November 27, 2023 • 41 mins
Dive into the heart of football fandom as we sit down with our die-hard guest, Tyler, to dissect the Baltimore Ravens' recent performance and upcoming matches, with a keen focus on the rivalries within the AFC North division. Let Tyler walk you back to his first memory of being a Ravens fan at the tender age of six and get a first-hand account of the adrenaline-filled atmosphere in downtown Baltimore on game days. As we shine a spotlight on the Ravens' quarterback, Lamar Jackson, you'll gain insight into his unique skills and challenges, all while basking in the spirit of football and loyalty.
Our chat with Tyler takes an exciting detour as we paint a picture of downtown Baltimore, pulsating with energy on game days. As a season ticket holder, Tyler recalls his exhilarating experiences at games and paints a vivid picture of the city's love for football. How about some pop culture mingling with football fandom? From the popular saying "Ravens and O's, crabs and bows" to references from the TV show "The Wire", we've got it all.
In a playful twist to our football discourse, we reimagine the cast of "The Office" with the Baltimore Ravens' players. We'll also ponder upon a new house, "Raven", in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, and create a Quidditch team with current and former Ravens players. Wrapping up our chat, sharing thoughts on the upcoming NFL season, while expressing anticipation for the potential match between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs. So, tune in for an engaging, passionate, and thoroughly enjoyable discussion on football, fandom, and all things Ravens!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
All right, everybody, welcome back to Fandom from
afar.
So this is kind of an excitingepisode because I have my friend
Tyler here today to talk aboutthe Ravens.
Welcome, Tyler, Thank you,Thank you.
But Tyler reached out becausehe saw me advertising one of my
other podcasts and Tyler and Ihadn't spoken in a while but I
know he's a really big sportsfan and he said, hey, I'd love
(00:26):
to be on the podcast.
And I was like yeah for surelet's do it.
So if anyone else is out thereand thinking that they want to
tell their story, then hit me upeither by text or social media
and we can get you on thepodcast as well.
But today let's talk aboutthose Baltimore Ravens.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Those.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Ravens, those Ravens just coming off of a little bit
of a heartbreaker yesterday.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, I didn't want to be around for a little while.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I thought, for sure you guys had it.
When what's his face?
Missed the extra point.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Oh yeah, Because like if a team misses extra point.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Hardly ever do they come back and actually win the
game.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, you don't ever have that like that, that energy
after you miss an extra point.
It's the easiest part of thegame.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And you missed it and we still ended up giving that
game away.
It just I don't know.
He started off hot with KyleHamilton on the pick six and the
second play of the game.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Oh I love that.
What he's crazy.
He really walked in Crazyinterception.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And then it just seems like.
It seems like once Lamar makesa mistake, he can't come back
from it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, he's.
He's interesting.
I actually have it on the list.
We'll talk about Lamarspecifically later, but you guys
have a big game Quickturnaround on Thursday night For
the audience.
We're recording this a littlebit early.
This is actually going to bethe episode that I'm going to
post while the family and I areon a vacation, so, Tyler.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I'll be the placeholder.
Exactly, tyler stepped up tohold that down.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So let's see you guys play the Bengals Thursday.
Thursday night, bangles inBaltimore, that's going to be
huge.
Yeah, those games are always sofun no matter how good the
teams are.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I really dislike the Bengals.
I figured their fans are theworst.
I mean our whole division.
I think our fans are the mostdiehard fans.
I think the AFC North handsdown as the most competitive
division.
I think combined records were22 and 11 this year and no other
division has 20 wins.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Well, and it's been that way for so long because
almost every team in thatdivision is consistently good.
So you guys have those realrivalries where it means
something.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I mean you got the Steelers.
Like that is my most dislikedhated team.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Whatever you want to call it, I cannot stand the
Pittsburgh Steelers and it Um.
I'm just glad they're kind ofon a down tick right now.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, I say yes, I don't think you're crying for
them.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I fully expected Kenny Pickett and George Pickett
to actually be really freakinggood.
And they just haven't reallypanned out yet, so I'm just
waiting for them to click, andthen it's going to be on again.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And if they don't, you won't be sad.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
No, not at all, not at all.
We already got to deal with theBrowns and the Bengals now
because the Bengals just decidedto be good again, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
And yeah, just to fact knowing you have Joe Burrow
to deal with.
But I'm sure other teams arethinking, oh, we have to deal
with Lamar or Jackson for thenext 10 years, so no exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I mean, there's nobody like Lamar.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I mean teams sign dudes to their practice squad to
give somewhat of a look of whatLamar might be like.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, because no one does that week.
That's just crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I think he's awesome.
He's great.
I love him.
I think he's worth every penny.
He just needs to be a littlebit more consistent.
Yeah and for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Well, let's, let's work our way towards Lamar.
Let's, let's start with yourorigin story and tell me how did
it all start Like?
I've had some prettyinteresting origin stories on
here, from video games toaspirin commercials to all sorts
of stuff.
So what do you remember?
Like the first time you werelike I'm a Ravens man.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, I was six years old and my dad, he, worked for
Toys R Us in Owings Mills, whichis where their training
facility is.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I had the Under Armour.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Center and he called.
He called my mom from work oneday and was like, hey, do you
mind if I take Tyler the Ravenspractice across the street
tonight?
She was like no, no, no, goahead Absolutely.
And I hadn't watched it down afootball in my life.
And then, while I was at thepractice, my dad, he brought
this football and he was likewhen the players come over, ask
(04:29):
him to sign it.
So I was like, ok, cool.
And this guy number 52, rayLewis.
Oh, man and he walked over and Iwas like hey, five, two, five,
two, can you sign this?
Like I didn't even know hisname, yeah, and he walked up to
me and he was like man, you'renot wearing any Ravens stuff.
And he went into his likeduffel bag and he got me a
(04:50):
hoodie that he had in his bag.
Oh, dang, and he gave it to meand I was like I'm a Ravens fan
from this day on Like yeah, oh,my goodness, nothing anybody can
say to me to ever take me awayfrom the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That is so cool, especially as a six year old.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Like I had no idea what he was giving me, who he
was, or like the stature of hisof Ray Lewis, but it was.
I mean, he's a behemoth of ahuman being.
So I was scared to begin with,but it was.
It was just so cool like I gavemy.
I gave that hoodie to my dad.
He's got it framed and all that.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Oh man, I love that.
Yeah, it's so.
Yeah, cuz, for all you know, hecould have been like a third
stringer nobody, but yeah, it'sgonna be one of the greatest
players in my backers in history.
That is so cool.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
It was cool.
Yeah, I got that footballsigned by Ray Lewis.
I got it signed by.
Ed Reed to rel Suggs.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I got everyone signature on this, so this was
like right in their peak, of allthose guys I mean yeah, we won
the Super Bowl in 2001.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I was, yeah, I mean I I kind of understood what was
going on, like I didn't reallyknow football a whole lot, but I
knew that 52 was on the field.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
So that was their Super Bowl season.
Yeah, oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yep, yep.
I was born in 95, they camealong in 96 and Then, when I was
six, in 2001, it was when Istarted to like them.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Wow, that's so cool, Right?
I love hearing these origins.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It's a cool story and like I love telling it because
not many people get to interactwith Ray Lewis like that, you
know.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Oh yeah, and I just love the fact that you and your
dad still have the sweatshirt.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
It hasn't been touched since he put it in her
frame 15 years ago.
I love that, and it was.
It was the greatest day of mylife, honestly, yeah, and I
didn't know what was happening.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
No, it's fun to like kind of realize how great it was
later on right.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's pretty awesome .
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yes, you might have been too nervous to enjoy it if
you actually knew who he was.
Right, that's fun.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Yeah, that was a fun season, man, I loved, I loved
that.
Oh, one team.
Oh yeah, talk about Hooking youit was the greatest defense to
ever exist in the history of theNFL.
And now we're on Like the SuperBowl team.
In 01, we had Trent Dill for aquarterback.
Yeah, that's how good ourdefense was Like.
We didn't give up more than 14points in a game that season.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That's wild, that's insane.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Like their average.
I think their points per gamewas like 10.8 or 10.9 or
something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
It's just incredible.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Like I can't even imagine.
But it was entertaining towatch their defense and that's
not.
It's not the case most of time.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Well, it kind of made it more entertaining because,
like you mentioned, dilfer, it'snot like you guys were lighting
up the scoreboard either, right.
No it was, it was the.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
The defense had to do that yeah but we beat the
Giants in the Super Bowl thatyear 31-0.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I mean that's like the only shutout in Super Bowl
history, I think, like therehasn't.
I think there's maybe been twoor three man.
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Yeah, man, what a year to start paying attention,
right.
Right that's really good eversince then.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Like 2012, getting getting that second Super Bowl
with Joe Flacco, that was, thatwas great.
I was.
I was like 16 years old and Iknew exactly what was going on
and I I actually had a Friendthat I met who moved here from
Maryland with his family, okay,and they were like four houses
down from us.
So you got to enjoy it with,yeah.
(08:00):
So we had some more Ravens fansin our neighborhood and it was
nice to have them, because youwere the only people with Ravens
flags.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I'll say our house.
You can all band together,everybody else but that team.
Well, I was gonna bring it uplater, but we might as well now.
That team had one of myall-time heartbreaking moments
as a Bronco fan.
I know what was it the deeppast to Jacobi Jones.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Kobe Jones caught it.
Your defensive back fell downand, yeah, he ran it in the rest
of the way.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
He just totally missed, misjudged the ball.
He should have intercepted iteasy and need is I remember
every single frame of that playthat was insane.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
I mean, that whole playoff run was insane.
