Ravens in the Rain

It was pouring when I left Taneytown Sunday morning. Perfect, I thought. I wanted to swing by the Ravens camp in Westminster. The streets were so congested on Saturday I could barely get through, much less stop. And that was BEFORE the news of Derrick Mason’s return broke. All I could see above the fray were a lot of welcome banners and signs in store windows around town. It was only slightly less chaotic than opening day of the legislature in Annapolis.

With the Sunday morning deluge, I figured no one would venture out and might get close enough to see the blue of Joe Flacco’s eyes.

Wrong. Really, really wrong. There was a break in the rain, but none in the steady stream of fans trudging up the hill to the football field. They had umbrellas, ponchos, tarps, coolers, and folding chairs. Some had little kids in tow. Many were senior citizens. They all knew it was going to rain, and they didn’t care. They were coming to see their Ravens.

The hill was pretty full and practice was underway when I arrived. I asked a few soggy spectators where they were from. Most were local – Carroll or Frederick County – but there were two from nearby Pennsyvlania. Almost all were decked out in Ravens gear. My Markakis shirt was conspicuously out of season.

The folks in Westminster feel special, because they connect with the Ravens before anyone else. They see them on the streets and in restaurants and they feel the energy the team brings (along with the $$$$, also greatly appreciated.)

Summer camp is a cherished annual ritual here. An older couple told me they’d been coming for years. The lady said she knew Joe Flacco was going to be a star long before anyone in Baltimore caught on. The guy behind me said he knew – just knew – Derrick Mason was coming back because he knew how much the team meant to him.

It was as if they were talking about their neighbors. When I thought about it, I realized they were.

I didn’t stay too long. The thunder was ominous, and I had a long way to go. But as I walked down the hill, others were making their way up to cheer their home team favorites.

I know there are suburbanites who will always be Redskin fans. There are some who never stopped loving the Colts, even after their ignominious departure. I’m told when you go as far west as Cumberland, you’ll encounter an occasional misguided soul who found solace with the Steelers after their hearts were broken in 1984.

But it was clear to me, during that steady rain, that the Ravens are Maryland’s team. I can’t wait to have them back here in Camden Yards, but now I understand the special bond they have with Carroll County.