Getty ImagesTo celebrate the first 8-0 home season in franchise (the Baltimore version of it) history, the Ravens will be giving a game ball to the fans.
In lieu of buying footballs for every season-ticket holder, the team instead will present specially-made balls to three randomly-selected fans.
“The credit goes to the players, first, it goes to the coaches, but it also goes to our fans,” Harbaugh said in a statement released by the team. “I think over the course of time since the Ravens came to Baltimore, and for my experience here in the last four years, there’s not a better stadium in the league than M&T Bank Stadium. There’s not a better bunch of fans than Ravens fans, everywhere, but especially on gameday in Baltimore.
“On behalf of the players and the coaches, we are giving the game ball to the Ravens’ fans for this 8-0 season. . . . Thank you to our fans, thank you for what you do, and you are a huge part of an undefeated season at home.”
The Ravens have compiled a 27-5 record at home in four seasons under Harbaugh. But the Ravens have yet to play a home playoff game.
With a win on Sunday in Cincinnati, they will.
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LOL
Class act
3 balls? C’mon! Ownership can’t spring for a $10 replica ball for each fan, following an 8-0 season?
The Ravens are the best with public relations and branding
Ravens will get an opportunity to go 0-1 or 1-1 in the playoff to the Steelers.
Harbaugh said the credit belongs with the coaches?!
Classy…
These harbaugh brothers are tools.
The Ravens will still be searching for their first playoff home game after the Bengals beat them Sunday in Cincinnati. You heard it here first.
As a Ravens fan, I say screw the game ball. It’s a nice gesture but meaningless. They’re no longer going to hold training camp in Westminster anymore, effectively isolating the team from their fan base. Nice touch, guys.
If you want to do something for us, reinstitute training camp at McDaniel College where fans, young and old, particularly those who don’t hold season tickets, can meet and greet the players.
Oh yeah, while you’re at it, you can give me a win in Cincy on Sunday. And a home playoff game.
Hahaha what a joke! Well I guess when you can only beat big brother during the regular season and can’t beat them ever in the playoffs, you gotta give the coach gatorade showers & a few balls out to the fans to keep them happy! Quite sad actually! They should give the ref’s game balls this year. They were the Ravens biggest supporters this year!
Oh well, no replica football for me. Guess we will have to settle for the Lombardi Trophy instead.
to whoever disliked up2highhells post:
the ravens have the best public relations and branding. It isn’t an opinion, it was announced by the NFL itself that they had won best PR. the league hands out the award every year.
if they lose at home in the playoffs, will the fans get cut next offseason?
3 balls for 3 fans? From a public relations standpoint it would be better to do nothing at all rather than something as cheapskate as that.
They should give all of the fans Gatorade showers.
Que the haters
@liljpeezy
$10 doesn’t seem like much,but it’d amount to about $720000 to give every fan at the game a ball. No owner wants to give up 3/4 of a mill no matter how great the fans are.
It is a season of firsts for Baltimore. First 8 and 0 home record. First time in a long time they aren’t playing second fiddle to the Steelers. First home playoff game in a long time coming up. First home playoff loss in a long time coming up soon as well.
@ steelersownyou
So true!
To: ortonwhiskeycrew
3 balls for 3 fans? From a public relations standpoint it would be better to do nothing at all rather than something as cheapskate as that.
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It is a metaphor, like calling the fans the twelfth man. Do you think Drew Brees really drives a mardi gras float?
You just need to worry about Team Orton beating the Tebows!
The three fans will be handed game balls, after which Ray Ray will jump in front of them, do a little dance for the cameras and take credit for the gift.
liljpeezy says:
Dec 28, 2011 2:37 PM
3 balls? C’mon! Ownership can’t spring for a $10 replica ball for each fan, following an 8-0 season?
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Are you nuts?! That’s $710K!!!
Maybe fan bases that approve of their team wasting money, like the Skins, would approve of that. Not in Baltimore. We like our owner pouring money into facilities, like the Castle. Best training facility in the league.
That’s stupid. What? They can’t buy 60,000 nerf footballs.
Tebow would buy a ball for each fan.
Stiller43 says:
Dec 28, 2011 2:55 PM
Harbaugh said the credit belongs with the coaches?!
Classy…
These harbaugh brothers are tools.
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What??
He said the credit belongs first to the players, then he went on to say it belongs to the coaches (plural meaning all coaches) and the fans. The entire point of this was to acknowledge the fans.
So you don’t think that Harbaugh should give any credit to Pagano, Cameron, or any of the position coaches?
3 balls for 3 fans? Why bother doing anything at all?
Don’t the Ravens have 60,000+ season ticket holders?
@steelersownyou
How do you get internet service living in a van down by the river?
For someone who doesnt sweat the Ravens you sure spend a lot of time reading about them.
Stiller43 – of course, got to have the typical Squealer roach chime in with their fourth grade commentary….LOL…..typical losers
If Ray Lewis and Ed Reed both retire after this season, and they throw tens of millions at Flacco, you’re going to see this team pull an Indy and nosedive. When these players lose their fearless leader in Lewis and their soul in Reed, and realize they are stuck forever with the most overrated QB in 20 years, they’re gonna tank. They don’t play for Harbaugh like the Patriots play for Belechick. They play in spite of the guy – and his “doghouse”.
flaccounibrow says:
Dec 28, 2011 3:10 PM
They should give all of the fans Gatorade showers.