He had 11 touchdowns and zerointerceptions.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Oh yeah, playoff run.
He was out of his mind and thenhe got paid because of it and
then, hey, good for him.
He's probably living in amansion right now.
I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
You know.
It's crazy, though, is that hegot a hundred and sixty million
dollars, and that was thehighest paid player in the NFL
at that time and now guys aresigning like five hundred
million dollars, and now you gotmy home billion dollars over
ten years.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, but he, he was unstoppable that year, like it
was just kind of destined.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, it was a meant to be thing because I I remember
the Ravens, their social mediateam.
They posted a video of RayLewis in the locker room after
practice.
It was the day before our firstplayoff game of that season and
he said, boys, I'm retiringthis year.
And then he was like I want togo out a champion, I want to go
out on top.
Like it's giving me chillstalking about it.
Yeah and and then we just wentout and did that for him like I
(09:35):
loved it.
I loved every second of it.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
That's so cool.
So Ray Lewis obviously amazinglinebacker, like one of the
great snowed out there.
I don't think that even need tobe discussed, but what was it
like being a fan of him?
Because I Think most teamsdream of having a leader like
that Just someone that can bethe face of your franchise, that
(09:59):
all your guys will run througha wall for like what was?
It like having him on your teamas a fan.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You want to run through a wall every week
Exactly every single week youwant to run through a wall for
that man.
Like it was just nice knowingthat we had a quarterback on
offense and defense, you know,like he put his guys where he
knew they needed to be and hewas never wrong.
He was never, ever wrong.
He could dissect plays like itwas nobody's business and and
just like sitting there watchingthat, watching him be so
(10:26):
dominant.
It was so much fun to watch RayLewis.
I'm much fun to watch Ray Lewisand and having him lay someone
out and just I mean you being atthe game.
If you're in the stands youcould hear when Ray Lewis hit
somebody.
Oh, I'm sure he laid the hurthe was just like pure muscle.
I mean, it was nothing, it wasjust a freight train coming
(10:48):
through Like I remember one play, specifically when Chad Johnson
it was a goal line.
It was a goal line play, Ithink it was on like the two or
three yard line and he tried tocome across the middle and block
Ray Lewis and Ray Lewis justabsolutely sent him six feet
under and he got back to thesideline.
(11:09):
His coach was like hey, chadyou good.
And he was like I tried toblock Ray.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I tried to block Ray.
I immediately regretted it.
That was a mistake.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
That's the best.
I love stuff like that.
It's just like that team justhad a swagger about them, Like
like you didn't want to play us.
Oh yeah, you did not want toplay that defense.
You didn't want to play Ed Reidand he was a ball hawk.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
And then I mean we had Anquan Bolden that season.
We signed him and everybodysaid he was washed up and he
went out and caught fivetouchdowns in the playoffs.
It was just meant to be thatyear, I think, and it was.
That was such a cool team.
It was a fairytale story,honestly.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Did you ever go to any other practices, like after
you were six years old and justhappened to get to meet Ray
Lewis again?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Oh, yeah, yeah, no, I met.
I met T Cissel.
I met Ed Reid.
I met.
I met Chris McAllister.
A lot of people forget abouthim.
He was dominant.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Oh, yeah, he was a corner, he was so dominant.
Yeah, he was dominant.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
We had Dion Sanders for a little bit.
I never got to meet him.
I did meet Charles Woodson.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Which is really cool.
No I think it was Rod, woodson,charles or Rod.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Oh Rod played for the .
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Ravens yeah, rod Woodson, rod Woodson.
Sorry, I got to meet him, I gotto meet oh.
I met Jamal Lewis.
Oh nice Jamal, I mean he was2000-yard rushing.
He was one of the greatest everand I mean I've been spoiled.
As far as being a Ravens fan,though, I've never really had a
season where I'm like I don'twant to watch this team anymore.
(12:41):
Yeah, like I mean we've had twocoaches in our history.
I mean we've had Brian Billickand John Harbaugh, so
consistency is great with us.
That's crazy, and I meanHarbaugh is going on year 14 now
.
If you can believe that.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I can't believe he's been there that long.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, it's been a great ride as Ravens.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
I bet All the friends and family we have here in
Jacksonville are not going towant to hear that because they
have not had the same luck.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Yeah, I was listening to your episode with Eric.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
He was trying to make it sound as good as he possibly
could, but, man being a Jagsfan, I've been here since 06.
Gotcha gotcha.
So I've seen the city when theywere down.
I've seen the city when theywere up.
I've been to games when theywere good and in the games when
they were horrible.
Like I see it, but I just it'shard for me to believe.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
They've had those peaks.
They just haven't had theconsistency, like you guys, no,
they're very up and down.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
And that's what I'm grateful for.
Yeah exactly that.
The Ravens have consistency andwe haven't had a losing season
in almost 10 years, I think.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Nice Broncos used to have that.
We had an amazing streak wherewe didn't have back-to-back
losing seasons for over 30 years, but then the last 10 years has
been all losing season.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
So it's been rough.
I mean, you guys just needRussell Wilson to figure it out.
You guys have the pieces yougot a good defense, you got good
corners, you got I mean, we'rea ways away.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
We don't need to waste time with the Broncos.
You're about the right age, Didyou?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
you must have loved playing with the Ravens on video
games as well, oh yeah, likeyeah, there wasn't a different
team that I played with ExactlyLike.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
That would have been fun too.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like early Madden days, I would be playing my
brother or something or I'd beplaying one of my buddies.
Like 2001 to like 2005, whenthe Ravens had all their dudes
and I mean you still couldn'tget anything done in the video
game against their teammates.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Oh yeah, because they make them so good you still
couldn't get anything done.
And that's what's fun when theyhave a good linebacker like
that, because it's fun to be alinebacker on Madden and just
destroy everything and just roamand hit, stick everybody.
So the fact that you had thebest linebacker in the world
kind of would make it pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Well, shoot, now we got Rokwon Smith, like he's
there's no drop off.
Yeah, he's really nice.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Well, lucky you.
So sounds like you guys wouldgo to practices pretty often up
there and then go to go intogames as well.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah games.
We were season ticket holdersfor three years and it we were
on a year long waiting list forseason tickets.
Nice, the city of Baltimore,they love football.
Yeah we have this saying it'sRavens and O's, crabs and bows,
like that's cool because we haveNatty Bo beer.
It's like.
It's like the Natty light inBaltimore.
(15:30):
So we say that a lot.
But downtown Baltimore is somuch fun to go to for games
because you got canvun yardsright across the street, then
you got M&T Bank right behind itand on days when, when the
Ravens and the Oral is areplaying, it's just like a giant
party.
Some of the most fun you'llever have.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
That's cool.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Behind Candon Yards and right field is Utah Street
and then that huge warehouse inthe back there.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
They got all the bars and restaurants and all the
radio shows that are going onthere, tv sets being set up
there.
It's a lot of fun down there,that's really cool.
Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That's fun when they turn the whole downtown into
like a gathering area for thatand it's not just like you come
in and out for the game and youdon't hang out Like there's
there's stuff to do, right.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
That's great Right, and it was fun too.
Just like a lot of people think, downtown Baltimore is not
really the greatest area to be.
And don't get me wrong, it'snot because of the wire, yeah,
the wire.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
But no, it's definitely not the greatest area
to be.
But they do a good job of you.
Stay within that little bubble.
Yeah, you stay within yourthree block area where both the
stadiums are, you'll be good.
But go outside of that, it's atyour own risk.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
That's fine.
I'll have to go up there andtry that sometime, like, like
you said, it'd be fun to hit upa weekend when you can go to one
football, one baseball game.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, so we're actually my uncle and I were
actually going to.
He's a Braves fan, so we wentto Atlanta this past year to go
watch Orioles and Braves and wegot swept in that series.
So I had to watch all threegames.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Swept.
But, um, yeah, we're going upto Baltimore when the Braves are
there next season Very cool.
I'm going to stay there for aweek and go see some family and
then go to the games too.
That's awesome, it's gonna befun.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Now you said we would go to the games.
Was that your yourself and yourdad or like?
Would your brother come to, ordid you and your brother have to
rotate with your?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
dad.
No, I mean, he, my brother.
He didn't really get into NFLfootball until he was older,
like after we got down here,probably like 10 or 11 years old
, Um, but I, I tried very hardto get him to be a Ravens fan.
Yeah, but he's a Jaguars fan.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, really Okay yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
He's a Jags fan and I can tell you the specific
moment his fandom switched.
It was a.
It was a Sunday night gameagainst the Jags here in
Jacksonville and we were down.
It was the most boring gameI've ever watched in my entire
life.
There were eight field goalskicked between both teams.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Oh fun.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, it was just all field goals.
So the Ravens ended up losingand with about two minutes left
in the fourth quarter, jags havethe ball.
My brother, he's got his facepainted purple and gold and
white Like he's a Ravens fan thewhole game and as soon as he
realized that they weren't goingto win, he took off his.
He took off his Ravens jerseyand he got my uncle's Jags
(18:13):
jersey and he threw it on himand I was like what no way, so
he's literally changed at thegame.
changed at the game and hehasn't looked back since.
Wow, Well, good for him forbeing loyal.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
But that's that's a pretty dramatic decision All of
a sudden.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I was like dang, you left a Super Bowl winning team
to go.
Cheer for the Jaguars.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
But now, now he's going to be happy when the Jags
win it this year.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I think they're still .
I think they're still a waysaway too.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I don't know, We'll see.
Afc is going to be fun in theplayoffs, Like uh.
