The Case For Rooting For Baltimore

[steelz09]

Anyone but the Ravens or Pats.

All in all, I guess I'll root for the Saints or Houston.

[Scarletfire1970]

I'd much rather see the Patriots win it again.

[NJ-STEELER]

i'll root for the world to end before i root for the ravens to win

[flippy]

The responses are exactly my point. If the Ravens would make us that ill, think of what it would do to the Steelers players. I really think the Ravens winning the SuperBowl that would stir up the Steelers players and coaches.

Anyone else winning wouldn't raise any interest by the Steelers.

So yes, it's totally repulsive. And therein lies the beauty.

[steelz09]

i'll root for the world to end before i root for the ravens to win

haha... I'll go with this one!

[phillyesq]

The responses are exactly my point. If the Ravens would make us that ill, think of what it would do to the Steelers players. I really think the Ravens winning the SuperBowl that would stir up the Steelers players and coaches.

Anyone else winning wouldn't raise any interest by the Steelers.

So yes, it's totally repulsive. And therein lies the beauty.

I get the point you're making, and I applaud you for thinking outside the box, but I still find the thought of the ratbirds or pats* winning a SB so repulsive that I would rather do without any benefit, actual or hypothetical, for the Steelers.

[hawaiiansteel]

Ravens face new role as favorites

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on January 12, 2012


The Ravens don’t have to win three straight road games to make the Super Bowl this time. Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger can’t knock them out.

The Ravens only need to defeat a fifth-round rookie quarterback in Baltimore to make the Conference Championship.

This is a new role for the Ravens in the Divisional Round. They are favorites.

ESPN.com’s lead story Wednesday had a graphic that said “Coast is clear” when describing the AFC playoff field. The accompanying article by Jamison Hensley says, “If [the Ravens] don’t reach the Super Bowl now, they might never do so under coach John Harbaugh.”

This all seems to take the Patriots (and Texans) a bit lightly, but we understand the point. New England’s defense is full of holes. Baltimore has confidence they can win in Foxborough in the playoffs after doing it in 2009.

“Every year, you can’t take for granted the fact that you are in the playoffs,” linebacker Jarrett Johnson told the Baltimore Sun. “You have to take advantage of that because you don’t know if you are ever going to make it again.”

There seems to be a greater sense of urgency for this Ravens team. They only had a bye one other time in the Ray Lewis era and lost to Peyton Manning 15-6 at home that year.

Lewis told Albert Breer of NFL.com this team is more complete than the Ravens’ title team. Terrell Suggs says this is “definitely” the best Ravens team he’s been a part of.

The expectations have been raised. Fair or not, anything short of a Super Bowl appearance from this Ravens team will be viewed as a massive disappointment.

[url="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/12/ravens-face-new-role-as-favorites/"]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... favorites/[/url]

[plainnasty]

Nothing would make the Steelers madder than the Ravens winning the SuperBowl. I think they need some extra motivation to be better in the offseason. The Ravens winning it all could be that catalyst to our return to greatness.

Nothing would make me madder. I still haven't gotten over it when they won it in 2000.

[tiproast]

My view is that you should root for the Pats, just because having Goodell share the stage with Belichick when the Lombardi trophy is presented could possibly cause his (Goodell's) head to explode.

And that would be a good thing for the league.

[sd steel]

My view is that you should root for the Pats, just because having Goodell share the stage with Belichick when the Lombardi trophy is presented could possibly cause his (Goodell's) head to explode.

And that would be a good thing for the league.

Why would Goodell's head explode? It's obvious that he loves the Pats** making rules to protect Brady** and increase their offensive production by give them carte blanche to run untouched over the middle without fear of getting hit. And then for disposing of the cheaters tapes that would have proved that everything Belichek** has accomplished in NE** was due to cheating.

I think If the Pats** won Goodell would be elate to see that his NFL is working perfectly. All offense, no defense, no hitting.