DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Gameday vs Baltimore If ever there were a game...

...that the Browns could win and absolutely claim the ever-loving hearts and minds of the Cleveland fans the world over as well as some actual respect from the press, THIS IS IT!

I can't remember a game I've wanted more. That they're celebrating the 30th anniversary of Browns move to Baltimore on the day the new Browns are visiting was NOT a mistake. It's something this team and this city should absolutely take totally personally. They think so little of you, and they are SO sure that they won't be embarrassed by the lowly Browns and their cast-off QB that they didn't think twice about doing it this weekend. If they had any doubt they'd have pushed it to another weekend.

I usually don't let a game get to me, I'm pretty good anymore with letting the ups and downs roll off of me. But this? I want this one so bad I can taste it. I hope someone at the Browns is communicating as clearly and as loudly as possible to the players just how much the Ravens organizations is pi33ing down their team's back and laughing at them. They have never been so sure that you don't matter, that they out class you at every level, that you are the hapless Washington Generals to their Globetrotters.

And if you don't feel that as a player or a coach born and raised somewhere else, please know that the City of Cleveland ABSOLUTELY feels this way. Make no mistake. You rep this city, you rep this team. You are us now. Our old wounds are yours now, embrace them, feed from them. There isn't a single wound that this team has suffered anywhere near as significant as this one. Find the anger and use it to pull together and focus. The Raven's didn't have to make this the "Humiliation Bowl", the "Spite Bowl" but they did. Make them pay!

Gahhh, I wish I was in that locker room before the game.

I want this game as much as you do, but this is on the NFL Schedule team more so than the Ravens... If they had scheduled the New Orleans Saints or Kansas City Chiefs in Baltimore this weekend, it would have been the same thing. This is about the Ravens home opener, not rubbing it in the face of a city.

It's still great conversation and a reason for the team to get pumped up, just need to quell the narrative that the Ravens organization earmarked the Browns game as their celebration date.

Nah, it was scheduled this way on purpose because they knew spitting in the Browns face would get higher ratings.

I didn't realize the significance but since you pointed it out, I do agree the NFL is using this game to rub it in Cleveland's face. It was no coincidence. I would love an upset and to send the Ravens to 0-2

Ball control, limit Baltimore’s TOP.
Figure out a way to run it.

Buffalo has a great offence and put up 41 on those bastads. They can be scored upon.

We must win the turnover battle to have a shot. We need other good breaks to go our way, too.

As has been pointed out in a bunch of different articles, The Ravens had full decision power over when and how to celebrate this thing. It’s not a league scheduled thing. And they likely booked it after the schedule came out. Could have put it at the end of the season, the middle, any other game at all.

So, maybe the NFL played a part, but they didn’t think twice. Whatever juju, voodoo or hexes are in your arsenal, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.

It looks and feels a bit greasy, though.

Maybe they didn’t mean to schedule it this way, but I find that difficult to believe.
Thank god Art Modell isn’t here to see this.

they knew what they were doing. Never have, nor ever will, like the Ravens. But ... to the victors go the spoils

That would be awesome!

Unfortunately, the Ravens looked great against the Bills, even though they lost. It will be a very hard game for us to win.

There are very few things that reach the level of hate for me but the Ravens are one of them. At least I have some level of respect for the Steelers. Their owner was one of only two votes against Modell moving the Browns. I'm old enough to remember the moving trucks in the middle of the night taking the Colts to Indy. I felt bad for and supported their fan base who had their team stolen from them only to later watch them welcome and relish the idea stealing the Browns from us. If there were a word stronger than hate it would be a better description.

That being said I don't see anything nefarious about this. I actually tried to make it being an intentional, nasty move make sense but it simply doesn't.

Their first home game is actually as close to the anniversary date that they could celebrate on. Do some of you actually think they should wait two weeks, four weeks or some other arbitrary date to celebrate their anniversary because of the schedule?

Do I think they should wait two weeks? I would. But they wouldn't be -- they'd be waiting one week and celebrating in front of the whole country on MNF.

I'm sure the schedule makers didn't corroborate to "stick it" to the Browns, but when the schedule came out there was a very easy decision to make. Not a single fan would bemoan that they didn't do it on the home opener. And you know what else? When conversations ensued to ask the question, most people would be like "well, duh, they obviously didn't want to rub %$# in the noses of the fans we stole the team from."