I think a lot of teams arepretty evenly matched, so it
should be.
Should be good AFC is juststrong.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, that's all it is.
Yeah, I'm never worried aboutNSC teams with Lamar he's 18 and
one against them.
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Really yeah, he doesn't lose to NSC teams.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Wow, it just for two and three in our division this
year.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
So Really Mm-hmm.
Wow See, that's surprisingbecause I was thinking of
Baltimore as like one of thebest teams just overall.
But I didn't realize all yourdivision games have been kind of
struggle this year.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, I mean all three of our losses have been
with leads greater than 10points going into the fourth
quarter.
Oh really, all three of themColts, colts Browns and Steelers
we all get a 10 plus point lead.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
So you're not that far away from just being like
the dominant team this year.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Yeah, no, we should be 10 though.
Wow, we should be 10 though,but it just really bad mistakes
at really bad times.
It really hurt us.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Hey, you never know, you could look back on it and be
like.
Hey, I'm glad we lost thosegames, because then it made us
kind of refocus and not be justoverconfident.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Right, yeah, I mean getting back to your question,
though it was mainly me and mydad going into the games.
Okay, like if we had family intown, he always got games from
work at Toys R Us because someof the players would come in
like during a holiday season andthey would do their like
charity, like throw whatever youwant in the cart and I'll pay
for it.
Like you got 10 minutes to gothrow whatever you want in the
(20:15):
cart, that's cool.
So he would get to talk to themall the time doing that kind of
stuff and he would just be likehey, you got some tickets for
this weekend and of course theydid Every time they had tickets.
it was great.
That's really cool.
It was cool.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
And does your uncle still live up there.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
No, he lives here now , okay, yeah, he moved here not
long after we did, I think 2008.
He moved here, okay, him andhis wife had a baby and they
didn't want to be in Baltimoreanymore, so they came down here
at St John's.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
County and very nice Little bit different.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Got him into the bubble.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, exactly yeah.
Now it sounds like you guysaren't afraid to fly up there to
go to games, though God no.
So you stay in touch with theteam that way, can you?
What are some other ways thatyou like to stay in touch with
the team, whether throughspecific shows that you watch on
YouTube or listen to podcastsor anything like that, like what
(21:03):
kind of resources do you use?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
I actually don't have a show that I watch or listen
to, I just use Twitter or X now.
But the Ravens Beatwriters,Hoodie Raimi, Sarah Ellison she
is incredible.
She literally has the insightwith every single player.
She has a great relationshipwith all of them and she has all
(21:27):
the information all the time.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
It's amazing how much the and I'm sure they only are
able to share like half of whatthey know.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure, and she's got a podcast
herself too, and so I'll listento that every once in a while,
but it's mainly her ex account,and she probably posts a 30 to
45 tweets a day.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Oh my goodness, she's on it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
She's on it, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, that's really all you need.
That's a ton of information.
That's it.
This just jumped in my mind,but you had mentioned that you
like Harry Potter and thebiggest Ravens fan I know is
also the biggest Harry Potterfan I know.
So you should follow MalloryRubin.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
She works for the ringer like Bill Simmons, the
whole empire.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Um, Mallory Rubin is someone that I think you would
really like because she's a goodmix of sports and all the nerd
culture stuff I like that yeah,I like that, yeah, um well cool.
So we've kind of danced aroundthe subject a little bit.
But let's talk about Lamar.
Yeah, because I think he'ssuper interesting, not only in
why or because he's unique as aplayer, but it also seems like
(22:34):
it doesn't make sense how goodhe is and how underappreciated
he is, because You're preachingin a choir.
Well, yeah, I'm sure, I'm sure,but like what other quarterback
would have the success that he'shad and become a free agent or
whatever his contract situationwas his past off season and have
(22:55):
such little interest from teamsLike it just doesn't make sense
to me Well.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
so what we did with him is we put the restricted tag
on him.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
So he could go out and seek a trade or a new
contract from somebody else.
But I know the Ravens weredemanding two first round picks
if you wanted the rights to him.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
But for a quarterback that good.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I would think it was incredible.
To me it shouldn't have evenbeen.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, broncos gave up two first round picks for
Russell Wilson, who is 12 yearsolder than.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Lamar and getting paid more than them.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Like if you would have given me a choice.
Oh, you can have Russell Wilsonor Lamar Jackson for two first
round picks.
I'm like oh well, that's aneasy choice Give me.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Lamar.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
So I don't know, was there something I was missing
that was scaring away teams, orwas it just the two first round
picks?
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Well, it was definitely the two first round
picks and I think owners have areservation about his play style
and how long he can keep thatup for.
But you've seen it this year hecan throw the ball.
He's having his best passingseason of his career.
He leads the NFL in completionpercentage, so that's not his
issue, it just I really don'tthink owners wanted to pay him.
(24:09):
That was it.
I don't think the two firstround picks were which is just
wild.
And then we come back and givehim $265 million and 180 of it
guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
There's definitely other teams out there that could
have swung that For sure that'snot that much more than the
same signed Derek Carr for Like,come on no.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Like it.
Just it baffled me that he wasstill a Raven after this
offseason.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Because I was ready to move on with Tyler Huntley.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah, you were like resigning yourself to that.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
I was like man I don't want to move on with Tyler
Huntley, but if I have to, Iwill.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
I just, I don't understand, like it just.
I guess it's just one of thosethings.
Do you feel like himrepresenting himself had
anything to do with it?
Like 100%, like 100%.
Do you think he could havegotten more money if he had an
agent?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
No, no, no.
I think he got the max of whathe could have gotten.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
But it was just a weird situation because
basically the Ravens probablywere having to tell him why he's
not worth.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, no, and it's a weird situation because your
agent is usually the is usuallythe buffer between the player
and the team and they filterwhat player hears, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
He heard.
He had to hear all of it.
He had to hear the ups, he hadto hear the downs, he had to
hear all of it.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Do you feel like he's moved on and that didn't really
?
Speaker 2 (25:29):
affect him, or I think he's fine If they if they
were struggling this year.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Do you think he'd be like, yeah, get me out of here?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I don't think he would want to leave if we were
struggling.
I think the call for like if wedidn't go out and draft safe
flowers and get Rashad Batemanback healthy and go out and sign
Odell Beckham Jr.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
I think he would have wanted to leave if we didn't
get him help.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Well, see, that's a great point Like he's never had.
He's never had good receivers.
So I'd love safe hours, butjust the fact Bateman's healthy,
and then Odell starting to comeon a little bit now, but like
that past.
Odell yesterday was in thatslant and just he, just perfect
pass.
So it took off and I don't knowhow you can tell Lamar to his
face like he can't do this, hecan't do this, when you don't
(26:11):
give him actual professionalreceivers.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
And I mean in 2019, when he won the unanimous MVP,
his wide receiver one was DevonDuvernay.
He's returning kicks and puntsfor us now.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
You can't, like you can't expect him to be Superman
every week and I think that'swhat we're seeing now is that he
doesn't need to be Supermananymore.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Yeah, I feel like he's balancing it really well,
as far as he doesn't take offrunning every single time.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, but he's still got almost 500 yards rushing on
this so it's got five rushingtouchdowns.
So he still produces.
And I hate when people there'sjust one stat floating around
right now that at Lamar Jacksonhas the same number of throwing
touchdowns as Mac Jones.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Really.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
But I mean, look at the record and he has.
He has five rushing touchdowns.
So if you're, if you want tocount everything, he's got 16
touchdowns, not not 11.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
So it just I think that's going to change because
Mac's not seeing the fieldanymore Moving forward.
No, Bailey's app is a guy.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
This is third time being benched this week, so yeah
, that was just bad.
But um yeah, like the Patriotsto the Patriots.
I have a long history with thePatriots.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Tom Brady and keeping us from that many Super Bowls
every single season.
It seemed like like we get tothe AFC championship and Tom
Brady is waiting for you.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
So save those thoughts, because I have a
question about that in one ofour games later, all right, cool
.
Who who would you say that'splaying right now is the closest
comparison to Lamar.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Hmm.
I mean as far as like speed Imean, I think the closest would
have to be Justin Fields.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Like there's just nobody like him, like you have
to go back to Michael Vick tofind somebody like him.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Well, that's what I was going to say.
Maybe, historically, who wouldyou say?
Because I'd say Michael.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Vick yeah modern day.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I don't think Fields is anywhere close to being the
passer that Lamar is.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
No, no, he's not, but I mean that's the closest
comparison, because Lamar canthrow and then if he doesn't
have anything, he's just goingto.
He's going to make you fallover and look down when he juxt
you out.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Prime Michael Vick.
He was pretty awesome,incredible, I guess.
To kind of tie this up, I thinkLamar has it and I don't see
any reason why he can't lead youguys to a Super Bowl.
No, I don't.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
I think he's very capable of it.
I think people like to nitpickat the small stats that really
don't matter and like we're nothaving these same conversations
about Joe Burrow.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Right.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I mean last week he had two interceptions against
the Texans, the Houston Texans,that lost them the game.
I was like where's the burrow?
Hey, where.
Like why aren't we concernedfor Joe Burrow?
Speaker 1 (28:59):
I will say that, as a fan, it always feels like
everyone's picking on your guy.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
They do, yeah, and it's Jags fans too.
It's tough living here and likebecause Duvall fans they're
relentless and they are.
But if they were to come toBaltimore they would say the
same thing.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Oh yeah, that's kind of what makes it fun.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Exactly, everybody has to protect their own guys
and I look at their quarterbackand Trevor Lawrence and I look
at my quarterback and LamarJackson and I'm like he is so
much more fun to watch LikeTrevor's good.
