About Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Fran Vojik has been a contributor to the Ravens24X7 site since 2005, first as a regular on the "Letters to T.L." page, then as the author of the Fran the Fan column. A huge Orioles and Ravens fan, he defines the term “homer.” A former season ticket holder of the Baltimore Colts, he now roots on the Ravens from his corner end zone seat in M&T Bank Stadium. His work makes him a regular traveler to various MLB and NFL cities and he’s watched both the Birds and Purple and Black in a variety of away stadiums. He brings a passionate and humorous perspective to the world of professional sports. Born in Highlandtown, and a graduate of Calvert Hall College and the University of Maryland, he lives on Furnace Creek in northern Anne Arundel County. He and his girlfriend, Sandy, have recently renovated his Man Cave, known as the “The Sports Palace," which contains many mementos from the Colts, Ravens, and Orioles. On days the Ravens play at home, Fran can usually be found tailgating at the Baltimore Fire Fighters Union Hall Local 734 , supporting the organization’s Widow’s and Orphan’s fund.

Younger to be sure, certainly faster, hopefully better

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

The Ravens have certainly been busy since the Super Bowl, with the entrance of One Winning Drive assuming the look of a revolving door. The organization lost several veteran players, mostly on defense, including Raven icons and sure Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. 15-year veteran center Matt Birk retired and there are holes in the linebacking, safety, and offensive line positions. Critics – both inside and outside the organization – have repeatedly said that the team had to get younger. Here’s a list of ex-Ravens who have, … Continue reading →

A family feud goes public

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

It was reported in the Sun over the weekend that Joe Unitas, the son of the Baltimore icon John (by his second marriage), will produce a film on his late father entitled “Unitas We Stand” and that current Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has agreed to portray Unitas playing football in the final scenes depicting the Colts’ 1958 championship game victory. On first blush, you have to be somewhat amused by the choice. Flacco looks nothing like Unitas. He’s a good 4-5” taller, probably 40 pounds heavier, the hair color is wrong, and … Continue reading →

Confessions of a Ravens Worry Wart

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Ravens fans barely had a chance to bask in the glow of a second Super Bowl win before the team was seemingly dismantled, right before our eyes. After Joe Flacco signed his cap-friendly contract, I had visions of the Ravens extending Anquan Boldin, resigning Dannell Ellerbe, Ed Reed, and Bryant McKinnie, and cutting Vonta Leach, Brendan Ayanbadejo, Jameel McClain and Mount Cody, all the while bidding a fond farewell and best wishes to Cary Williams, Paul Kruger, Ray Lewis and Matt Birk. Only the last four transactions happened. Not only … Continue reading →

Now the real work begins

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

The NFL offseason is underway and the Ravens brass is already three weeks behind most teams in the planning for 2013 and beyond. Steve Bisciotti and Ozzie Newsome have already said they will not revisit the mass contract extensions and restructuring of veterans that happened after Super Bowl XXXV. Fans will remember after the 2001 season that the Owings Mills complex looked like a slaughter house, as so many veterans had to be cut to get under the salary cap that the Ravens were left with only 34 players remaining … Continue reading →

Flacco Leaving the Ravens is Pure Science Fiction

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

A Writer’s Fantasy S.I.’s Peter King ignites an internet furor over Joe Flacco’s future with the Ravens In his Sports Illustrated.com column Monday morning, senior NFL writer Peter King ignited a fire storm of speculation concerning whether the Ravens will or will not pay, will or will not or franchise, Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. It quickly made cannon fodder for many NFL analysts, web sites, and cable shows. After listening to the Ravens State of the Team press conference, King decided that Ozzie Newsome, while declaring the Ravens were … Continue reading →

Time to Add Another Trophy to Harbaugh’s Mantle?

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Cleaning out the Closet It’s been a week since that fantastic Super Bowl win and the glow still lingers. While we continue to wait for Jim Harbaugh to publicly congratulate his brother on winning Super Bowl 47 here are a fan’s insights on the season, the playoffs, and the Super Bowl. I think there are 3 events that enabled the Ravens fabulous run to the Super Bowl: 1) the firing of Cam Cameron, 2) The foot injury to Jah Reed, and 3) The game-tying TD pass to Jacoby Jones in … Continue reading →

Super Bowl Media Day Meanderings

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

In honor of Super Bowl Media Day, here are some takes on recent football stories as well as the latest Ray controversy. News Item: Patriots coach Bill Belichick blows off the AFC Championship post-game interview with CBS’ Steve Tasker. It goes unnoticed until the Hoodie is pointedly called out by Shannon Sharpe on the CBS post game show. A Fan’s Take: Long version – its bull when Belicheat apologists insist that fans should expect nothing more from the notoriously taciturn Hoodie. Short version – sore loser. Second Take: Considering that … Continue reading →

Football’s First Family

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Jack, John, and Jim are football’s new first family How proud must Jack Harbaugh be? To have his two sons coaching against one another in the world’s premier football event must give him and his wife Jackie an immense sense of pride. What they have accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary. For the first time ever, two brothers will lead their teams against one another in Super Bowl XLVII on February 3rd. I’m betting it won’t be the last time, either. The Harbaugh story is very familiar to all Ravens … Continue reading →

Fran the Fan: Deja Nu

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

We’ve been there before, but it’s not going to be a repeat of last year. After a late season slump that saw the Baltimore Ravens lose four of their last five games, fire their offensive coordinator, get blasted, at home, by another Peyton Manning-led team, reconfigure the offensive line, and get some walking warriors back on the field, the Purple & Black have finally put it all back together in a late season push that has them on the brink of Super Bowl XLVII. What can a fan say that … Continue reading →

