I have the feeling this fall is going to be the season for a lot of first times. I've started being a ravens fan in 2000, back home, we had a channel called Canal Horizon that would show american football games sporadically. Twice I saw a Ravens game on TV. Back then they were far from being underdogs, yet they were ill spoken about. I then decided I would be a ravens fan, I've always been drawn to teams that are underdogs, for some reason, and at that time I decided the ravens will be my under dogs.
Fast forward couple of years, the more about I learned about the team, the more I was exited about them. Their defense has always been good, the post 2005 years were very successful, several playoffs, several heartbreaks, especially the lost to New England in I think 2011. 2013, we won the superbowl. I've never seen such an excited fan base. Downtown, fed hill, canton, and every other neighborhood we could manage to drive to insanity reigned there.
Today was a special game, a game vs Pittsburgh at home. There's no need to even go over that rivalry. The only thing to be understood is, we don't like each other. However I managed to got with a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I promised her during my post I wouldn't make too much light on the game, and i'll try to keep it about the experience.
From the ride in from Owings Mills to the city, it was an exceptional atmosphere, people joked to us about non-matching jerseys. Our seats were a little high up into the stadium, a real workout since we decided to take the stairs in, nevertheless, once settled, the breeze was fresh, I could feel the ground shaking under my feet, this sensation, I feel a lot Madden try hard to emulate by making vibrations through the controllers. The teams were announced, a very heartfelt singing of the national anthem, it was a 9/11 commemoration and the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Spangled Banner in Baltimore. I got the chills from the anthem, and as it was ending, the fireworks spiking out of the stadium. Priceless! another fast forward we were expected to win, we knew it should go in our favor and it did. Fans were chanting goodbye songs, as I try to take my friend back through the metro, everyone kept it friendly, no one was nasty. In all a good atmosphere and definitely another one to remember.