He's good.
The Jags football, the brand offootball they put out, is just
not like.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Which is surprising, they have so many weapons.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I'm saying so, and they went out like they have all
their players from last yearand added Calvin Ridley and he's
just like a no show and theyjust don't throw to him.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
I hope the Ravens and the Jags like match up in the
playoffs and then I can justhave you and Eric come and do a
pond together.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Let's do it.
Let's do a live stream.
I'll do it on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Let's move on a little bit and play some games.
Do it All right.
Before you came on, I asked youwhat were some of your favorite
kind of shows or movies orwhatever like that.
And you went right up my alleyand said the office and Harry
Potter.
So that's what my games arebased on now because I love the
office and Harry Potter, sowe'll start out the office.
Now let's pretend we're in aworld that they are recasting
(30:25):
the office using Ravens players.
So we're going to.
I'll give you some charactersor famous scenes or whatever,
and just first player that popsto your mind will be the correct
answer.
So you can't lose this game.
But I want to know who willrecreate the awesome episode
(30:46):
prison Mike.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Marlin Humphrey.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Okay, tell me why.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Marlin Humphrey.
He is the goofiest dude on theRavens Really.
Every time we win he has avictory stream and it's a live
stream of everybody on the teamplaying.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Oh really.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
And like he's the guy who, like he, like, walks up to
Roquan Smith while he'ssleeping.
It was like a Ro, what'd youthink about the game today?
And he's still fast asleep Likehe knows, he's not going to say
anything.
He's just like hey, why are youignoring me?
Man, like he just he does likestuff in their face while
they're sleeping and liketickles their ear and stuff.
Like he's hilarious.
I love Marlin Humphrey.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
That sounds pretty perfect.
Love him.
Put a purple bandana on him.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
He's prison, mike, he's it.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
My first thought was it'd be funny to see Ray Lewis
do that, but he would legit bescary.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
He would be really scary.
You would actually think thathe was prison, prison Ray so
that would be funny.
It's funny because the bandanais kind of like his look too
Exactly, so that would be good,yeah All right who, what Raven
player would be most likely toburn his feet?
Speaker 1 (31:50):
because he wanted to wake up to the smell of bacon.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Tyler Linderbaum our center.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You know that.
Quick, tell me why.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Our center.
He's from Iowa and he wasraised on a pig farm.
Oh, there you go he probably heliterally said I eat bacon
every single day of my life.
That's perfect.
There it is.
There you go.
I love it All right.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
What player do you consider to be your Toby when,
when he's on the field, you justscream no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Oh man, Right now Justice Hill.
Oh okay, our backup runningback.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
I mean, Keaton Mitchell has come onto the
scenes.
He is so fast, but Justice Hilland Lamar haven't been able to
get on the same page.
So anytime I see 43 in the gameI'm like no, don't hand on the
ball, please, please, don't givehim the ball.
He's fumbled four times thisyear, lost off.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Oh yeah, that'll do it.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
It just he gives me the creeps when he gets on the
field.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Well, that's perfect too, then All right.
Last one what Raven's playerwould promise a bunch of
elementary school kids that he'sgoing to pay for their college
and then awkwardly tell themthat he can't do it when they're
seniors?
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Oh man, who would I have to pick for that I was.
I mean, does it have to becurrent Ravens?
Speaker 1 (33:12):
No anybody.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
No, I would say Tyrell Suggs, just because he
would forget about it.
They would chop up, excuse me,like hey, mr Suggs, like you
have this today, it's like oh no, I don't.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
He's like.
That doesn't sound like me.
That's what he would say He'dbe like.
That doesn't sound like me.
Now we're switching universes.
We're going over to HarryPotter.
So Harry Potter has the fourhouses Slytherin, gryffindor,
ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
I've just been informed they'readding a fifth house named
(33:50):
Raven.
So describe what the new houseof Raven?
What kind of students would yoube looking for in this house?
It is the head professor inRaven is Edgar Allen Poe.
Oh, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Just so you know, I would think people that are just
for lack of better words ballsto the wall, just always on full
go, 100%, like if someone tellsyou not to do something, we're
going to do it anyway.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
So, like young Ray Lewis is your ideal student,
exactly, exactly so.
You guys are going to giveSlytherin a run for your money.
They think they're the bigtough guys and you will put them
in your place 100%.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
I like it.
It's got to get Raven's players.
I like it.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
All right.
So I think you guys will havean advantage if you have all
Raven's players, but let's makea quidditch team.
So I need one seeker, onechaser, one beater and one
keeper.
And tell me, tell me why youpicked a current or former
Raven's player for each position.
Here would be Ed Reid becausehe's a ball.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
I think that's perfect.
He's a ball.
He's going to find it.
Keeper, I would say MarshallYanda.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I haven't thought about Marshall in a long time,
just a big old dude, you know,just to sit in front of the
hoops.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
right there he was dominant for what 12?
Speaker 1 (35:16):
years.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Oh, he was incredible .
For 12 years he didn't give upa sack for three years.
It was insane.
That's wild, I would say thechaser would I'd say the chaser,
someone lights.
They could be fast on theirbroom and say like Keaton
(35:37):
Mitchell yeah, my as well, let'sget a little dude on there.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
He looked ridiculously fast this past week
either him or Zay flowers.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Ah, there you go.
That'd be a good one, very good.
And then what was the last oneI forgot?
What have I already hit?
Did you say a beater?
Yet A beater.
Okay, so the beater isdefinitely gonna be Ray Lewis
yeah so you gotta, it's gonna beRay Lewis or Rowe Kwan Smith.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
So I don't imagine Harry Potter scoring Too many
points if Ray Lewis is hittinghim.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I like it.
No, he's not coming back in thegame, yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
I like it, I like All right.
So I mentioned this earlier,but I'd like to hear more detail
now.
Mm-hmm, was Tom Brady and orBill Belichick your Voldemort?
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Yes, tom Brady was my Voldemort, because I mean, yeah
, we hated the Steelers and wehated and hated Ben
Ralfersberger and Heinz Ward andall those guys, but Tom Brady
was the one dude who kept usfrom the glory land.
Yeah from getting to the SuperBowl and because every year we
get, you know, we get past thefirst round Pretty easily and
(36:43):
then like, like the second andthird round.
It was like Tom.
Brady's waiting for you, withWes Welker and Gronk and all his
guys.
Yeah, it was impossible to beathim Impossible.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
I bet so many teams feel that way, but of course you
guys, being so good at thattime, mm-hmm, it was frustrating
.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Had to deal with it, more so than any frustrating
because we were good for so long, but then Tom Brady just stuck
around for so long yeah, he likejust go relevant like go away
oh please now are you picturingTom Brady without a nose.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Huh, what?
All right, last one, let'spretend you are the new Harry
Potter.
Mm-hmm and you need to huntdown some Horcrux.
Pick two best friends who justhappen to be former Ravens
players or current Raven players.
Who are you hunting Horcrux'swith, and why?
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Mm-hmm, one would be Roquan Smith, okay, cuz he
literally said that he used tohunt hogs with his hands, like
he would, I believe it.
He would jump on top of a hogand Choke it out pretty much,
and that's how he would hunt forhog.
That guy's ridiculous.
It's crazy.
Yeah, him, and I would probably, probably, probably probably,
(38:06):
lamar.
Yeah, I have one fast guy, youknow oh, true speed becoming
Andy.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Have one fast dude.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
That's a good trio.
I think you guys will save theworld.
Yeah, we definitely.
Good, it's save hog words verygood.
So to finish it up, you want togive me a prediction for the
Ravens this year.
No this whole year had like arecord and how far they're going
okay.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Well, right now we are 7-3.
So I, we got 17 games.
Now, right, and we got 17.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Yeah, so I think we finish.
Our schedule here on out isfairly tough, like after our
bi-week.
We get the Jags, niners,dolphins and then Steelers again
oh dang to end the season.
So I think we lose a couple ofthose.
I think we're gonna be 11, 11and 6, maybe like 12 and 5.
(38:59):
I think we still win ourdivision.
I think we get you don't getthe first round by.
Chiefs will get the first roundby, as they always do.
Yes it'll click eventually andthey'll just figure it out all
of a sudden.
But I think we get past thesecond round and then we're
gonna have to play the chiefs,and I Mean we beat them before
we can do it again.
So it just I think we get tothe AOC championship and lose
(39:22):
this year.
I know it sucks, but like Idon't think we're ready for
Patrick Mahomes in the playoffsquite yet.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
I think that would be such a good matchup because the
chiefs don't have the weaponsthey used to, but he still does
it.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
I know he still does it, but like.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
If you ask me right now to take the chiefs wide
receivers or Baltimore's widereceivers, I would take
Baltimore's, but it's justMahomes, it's Mahomes, it's just
, it's just, but you never know,like Lamar is not that far off.
No, he's not.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
So if he, has one of his days.
I wish I wish we played thechiefs every year In the regular
season to kind of see where westack up, because I hate not
knowing what we're gonna looklike and then it all comes down
to the playoff and then getthere and we got to like, oh
yeah, now we got the chiefs.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Well, I like it.
You're, I think.
I think you're being a bitcautious, but that's okay that
way.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
I mean, I'm not gonna say Super Bowl and then, yeah,
have everybody dance all over mygrave and we will now I know
you would.
Yeah, all of Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
No, I won't hold you to it, but I think, even if you
don't want to say it, I thinkthat's what you believe, that's
what I believe.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
Yeah, I think we're ready.
