Like any good lawyer, I know a good rebuttal when I hear one. Recently, I wrote a series of blog posts about how much I didn’t like the Ravens. And a rebuttal showed up in my inbox this morning. Lawyerly speaking, this person does not know and did not give me express authorization to republish, but that authorization is inherent, knowing me, a total blabber-mouth and that anything you say can and will be used against you in the name of good sports blogging. All names and details have been properly redacted to protect the innocent. Enjoy.
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While your recent series of blog posts have been entertaining—I do feel compelled to tell you how living in the Washington DC area created a Ravens fan:
I am a Ravens fan. I am a fan not because they are consistently in contention for their division/conference. I am not a fan because they have built their team mostly through savvy management and masterful drafting. I am definitely not a fan because of their colors..**redacted** I am a fan because I absolutely despise the Redskins.
I grew up outside the DC Metro area back when the Redskins were actually good. Check the history books— once upon a time the Redskins were a respectable franchise with more than one championship to their names. Art Monk, Chip Lohmiller and Mark Rypien were superstars around the beltway and “Hail to the Redskins” could be heard on the radio hourly. From my perspective, the entire Metro bled Burgundy and Gold… when the team was winning. But when they lost, those same fans quickly retired their garage flags and abondoned their team. I came to realize that Redskins fans were the most obnoxious, fair-weather fans in the entire NFL. So, during my football-watching adolescence I was compelled to root for the natural enemy of the Redskins—yes, I was a Giants fan. I hope you didn’t think I was going to say I was Cowboys fan!! I have made mistakes in my youth, but I never went THAT low.
So, I was a Giants fan for several years until the Ravens came into town. The Ravens were a blessing that allowed me to do several things—root for a local (Maryland) team, while at the same time maintaining my strong STRONG dislike for the Redskins. Remember too, that the Ravens did not start off at the level of greatness which they now enjoy (4-12 their first year in MD). I have since moved away, but remained a devoted fan through thick and thin.
There you have it—the genesis of one true Ravens fan. Hopefully the irony of you being a Redskins fan and hating the Ravens partly because of their success; and my becoming a Ravens fan out of hate for the Redskins and their success is not lost on you. To continue this discussion and somehow try to validate our fandom to one another would be entirely futile. You are a cat and I am a dog— we might not be able to explain why we don’t like each other we just don’t.
I think there is one thing that a Redskins fan and a Ravens fan can agree on… Joe Theisman is the worst television commentator in history.
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