There’s no Baltimore-based sporting event that draws more local anticipation than the Orioles Opening Day (yes, that includes the Preakness that nobody cares about anymore). There’s literally weeks of anticipation that culminate in day -ong festivities, encompassing the entire city of Baltimore and the surrounding areas, and in my opinion, summoning the official kickoff of Spring (Puxatawaney Phil be damned!).
So I’ve gotta ask…
Why is it that the Ravens home opener garners so much less extravagance, excitement, and joy?
I’ll address the naysayers first (sup guys!):
I understand that the Ravens season really means a lot to you. It means the world to me as well! I invest my time, money, energy, focus, draft failures, new creative curse words, and Twitter fingers all to that cause. And yes, I do understand that the Ravens have a stigma of being consummate winners, while the Orioles have a longtime history of being perennial losers in the not too distant past.
Yes, I know we like the Ravens ownership and front office far more than we like the Orioles duo of Angelos and Duquette. But this argument is strictly about the first home game of the season, and the general fanfare that surrounds the town. In no way, shape, or form am I suggesting ‘nobody cares about the Ravens’ or that ‘The Orioles are a better franchise.’
Simmer. Down.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s regroup here and solve the riddle of why the Orioles Opening Day is ten-fold what we see for the Ravens home opener…
Perhaps the associations of the time of year play a major factor? After all, the O’s season takes us out of the dark, cold, miserable winter months, and brings us right into Spring, a warmer sun, and the hope of another 162-game season that could go in any direction (PECOTA be damned! I’m damning everyone & everything today). On the flip side, the Ravens season signals the end of summer, the start of fall, and the ensuing cold weather cycle all over again…
Maybe it’s Fantasy focused?
Quick poll- who does fantasy baseball? *records one raised hand*
Now, who does fantasy football? *everybody raises hand*
With baseball, namely the Orioles, our focus is on the team at hand, much more than the opponent, or other games going on at the time. Unfortunately, when it comes to the NFL, I think our 3 biggest focuses for the Ravens are as follows (particular orders be damned too!):
-Free agency
-The draft
-Whenever the offense shows up
Meanwhile, we have our noses buried in Fantasy Football starting in mid-July, reading up on mock fantasy drafts, jumping into a dozen leagues, and trying to keep track of waiver moves. By the time Week 1 comes, sure we’re excited for the Ravens! But we’re just as excited to see who is scoring for our fantasy teams (I’m going with Andy Reid’s Love Child as my team name this year), which really takes over the focus of the NFL season kickoff.
Then again, visibility could be a major factor.
For the Orioles, the majority of the preseason games are played during the day, not aired on TV/radio, and everything being played away from home. The lineups we see and hear about are rarely going to be what we’ll see during the season, as more than a handful of prospects are mixed in with the big dogs, working on proving their value to the major league roster. Reverse course back to the Ravens, and not only do we have the opportunity to see them locally for a pair of preseason games, we also see the games on TV (if you’re into that sort of thing).
Maybe ticket prices play a factor as well: the only people tailgating before a Ravens game are those who are going into the stadium, and are willing to pay a premium on NFL tickets, versus the ability for any schmuck (even Peter) to walk into the O’s game with a $10 bill, no problem!
But I think the biggest factor is the most obvious: NOSTALGIA.
The Orioles have a 40+ year advantage over the Ravens, thus entrenching the franchise in the history of the city forever, and the fanfare surrounding Opening Day isn’t some recent phenomena – this is something that’s been going on long before the Ravens were even a passing thought of Art Modell’s. It’s so much more than just a game, and I think that’s where they Ravens are lacking.
So how can they fix it, or do more to improve their reach for the season opener?
I’m honestly not sure it’s feasible. Taking everything into consideration that’s associated with the O’s Opener, I’m not seeing how it can be matched at all! The Ravens simply have no answer for Orioles Magic, orange Natty Boh cans, and the sea of orange that’s going to take over Baltimore today…
What?
Were you expecting an answer from me on how the Ravens can draw a bigger scene for their home opener?
I’m sure I could come up with something but right now?
I’m far too hyped for some O’s, Bros, & Natty Bohs!