I just we need the consistencyand we need the second half,
defense and the second halfscoring.
I love it.
Can't lose 10 point lead infourth quarter three times in
one season.
Yeah, let's not do that Justcan't do it.
Yeah, exactly, just can't.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Well, cool man.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I think we did it awesome.
I appreciate you having me on,brian.
I appreciate you reaching out.
This is awesome.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
It's fun to catch up and we'll, like I said, we'll do
it again.
Yeah, come play off time.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Well, actually December 17th, the Ravens are
coming here to play the Jags.
Oh, okay, so if you want tohave Eric on, talk some trash,
I'm definitely down.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Okay, that sounds awesome.
All right, man.
Thanks, Tyler.
All right, everybody, welcome back to Fandom from
afar.
So this is kind of an excitingepisode because I have my friend
Tyler here today to talk aboutthe Ravens.
Welcome, Tyler, Thank you,Thank you.
But Tyler reached out becausehe saw me advertising one of my
other podcasts and Tyler and Ihadn't spoken in a while but I
know he's a really big sportsfan and he said, hey, I'd love
(00:26):
to be on the podcast.
And I was like yeah for surelet's do it.
So if anyone else is out thereand thinking that they want to
tell their story, then hit me upeither by text or social media
and we can get you on thepodcast as well.
But today let's talk aboutthose Baltimore Ravens.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Those.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Ravens, those Ravens just coming off of a little bit
of a heartbreaker yesterday.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, I didn't want to be around for a little while.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I thought, for sure you guys had it.
When what's his face?
Missed the extra point.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Oh yeah, Because like if a team misses extra point.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Hardly ever do they come back and actually win the
game.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, you don't ever have that like that, that energy
after you miss an extra point.
It's the easiest part of thegame.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And you missed it and we still ended up giving that
game away.
It just I don't know.
He started off hot with KyleHamilton on the pick six and the
second play of the game.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Oh I love that.
What he's crazy.
He really walked in Crazyinterception.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And then it just seems like.
It seems like once Lamar makesa mistake, he can't come back
from it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, he's.
He's interesting.
I actually have it on the list.
We'll talk about Lamarspecifically later, but you guys
have a big game Quickturnaround on Thursday night For
the audience.
We're recording this a littlebit early.
This is actually going to bethe episode that I'm going to
post while the family and I areon a vacation, so, Tyler.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I'll be the placeholder.
Exactly, tyler stepped up tohold that down.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So let's see you guys play the Bengals Thursday.
Thursday night, bangles inBaltimore, that's going to be
huge.
Yeah, those games are always sofun no matter how good the
teams are.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I really dislike the Bengals.
I figured their fans are theworst.
I mean our whole division.
I think our fans are the mostdiehard fans.
I think the AFC North handsdown as the most competitive
division.
I think combined records were22 and 11 this year and no other
division has 20 wins.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Well, and it's been that way for so long because
almost every team in thatdivision is consistently good.
So you guys have those realrivalries where it means
something.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I mean you got the Steelers.
Like that is my most dislikedhated team.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Whatever you want to call it, I cannot stand the
Pittsburgh Steelers and it Um.
I'm just glad they're kind ofon a down tick right now.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, I say yes, I don't think you're crying for
them.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I fully expected Kenny Pickett and George Pickett
to actually be really freakinggood.
And they just haven't reallypanned out yet, so I'm just
waiting for them to click, andthen it's going to be on again.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And if they don't, you won't be sad.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
No, not at all, not at all.
We already got to deal with theBrowns and the Bengals now
because the Bengals just decidedto be good again, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
And yeah, just to fact knowing you have Joe Burrow
to deal with.
But I'm sure other teams arethinking, oh, we have to deal
with Lamar or Jackson for thenext 10 years, so no exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I mean, there's nobody like Lamar.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I mean teams sign dudes to their practice squad to
give somewhat of a look of whatLamar might be like.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, because no one does that week.
That's just crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I think he's awesome.
He's great.
I love him.
I think he's worth every penny.
He just needs to be a littlebit more consistent.
Yeah and for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Well, let's, let's work our way towards Lamar.
Let's, let's start with yourorigin story and tell me how did
it all start Like?
I've had some prettyinteresting origin stories on
here, from video games toaspirin commercials to all sorts
of stuff.
So what do you remember?
Like the first time you werelike I'm a Ravens man.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, I was six years old and my dad, he, worked for
Toys R Us in Owings Mills, whichis where their training
facility is.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I had the Under Armour.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Center and he called.
He called my mom from work oneday and was like, hey, do you
mind if I take Tyler the Ravenspractice across the street
tonight?
She was like no, no, no, goahead Absolutely.
And I hadn't watched it down afootball in my life.
And then, while I was at thepractice, my dad, he brought
this football and he was likewhen the players come over, ask
(04:29):
him to sign it.
So I was like, ok, cool.
And this guy number 52, rayLewis.
Oh, man and he walked over and Iwas like hey, five, two, five,
two, can you sign this?
Like I didn't even know hisname, yeah, and he walked up to
me and he was like man, you'renot wearing any Ravens stuff.
And he went into his likeduffel bag and he got me a
(04:50):
hoodie that he had in his bag.
Oh, dang, and he gave it to meand I was like I'm a Ravens fan
from this day on Like yeah, oh,my goodness, nothing anybody can
say to me to ever take me awayfrom the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That is so cool, especially as a six year old.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Like I had no idea what he was giving me, who he
was, or like the stature of hisof Ray Lewis, but it was.
I mean, he's a behemoth of ahuman being.
So I was scared to begin with,but it was.
It was just so cool like I gavemy.
I gave that hoodie to my dad.
He's got it framed and all that.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Oh man, I love that.
Yeah, it's so.
Yeah, cuz, for all you know, hecould have been like a third
stringer nobody, but yeah, it'sgonna be one of the greatest
players in my backers in history.
That is so cool.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
It was cool.
Yeah, I got that footballsigned by Ray Lewis.
I got it signed by.
Ed Reed to rel Suggs.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I got everyone signature on this, so this was
like right in their peak, of allthose guys I mean yeah, we won
the Super Bowl in 2001.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I was, yeah, I mean I I kind of understood what was
going on, like I didn't reallyknow football a whole lot, but I
knew that 52 was on the field.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
So that was their Super Bowl season.
Yeah, oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yep, yep.
I was born in 95, they camealong in 96 and Then, when I was
six, in 2001, it was when Istarted to like them.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Wow, that's so cool, Right?
I love hearing these origins.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It's a cool story and like I love telling it because
not many people get to interactwith Ray Lewis like that, you
know.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Oh yeah, and I just love the fact that you and your
dad still have the sweatshirt.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
It hasn't been touched since he put it in her
frame 15 years ago.
I love that, and it was.
It was the greatest day of mylife, honestly, yeah, and I
didn't know what was happening.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
No, it's fun to like kind of realize how great it was
later on right.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's pretty awesome .
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yes, you might have been too nervous to enjoy it if
you actually knew who he was.
Right, that's fun.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Yeah, that was a fun season, man, I loved, I loved
that.
Oh, one team.
Oh yeah, talk about Hooking youit was the greatest defense to
ever exist in the history of theNFL.
And now we're on Like the SuperBowl team.
In 01, we had Trent Dill for aquarterback.
Yeah, that's how good ourdefense was Like.
We didn't give up more than 14points in a game that season.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That's wild, that's insane.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Like their average.
I think their points per gamewas like 10.8 or 10.9 or
something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
It's just incredible.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Like I can't even imagine.
But it was entertaining towatch their defense and that's
not.
It's not the case most of time.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Well, it kind of made it more entertaining because,
like you mentioned, dilfer, it'snot like you guys were lighting
up the scoreboard either, right.
No it was, it was the.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
The defense had to do that yeah but we beat the
Giants in the Super Bowl thatyear 31-0.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I mean that's like the only shutout in Super Bowl
history, I think, like therehasn't.
I think there's maybe been twoor three man.
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Yeah, man, what a year to start paying attention,
right.
Right that's really good eversince then.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Like 2012, getting getting that second Super Bowl
with Joe Flacco, that was, thatwas great.
I was.
I was like 16 years old and Iknew exactly what was going on
and I I actually had a Friendthat I met who moved here from
Maryland with his family, okay,and they were like four houses
down from us.
So you got to enjoy it with,yeah.
(08:00):
So we had some more Ravens fansin our neighborhood and it was
nice to have them, because youwere the only people with Ravens
flags.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I'll say our house.
You can all band together,everybody else but that team.
Well, I was gonna bring it uplater, but we might as well now.
That team had one of myall-time heartbreaking moments
as a Bronco fan.
I know what was it the deeppast to Jacobi Jones.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Kobe Jones caught it.
Your defensive back fell downand, yeah, he ran it in the rest
of the way.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
He just totally missed, misjudged the ball.
He should have intercepted iteasy and need is I remember
every single frame of that playthat was insane.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
I mean, that whole playoff run was insane.
He had 11 touchdowns and zerointerceptions.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Oh yeah, playoff run.
He was out of his mind and thenhe got paid because of it and
then, hey, good for him.
He's probably living in amansion right now.
I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
You know.
It's crazy, though, is that hegot a hundred and sixty million
dollars, and that was thehighest paid player in the NFL
at that time and now guys aresigning like five hundred
million dollars, and now you gotmy home billion dollars over
ten years.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, but he, he was unstoppable that year, like it
was just kind of destined.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, it was a meant to be thing because I I remember
the Ravens, their social mediateam.
They posted a video of RayLewis in the locker room after
practice.
