia’s deathbed, a rocking chair, and a cloudy mirror on display at the house all belonged to the Poe family. This was still the author’s address in 1849, when he died under mysterious circumstances in Baltimore.
Fast forward to 2023, and an update. I met Dirty Pat, his son, Patrick, Jr, and their friend Mark at the Super Bowl in Nawlins (Niners lost to the cheating Ravens at the Superdome). But we had a great time and have remained friends. We have visited them in Annapolis several times. I also visited them in Bucharest, Romania when Dirty Pat was on a sabbatical. And he has been out here, visiting us in Clovis when he was handling a labor arbitration case. I visited previously for a Niner Ravens game (in a heavy, driving rainstorm) about 4 years ago. This time, we will actually root for the Ravens against the dreaded Seahens from Seattle. Dirty Pat has 50-yard line seats, directly behind the visiting team bench. I imagine we will give "Petey Boy" an earful. It will be great fun! And do not worry, I am sure we will get our fill of beer, oysters, Chinese food, and Dirty Pat stories. Maybe a tailgate party or two? I doubt many fans here will quote E.A. Poe. Maybe they do not even know who he is. Matters not, football is football, as John Belushi once said!

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