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=//__**Lead By Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata.**__//=

The **Baltimore Ravens** are a professional [|football] [|franchise] based in [|Baltimore], [|Maryland]. The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1996 with the [|Cleveland Browns relocation controversy] after [|Art Modell], then owner of the [|Cleveland Browns] , announced his intention to relocate the team to Baltimore. [|[1]] Modell's team was named the "Baltimore Ravens" after a fan contest and began play in the 1996 season. The Ravens' triumph over the [|New York Giants] in [|Super Bowl XXXV] at the conclusion of the [|2000 season] remains their best season. The Ravens are currently one of four teams to win in their lone Super Bowl appearance, along with the [|New Orleans Saints], [|New York Jets] , and [|Tampa Bay Buccaneers].

1995–1999
The Baltimore Ravens came into existence in 1995 when [|Art Modell], then owner of the [|Cleveland Browns] , announced his intention to relocate his team from [|Cleveland] to [|Baltimore]. The resulting [|controversy] ended when representatives of Cleveland and the NFL reached a settlement on February 8, 1996. Commissioner Tagliabue promised the city of Cleveland that an NFL team would be located in Cleveland, either through relocation or expansion, "no later than 1999". [|[2]] Additionally, the agreement stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, uniform design and franchise records would remain in Cleveland. The franchise history includes Browns club records and connections with [|Pro Football Hall of Fame] players. Modell's Baltimore team, while retaining all current player contracts, would, for purposes of team history, appear as an [|expansion team], a "new franchise." [|[3]] Not all players, staff or front office would make the move to Baltimore, however. After relocation, Modell hired Ted Marchibroda as the head coach for his new team in Baltimore. Marchibroda was already well known because of his work as head coach of the [|Baltimore Colts] during the 1970s and the [|Indianapolis Colts] during the early 1990s. [|Ozzie Newsome], the Browns' tight end for many seasons, joined Modell in Baltimore as director of football operations. He was later promoted to Vice President/General Manager. The home stadium for the Ravens first two seasons was Baltimore's [|Memorial Stadium], home field of the [|Baltimore Colts] years before. The Ravens moved to their own new stadium at Camden Yards in 1998. Raven Stadium would subsequently wear the names [|PSI Net] Stadium and then [|M&T Bank Stadium]. In the [|1996 NFL Draft], the Ravens, with two picks in the first round, drafted offensive tackle [|Jonathan Ogden] at #4 overall and linebacker [|Ray Lewis] at #26 overall. The 1996 Ravens won their opening game against the [|Oakland Raiders], but finished the season 4-12 despite receiver Michael Jackson leading the league with 14 touchdown catches. The 1997 Ravens started 3–1. [|Peter Boulware], a rookie defender from [|Florida State] , recorded 11.5 sacks and was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year. The team finished 6–9–1. On October 26, the team made its first trip to [|Landover, Maryland] to play their new [|regional rivals], the [|Washington Redskins] , for the first time in the regular season, at the new [|Jack Kent Cooke Stadium] (replacing the still-standing [|RFK Stadium] in [|Washington, DC] ). The Ravens won the game 20-17. Quarterback [|Vinny Testaverde] left for the [|New York Jets] before the 1998 season, and was replaced by former Indianapolis Colt [|Jim Harbaugh], and later [|Eric Zeier]. Cornerback [|Rod Woodson] joined the team after a successful stint with the [|Pittsburgh Steelers], and [|Priest Holmes] started getting the first playing time of his career and ran for 1,000 yards. The Ravens finished 1998 with a 6–10 record. On November 29, the Ravens welcomed the Colts back to Baltimore for the first time in 15 years. Amidst a shower of negative cheers towards the Colts, the Ravens won 38-31. Three consecutive losing seasons under Marchibroda led to a change in the head coach. [|Brian Billick] took over as head coach in 1999. Billick, a self described offensive genius, had been offensive coordinator for the record-setting [|Minnesota Vikings] the season before. Quarterback [|Tony Banks] came to Baltimore from the [|St. Louis Rams] and had the best season of his career with 17 touchdown passes and an 81.2 [|pass rating]. He was joined by receiver [|Qadry Ismail], who posted a 1,000-yard season. The Ravens initially struggled with a record of 4-7 but managed to finish with an 8–8 record. Due to continual financial hardships, the NFL directed Modell to initiate the sale of his franchise. On March 27, 2000, NFL owners approved the sale of 49% of the Ravens to [|Steve Bisciotti]. In the deal, Bisciotti had an option to purchase the remaining 51% for $325 million in 2004 from Art Modell. On April 9, 2004 the NFL approved Steve Bisciotti's purchase of the majority stake in the club.