It was the day before our firstplayoff game of that season and
he said, boys, I'm retiringthis year.
And then he was like I want togo out a champion, I want to go
out on top.
Like it's giving me chillstalking about it.
Yeah and and then we just wentout and did that for him like I
(09:35):
loved it.
I loved every second of it.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
That's so cool.
So Ray Lewis obviously amazinglinebacker, like one of the
great snowed out there.
I don't think that even need tobe discussed, but what was it
like being a fan of him?
Because I Think most teamsdream of having a leader like
that Just someone that can bethe face of your franchise, that
(09:59):
all your guys will run througha wall for like what was?
It like having him on your teamas a fan.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You want to run through a wall every week
Exactly every single week youwant to run through a wall for
that man.
Like it was just nice knowingthat we had a quarterback on
offense and defense, you know,like he put his guys where he
knew they needed to be and hewas never wrong.
He was never, ever wrong.
He could dissect plays like itwas nobody's business and and
just like sitting there watchingthat, watching him be so
(10:26):
dominant.
It was so much fun to watch RayLewis.
I'm much fun to watch Ray Lewisand and having him lay someone
out and just I mean you being atthe game.
If you're in the stands youcould hear when Ray Lewis hit
somebody.
Oh, I'm sure he laid the hurthe was just like pure muscle.
I mean, it was nothing, it wasjust a freight train coming
(10:48):
through Like I remember one play, specifically when Chad Johnson
it was a goal line.
It was a goal line play, Ithink it was on like the two or
three yard line and he tried tocome across the middle and block
Ray Lewis and Ray Lewis justabsolutely sent him six feet
under and he got back to thesideline.
(11:09):
His coach was like hey, chadyou good.
And he was like I tried toblock Ray.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I tried to block Ray.
I immediately regretted it.
That was a mistake.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
That's the best.
I love stuff like that.
It's just like that team justhad a swagger about them, Like
like you didn't want to play us.
Oh yeah, you did not want toplay that defense.
You didn't want to play Ed Reidand he was a ball hawk.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
And then I mean we had Anquan Bolden that season.
We signed him and everybodysaid he was washed up and he
went out and caught fivetouchdowns in the playoffs.
It was just meant to be thatyear, I think, and it was.
That was such a cool team.
It was a fairytale story,honestly.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Did you ever go to any other practices, like after
you were six years old and justhappened to get to meet Ray
Lewis again?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Oh, yeah, yeah, no, I met.
I met T Cissel.
I met Ed Reid.
I met.
I met Chris McAllister.
A lot of people forget abouthim.
He was dominant.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Oh, yeah, he was a corner, he was so dominant.
Yeah, he was dominant.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
We had Dion Sanders for a little bit.
I never got to meet him.
I did meet Charles Woodson.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Which is really cool.
No I think it was Rod, woodson,charles or Rod.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Oh Rod played for the .
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Ravens yeah, rod Woodson, rod Woodson.
Sorry, I got to meet him, I gotto meet oh.
I met Jamal Lewis.
Oh nice Jamal, I mean he was2000-yard rushing.
He was one of the greatest everand I mean I've been spoiled.
As far as being a Ravens fan,though, I've never really had a
season where I'm like I don'twant to watch this team anymore.
(12:41):
Yeah, like I mean we've had twocoaches in our history.
I mean we've had Brian Billickand John Harbaugh, so
consistency is great with us.
That's crazy, and I meanHarbaugh is going on year 14 now
.
If you can believe that.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I can't believe he's been there that long.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, it's been a great ride as Ravens.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
I bet All the friends and family we have here in
Jacksonville are not going towant to hear that because they
have not had the same luck.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Yeah, I was listening to your episode with Eric.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
He was trying to make it sound as good as he possibly
could, but, man being a Jagsfan, I've been here since 06.
Gotcha gotcha.
So I've seen the city when theywere down.
I've seen the city when theywere up.
I've been to games when theywere good and in the games when
they were horrible.
Like I see it, but I just it'shard for me to believe.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
They've had those peaks.
They just haven't had theconsistency, like you guys, no,
they're very up and down.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
And that's what I'm grateful for.
Yeah exactly that.
The Ravens have consistency andwe haven't had a losing season
in almost 10 years, I think.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Nice Broncos used to have that.
We had an amazing streak wherewe didn't have back-to-back
losing seasons for over 30 years, but then the last 10 years has
been all losing season.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
So it's been rough.
I mean, you guys just needRussell Wilson to figure it out.
You guys have the pieces yougot a good defense, you got good
corners, you got I mean, we'rea ways away.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
We don't need to waste time with the Broncos.
You're about the right age, Didyou?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
you must have loved playing with the Ravens on video
games as well, oh yeah, likeyeah, there wasn't a different
team that I played with ExactlyLike.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
That would have been fun too.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like early Madden days, I would be playing my
brother or something or I'd beplaying one of my buddies.
Like 2001 to like 2005, whenthe Ravens had all their dudes
and I mean you still couldn'tget anything done in the video
game against their teammates.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Oh yeah, because they make them so good you still
couldn't get anything done.
And that's what's fun when theyhave a good linebacker like
that, because it's fun to be alinebacker on Madden and just
destroy everything and just roamand hit, stick everybody.
So the fact that you had thebest linebacker in the world
kind of would make it pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Well, shoot, now we got Rokwon Smith, like he's
there's no drop off.
Yeah, he's really nice.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Well, lucky you.
So sounds like you guys wouldgo to practices pretty often up
there and then go to go intogames as well.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah games.
We were season ticket holdersfor three years and it we were
on a year long waiting list forseason tickets.
Nice, the city of Baltimore,they love football.
Yeah we have this saying it'sRavens and O's, crabs and bows,
like that's cool because we haveNatty Bo beer.
It's like.
It's like the Natty light inBaltimore.
(15:30):
So we say that a lot.
But downtown Baltimore is somuch fun to go to for games
because you got canvun yardsright across the street, then
you got M&T Bank right behind itand on days when, when the
Ravens and the Oral is areplaying, it's just like a giant
party.
Some of the most fun you'llever have.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
That's cool.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Behind Candon Yards and right field is Utah Street
and then that huge warehouse inthe back there.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
They got all the bars and restaurants and all the
radio shows that are going onthere, tv sets being set up
there.
It's a lot of fun down there,that's really cool.
Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That's fun when they turn the whole downtown into
like a gathering area for thatand it's not just like you come
in and out for the game and youdon't hang out Like there's
there's stuff to do, right.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
That's great Right, and it was fun too.
Just like a lot of people think, downtown Baltimore is not
really the greatest area to be.
And don't get me wrong, it'snot because of the wire, yeah,
the wire.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
But no, it's definitely not the greatest area
to be.
But they do a good job of you.
Stay within that little bubble.
Yeah, you stay within yourthree block area where both the
stadiums are, you'll be good.
But go outside of that, it's atyour own risk.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
That's fine.
I'll have to go up there andtry that sometime, like, like
you said, it'd be fun to hit upa weekend when you can go to one
football, one baseball game.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, so we're actually my uncle and I were
actually going to.
He's a Braves fan, so we wentto Atlanta this past year to go
watch Orioles and Braves and wegot swept in that series.
So I had to watch all threegames.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Swept.
But, um, yeah, we're going upto Baltimore when the Braves are
there next season Very cool.
I'm going to stay there for aweek and go see some family and
then go to the games too.
That's awesome, it's gonna befun.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Now you said we would go to the games.
Was that your yourself and yourdad or like?
Would your brother come to, ordid you and your brother have to
rotate with your?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
dad.
No, I mean, he, my brother.
He didn't really get into NFLfootball until he was older,
like after we got down here,probably like 10 or 11 years old
, Um, but I, I tried very hardto get him to be a Ravens fan.
Yeah, but he's a Jaguars fan.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, really Okay yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
He's a Jags fan and I can tell you the specific
moment his fandom switched.
It was a.
It was a Sunday night gameagainst the Jags here in
Jacksonville and we were down.
It was the most boring gameI've ever watched in my entire
life.
There were eight field goalskicked between both teams.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Oh fun.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, it was just all field goals.
So the Ravens ended up losingand with about two minutes left
in the fourth quarter, jags havethe ball.
My brother, he's got his facepainted purple and gold and
white Like he's a Ravens fan thewhole game and as soon as he
realized that they weren't goingto win, he took off his.
He took off his Ravens jerseyand he got my uncle's Jags
(18:13):
jersey and he threw it on himand I was like what no way, so
he's literally changed at thegame.
changed at the game and hehasn't looked back since.
Wow, Well, good for him forbeing loyal.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
But that's that's a pretty dramatic decision All of
a sudden.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I was like dang, you left a Super Bowl winning team
to go.
Cheer for the Jaguars.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
But now, now he's going to be happy when the Jags
win it this year.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I think they're still .
I think they're still a waysaway too.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I don't know, We'll see.
Afc is going to be fun in theplayoffs, Like uh.
I think a lot of teams arepretty evenly matched, so it
should be.
Should be good AFC is juststrong.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, that's all it is.
Yeah, I'm never worried aboutNSC teams with Lamar he's 18 and
one against them.
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Really yeah, he doesn't lose to NSC teams.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Wow, it just for two and three in our division this
year.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
So Really Mm-hmm.
Wow See, that's surprisingbecause I was thinking of
Baltimore as like one of thebest teams just overall.
But I didn't realize all yourdivision games have been kind of
struggle this year.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, I mean all three of our losses have been
with leads greater than 10points going into the fourth
quarter.
