The Baltimore Ravens held an open practice for fans along with honoring local military members on Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium.
For many fans this was their first up close look this season at the reigning Super Bowl Champs and a chance to see the latest upgrades to M&T Bank Stadium.
I had an opportunity to speak to several fans about their experience on Sunday to get an idea of how fan-friendly the event was including new security policies put into place this upcoming season.
Here is what they had to say:Â
Jamie Clafferty
“The concession stands are bright and very easy to read. The columns in the thru way are probably the coolest new touch with the purple lights.”
Joseph Mummert
“So I have to say the new stadium is awesome! The food is so much better and has a lot more options. The security I think still needs improvement. I saw a lot of people get past the guards. The autograph policy was great letting only the younger kids get new the players. They even roped the area off to prevent the adults from getting near. I must say the players looked great really impressed with Justin tucker who to me is the next Matt Stover, I think the offensive line and wide receiver need a bit more practice but so far look good, and our defense especially Chris Canty looked amazing!”
Kim Davis
“The new features are amazing, security was great however autographs are only allowed for kids between the ages of 6-14 which I think is a little unfair. The players were amazing, always waving and smiling at the fans when they saw themselves on the big screen. Would I go again, well yes!”
Samantha Beekman
“It was nice, except there wasn’t as many vendors and family things to do as there was last year. Also they didn’t run the air conditioner anywhere so it was hot. The players looked good. D-line looked really strong. Plus the players seemed really energetic and happy to be in front of there fans on the field. Flacco and Suggs took the time to wave to the fans and come to the sides numerous times, which I thought was really sweet because for a lot of the people there it was probably the only opportunity they’ll have to be at the stadium this season. The new food looked and smelled AMAZING everywhere from all the new food stands.”
Shannon Finch
“The new features of the stadium are great. I loved the video board in HD, as well as the big photos of the of Suggs & Oher. Security did their job well, even answered a few general question my friends & I asked. I wish autographs were available for more than just children, since we knew there was no chance of us getting an autograph we left an hour before it ended. Overall I enjoyed being able to see the players & coaches run different drills. I appreciated the commentary explaining each part of practice.”
As everyone knows by now the Ravens decided to move training camp from McDaniel College back to team headquarters at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland. Team owner Steve Bisciotti has done his best to allow fans to see the team up close and personal with open practices at the Naval Academy and M&T Bank Stadium. The team even holds a lottery now where fans are picked at random to watch the team practice on certain days at the Castle.
While the tradition of training camp at McDaniel College has been lost , the Ravens do plenty for the fans throughout the season to make up for it.
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