One Last Dance

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Nobody does it better Today’s game will be 150% on the emotion meter. It would have been awesome enough to see former Ravens Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano return to the Purple Vault as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, fresh off a scary, but successful battle against leukemia, but even that remarkable event has been superseded by the imminent retirement of Mr. Raven, Ray Lewis. Both will make this an unforgettable event. Regardless of how one feels about seeing the old horseshoes back in town (there are still tons of … Continue reading →

Here Come the Nay-Sayers

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

The Ravens did well to rest their starters – as long as it doesn’t backfire on Sunday As Tony Lombardi so aptly noted in his game column (The Good, the Bad, and the Megan Fox), the Ravens closed out the 2012 regular season by playing their 5th preseason game of the year, closing out the 2012 regular season with a 23-17 defeat in Cincinnati. I had no problems with John Harbaugh resting the walking wounded. When I saw the text of the Ravens inactives on my cell phone I realized Harbs … Continue reading →

Who Do You Want for a Ravens opponent in January?

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

The outcome of 4 AFC Games this weekend can have a significant impact on the January playoff schedule. The Jekyll and Hyde Baltimore Ravens did it again. Forecast as a 2-3 point home underdog and picked by most national analysts to lose the game, the Ravens put together 60 minutes of solid football to easily beat the New York Giants 33-14 last Sunday and send the defending Super Bowl champs to the brink of an early off season. The victory allowed the Ravens to clinch the AFC North for the … Continue reading →

Consecutive losses may have been blessing in disguise

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers

It’s finally happened. After five years of increasingly predictable and unimaginative offensive football, the Baltimore Ravens stepped up and gave their fans an early Christmas present by removing Cam Cameron from the Offensive Coordinator’s position. Now maybe the angry phone calls to Baltimore sports talk shows and irate columns by internet bloggers (like mine) will ease up. I’m officially declaring an armistice. The blogosphere is full of comments over what happened and why. There are indications that an argument ensued on the sidelines between Cameron and John Harbaugh that continued … Continue reading →

Reality Check Time for Ravens

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

The Ravens finally ran out of horseshoes For the better part of this season the Baltimore Ravens have been playing and winning with horseshoes. Not the kind the Baltimore Colts left behind when they moved to Indianapolis 28 years ago. Lucky horseshoes. It has made for a storybook season so far and, to this point, the ‘shoes have been mostly ringers and leaners. How else do you explain the wins against New England, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Diego – all games the Ravens arguably should have lost? But horseshoes … Continue reading →

Embracing “winning ugly”

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

I’m a convert; winning ugly works for me The best part of Sunday night’s victory over the Steelers was beating them in their own house. The second best thing was watching the Ravens walk off the field with Terrible Towels draped over their heads. The third was kissing good bye to the stupid bumble bee uniforms for another year. Talk about hard to look at….My eyes started to water looking at those uniforms. But, thankfully, the Ravens escaped Pittsburgh with a three-point win and a huge two-game lead in the … Continue reading →

Ravens can take command of the division this weekend

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Did everyone enjoy that laugher last week against the Raiders? It’s a maxim that west coast teams don’t play well on the east coast at what is really 10 AM their time. True to form, by the middle of the second quarter the Raiders had already mailed it in and were looking for their airline boarding passes. As soon as the Ravens got their 55th point, it was out of the seats and down the exit ramps for me, with over 12 minute left in the game. The organization had … Continue reading →

The Jekyll and Hyde Ravens are perplexing – and vexing – to watch

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

I give up. I cannot figure out this year’s version of the Ravens. How can they tear apart a semi-decent Browns’ team for 15 minutes, then go to sleep for two and a half quarters? How can Joe Flacco be spot on (10 for 10) for two series, then play like he couldn’t hit the side of a garage door? Cam Cameron crafted an efficient and time-consuming game plan that disappeared from the middle of 2nd period to the middle of the 4th. Where did it go? There were only two … Continue reading →

Ravens play down to their competition…AGAIN!

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

A Disconcerting Trend It’s been 4 days since the near-debacle at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and I still can’t get the bad taste out of my mouth. What should have been a cakewalk against a 1-3 Chiefs team that, incidentally, should have been 0-4, turned into a nail biter. It’s hard to believe that in the 21st Century two NFL teams could play 60 minutes of football in picture-perfect weather and not score a touchdown. And throw only 45 passes TOTAL between the two teams. If that had been any … Continue reading →

An Instant Classic

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Hollywood Couldn’t Write This Script In what could be argued as being the most pulsating, heart-stopping game in M&T Bank Stadium history, the Baltimore Ravens snatched victory – by the smallest of margins and by the merest of inches of a goal post upright – from the jaws of defeat as they finally bested their long-time regular season nemesis, the New England Patriots. At first I wasn’t sure the game would even be competitive. When word broke late Sunday morning that Torrey Smith had lost his brother the night before, … Continue reading →

Flacco “Elite” talk is wasted breath

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

News and Notes from a Fan’s Perspective A Tale of Two Joes The Talk of Flacco as an Elite Quarterback is Useless & Counterproductive Elite: Noun. (Often used with a plural verb) Persons of the highest class. Only the elite were there. Adjective: The choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons. He’s one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. Elite can be an objective or subjective term, sometimes defined with data and statistics, other times as what is simply in the … Continue reading →