2000 season — Super Bowl champions
The 2000 season saw the Ravens defense, led by defensive coordinator [|Marvin Lewis], develop into a rock-solid unit that emerged as one of the most formidable defenses in NFL history. The Ravens defense set a new NFL record in holding opposing teams to 165 total points; the feat eclipsed the mark set previously by the [|1986 Chicago Bears] of 187 points for a 16 game season. Linebacker [|Ray Lewis] was named Defensive Player of the year and, with two of his defensive teammates, [|Sam Adams] and [|Rod Woodson], made the [|Pro Bowl]. Baltimore's season started strong with a 5-1 record. Tony Banks began the 2000 season as the starting quarterback and was replaced by [|Trent Dilfer] when the Ravens fell to 5-4. Coach [|Brian Billick] announced that the change at quarterback would be for the rest of the season. The 1,364-yard rushing season by rookie running back [|Jamal Lewis] combined with the stout Ravens defense kept Baltimore competitive in games even when the offense struggled. At one point in the season the team played five consecutive games without scoring an offensive touchdown but still managed 2 wins during that stretch. The team regrouped and won each of their last seven games, finishing 12–4. The Ravens had made the playoffs for the first time. Since the divisional rival [|Tennessee Titans] had a record of 13–3, Baltimore had to play in the wild card round. In their first ever playoff game, they dominated the [|Denver Broncos] 21–3 in front of a then record-crowd of 69,638 at then called [|PSINet] Stadium. In the divisional playoffs, they went on the road to Tennessee. Tied 10–10 in the fourth quarter, an [|Al Del Greco] field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by [|Anthony Mitchell], and a Ray Lewis interception return for a score put the game squarely in Baltimore's favor. The 24–10 win put the Ravens in the AFC Championship against the [|Oakland Raiders]. [|Shannon Sharpe] 's 96-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter, followed by an injury to Raiders quarterback [|Rich Gannon], highlighted the Ravens' 16–3 victory. Baltimore then went to Tampa for [|Super Bowl XXXV] where they met the [|New York Giants], cruising to a 34–7 win for their first championship in franchise history. The Ravens recorded four sacks, forced five turnovers, one of which was a [|Kerry Collins] interception returned for a touchdown by [|Duane Starks]. The Giants' only score was a [|Ron Dixon] kickoff return for another touchdown (after Starks' interception return), making the 2000 Ravens the third Super Bowl team whose defense did not allow an opponent's offensive score; however, Baltimore immediately countered with a TD return by [|Jermaine Lewis]. The Ravens became only the third wild card team to win a Super Bowl championship. The interception return for a touchdown, followed by two kick return TDs, marked the quickest time in Super Bowl history that three touchdowns had been scored. The title made the Ravens the fourth Baltimore-based pro football team to win a league championship. They were preceded by the [|NFL] [|Colts] in [|1958], [|1959] and [|1970] , the [|USFL] [|Stars] in [|1985] and the [|CFL] [|Stallions] in [|1995].

