From today’s b, the paper

There were cheers. There were jeers. There were thrills and chills and twists and turns. And when the NFL draft roller coaster finally came to a stop Saturday afternoon, the Ravens got their man — and Baltimore fans got one heck of a ride.

As Ravens’ general manager Ozzie Newsome and his peers were making multi-million-dollar decisions that could make or break their respective franchises at the NFL draft, Ravens fans were enjoying the weather and entertainment — and getting their football fix — at the team’s family-friendly 11th annual Spring Football Festival at M&T Bank Stadium. Both events unofficially kicked off the 2008 football season in Baltimore.

“Fans don’t stop just because the games stop. Football is a year-round sport,” said Alicia Biggs, 25, from Catonsville.

Baltimore was slated to make the eighth pick of the draft and the crowd was abuzz with anticipation as the picks started to come off the board. The crowd booed lustily when the Atlanta Falcons, with their third pick, drafted Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, the consensus crowd favorite.

“I am a little bummed out. My boyfriend said we needed to get him,” said Ellie Turner, 28, of Owings Mills.

When it came time for the Ravens to make their selection, the fans grew quiet and focused on the scoreboard – except for a few who were distracted by nearby cheerleaders — only to see the Ravens trade down to pick No. 26. The fans would have to keep waiting.

More than an hour later, with the fans’ collective focus now on the festival’s entertainment, the Ravens made a trade with the Texans to move up to pick No. 18, where they drafted Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco. “We’ve got Flacco!” someone yelled out. As the rest of the crowd slowly realized what was happening, a trickle of applause turned into a loud roar for the team’s future quarterback. After the emotional ride had come to an end, the fans were still reeling a bit, but generally were optimistic about the pick.

“I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I was excited that we drafted him, though,” said Biggs.

“I’m excited. I think Flacco is going to do well,” said Will Burchey, 31, of Parkville.

Since the Ravens’ last game — a win over the Steelers on Dec. 30 — both the fans and the team’s management have been looking forward to this weekend’s draft, a two-day event that brings hope and excitement to all 32 teams. One good draft class could erase memories of last year’s disappointing 5-11 season and get fans thinking about Super Bowl XLIII.

“Football is very important to people in Baltimore. This event is a small kickoff to the season,” said Megan Collins, manager of events and entertainment for the Ravens.

As a sea of black, purple and white flooded into the stadium and the melodies of the Marching Ravens drifted through the warm spring air all afternoon, some of the non-football fan minority in Baltimore might have thought the season was starting a few months earlier this year. There were Ravens inside the stadium. The team’s cheerleaders and mascot were there, too.

Even the beermen were in mid-season form as they serenaded the Ravens’ faithful with “Bud! Bud Light!” But on this day, no football was played – unless you count the children and parents chucking the football around on the M&T Bank Stadium turf.

All eyes were on the stadium’s scoreboards throughout the festival as the draft’s drama unfolded, but there was plenty else to see inside the stadium. The all-day event featured locker room tours, player autograph sessions, a rummage sale of Ravens memorabilia, a mascot game and a wealth of kids’ activities, including an on-field obstacle course, inflatable games and a miniature training camp. For Tom Sulin, 38, of Catonsville, it was an opportunity to share his love of football with his 6-year-old son Alex.

“It’s a good time to introduce my son to the Ravens early in the season, so he can learn what it’s all about and hopefully become a lifelong fan,” he said.

At the end of the day, though, for the masses of Ravens on hand, it was all about the football, the draft and Flacco.

“I would have liked Matt Ryan a lot more, but they obviously saw something in Flacco if they picked him in the first round,” said Alex LeBlanc, 18, a Ravens fan visiting from Alexandria, Va.

Second-guessing the Ravens already? It must be football season.

Matt Vensel is a content creator for b. Contact him at matt@bthesite.com

Year-round NFL festivities

When the New York Giants won the Super Bowl on February 3, the season wasn’t ending. It was merely taking a short break before heating up again. Even though games aren’t being played, there’s plenty of action to pay attention to during the offseason. Being a diehard NFL fan has turned into a year-round gig:

February 10 Pro Bowl: Only the most hardcore fans tune in for this lackluster all-star event.

February 23-26 Scouting Combine: NFL scouts poke and prod college prospects as they prepare for the draft.

February 29 Free Agency begins: Which high-priced free agent will your team throw millions of dollars at?

April 26-27 Draft: All the hype for this past weekend was warranted: champions are built through the draft.

July 20-27 Training camps open: There are plenty of storylines as players battle for playing time and coaches implement their strategies.

August 7 First preseason game: Get your first look at the Ravens, even if their matchup with the Patriots doesn’t count in the standings.

September 7 First regular season game: Finally, all the build-up comes to an end as the Ravens kick off the season against the Bengals.

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