Oh really, all three of themColts, colts Browns and Steelers
we all get a 10 plus point lead.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
So you're not that far away from just being like
the dominant team this year.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Yeah, no, we should be 10 though.
Wow, we should be 10 though,but it just really bad mistakes
at really bad times.
It really hurt us.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Hey, you never know, you could look back on it and be
like.
Hey, I'm glad we lost thosegames, because then it made us
kind of refocus and not be justoverconfident.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Right, yeah, I mean getting back to your question,
though it was mainly me and mydad going into the games.
Okay, like if we had family intown, he always got games from
work at Toys R Us because someof the players would come in
like during a holiday season andthey would do their like
charity, like throw whatever youwant in the cart and I'll pay
for it.
Like you got 10 minutes to gothrow whatever you want in the
(20:15):
cart, that's cool.
So he would get to talk to themall the time doing that kind of
stuff and he would just be likehey, you got some tickets for
this weekend and of course theydid Every time they had tickets.
it was great.
That's really cool.
It was cool.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
And does your uncle still live up there.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
No, he lives here now , okay, yeah, he moved here not
long after we did, I think 2008.
He moved here, okay, him andhis wife had a baby and they
didn't want to be in Baltimoreanymore, so they came down here
at St John's.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
County and very nice Little bit different.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Got him into the bubble.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, exactly yeah.
Now it sounds like you guysaren't afraid to fly up there to
go to games, though God no.
So you stay in touch with theteam that way, can you?
What are some other ways thatyou like to stay in touch with
the team, whether throughspecific shows that you watch on
YouTube or listen to podcastsor anything like that, like what
(21:03):
kind of resources do you use?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
I actually don't have a show that I watch or listen
to, I just use Twitter or X now.
But the Ravens Beatwriters,Hoodie Raimi, Sarah Ellison she
is incredible.
She literally has the insightwith every single player.
She has a great relationshipwith all of them and she has all
(21:27):
the information all the time.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
It's amazing how much the and I'm sure they only are
able to share like half of whatthey know.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure, and she's got a podcast
herself too, and so I'll listento that every once in a while,
but it's mainly her ex account,and she probably posts a 30 to
45 tweets a day.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Oh my goodness, she's on it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
She's on it, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, that's really all you need.
That's a ton of information.
That's it.
This just jumped in my mind,but you had mentioned that you
like Harry Potter and thebiggest Ravens fan I know is
also the biggest Harry Potterfan I know.
So you should follow MalloryRubin.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
She works for the ringer like Bill Simmons, the
whole empire.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Um, Mallory Rubin is someone that I think you would
really like because she's a goodmix of sports and all the nerd
culture stuff I like that yeah,I like that, yeah, um well cool.
So we've kind of danced aroundthe subject a little bit.
But let's talk about Lamar.
Yeah, because I think he'ssuper interesting, not only in
why or because he's unique as aplayer, but it also seems like
(22:34):
it doesn't make sense how goodhe is and how underappreciated
he is, because You're preachingin a choir.
Well, yeah, I'm sure, I'm sure,but like what other quarterback
would have the success that he'shad and become a free agent or
whatever his contract situationwas his past off season and have
(22:55):
such little interest from teamsLike it just doesn't make sense
to me Well.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
so what we did with him is we put the restricted tag
on him.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
So he could go out and seek a trade or a new
contract from somebody else.
But I know the Ravens weredemanding two first round picks
if you wanted the rights to him.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
But for a quarterback that good.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I would think it was incredible.
To me it shouldn't have evenbeen.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, broncos gave up two first round picks for
Russell Wilson, who is 12 yearsolder than.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Lamar and getting paid more than them.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Like if you would have given me a choice.
Oh, you can have Russell Wilsonor Lamar Jackson for two first
round picks.
I'm like oh well, that's aneasy choice Give me.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Lamar.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
So I don't know, was there something I was missing
that was scaring away teams, orwas it just the two first round
picks?
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Well, it was definitely the two first round
picks and I think owners have areservation about his play style
and how long he can keep thatup for.
But you've seen it this year hecan throw the ball.
He's having his best passingseason of his career.
He leads the NFL in completionpercentage, so that's not his
issue, it just I really don'tthink owners wanted to pay him.
(24:09):
That was it.
I don't think the two firstround picks were which is just
wild.
And then we come back and givehim $265 million and 180 of it
guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
There's definitely other teams out there that could
have swung that For sure that'snot that much more than the
same signed Derek Carr for Like,come on no.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Like it.
Just it baffled me that he wasstill a Raven after this
offseason.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Because I was ready to move on with Tyler Huntley.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah, you were like resigning yourself to that.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
I was like man I don't want to move on with Tyler
Huntley, but if I have to, Iwill.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
I just, I don't understand, like it just.
I guess it's just one of thosethings.
Do you feel like himrepresenting himself had
anything to do with it?
Like 100%, like 100%.
Do you think he could havegotten more money if he had an
agent?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
No, no, no.
I think he got the max of whathe could have gotten.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
But it was just a weird situation because
basically the Ravens probablywere having to tell him why he's
not worth.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, no, and it's a weird situation because your
agent is usually the is usuallythe buffer between the player
and the team and they filterwhat player hears, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
He heard.
He had to hear all of it.
He had to hear the ups, he hadto hear the downs, he had to
hear all of it.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Do you feel like he's moved on and that didn't really
?
Speaker 2 (25:29):
affect him, or I think he's fine If they if they
were struggling this year.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Do you think he'd be like, yeah, get me out of here?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I don't think he would want to leave if we were
struggling.
I think the call for like if wedidn't go out and draft safe
flowers and get Rashad Batemanback healthy and go out and sign
Odell Beckham Jr.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
I think he would have wanted to leave if we didn't
get him help.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Well, see, that's a great point Like he's never had.
He's never had good receivers.
So I'd love safe hours, butjust the fact Bateman's healthy,
and then Odell starting to comeon a little bit now, but like
that past.
Odell yesterday was in thatslant and just he, just perfect
pass.
So it took off and I don't knowhow you can tell Lamar to his
face like he can't do this, hecan't do this, when you don't
(26:11):
give him actual professionalreceivers.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
And I mean in 2019, when he won the unanimous MVP,
his wide receiver one was DevonDuvernay.
He's returning kicks and puntsfor us now.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
You can't, like you can't expect him to be Superman
every week and I think that'swhat we're seeing now is that he
doesn't need to be Supermananymore.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Yeah, I feel like he's balancing it really well,
as far as he doesn't take offrunning every single time.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, but he's still got almost 500 yards rushing on
this so it's got five rushingtouchdowns.
So he still produces.
And I hate when people there'sjust one stat floating around
right now that at Lamar Jacksonhas the same number of throwing
touchdowns as Mac Jones.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Really.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
But I mean, look at the record and he has.
He has five rushing touchdowns.
So if you're, if you want tocount everything, he's got 16
touchdowns, not not 11.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
So it just I think that's going to change because
Mac's not seeing the fieldanymore Moving forward.
No, Bailey's app is a guy.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
This is third time being benched this week, so yeah
, that was just bad.
But um yeah, like the Patriotsto the Patriots.
I have a long history with thePatriots.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Tom Brady and keeping us from that many Super Bowls
every single season.
It seemed like like we get tothe AFC championship and Tom
Brady is waiting for you.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
So save those thoughts, because I have a
question about that in one ofour games later, all right, cool
.
Who who would you say that'splaying right now is the closest
comparison to Lamar.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Hmm.
I mean as far as like speed Imean, I think the closest would
have to be Justin Fields.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Like there's just nobody like him, like you have
to go back to Michael Vick tofind somebody like him.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Well, that's what I was going to say.
Maybe, historically, who wouldyou say?
Because I'd say Michael.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Vick yeah modern day.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I don't think Fields is anywhere close to being the
passer that Lamar is.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
No, no, he's not, but I mean that's the closest
comparison, because Lamar canthrow and then if he doesn't
have anything, he's just goingto.
He's going to make you fallover and look down when he juxt
you out.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Prime Michael Vick.
He was pretty awesome,incredible, I guess.
To kind of tie this up, I thinkLamar has it and I don't see
any reason why he can't lead youguys to a Super Bowl.
No, I don't.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
I think he's very capable of it.
I think people like to nitpickat the small stats that really
don't matter and like we're nothaving these same conversations
about Joe Burrow.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Right.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I mean last week he had two interceptions against
the Texans, the Houston Texans,that lost them the game.
I was like where's the burrow?
Hey, where.
Like why aren't we concernedfor Joe Burrow?
Speaker 1 (28:59):
I will say that, as a fan, it always feels like
everyone's picking on your guy.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
They do, yeah, and it's Jags fans too.
It's tough living here and likebecause Duvall fans they're
relentless and they are.
But if they were to come toBaltimore they would say the
same thing.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Oh yeah, that's kind of what makes it fun.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Exactly, everybody has to protect their own guys
and I look at their quarterbackand Trevor Lawrence and I look
at my quarterback and LamarJackson and I'm like he is so
much more fun to watch LikeTrevor's good.
He's good.
The Jags football, the brand offootball they put out, is just
not like.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Which is surprising, they have so many weapons.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I'm saying so, and they went out like they have all
their players from last yearand added Calvin Ridley and he's
just like a no show and theyjust don't throw to him.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
I hope the Ravens and the Jags like match up in the
playoffs and then I can justhave you and Eric come and do a
pond together.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Let's do it.
Let's do a live stream.
I'll do it on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Let's move on a little bit and play some games.
Do it All right.
Before you came on, I asked youwhat were some of your favorite
kind of shows or movies orwhatever like that.
