O's make statement about September 5th. O's Game will not be moved.

[LookitsPuck]

I don't know why you'd really hold this against the Ravems. This was an NFL issue.

Mainly because of Bisciotti's comments is why I like the Ravens a little less in all of this. I understand owners sticking together, but he just comes out looking like a guilt tripper.

[Why Not?]

The owner's comments and the moronic stance of many of my fellow Ravens fans. Really, I like the league as a whole a little less after this entire thing. So many lies, so much deception, money-grubbing and blame-shifting. It's everything that's wrong with sports in a small container.

[Morgan423]

Exactly the right decision, with the baseball schedule already set and the NFL schedule still being drafted.

[ExileAngelos]

What is the big deal about opening on the road? Is this a Thursday opener tradition for Super Bowl champ or something? How far back does this go? 5 years? This is so stupid.

[NewMarketSean]

What is the big deal about opening on the road? Is this a Thursday opener tradition for Super Bowl champ or something? How far back does this go? 5 years? This is so stupid.

How about you do some research and tell me the last time a SB winner opened the season on he road.

[Hank Scorpio]

I know it's not a popular opinion around here, but I think it sucks. I couldn't care less what organization makes what power play to stand on ceremony and count it's millions. The losers here are the fans and the players.

I understand that the general consensus around here is, "good for them for standing up to the bully" because this is an Orioles website with fans that love the O's and the MLB. I still don't think it's a great move for the fans that live in Baltimore.

I love the Orioles and that's never going to change. I also spend a good bit of money on my PSL and tickets every year, so I'm pretty bummed out that I don't get to see the season opener that gets awarded to the champs. Oh well, I'll just have to catch the next one when we win our next trophy..... I guess.

Fans care much more than the organization does.

[notfast]

How about you do some research and tell me the last time a SB winner opened the season on he road.

2003 Tampa Bay opened @ Phi after wining Super Bowl, prior year.

[ExileAngelos]

Well, after winning Super Bowl 26, the Redskins opened the following season the road at Dallas. If you want, after I have a few more beers to find more cases of this horrible injustice.

Haha exactly. This whole thing is ridiculous.

[ShaneDawg85]

as a Ravens fan I would like to have had one last chance to celebrate the Super Bowl Victory with the Nation watching.

The real loser will be the city of Baltimore which will lose the chance to host a national event (the NFL opening game festivities).

Last year the O's were in the pennant race and played a weekday game in late August against the White Sox in front of 10,000 fans.

Murphy's law would predict either that:

a) The game is rained out

b) The game is meaningless

c) The game is poorly attended

A day game coupled with the NFL festivities would have make the O's, White Sox and city of Baltimore a lot more money. ML baseball is ran by the players union and they don't care about the owners or the fans and I suspect are the reason that the game couldn't be re-scheduled.

You do realize that the White Sox series, which was debated ad nausea here, fell at the same time as the Grand Prix, at which point the area around Camden Yards looked like it was preparing for some sort of battle? Never mind that the White Sox don't travel well, at all, and nobody in Baltimore wants to go see the White Sox, and the fact that schools had just started back up that week. So lets review shall we:

1. Grand Prix

2. A ballpark nobody could get to or had to jump through hoops to get through

3. A team nobody travels to see or wants to see

4. School nights

But oh no, lets not let logic get in our way.

[NewMarketSean]

Haha exactly. This whole thing is ridiculous.

So says someone who is most likely not a Ravens fan.

Whatever. I don't care enough to keep this going. But like I said the whole Thursday night opening game thing is for the fans and we're getting screwed. It is what it is. I'll get over it quickly, in fact I already have. Just sucks to have this happen after winning the Super Bowl ...again.

I'll end by saying it would have been an awesome day for BALTIMORE SPORTS FANS if they had been able to somehow play both games that day. It would have been a holiday. But I guess you actually have to live here for that to matter.

I guess O's fans who aren't Ravens fans just don't understand.

[BmoreMatt]

The NFL had several options to give Baltimore an opening night home game. They chose money instead, meanwhile trying to turn the Orioles into a villain. I love the Ravens. I like them a little bit less because of this.

I'm not so much trying to vilify the O's or MLB as much as I'm upset about the outcome. If we were playing the game on Wedneday night, I'd be fine. If we were playing on Sunday night, I'd be fine. I just think it sucks that the losers in this situation are the fans.

[russ snyder]

I'm not so much trying to vilify the O's or MLB as much as I'm upset about the outcome. If we were playing the game on Wedneday night, I'd be fine. If we were playing on Sunday night, I'd be fine. I just think it sucks that the losers in this situation are the fans.

I can appreciate your being upset. IMO, Goodell backed MLB, the Orioles and the city into a corner. He knew the potential outcome, but like most bullies he did not care who he hurt in the process. The only reason that the Ravens will open the season on the road is that the NFL insists that the defending champions will open the season on their opening night. If the NFL cared anything about the Ravens fans they would have the Ravens open up at home on Sunday Night at this point. That's not going to happen because the NFL wants the Super Bowl champs to open the season, rven if it's in Denver or Pittsburgh.

[fearthenoodle]

It's about the ratings. Last year's game ratings were down. Kraft has a lot of clout in the NFL and right or wrong, they didn't want his team to play that night because of the holiday. It's BS, I agree. Biscotti is sticking with the league...what else would he do? How did he give the Orioles a guilt trip?

I don't like having to go to Denver, if we do, since the crowd and team will be amped to avenge the playoff loss and probably will.

But whatever.

I think ratings were down as much because of the DNC as the game being played on Wednesday.

[Ohfan67]

I am not a Ravens fans (moved away from MD well before they arrived) and am not really much of a pro football fan, so I am really asking this out of curiosity; it's not a loaded question. What, really, are the Raven fans losing here? I assume the first Ravens game in Baltimore will include all kinds of celebratory stuff regardless of what day the game is played. I can understand that you might feel like you are going to miss something because of the "controversy", but what are you really missing? Again, this is an honest question. I am not trying to jerk anyone's chain.

[Mayor McCheese]

I'll end by saying it would have been an awesome day for BALTIMORE SPORTS FANS if they had been able to somehow play both games that day. It would have been a holiday. But I guess you actually have to live here for that to matter.

The city would have never allowed a day baseball game and a night football game the same day... even a 11:30 baseball game would not have worked. It's a logistic nightmare. End of discussion. Patriots/Red Sox is different story. 1 team plays in Boston the other in Foxborough.

Also, the league has a deal with NBC to host this game THURSDAY night. NBC wanted thursday night ratings and probably booked ads based on the projected ratings for a THURSDAY night... They did not want Wednesday night because they would lose out on $$$$. The NFL and NBC were not going to budge at all and just figured MLB would just move out of their way.

I hope people seriously realize this was all the NFL FO being greedy and bullyish.