Ugh, really?
The Ravens and Orioles have not been able to resolve a scheduling conflict that could force the Ravens onto the road for their Thursday Night Football season-opening game, per a league source.
There is a tradition that the Super Bowl-winning team opens at home on Thursday night. That’s a desirable game for the champions because it’s a celebration of their season and allows for longer rest before their Week 2 game.
The opener would be scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5, but the Baltimore Orioles, who play next door and share parking lots, also have a game slated for that night at 7:05 p.m. versus the Chicago White Sox.
One option the league considered was for the Ravens to play on Wednesday night, but decided against it because that’s the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
The other option for Thursday night would be that the Orioles would move their game time.
The league source said the “least desirable” option for the Ravens to open on the road.
The Ravens’ opponent is expected to be announced Monday at the NFL owners meetings, but the conflict could delay the process. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to speak on the subject with the media later today.
This disgusts me. While it may “smell like” Peter Angelos, without knowing all the details I’m not just going to blindly blame the Orioles owner. Apparently both commissioners – Bud Selig of MLB and Roger Goodell of the NFL – have been involved in the process, and a compromise still has not been reached.
Already, Ravens fans and Orioles fans (many of whom are BOTH) are taking sides on Twitter and Facebook.
For example:
How incredibly disappointing.
The O’s and Ravens have built up a ton of goodwill over the last several months, with players from both teams attending the other’s games, and the Oriole Bird waving a Ravens flag during the Super Bowl victory parade:
Above, Joe Flacco, Ed Reed, and Ray Rice wear “BUCKle UP” shirts last October
I may be a bit of an idealistic Baltimore fan – I want every Ravens fan to be an Orioles fan and vice versa, though I know that obviously isn’t the case. People are fans of teams for all sorts of reasons that go beyond geography and civic pride.
There are Ravens/Yankees fans (gross).
There are Redskins/Orioles fans (ew…but, understandable).
Hell, there are even Orioles/Steelers fans (the WORST).
Still, I can’t “choose” between the two teams when you ask me “who do you love more?”
I love both of my Baltimore teams, and watching B’More fans take sides between the Ravens and O’s leaves me with a sick feeling in my stomach. It’s especially bad when it’s over something that seems so incredibly avoidable, like this scheduling conflict.
The Ravens deserve the PR that comes with hosting the season opener following a Super Bowl win.
The Orioles should be flexible – to a certain extent – but they shouldn’t be overly inconvenienced.
If the two sides can’t work something out – and the Ravens do indeed lose the chance to host the season opener at M&T Bank Stadium – both sides come away looking incredibly bad, in my mind.
Get it figured out, and play ball, for crying out loud.
