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Pastimes : Football Forum (NFL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Eric L who wrote (40955)	12/25/2017 2:51:11 PM
From: Eric L	Respond to of 45639

The 2017 Ravens Reality (Sports Illustrated 'The MM \| QB') ... By Gary Gramling, December 23, 2017 si.com <Big snip> ... Speaking of the Ravens, I don’t run an NFL team myself, but this letter from Ravens team president Dick Cass seems a bit . . . unwise. Probably the type of letter that you write and then throw away without ever sending. Or, better yet, the kind of thing you think about and then never express in any way to anyone. A large chunk of Cass’s letter to season-ticket holders and sponsors focused on blaming a player demonstration during the national anthem before a game in September as the reason for an increased number of no-shows at Ravens home games. “Papa John” Schnatter, in all his wisdom, taught us what happens when you try to try to explain away your own failings with a hot-button issue like these demonstrations. On one hand, it reminds people who took offense or were told to take offense to the demonstrations that, Oh yeah, that thing I was mad about. On the other hand, you infuriate those who support the demonstrations. It’s 2017 and, as you now surely know, if you’re not boycotting something you’re not a real American. And on a third hand, or a foot or some other extremity, you depict yourself as nakedly attempting to deflect responsibility for your front office’s (poor) decisions in building a poor on-field product. Surely, some no-shows were because of the demonstrations (we at The MMQB would know; each person who stopped watching football because of the demonstrations emailed us six times apiece, then put on fake mustaches and emailed us three more times). But here’s why there were so many no-shows at Ravens games this year: For the first three months of the season the team not only stunk, but it played a brand of football so unwatchable that NFL Game Pass replays were only available in international waters. Cass pointed to the demonstrations before the London game as a tipping point. You know what the actual tipping point was? Losing 44-7 to the Jaguars as your franchise quarterback throws for fewer yards in the entire game (28) than Blake Bortles does on two individual plays. And to prove that was no fluke, the Ravens came home a week later and were uncompetitive with the rival Steelers—the only marquee game on their 2017 home schedule—falling behind 19-0 by halftime and losing 26-9. Baltimore’s other home games included a Thursday nighter against the Dolphins, that marquee Monday night game against the Tom Savage-led (and J.J. Watt-less) Texans, Chicago and Detroit. Saturday was the Colts. Next week the deceased 2017 Cincinnati Bengals will flail around M&T Bank Stadium Weekend at Bernie’s style. The Ravens’ MVP this year (for a second straight year) is their kicker. Their second-best player this season might have been the punter. The two most recognizable faces on the roster are Joe Flacco—who had been dreadful since tearing his ACL late in 2015 and is just turning things around now that Marty Mornhinweg discovered you are allowed to throw aggressively downfield before third down—and 35-year-old edge rusher Terrell Suggs. A 37-year-old tight end (Ben Watson) is the team’s leading receiver; third is a backup running back (Buck Allen). Quick, look to your left. Is that Alex Collins sitting in your living room? It might be, but Ravens fans would never know if it was the best offensive player on the team this year because he just showed up a couple weeks ago. People didn’t show up to M&T Bank Stadium because of the limited appeal of Flacco-to-Nick Boyle pitch-and-catch, going up against a gauntlet of bottom-10 opponents. There were no-shows because that’s bad football and people prefer good football. To pretend otherwise is dishonest at best. At worst it’s going to land Cass and the Ravens in a conversation they don’t want to participate in. ... <snip rest> << - Eric L -