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LOL!!! As a bmore native and diehard Ravens, I must say this and steelersown mentions of the overused gatorade celebrations are dead on. I don’t like it trust me. The fact that I can admit that and not come back with some lame remark or rapist jokes is what seperates us passionate BUT respectful fans (Both Pit and Bmore fans) from the lowlifes who only wanna cyberfight with each other. Now to all the ignorant Ravens & Steelers fans who choose to act like children and bashed each others opposing cities and what not, learn how to respect your rivals fanbase in a way in which you can talk all the smack in the world but while keeping within the realm of on field play and not who’s city’s crime rate is higher,who’s got more homeless people, and ect. In other words…stay classy everybody.
“To celebrate the first 8-0 home season in franchise (the Baltimore version of it) ”
Would you and every other hack let go the Old Browns/Raven BS? It really is a tired line…
I guess with that ignorant logic, you should also count the Baltimore SB win as a win for the Colts record also?
“To celebrate the first 8-0 home season in franchise (the Baltimore version of it) ”
Mike? There is only one Ravens franchise.
The Colts don’t count.
3 balls? C’mom Steve can afford it.
This is the same mentality that led to the lay off of 2 of the 3 Raven mascots* :
Edgar and Allen- RIP
Poe-Rock on!
Better to do nothing.
* Ravens cut back on the number of mascots from 3 to 1 for “economic reasons”.
humbleminded85 – do everyone a favor and jump off a bridge!
dennyg2 says:
“The Ravens will still be searching for their first playoff home game after the Bengals beat them Sunday in Cincinnati. You heard it here first.”
________________
Heard it from you first, huh? A team with a winning record beating a divisional foe at home. Very bold of you.
Hey, good thing your blackout got lifted today. Now you can look for me on TV. I’ll be the one wearing purple and black holding the sign that says “Who Done?!”
borisbulldog – he’s talking about the Browns you tool!
Celebrate? Celebrate what….You have not done anything yet!!!! 8-0 at home…great… 3-4 on the road (soon to be 3-5 and looking up at the Steelers yet again!)…..Celebrate when you actually do something. Like hoist a Lombardi 6 times!!!
wow. i see the steelersownyou troll has come out of his hole which he has been in since they lost to san fran. hopefully, he gets put back in his hole this week when they lose to cleveland. cleveland should have beaten them the first time they played. i am by no means a john harbaugh fan and the gatorade baths were garbage but there is no denying the fact that we kicked steeler butt twice this season and will do it again in the playoffs if necessary. we have a very young team and are going to be good for a long time. it could be us and cincy battling for years to come while the steelers get older
wow 3 whole fans get a game ball… just goes to show that morons run football teams (or any large organization for that matter)… when someone says “I know, we’ll give the fans a game ball… and we’ll make 3 special balls and give them away”… no one says, ummm that might really make us look like a bunch of cheap morons?
Here’s a thought, I understand to give all the PSL owners would be expensive, but mail all the PSL owners certificates stating that the game ball was presrnted to them. Maybe a picture of the ball in the case in the castle.
On another point, why are you delaying the delivery of the playoff tickets? You didn’t let me delay my payment until after Christmas??!!!
@steelersownyou – I find it very interesting how you manage to have some small minded comment on every Ravens article. I am assuming you are a male given that the majority of people who frequent sports blogs are men.
As a urologist we have a description for you. It is called “Little man.” It really has nothing to do with your height or weight. It has to do with phallic size. Men like you with microphallus feel the need to do exactly the type of stuff you do day after day after day. It is how you make yourself feel better for the fact that your have a very small phallus.
In any case, I thought you would want to know. Just sayin…
Screw you Harbaugh, give back training camp! Coaches are for a minute; fans forever. Have you forgotten that Mr. Bisciotti?
I have had psl since they came to town never once went to training camp never cared too. – so whatever make the team prepare better for the season so be it. Plus we get free fans days at m&t bank….
But if your one of the lucky 3 fans how freakin cool is that. Would be in my mancave forever
And some one said a 10$ football for everyone would be $550,000 roughly. I would settle for a patch or fridge magnet.
“Hey, good thing your blackout got lifted today. Now you can look for me on TV. I’ll be the one wearing purple and black holding the sign that says “Who Done?!”
Better hope you aren’t sitting next to me. No one will be seeing your sign! …”you heard it here first”
3 balls? 3 balls? That’s a Jim Mora going off on something like this.
If you’re going to do something like this, make it at least 1,000 randomly selected fans. That won’t break the bank. But 3 balls???
If something isn’t worth doing right, it isn’t worth doing at all…
@ rexryanseacrest
“Who Done”- that’s hilarious. Bungals are so overrated, lol
How about a “gatorade shower” for all season ticket holders?
kmart0319 – the Colts certainly do love to use all the BALTIMORE Colt championships in all their literature…..as do the idiot fans that buy the crap!
steelmill – how ’bout a GED for all the gas-pumpin’ loser squealer fans!!!