2001–2002
In 2001, the Ravens attempted to defend its title with [|Elvis Grbac] as its new starting quarterback, but a season-ending injury to [|Jamal Lewis] on the first day of training camp and poor offensive performances stymied the team. After a 3–3 start, the Ravens defeated the [|Minnesota Vikings] in the final week to clinch a wild card berth at 10–6. In the first round the Ravens showed flashes of their previous year with a 20–3 blowout over the [|Miami Dolphins], in which the team forced three turnovers and outgained the Dolphins 347 yards to 151. In the divisional playoff the Ravens played the [|Pittsburgh Steelers]. Three interceptions by Grbac ended the Ravens' season, as they lost 27–10. Baltimore ran into [|salary cap] problems entering the 2002 season and was forced to part with a number of impact players. The Ravens stayed somewhat competitive, until a losing streak in December eliminated any chances of a post-season berth.

2003 draft
The Ravens needed a quarterback but, drafting after all the top quarterbacks were gone, used their 10th pick to select [|Arizona State] defensive end [|Terrell Suggs]. They then traded their 2003 2nd round pick and 2004 1st round pick to the [|New England Patriots] for the 19th overall selection which they used to draft [|Cal] quarterback [|Kyle Boller]. The Patriots eventually used the Ravens' 2004 1st round selection to take defensive tackle [|Vince Wilfork].

] 2003–2005
After the 2003 season, Art Modell officially transferred his remaining 51% ownership to Bisciotti, ending over 40 years of tenure as an NFL franchise owner. Modell still has an office at the Ravens' headquarters in Owings Mills, Maryland, and acts as a consultant. The Ravens named Boller their starting QB just prior to the start of the 2003 season, but he was injured midway through the season and was replaced by [|Anthony Wright]. Jamal Lewis ran for 2,066 yards (including 295 yards in one game against the Cleveland Browns on September 14). The Ravens held a 5–5 record until, in a home game against the [|Seattle Seahawks], they wiped out a 41–24 gap in the final seven minutes of regulation, then won on a [|Matt Stover] field goal in overtime for a 44–41 triumph. From there the Ravens won five of their last six games. With a 10–6 record, Baltimore won their first AFC North division title. Their first playoff game, at home against the Tennessee Titans, went back and forth, with the Ravens being held to only 54 yards total rushing. The Titans won 20-17 on a late field goal, and Baltimore's season ended early. Ray Lewis was named [|Defensive Player of The Year] for the second time in his career. The Ravens did not make the playoffs in 2004 and finished the season with a record of 9-7 with Kyle Boller finishing the season at QB. In the 2005 offseason the Ravens looked to augment their receiving corps (which was second-worst in the NFL in 2004) by signing [|Derrick Mason] from the Titans and drafting star Oklahoma wide receiver [|Mark Clayton] in the first round of the [|2005 NFL Draft]. However, the Ravens ended their season 6-10.

[ [|edit] ] 2006 season
Main article: [|2006 Baltimore Ravens season] The 2006 Baltimore Ravens season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record of 2005. The Ravens, for the first time in franchise history, started 4–0, under the leadership of former Titans quarterback [|Steve McNair]. The Ravens lost 2 straight games mid-season on offensive troubles, prompting coach Brian Billick to drop their offensive coordinator [|Jim Fassel] in their week 7 bye. After the bye, and with Billick calling the offense, Baltimore would record a five-game win streak before losing to the Bengals in week 13. Still ranked second overall to first-place [|San Diego], The Ravens continued on. They defeated the [|Chiefs], and held the defending [|Super Bowl] Champion [|Pittsburgh Steelers] to only one touchdown at [|Heinz Field] , allowing the Ravens to clinch the AFC North. The Ravens ended the regular season with a franchise-best 13–3 record. Baltimore had secured the AFC North title, the #2 AFC playoff seed, and clinched a 1st-round bye by season's end. The Ravens were slated to face the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the playoffs, in the first meeting of the two teams in the playoffs. Many Baltimore and Indianapolis fans saw this historic meeting as a sort of "Judgment Day" with the new team of Baltimore facing the old team of Baltimore (the former Baltimore Colts having left Baltimore under questionable circumstances in 1984). In one of the most bizarre playoff games in NFL history, both Indianapolis and Baltimore were held to scoring only field goals as the two defenses slugged it out all over M&T Bank Stadium. McNair threw two costly interceptions, including one at the 1-yard line. The eventual Super-Bowl-Champion Colts won 15-6, ending Baltimore's season.

