Baltimore Ravens

Founded: February 9, 1996
Team Owner: Steve Bisciotti
Head Coach: John Harbaugh
Team Icon: Ray Lewis
Overall Record: 233-183-1
Fight Songs: The Baltimore Fight Song, Ravenation, Seven Nation Army
NFL Championships: 2012, 2000
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium (1998–present)
Stadium Capacity: 70,745
City: Baltimore, MD
Previous Stadiums: Memorial Stadium (1996–1997)
Website: www.baltimoreravens.com

Art Modell, owner of this frahchise that was the original Clevand Browns team, had planned to move the team to Baltimore and retain the Browns nickname. The Baltimore Browns doesn't sound half bad, but makes little sense to those of us who like our team names to have some semblance of relevancy. During all of this the city of Cleveland got together and lobbied the NFL to be able to keep the Browns nickname, team colors, and history. This essentially allowed Modell to take his team to Baltimore, as long as he made it look like a new team with new shiny uniforms and a new name.

This shifted his attention to deciding what new name his team should have. And what kind of businessman would Modell be if he didn't go and organize focus groups, telephone surveys (really...telephone surveys?), and a fan contest to decide on a new name. All of this eventually wittled the original laundry list of potential names down to these three: Americans, Marauders, and Ravens. Thank god they didn't go with either of the others, and wisely chose the Ravens after the famous poem, The Raven, penned by Edgar Allan Poe, who lived in Baltimore and rests six feet underground there today.

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