A professional American football team, the Baltimore Ravens are based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are members of the National Football League (NFL), the largest American football league on the planet, and are one of the four member teams of the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC). The Ravens’ football uniforms are black, gold, and purple. They play at PSINet Stadium in Baltimore.
the birth of ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were founded after the 1995 NFL season, when Arthur B. Modell, owner of what was then the Cleveland Browns, decided to move his team to Baltimore and rename it the Ravens (a new Cleveland Browns franchise was created in 1999). , which comes from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” (Poe lived in Baltimore during the 1830s). Modell brought with him a team of veteran football players, including running back Earnest Byner and quarterback Vinny Testaverde, and hired former Baltimore Colts coach Ted Marchibroda to lead the new Ravens team. Despite Marchibroda’s roster of star players and a long winning record in the mid-1970s when he managed the Colts, the Ravens struggled in the 1996 and 1997 NFL season and finished bottom . Following the 1997 season, Testaverde left the team and signed with the New York Jets as a free agent. In the 1998 season, the Ravens had six wins and ten losses, and that’s when the Ravens hired Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Brian Billick as their head coach.
Three consecutive losing seasons
The Ravens did not get off to a successful start as they floundered in their first two seasons. The 1996 season was the first season for the Ravens, where they played at Baltimore’s old Memorial Stadium and finished with a dismal 4-12 record. The 1997 season was more promising, starting with a 3-1 record. Ravens player Peter Boulware also earned the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year award with 11.5 sacks. However, when the season ended, the Ravens finished with a score of 6-9-1. Vinny Testaverde, who later went to the New York Jets, was replaced by Jim Harbaugh, originally from the Indianapolis Colts and then by Eric Zeier. Priest Holmes, rushing for 1,000 yards for the Ravens, also joined the team, as did cornerback Rod Woodson. Still, the Ravens lost 6-10. Marchibroda was eventually succeeded by Brian Billick as head coach in 1999. The 1999 season was a vast improvement, posting an 8-8 record.
The 2000 Super Bowl championship
Under the wing of Brian Billick in the 2000 NFL season, the Ravens rebuilt their team and strengthened their defense. They became more aggressive and picky about free agent signings and draft picks. Led by one of the greatest defensemen and leading tacklers in MFL history, linebacker Ray Lewis, the Ravens posted a record low defense of 165 and allowed just 23 points in the postseason. In Super Bowl XXXV, they finally earned a 34-7 victory against the New York Giants and was announced as that season’s champion.