[ [|edit] ] 2007 season
Main article: [|2007 Baltimore Ravens season] After a stellar 2006 season, the Ravens hoped to improve upon their 13-3 record but injuries and poor play plagued the team. The Ravens finished the 2007 season in the AFC North cellar with a disappointing 5-11 record. A humiliating 22-16 overtime loss to the previously winless [|Miami Dolphins] on December 16 ultimately led to Billick's dismissal on New Year's Eve, one day after the end of the regular season.

[ [|edit] ] 2008 season
Main article: [|2008 Baltimore Ravens season] With rookies at head coach ( [|John Harbaugh] ) and quarterback ( [|Joe Flacco] ), the Ravens entered the 2008 campaign with lots of uncertainty. Its Week 2 contest at the [|Houston Texans] was postponed until two months later because of [|Hurricane Ike], forcing the Ravens to play for what would eventually be eighteen straight weeks. With its record at 2–3 after consecutive losses to Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Indianapolis, its triumph over the Dolphins in Week 7 was redemption for what had happened against the same opponent in the previous season. Eight victories in its last ten regular season matches enabled them to clinch the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. The biggest win during that stretch came in Week 16 with a 33–24 humbling of the [|Dallas Cowboys] in the final game at [|Texas Stadium]. [|Willis McGahee] 's 77-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter established a new stadium record which would last until [|Le'Ron McClain], on the very first offensive play of the Ravens' next possession, secured the victory with an 82-yarder. [|[4]] On the strength of four interceptions, one resulting in an [|Ed Reed] touchdown, the Ravens began its postseason run by winning a rematch over Miami 27–9 at [|Dolphin Stadium] on January 4, 2009 in a wildcard game. [|[5]] Six days later, they advanced to the [|AFC Championship Game] by avenging a Week 5 loss to the Titans 13–10 at [|LP Field] on a [|Matt Stover] field goal with 53 seconds left in regulation time. [|[6]] The Ravens fell one victory short of Super Bowl XLIII by losing to the Steelers 23–14 at [|Heinz Field] on January 18, 2009. [|[7]]