Instead, whether true or not, it seems to be underhanded dig at the Browns and I'm sure a lot will view it that way. One fork in the road presented an opportunity to show class, the other will have many calling them classless.

I couldn't care less. I really don't think it's that big of a deal. Just adding my .02

I can certainly see how people could take it either way. I'm just curious to know if these plans were made before the schedule came out? I'm guessing they were.

I'm sure they were. It would make sense to schedule it for the opener. Who knows, maybe I don't realize the gravity of changing the plans, I'm sure I'm speaking from a standpoint of ignorance to what may be a complicated process.

I have no idea myself.

Just a side note if anyone cares. We are 33-82 lifetime against our next 4 opponents. We can’t seem to beat the Lions,Packers or Vikings whom we only play once every 4 years. This would be a good year to change that.

Did you know teams can petition the Schedulers to have specific games on certain dates? I'm not saying this happened, but...!

Also, the NFL is now influenced by gambling companies. Having the Browns as underdogs by 11 points seems a bit odd. Last week, the Browns, as the home team, were given 5 points. Curious what the spread would have been if played in Cincinnati. Gambling companies play the middle. This game must be bringing some strong emotions from both sides.

If anyone follows gambling sites routinely, note here any changes in the spread. I've seen 10.5. I'm curious what the movement becomes, if any.

Oh, there is a word ("If there were a word stronger than hate it would be a better description.")! Baltimore!

There's only one problem. Gambling odds have always operated the same way. The odds are set and changed to keep the money bet on both teams at least somewhat even. Nothing has changed because the NFL is involved. Any changes that may come will be based on the amount of bets placed on each team.

What Pit said ^. I've been trying to beat that into people's heads for a lifetime.

As far as the spread, there are many times lines seem unreasonably high because bookmakers have to all but lure bettors into taking the 'dog. With an angry Ravens team playing at home and a perennial laughingstock that keeps inventing new ways to lose, this game would fit that bill.

True. But the gaming industry knows what will drive up bets. More bets, more money. As you say, they don't care which team. What better way to drive up the money than adding a little spice to a rivalry game!

I still believe that the Baltimore organization knows exactly what they are doing. Cleveland is an easy team and town to make fun of. They are having fun at our expense.

As long as the bets stay relatively even made on both teams the more the merrier. Their goal has always been to make as much money as possible.

While we disagree on the Raven's motivation I understand why you would see it that way. For me it just makes the most sense for them to celebrate their anniversary on the fist home game of the season.

Now if your assertion was the NFL arranged this game on the schedule after they knew the Ravens had this celebration set up I would be more inclined to agree. NFL teams share the TV revenue. There's no monetary incentive for the Ravens to arrange this. The league however has every incentive to drive up ratings for future increases in TV contracts. By following the money I see far more incentive for the NFL to arrange this than the Ravens.

As i said, it's just a matter of opinion. Neither of us know about what transpired behind closed doors if anything did at all.

I have no quarrel with the line. That's a function of the market. But like stock markets, it's often completely rational on face and irrational under the hood. A properly disrespected and motivated underdog can and will overtake a better team on occasion. Lots of examples.

Even if they didn't focus on it when they made the plan, they saw in the spring when the schedule came out who landed on the date. They could have moved it quietly for any excuse in the book. They didn't. I'm sure they smirked when they made that decision.

In any case, don't mess with our voodoo stew. We need every bit of it. If we learned anything from the Last Dance, a properly nursed menu of grievances can make people perform super human feats. I want to hit the Ravens so hard the city of Baltimore gets shook. I hope the Browns wake up and choose violence on Sunday. Blood, all day.

If we win, Ravens are in last place. That would be a nice start to the season.

It's Ravens Week. Just a reminder to Elder Dawgs to lift one for Ravenkiller and hope he is helping us out on his end.

To RK. Go, Browns.

Thanks, GM. Posted this somewhere earlier, but still good to remember the poster.

PS Put it in the Countdown thread. Doh!?!

Apparently the team feels the same.

https://www.nfl.com/news/grant-delpit-browns-ravens-not-hard-to-tackle-derrick-henry


I hate it when we do this.
I hate it when we do this after a dumb loss.
I hate it when we do this to a team that usually eats our lunch.
I hate it when we do this to a team that usually eats our lunch that's also coming off a tough loss.