It’s tough to root against your home town team especially when they are playing their bitter rival. But I have to admit that was exactly what I was doing on Sunday.
No, I haven’t had a momentary lapse of reasoning and no I didn’t get any Hines Ward jammies for Christmas. What I had hoped for was a loss that could have been a big long-term win and I didn’t care if the loss came against the Steelers. Besides, does anyone really think that the Ravens’ win over the Steelers was meaningful? The only value it brings is that we don’t have to talk about the Ravens 10 game losing streak come September.
As for the April draft, the Ravens will get the eighth pick and since Mike Tice won’t be drafting ahead of the Ravens, they will get the eighth overall player (remember the 2003 draft?). But that pick could have been the sixth pick or better. Had the Ravens lost to Pittsburgh they would have been tied with Atlanta, Oakland and Kansas City with identical 4-12 records courtesy of opponents with a winning percentage of .516.
Think a few slots in the draft don’t make a difference?
WRONG!
In 1998 just one pick ahead of Duane Starks the Jaguars selected Fred Taylor. Fast forward to 2000 when the two picks prior to the Ravens selecting Travis Taylor with the tenth overall pick were Plaxico Burress and Brian Urlacher.
Whatever pleasure you savor from that meaningless and potentially damaging win against the Steelers will long be forgotten if the next Brian Urlacher is chosen by the New England Patriots one slot before the Ravens and they end up instead with the next Travis Taylor.
Recently I’ve received emails suggesting that I am a Brian Billick basher. I once received emails claiming that I was a Brian Billick “hugger†although that wasn’t quite the word used by one emailer. Actually I am neither.
I like Brian Billick. I just don’t like him coaching my favorite team any more. I appreciate what he did. I once admired his style. He was a breath of fresh air after the mealy mouthed Marchibroda Administration. Now he’s nothing but hot air and unfortunately the players hear or feel the same.
The Ravens need a new face and a new voice and a new slate. Billick grew stale by the end of October when all of the hype surrounding the Ravens would amount to nothing more than that. His time has come and gone. Thanks for the memories. I hope that as time goes on Billick is remembered more for the skillful way he led during the 2000 season than for his inability to assemble a consistently effective offense here in Baltimore.
Many have wondered how Steve Bisciotti could just a week or so ago give Billick an endorsement and the thumbs up on his return in ’08 only to reverse field on New Year’s Eve. Sorry, but I don’t think it went down that way. From what I hear, Bisciotti wasn’t too happy after the Colts debacle back on December 9. In fact that could be the understatement of the decade. Imagine your $600 million investment being an embarrassment on a national stage.
My guess is that around that time, Bisciotti watched very closely and paid attention to the way in which the team carried itself. He was looking for clues as to whether Billick had lost the team. Injuries aside, it’s hard to find even an average team effort in the games against the Dolphins and Seahawks.
Yet even after those substandard efforts (and I use the term loosely) I still think that Bisciotti was prepared to give Billick one more chance although he publicly never gave such assurances to Billick. But something happened and what exactly went down isn’t really all that important. What is important is that whatever happened, it must have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back and it finally persuaded Bisciotti to do the right thing – FIRE BILLICK!
So where do the Ravens go from here with their coaching search?
Some have said that the brewing public battle between Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer is the prelude to Lewis looking for a return to B’more. Others say the next Ravens head coach already calls Baltimore home – Rex Ryan.
I say pass on both!
Marvin Lewis did not win Super Bowl XXXV. The Ravens defense did. He didn’t do anything magical. It was a vanilla defense played beautifully by very fast, aggressive and physical athletes.
Rex Ryan is too close to the Billick culture. If you are going to cut the head, the body has to go with it and Ryan is part of the body. He’s an outstanding assistant and it’s possible, perhaps even probable that he could be a very good head coach. But not here, not now.
The Ravens need a completely fresh approach and I’m afraid the Ravens defenders have ruled the roost too long. Ryan’s appointment to HC would only extend that rule and it’s not working.
This will be an interesting off season…
Photo by Sabina Moran