[ [|edit] ] 2009 season
Main article: [|2009 Baltimore Ravens season] With Jonathan Ogden retiring after the 2007 season and Matt Stover going into free agency, Baltimore's only remaining player from its first season was [|Ray Lewis]. The Ravens held the 26th pick in the [|2009 NFL draft] but went up to the 23rd pick by trading its 26th pick and a 5th round pick to the [|New England Patriots]. The Ravens selected [|Michael Oher] (who later had a movie named [|The Blind Side] made after his life during his early years) in the first round of the [|NFL Draft]. In the season opener, the offense continued its improvements from the year before as it scored 38 points and accounted for over 500 yards in a 38-24 victory over the [|Kansas City Chiefs]. In week 2, the Ravens defeated the [|San Diego Chargers] 31-26. Although the Ravens secondary struggled, Ray Lewis made a crucial tackle on fourth down of the Chargers' final drive to seal the Baltimore win. In week 3, the Ravens defeated the [|Cleveland Browns] in a 34-3 blowout while celebrating Derrick Mason's 800th pass reception in his career. In week 4, the Ravens lost in heartbreak fashion to the [|New England Patriots], 27-21, with their final drive ending with a dropped pass by Mark Clayton on 4th down within the 10 yard line with 28 seconds left on the clock. The following week, the Ravens hosted the Cincinnati Bengals, but lost with the Bengals' final drive resulting in a touchdown. The Ravens then played an away game against the [|Minnesota Vikings] and suffered another heartbreaking loss, 33-31, putting them behind both the Bengals and the Steelers in the AFC North. The Ravens had rallied from 17 points down to the Vikings and managed to drive the ball down the field, but [|Steve Hauschka] missed a 44 yard field goal as time expired on the clock. Joe Flacco made 28 out of 43 passing attempts and threw for a career high 385 yards, and Ray Rice ran for 117 yards. The very next week they hosted the [|Denver Broncos], who were undefeated (6-0). After Hauschka kicked a pair of field goals in the 1st and 2nd quarters, the Broncos kicked off at the start of the 3rd quarter and the Ravens immediately returned it for a touchdown, giving the Ravens a 13-0 lead. They finished the game victorious, crushing the Broncos 30-7, handing Denver its first loss of the season. The following week, they looked to avenge the week 5 loss to the Bengals. However, they were out-played on both sides of the ball, suffered a crucial miss by Hauschka, and lost 17-7. In week 10, the Ravens visited the Cleveland Browns on [|ESPN Monday Night Football] and shut out their divisional rivals 16-0 despite a slow offensive start. Ravens kicker [|Steve Hauschka] missed a field goal and had an extra point blocked, costing the Ravens 4 points. This led coach [|John Harbaugh] to release Hauschka and replace him with [|Billy Cundiff]. In week 11, the Ravens played their third undefeated opponent, the [|Indianapolis Colts], who were (9-0). They lost 17-15, failing to score a single touchdown. Cundiff went 5 for 6 on field goals, scoring the Ravens only points. Joe Flacco threw a late interception and after Ed Reed's fumbled attempt to lateral on a punt return, [|Peyton Manning] kneeled to seal the Colts' seventh consecutive victory against Baltimore. With this loss, the Ravens record stood at 5-5, ranking third in the AFC North. The Ravens then beat the [|Pittsburgh Steelers], who were playing without quarterback [|Ben Roethlisberger] with an overtime field goal on [|Sunday Night Football]. The next week, however, the Ravens lost to the [|Green Bay Packers] on [|ESPN Monday Night Football]. The Ravens then crushed two opponents from the [|NFC North] at home, beating the [|Detroit Lions] 48-3 and the [|Chicago Bears] 31-7. The Ravens improved to 8-6, second in the [|AFC North], and in line for the fifth seed. They looked ahead to their division rivals, the Steelers, who were coming off a dramatic last-second win against the Packers. A win would give the Ravens a chance to clinch a playoff spot and would knock the [|Pittsburgh Steelers] out of contention. But the Ravens, who committed 11 penalties and blew several chances to put additional points on the board, lost 23-20. The Ravens still had a shot at the playoffs with a week 17 victory, and made it defeating the [|Oakland Raiders] 21-13. In the playoffs, they faced the [|New England Patriots] in the wild card round. The Ravens beat the Patriots 33-14, aided by Ray Rice's 83-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, helping them to a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Advancing to the AFC Divisional Round, they next played the [|Indianapolis Colts]. Two touchdowns late in the first half gave the Colts a 17-3 lead at halftime, and Baltimore miscues in the second half ensured the end of their season, by a 20-3 score.

[ [|edit] ] 2010 season
Main article: [|2010 Baltimore Ravens season] During the 2009-2010 offseason, the Ravens made some key additions to their offense by acquiring WR [|Anquan Boldin] from the [|Arizona Cardinals] and free agent [|T. J. Houshmandzadeh], released after the preseason by the [|Seattle Seahawks]. They also added [|Donte' Stallworth], who most recently played for the [|Cleveland Browns] , but was suspended for the 2009 season, and signed back-up quarterback [|Mark Bulger] who was released by the [|St. Louis Rams] after the 1-15 2009 season. Stallworth broke his foot in the third preseason game and came back later in the season. They also drafted tight ends [|Dennis Pitta], [|Ed Dickson] , defensive tackle [|Terrence Cody] , [|Arthur Jones] , linebacker [|Sergio Kindle] , wide receiver [|David Reed] and offensive tackle [|Ramon Harewood] in the [|2010 NFL Draft]. On July 25, [|Sergio Kindle] suffered a head trauma after falling down 2 flights of stairs in a home in Austin, Texas and was lost for the season. The new additions accounted for a combined 37 starts. The Ravens finishing the season at 12-4 but with a marginally better divisional record (Steelers 5-1 divisionally versus the Ravens' 4-2). They then went on to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, running back Ray Rice becoming the first Raven running back to have a receiving touchdown in a playoff game. The Ravens would then lose to the Steelers 31-24 in the Divisional Playoffs. Leading at halftime 21-7, the Ravens then turn the ball over 3 times in the third quarter, in which gave the Steelers 14 points. Baltimore's season ended with a potential touchdown drop by Anquan Boldin and, later, another drop by T.J. Houshmandzadeh on 4th down, surrendering the game 31-24.

