Don’t be alarmed, but Ravens fever has arrived.

You can’t turn on the TV, tune on the radio or pick up a newspaper without hearing about the avian flu that’s sweeping through Baltimore. Tens of thousands of citizens have been infected (you might be one of them). It’s kind of like the movie “28 Days Later,” except it’s not deadly, it wasn’t given to us by chimps and it probably won’t spell the end of society as we know it. OK, maybe it’s nothing like that at all.

But what exactly is Ravens fever?

We decided to investigate the phenomenon as a service to our readers. We called a couple of local physicians, but they claimed Ravens fever “is not a real disease.” A researcher at the University of Maryland hung up on us. We even checked WebMD.com, but our search turned up nothing (unless you count an interesting article about hot flashes).

Finally, we stopped in at Mother’s in Federal Hill to study the infected up close. It wasn’t pretty, but we think we’ve got a diagnosis for the disease. Here’s how you can tell if you’ve got Ravens fever: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s rematch weekend in the NFL playoffs. All four divisional round games revisit matchups from the regular season. To make things even more intense, two of those games pit bitter rivals against each other. This is going to get interesting. The Ravens game is obviously No. 1 on this list. But what else should you tune in for this weekend? Read the rest of this entry »

I get your angry e-mails. I read your sometimes critical comments on our Web site. I can only imagine what you’d say if you actually recognized me in public.

In case you’re not a regular reader, I have a tendency of picking the Ravens to come up short in big games (although I did say they’d beat the Dolphins last week). That doesn’t go over well in these parts — even if I end up being right.

I got tons of flak for going against Flacco when the Ravens played the Colts. Readers were blue in the face when I predicted a Giants win. And passionate Baltimore athletic supporters ranted when I said the Ravens would lose to the Steelers — both times. It’s as if my opinion actually has an impact on the games themselves.

This may be considered heresy to some, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m not a Ravens fan. You shouldn’t assume that my lack of loyalty toward the home team has an impact on how I evaluate the Ravens, though. I simply call things as I see them. I strive to keep it real, folks. That’s how I roll.

So let me cut to the chase and save you all the suspense over who I’m picking to win this weekend’s divisional round matchup in Tennessee. Read the rest of this entry »

MIAMI — The Baltimore Ravens had Chad Pennington spinning, ducking, on his heels and on his back. When he did manage to get a pass away, they were often there to snatch it.

The Ravens came up with four interceptions, including one returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Ed Reed, and won, 27-9, Sunday to spoil the Miami Dolphins’ first playoff game in seven seasons.

Baltimore stuffed Miami’s ground attack and negated the Wildcat formation, but most of all the Ravens harried Pennington into uncharacteristic mistakes. After throwing only seven interceptions during the regular season, he had four during a 22-minute flurry midway through the game.

“We heard all week that they don’t turn the ball over,” linebacker Ray Lewis said. “But we force turnovers.”

With a rookie coach in John Harbaugh and a rookie quarterback in Joe Flacco, wild-card entrant Baltimore (12-5) won for the 10th time in 12 games and will play Saturday at AFC South champion Tennessee. The playoff victory was the first for the Ravens since they beat Miami in a first-round game in January 2002. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh NFL, you so crazy. Just when I thought I had seen every possible playoff scenario unfold in my 26-plus years as a sports fan, an insane Sunday of National Football League action came out of nowhere to smack me upside the head (I guess I know how Ben Roethlisberger feels right now).

In the AFC, it seemed impossible that New England would be left out of the playoffs after beating Buffalo to finish the season 11-5. The sports gods would surely intervene, wouldn’t they? But the Dolphins and Ravens held serve, ensuring that the Patriots would be left watching the playoffs on TV while the 8-8 Chargers played on.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys, Buccaneers and Bears all played hot potato with the NFC’s final wild-card spot, and the Eagles gladly accepted their generosity.

(Week 17 should be the closing argument in any debate over which sport is America’s game. Tell me when a day of baseball was ever that exciting.)

Las Vegas sports books released their Super Bowl odds Monday, with the New York Giants (2-to-1) and the Tennessee Titans (4-to-1) favored to reach the big game. The Ravens were given 14-to-1 odds — a decent bet if you’re a gambler.

In the final installment of my power rankings for the ’08 season, I’m cutting out the non-playoff fat and going Vegas style, giving my own set of odds to each of the 12 contenders that they’ll leave Tampa Bay with the Lombardi Trophy.

Just promise me you won’t break my kneecaps when I’m wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Joe Flacco looking deep.

The Ravens victory over Jacksonville sent them straight into the playoffs. What a great way to finish in front of the home crowd. Here’s more photos from the regular season finale.

Read the rest of this entry »

As the 10-5 Ravens try to secure a playoff spot this evening with a win over the 5-10 Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium, I’ll be blogging live from the press box, providing you with updates and commentary. Log on to bthesite.com throughout the game for my two cents and rants and raves from fellow b readers. As always, feel free to let your voice be heard, too.

——4th Quarter:
6:59: Nice interception by Reed, his second of the game, but why is he playing? And why is he trying to return it?!? This guy has been bothered by injuries all season (though it hasn’t showed). He doesn’t need to add another one to his list. Oh well, that pretty much puts an end to this one. Be safe, folks, and don’t celebrate too hard. The Ravens have a big game coming up this weekend.

6:51: Thankfully, John Harbaugh reads my blog during the game. Flacco is out. Smith is in. Now get McClain out of there, Coach.

6:47: It’s time for the Ravens to pull out their starters. This game is over, and there’s no reason that Flacco, Mason, McClain, Lewis, Reed, etc. should be in there. Did you see what happened to Ben Roethlisberger today (he got a concussion)? Get these guys out of the game if they’re not out already!

6:33: I think it’s safe to break out that bubbly, Baltimore. It looks like the Ravens are going to the playoffs. It’s going to be a shame if the 11-5 Patriots don’t make it in, though. I know, I know, they’re the Patriots, but if you go 11-5, you deserve to make the postseason.

6:27: Why are the Ravens still throwing the ball? Read the rest of this entry »

{thanks, NICK BROWN}

We’re counted the votes and we’re happy to announce that Nick Brown of Baltimore has won our Biggest Ravens Fan contest, earning him the ultimate game-day experience. He’ll be front and center Sunday as the Ravens take on the Jaguars.

Read the rest of this entry »

From today’s b, the paper

We asked for Baltimore’s biggest Ravens fans, and you delivered: Ray Lewis tattoos, Poe Halloween costumes, vanity license plates, Web sites, complex tailgate strategies, themed wedding receptions … even curio cabinets cleared of children’s photos to make way for team paraphernalia.

We winnowed down the finalists based on passion, commitment, organization and extremism. Now, you make the call. Check out these entries and vote for Baltimore’s biggest Ravens fan — the person you think is most deserving of the ultimate game-day experience as the Ravens take on the Jaguars on Sunday. The biggest fan will be front and center at the game.

Their fate is in your hands. Vote by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

* Update: “Sports” Steve LaPlanche has removed himself from the running to provide greater opportunity for the other contestants.

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OK, it’s time to get excited, folks. Even if you’re the most casual of football fans, you’ve got to be fired up for this weekend. The college bowl season starts when a local squad takes the field, and the National Football League is down to its final two weeks, when a bunch of teams are in a mad scramble to make the playoffs. Anything can happen, so get ready to make a dent in your sofa over the next month or so, starting on Saturday morning. Read the rest of this entry »