Commissioner Paul Tagliabue wasn’t happy

Charm City’s team not so endearing to rest of NFL

piumini moncler scontatissimi January 01, 2004By MIKE PRESTON piumini moncler scontatissimi

THERE ARE SOME Baltimore fans who believe the NFL has a conspiracy against the Ravens. It’s not true, but the league doesn’t do the Ravens any favors, either.

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piumini moncler saldi The Ravens are a small market team. They have an outspoken coach who has criticized officials, and their star player was once accused of double murder in Atlanta. The Ravens have the reputation of being big trash talkers, and if the Oakland Raiders are Public Enemy No. 1 in the outlet moncler NFL, the Ravens are 1a. piumini moncler saldi

moncler saldi outlet So when the league announced that the Ravens were going to play in the first playoff moncler outlet online uomo game Saturday against the Tennessee Titans after playing in moncler donna the last regular season game Sunday night, Ravens coach Brian Billick wasn’t surprised. moncler saldi outlet

piumini moncler uomo Actually, it was just another motivational tool. piumini moncler uomo

moncler outlet “It can’t be me, ‘cause I know they [league officials] really moncler bambino saldi love me,” said Billick, laughing. “I’m probably moncler outlet not the league’s favorite head coach, but I should be. I contribute the most to their coffers. I ought to be their favorite. moncler outlet

moncler outlet trebaseleghe “I may not be the media or TV’s favorite coach, but they sure keep coming back to me for quotes and interviews. Quite frankly, let’s look at the business end of it. We’re a small market team. I don’t take it personally. Sometimes moncler uomo I find it amusing and you usually can find some kind of advantage for the us against the world mentality.” moncler outlet trebaseleghe

Baltimore fans hate being dissed moncler saldi uomo but seem to revel in having that chip on their shoulders. The league feeds that attitude by continuously slapping Baltimore piumini moncler uomo around. The Ravens weren’t on Monday Night Football this season, but three teams with worse or the same records a year ago were, including the Rams (7 9, same as the Ravens), Bears moncler bambino outlet (4 12) and Cowboys (5 11).

moncler bambino saldi Traditionally, the Super Bowl winner opens its next season on a Monday night. Tampa Bay did this season. So did New moncler outlet online shop England the year before moncler outlet trebaseleghe that. The Ravens didn’t in 2001. As a matter of fact, six of their first nine games were on the road. moncler bambino saldi

The league has made it difficult at times, just like it did in the expansion race in the 1980s when Baltimore lost out to Jacksonville and Carolina.

piumini moncler “It bothered me that while we were playing, Tennessee was preparing for us and having that advantage,” Billick said. “It’s not a big thing. It is what it is. The team playing the last game of the season finishing up after midnight now has to prepare on a short week. Well, that shows a lack of regard for what it takes piumini moncler outlet to prepare. But that’s not the league’s obligation. piumini moncler

moncler Recommended Reading https://www.moncleroutlet-i.org moncler outlet saldi uomo “I also find it interesting that they have the two possible MVPs [Jamal Lewis and Steve McNair], and the guy that should get the MVP [Ray Lewis], on the least prime time of the four slots. The fact that we weren’t on Monday Night Football piumini moncler scontatissimi tells you how we’re regarded moncler saldi uomo

moncler saldi “We [the Ravens] are a reflection of Baltimore. We’re stuck between Philly and Washington, and the mentality that goes with that. moncler saldi We’re just little Charm City, but we like our little enclave here.” moncler saldi

moncler bambino outlet Billick hasn’t endeared himself to the league. Before the Ravens played Cleveland for the first time in 1999, Billick suggested that the referees might be intimidated and favor the Browns. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue wasn’t happy. moncler bambino outlet

This season Billick has openly criticized instant replay several times, once with an expletive laced tirade. He got fined again.

moncler donna Billick also isn’t a favorite among his peers. He has been accused of running up the score on his opponents, especially when he was piumini moncler the offensive coordinator in Minnesota with the most productive offense in league history. moncler donna

moncler uomo Unless you’re around Billick often, you can’t figure him out, which is why the national media dislike him. They have never forgiven him for telling them how to do their jobs before the Super Bowl in January 2001. moncler uomo

moncler outlet serravalle Does Billick think he is the smartest guy in the room? Yes. Can he be condescending? Absolutely. He is competitive, stubborn, sometimes overly sensitive and impulsive. But he isn’t malicious and nasty. Actually, he has a good sense of humor. moncler outlet serravalle

But he’s on the bad boy list. Another person who will remain on that list is Ray Lewis. The stigma of the double murder trial in Atlanta in 2000 still follows him, and it will for the rest of his career, although murder and assault charges against Lewis were dropped in an agreement in which he plead guilty to obstruction of justice.

Fans across moncler outlet serravalle the country also remember the Ravens as the trash talking crew that had perhaps the best defense ever in 2000. That veteran team talked all piumini moncler saldi the way to the title. The two who did the most talking were tight end Shannon Sharpe and Lewis. Lewis also apparently has angered teams by staring and screaming at their sideline after making tackles.

piumini moncler outlet Pittsburgh receiver Hines Ward recently said every team in the league hates the Ravens. piumini moncler outlet

moncler outlet online shop “Ray Lewis doesn’t do anything that Hines Ward doesn’t do,” Billick said. “At the end of the day, you’re just glad that he is on your team.. moncler outlet online shop

“All of this talking stuff is overblown a little bit by the media. This team has its own personality. The fact is that we don’t have a long standing history. We’ve only been here moncler saldi outlet for eight years; we’re like an expansion team. We have to keep everything in perspective.”

moncler outlet online uomo But then Billick adds with a smile: “I’ve said it half jokingly about a million times: Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t really after me.” moncler outlet online uomo.