[ [|edit] ] 2011 season
Main article: [|2011 Baltimore Ravens season] After the [|2011 NFL season] Labor Dispute had ended, the Ravens had informed veterans [|Willis McGahee], [|Todd Heap] , [|Kelly Gregg] and [|Derrick Mason] that they would be cut in order to free up salary cap space. [|[8]] Following these cuts, the Ravens acquired fullback [|Vonta Leach], wide receiver [|Lee Evans] , and running back [|Ricky Williams]. During the pre season, the Baltimore Ravens signed Left tackle [|Bryant McKinnie] from the [|Minnesota Vikings]. On top of that the Ravens signed Pro bowl center [|Andre Gurode] from the [|Dallas Cowboys]. With the new signings, there was a reshuffle within the Offensive line. The signing of McKinnie forced [|Michael Oher] over to the Right Tackle position, which in turn allowed [|Marshall Yanda] to revert back to his natural Right Guard position. The Ravens finished their pre season 3-1, with a loss to the [|Philadelphia Eagles], and victories over the [|Washington Redskins] , the [|Kansas city Chiefs] , and the [|Atlanta Falcons]. 2011 marked one of the most successful seasons in Baltimore Ravens franchise history. The Ravens started their campaign with a big 35-7 victory at home over their rivals the [|Pittsburgh Steelers]. Other key victories included a 34-17 victory over the [|New York Jets] in week three, a week six 29-14 victory over the [|Houston Texans], and a week nine win over the [|Pittsburgh Steelers] , this would be the first time since 2006 that the Ravens would sweep the Steelers in the AFC North division. The Ravens went on and had a big win over the [|San Francisco 49ers] in a week twelve Thursday night thanksgiving game. This was a game where Ravens coach [|John Harbaugh] would face off against his brother [|Jim Harbaugh] who had just taken over as head coach of the 49ers in the 2011 season. The Ravens would go on to end a 49ers win streak in a final score of 16-6. The Ravens recorded a franchise record of nine sacks on 49ers quarter back [|Alex Smith], three coming from Ravens linebacker [|Terrell Suggs]. The Ravens went into the final week of the regular season already assured of a play off place at 11-4, but were tied with the Steelers record wise, and so they had to beat the [|Cincinnati Bengals] on the road, in order to clinch the AFC North division for the first time since 2006. The Ravens ended up beating the Bengals for the second time in the 2011 regular season, the score ending 24-16. The victory sealed the AFC North crown, a season 12-4 record, and a first round bye in the play off's, which in turn sent both the Steelers, and the Bengals on road in the wild card play off games, which they both went on to lose to the [|Denver Broncos], and the [|Houston Texans] ,respectively. The Ravens accomplished a lot of significant mile stones during the 2011 season. They finished 6-0 in the division, 6-0 against 2012 play off teams, and 8-0 at home. The Ravens went into the 2012 NFL play off's with high expectations, however there where under lying worries with what many considered to be inconsistent performances through out the season by starting quarter back [|Joe Flacco] and the Ravens offense, which many put the blame on for the four questionable losses that came against teams they where expected to beat, the [|San Diego Chargers], the [|Seattle Seahawks] , the [|Jacksonville Jaguars] , and the [|Tennessee Titans]. The Texans would end up beating the Bengals in the wild card play off round, which meant that they would face the Ravens in the divisional play off game. The Ravens won the game 20-13 in a defensive struggle, [|Ed Reed] would intercept a pass from the Texans rookie quarter back [|T.J. Yates] in a fourth quarter offensive drive by the Texans, which ended up being the Texans last realistic shot at scoring to tie the game. Despite the victory over the Texans, a significant amount of sports media questioned the Ravens offensive capability going into the AFC championship play off round, after another proposed poor performance by the Ravens offense and [|Joe Flacco] according to certain sports analysts. The Ravens and [|New England Patriots] played for a spot in the Super Bowl. After a close 3 quarters which saw the ball being turned over several times, Tom Brady leaped over the goal line on a 4th and 1 to put the Patriots ahead 23-20. After another couple of turnovers on both ends the Ravens marched down the field with under a minute to go. Joe Flacco threw a pass to Evans with 38 seconds left, who appeared to catch it for the winning touchdown but the ball was knocked out by Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore, resulting in an incomplete pass. After Joe Flacco threw a pass which was knocked down, [|Billy Cundiff] came out onto the field with 15 seconds to go to try and tie the game up with a 32-yard field goal. The kick went well to the left of the Patriots' goal post, and New England advanced to [|Super Bowl XLVI] for a rematch with the [|New York Giants] of [|Super Bowl XLII].

