Hi Everyone!
This morning president John Ziemann and a few members of Baltimore’s Marching Ravens joined K2 and I to kick off the home opener vibes on “Where’s Marty?”
That is a good picture of us, but a bit to formal I think. Let’s try this one:
Now that is more the good-times vibe I feel when I see this band in action!
The group was dressed in casual, but come Sunday, when they debut the new formal uniforms and lead the crowd down RavensWalk before the home opener, it will be ON!!!!! (I know what the new unis look like, but I am not permitted to say. Lets just say they are legitimately cool!)
This band is more than a throwback to their predecessors, the Baltimore Colts Marching Band. Much more. When the team came to town, I was one of a few media members selected by the team to host its TV and radio shows. I did the weekly magazine show, the live Saturday night hour-long show, and the live Sunday pregame show. In the process, I became a good acquaintance of team president and good guy David Modell. His memory remains a blessing.
David told me when designing the then-new stadium it would be a reddish, not the orangish brick of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, for a couple of reasons: 1) To not be just a copycat and 2) to have more of a collegiate feel.
To that end, David told me he was going to rebrand the Colts Marching Band, who stayed together and kept Baltimore football on the NFL radar. He wanted them to be more in number, not unlike the Ohio State Marching Band, popularly nicknamed, “The Best Damn Band in the Land.” And to that extent, he sent the band’s leadership to OSU to learn how to spell out Ravens in script. Not as easy as you would think.
He also convinced his father, Art Modell, that collegiate-like cheerleaders were needed on and off the field for the gameday feel, and to be out in the community. Art (his memory is a blessing) did not like the cheerleader concept but acquiesced.
During the games, or any other appearance, when the Marching Ravens strikes up that fight song, I challenge you not to get goose bumps.
In 2022, Baltimore’s Marching Ravens have their own history, but I want you to seek out a film made by Baltimore Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson. It is called, “The Band That Wouldn’t Die,” part of the EXCELLENT ESPN “30 for 30” series.
It is the story of how the musicians remained a thorn in the NFL’s side, and kept our dreams of rejoining the NFL alive. It is stunning, and has some VERY surprising twists.
Yes, Baltimore’s Marching Ravens are more than just gameday frolics. They are US. As the “fight song” says, “FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT!”
Dolphins, you are officially on the clock!
MB!