And you went right up my alleyand said the office and Harry
Potter.
So that's what my games arebased on now because I love the
office and Harry Potter, sowe'll start out the office.
Now let's pretend we're in aworld that they are recasting
(30:25):
the office using Ravens players.
So we're going to.
I'll give you some charactersor famous scenes or whatever,
and just first player that popsto your mind will be the correct
answer.
So you can't lose this game.
But I want to know who willrecreate the awesome episode
(30:46):
prison Mike.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Marlin Humphrey.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Okay, tell me why.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Marlin Humphrey.
He is the goofiest dude on theRavens Really.
Every time we win he has avictory stream and it's a live
stream of everybody on the teamplaying.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Oh really.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
And like he's the guy who, like he, like, walks up to
Roquan Smith while he'ssleeping.
It was like a Ro, what'd youthink about the game today?
And he's still fast asleep Likehe knows, he's not going to say
anything.
He's just like hey, why are youignoring me?
Man, like he just he does likestuff in their face while
they're sleeping and liketickles their ear and stuff.
Like he's hilarious.
I love Marlin Humphrey.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
That sounds pretty perfect.
Love him.
Put a purple bandana on him.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
He's prison, mike, he's it.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
My first thought was it'd be funny to see Ray Lewis
do that, but he would legit bescary.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
He would be really scary.
You would actually think thathe was prison, prison Ray so
that would be funny.
It's funny because the bandanais kind of like his look too
Exactly, so that would be good,yeah All right who, what Raven
player would be most likely toburn his feet?
Speaker 1 (31:50):
because he wanted to wake up to the smell of bacon.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Tyler Linderbaum our center.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You know that.
Quick, tell me why.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Our center.
He's from Iowa and he wasraised on a pig farm.
Oh, there you go he probably heliterally said I eat bacon
every single day of my life.
That's perfect.
There it is.
There you go.
I love it All right.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
What player do you consider to be your Toby when,
when he's on the field, you justscream no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Oh man, Right now Justice Hill.
Oh okay, our backup runningback.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
I mean, Keaton Mitchell has come onto the
scenes.
He is so fast, but Justice Hilland Lamar haven't been able to
get on the same page.
So anytime I see 43 in the gameI'm like no, don't hand on the
ball, please, please, don't givehim the ball.
He's fumbled four times thisyear, lost off.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Oh yeah, that'll do it.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
It just he gives me the creeps when he gets on the
field.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Well, that's perfect too, then All right.
Last one what Raven's playerwould promise a bunch of
elementary school kids that he'sgoing to pay for their college
and then awkwardly tell themthat he can't do it when they're
seniors?
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Oh man, who would I have to pick for that I was.
I mean, does it have to becurrent Ravens?
Speaker 1 (33:12):
No anybody.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
No, I would say Tyrell Suggs, just because he
would forget about it.
They would chop up, excuse me,like hey, mr Suggs, like you
have this today, it's like oh no, I don't.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
He's like.
That doesn't sound like me.
That's what he would say He'dbe like.
That doesn't sound like me.
Now we're switching universes.
We're going over to HarryPotter.
So Harry Potter has the fourhouses Slytherin, gryffindor,
ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
I've just been informed they'readding a fifth house named
(33:50):
Raven.
So describe what the new houseof Raven?
What kind of students would yoube looking for in this house?
It is the head professor inRaven is Edgar Allen Poe.
Oh, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Just so you know, I would think people that are just
for lack of better words ballsto the wall, just always on full
go, 100%, like if someone tellsyou not to do something, we're
going to do it anyway.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
So, like young Ray Lewis is your ideal student,
exactly, exactly so.
You guys are going to giveSlytherin a run for your money.
They think they're the bigtough guys and you will put them
in your place 100%.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
I like it.
It's got to get Raven's players.
I like it.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
All right.
So I think you guys will havean advantage if you have all
Raven's players, but let's makea quidditch team.
So I need one seeker, onechaser, one beater and one
keeper.
And tell me, tell me why youpicked a current or former
Raven's player for each position.
Here would be Ed Reid becausehe's a ball.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
I think that's perfect.
He's a ball.
He's going to find it.
Keeper, I would say MarshallYanda.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I haven't thought about Marshall in a long time,
just a big old dude, you know,just to sit in front of the
hoops.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
right there he was dominant for what 12?
Speaker 1 (35:16):
years.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Oh, he was incredible .
For 12 years he didn't give upa sack for three years.
It was insane.
That's wild, I would say thechaser would I'd say the chaser,
someone lights.
They could be fast on theirbroom and say like Keaton
(35:37):
Mitchell yeah, my as well, let'sget a little dude on there.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
He looked ridiculously fast this past week
either him or Zay flowers.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Ah, there you go.
That'd be a good one, very good.
And then what was the last oneI forgot?
What have I already hit?
Did you say a beater?
Yet A beater.
Okay, so the beater isdefinitely gonna be Ray Lewis
yeah so you gotta, it's gonna beRay Lewis or Rowe Kwan Smith.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
So I don't imagine Harry Potter scoring Too many
points if Ray Lewis is hittinghim.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I like it.
No, he's not coming back in thegame, yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
I like it, I like All right.
So I mentioned this earlier,but I'd like to hear more detail
now.
Mm-hmm, was Tom Brady and orBill Belichick your Voldemort?
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Yes, tom Brady was my Voldemort, because I mean, yeah
, we hated the Steelers and wehated and hated Ben
Ralfersberger and Heinz Ward andall those guys, but Tom Brady
was the one dude who kept usfrom the glory land.
Yeah from getting to the SuperBowl and because every year we
get, you know, we get past thefirst round Pretty easily and
(36:43):
then like, like the second andthird round.
It was like Tom.
Brady's waiting for you, withWes Welker and Gronk and all his
guys.
Yeah, it was impossible to beathim Impossible.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
I bet so many teams feel that way, but of course you
guys, being so good at thattime, mm-hmm, it was frustrating
.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Had to deal with it, more so than any frustrating
because we were good for so long, but then Tom Brady just stuck
around for so long yeah, he likejust go relevant like go away
oh please now are you picturingTom Brady without a nose.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Huh, what?
All right, last one, let'spretend you are the new Harry
Potter.
Mm-hmm and you need to huntdown some Horcrux.
Pick two best friends who justhappen to be former Ravens
players or current Raven players.
Who are you hunting Horcrux'swith, and why?
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Mm-hmm, one would be Roquan Smith, okay, cuz he
literally said that he used tohunt hogs with his hands, like
he would, I believe it.
He would jump on top of a hogand Choke it out pretty much,
and that's how he would hunt forhog.
That guy's ridiculous.
It's crazy.
Yeah, him, and I would probably, probably, probably probably,
(38:06):
lamar.
Yeah, I have one fast guy, youknow oh, true speed becoming
Andy.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Have one fast dude.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
That's a good trio.
I think you guys will save theworld.
Yeah, we definitely.
Good, it's save hog words verygood.
So to finish it up, you want togive me a prediction for the
Ravens this year.
No this whole year had like arecord and how far they're going
okay.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Well, right now we are 7-3.
So I, we got 17 games.
Now, right, and we got 17.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Yeah, so I think we finish.
Our schedule here on out isfairly tough, like after our
bi-week.
We get the Jags, niners,dolphins and then Steelers again
oh dang to end the season.
So I think we lose a couple ofthose.
I think we're gonna be 11, 11and 6, maybe like 12 and 5.
(38:59):
I think we still win ourdivision.
I think we get you don't getthe first round by.
Chiefs will get the first roundby, as they always do.
Yes it'll click eventually andthey'll just figure it out all
of a sudden.
But I think we get past thesecond round and then we're
gonna have to play the chiefs,and I Mean we beat them before
we can do it again.
So it just I think we get tothe AOC championship and lose
(39:22):
this year.
I know it sucks, but like Idon't think we're ready for
Patrick Mahomes in the playoffsquite yet.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
I think that would be such a good matchup because the
chiefs don't have the weaponsthey used to, but he still does
it.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
I know he still does it, but like.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
If you ask me right now to take the chiefs wide
receivers or Baltimore's widereceivers, I would take
Baltimore's, but it's justMahomes, it's Mahomes, it's just
, it's just, but you never know,like Lamar is not that far off.
No, he's not.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
So if he, has one of his days.
I wish I wish we played thechiefs every year In the regular
season to kind of see where westack up, because I hate not
knowing what we're gonna looklike and then it all comes down
to the playoff and then getthere and we got to like, oh
yeah, now we got the chiefs.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Well, I like it.
You're, I think.
I think you're being a bitcautious, but that's okay that
way.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
I mean, I'm not gonna say Super Bowl and then, yeah,
have everybody dance all over mygrave and we will now I know
you would.
Yeah, all of Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
No, I won't hold you to it, but I think, even if you
don't want to say it, I thinkthat's what you believe, that's
what I believe.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
Yeah, I think we're ready.
I just we need the consistencyand we need the second half,
defense and the second halfscoring.
I love it.
Can't lose 10 point lead infourth quarter three times in
one season.
Yeah, let's not do that Justcan't do it.
Yeah, exactly, just can't.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Well, cool man.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I think we did it awesome.
I appreciate you having me on,brian.
I appreciate you reaching out.
This is awesome.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
It's fun to catch up and we'll, like I said, we'll do
it again.
Yeah, come play off time.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Well, actually December 17th, the Ravens are
coming here to play the Jags.
Oh, okay, so if you want tohave Eric on, talk some trash,
I'm definitely down.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Okay, that sounds awesome.
All right, man.
Thanks, Tyler.
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