[ [|edit] ] Logo controversy
Baltimore Ravens logo from 1996-1998     Bouchat's original sketch The team's first helmet logo, used from 1996 through 1998, featured raven wings outspread from a shield displaying a letter //B// framed by the word //Ravens// overhead and a [|cross bottony] underneath. The [|US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals] affirmed a jury verdict that the logo [|infringed] on a [|copyright] retained by Frederick E. Bouchat, an amateur artist and security guard in Maryland, but that he was entitled to only three dollars in damages from the NFL. Bouchat had submitted his design to the Maryland Stadium Authority by fax after learning that Baltimore was to acquire an NFL team. He was not credited for the design when the logo was announced. Bouchat sued the team, claiming to be the designer of the emblem; representatives of the team asserted that the image had been designed independently. The court ruled in favor of Bouchat, noting that team owner Modell had access to Bouchat's work. Bouchat's fax had gone to John Moag, the Maryland Stadium Authority chairman, whose office was located in the same building as Modell's. [|[9]] Bouchat ultimately was not awarded monetary compensation in the damages phase of the case. [|[10]] The // [|Baltimore Sun] // ran a poll showing three designs for new helmet logos. Fans participating in the poll expressed a preference for a raven's head in profile over other designs. [|Art Modell] announced that he would honor this preference but still wanted a letter //B// to appear somewhere in the design. The new Ravens logo featured a raven's head in profile with the letter superimposed. The secondary logo is a shield that honors Baltimore's history of [|heraldry]. Alternating Calvert and Crossland emblems (seen also in the [|flag of Maryland] and the [|flag of Baltimore] ) are interlocked with stylized letters //B// and //R//.

[ [|edit] ] Uniforms
The design of the Ravens uniform has remained essentially unchanged since the team's inaugural season in 1996. Helmets are [|black] with [|purple] "talon" stripes rising from the facemask to the crown. Players normally wear purple jerseys at home and white jerseys on the road. In 1996 the team wore black pants with a single large white stripe for all games. At home games the combination of black pants with purple jersey made the Ravens the first NFL team to wear dark colors head to calf. A number of NFL teams have since donned the look, beginning with the all-black home uniform worn in three games by the 2001 [|New Orleans Saints]. Baltimore Ravens uniform combination In 1997 the Ravens opted for a more classic NFL look with white pants sporting stripes in purple and black. The white pants were worn with both home and road jerseys. The road uniform (white pants with white jerseys) was worn by the Ravens in the 2000 Super Bowl. In the 2002 season the Ravens began the practice of wearing white jerseys for the home opener and, occasionally, other early games in the season that have a 1:00 kickoff. Since John Harbaugh became the head coach in 2008, the Ravens have also worn their white jerseys at home for preseason games. In November 2004 the team introduced an alternate uniform design featuring black jerseys and solid black pants with black socks. The all-black uniform was first worn for a home game against the Cleveland Browns, entitled "Pitch Black" night, that resulted in a Ravens win. The uniform has since been worn for select prime-time national game broadcasts and other games of significance. The Ravens began wearing black pants again with the white jersey in 2008. On December 7, 2008, during a Sunday Night Football game against the [|Washington Redskins], the Ravens introduced a new combination of black jersey with white pants. It was believed to be due to the fact that John Harbaugh doesn't like the "blackout" look. [|[11]] However, on December 19, 2010, the Ravens wore their black jerseys and black pants in a 30-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints. [|[12]] On December 5, 2010, the Ravens reverted back to the black pants with the purple jerseys versus the Pittsburgh Steelers during NBC's Sunday Night Football telecast. The Ravens lost to the Steelers 13-10. They wore the same look again for their game against the Cleveland Browns on December 24th 2011, and they won, 20-14. They wore this combination a third time against the [|Houston Texans] on January 15, 2012 in the AFC Divisional playoff. They won 20-13.

[ [|edit] ] Rivalries
See also: [|Steelers–Ravens rivalry] and [|Baltimore Colts relocation controversy] By far, the team's biggest [|rival] is the [|Pittsburgh Steelers]. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are separated by less than a five-hour drive along [|Interstate 70]. The two teams are both known for their hard-hitting physical style of play, and the rivalry is considered one of the best in the [|NFL] today. Although the Steelers rivalry is based on mutual respect and hatred for each other, the Ravens' rivalry with the [|Indianapolis Colts] is fueled by the fans' animosity towards the organization, not contention between the players. During Ravens home games the scoreboard lists the away team simply as "Indy" rather than the team name that is traditionally used for the visiting opponent. Due to their location, less than an hour north of Washington, the Ravens also enjoy a rivalry with [|Washington Redskins]. Due to the current scheduling formula, the two teams meet only once every four years. They have, however, regularly scheduled an annual meeting in the [|preseason]. Another historical rival for the Ravens has been the [|Tennessee Titans]. Before the NFL's 2002 reorganization and expansion, the two teams met twice annually during the regular season as [|AFC Central] rivals. Additionally, the two teams have met three times in the playoffs, with the home team losing a hard-fought physical matchup each time. In addition, several former [|Tennessee Titans] such as [|Derrick Mason], [|Steve McNair] , [|Lorenzo Neal] , and [|Samari Rolle] have later signed with the Ravens. The Ravens also have divisional rivalries with the [|Cleveland Browns] and [|Cincinnati Bengals]. The reactivated [|Cleveland Browns] and their fans maintain a hatred of Baltimore's team due to its [|move from Cleveland]. In recent years, the Ravens have been known for their rivalries with two AFC East teams which includes the [|New York Jets] and the [|New England Patriots]. Jets head coach [|Rex Ryan] was the former defensive coordinator for the Ravens, and since taking charge of the Jets, the Jets have faced off with the Ravens twice. The Ravens came out victorious in both games, the two games involved consistent defensive struggles, with both games receiving large build ups in "prime time". Controversy surrounded the games with proposed "trash talk" between players and coaches on the two teams. The Patriots Rivalry started in 2009, when the Ravens lost to the Patriots 27-21. The game involved a confrontation between Patriots quarter back [|Tom Brady] and Ravens linebacker [|Terrell Suggs]. Both players would go on to take verbal shots at each other through the media after the game. The Ravens would end up facing the Patriots in a 2010 AFC wild card play off game later on that season. The Ravens won 33-14 in a game that the Ravens defensively dominated, and effectively ran the ball for more than 250 yards. The Ravens and the Patriots would meet up for a second time in 2010, this time during the 2010 regular season. The Ravens ended up losing the game 23-20 in overtime. The Ravens played the Patriots for the third consecutive season, in the 2012 AFC championship game in which the Ravens lost 23-20. Both teams are scheduled to play again some time in the 2012 NFL regular season which is yet to be announced as to which date the game is due to be played.