Why I hate the Ravens...

Hate is a strong word, one I use with much trepidation in any situation. With that preface I say this without any doubt, I hate the Baltimore Ravens.

In other news, the sun came up in this morning.

Which is to say that my hatred for the Ravens ranks fairly high on the obvious meter. It correlates somewhere along the lines of The Tea Party and Barrack Obama’s domestic policies.

And without getting too much in to mathematic proofs here (unless Weet requires it), there is a somewhat geometric concept in play here; i.e. as long as the sun continues to come up, I will continue to hate the Baltimore Ravens. I would wager a fair some of money that most of the Steeler Nation feels pretty much the same way.

My disdain for the Ravens has grown consistently since the Rat Birds somehow won the Super Bowl in 2000 and reached its apex on Sunday September 11, 2011. I thought I hated the Ravens before my wife and I endured three hours of grotesque personal abuse at M&T Bank Stadium. Now I can say (for both of us), I truly despise them.

On the field the Ravens pounded and embarrassed the Steelers that day. It was in every way shape and form one of the ugliest Steeler losses I can remember, the magnitude increased given the opponent.

One could argue we should not care. After all, what is one regular season loss compared to the litany of crucial victories the Steelers have pulled off in this series? What is one regular season loss compared to three times knocking Baltimore from the playoffs; twice on the way to the Super Bowl? What’s one regular season loss compared to watching Ray Lewis go from screaming and strutting in the pregame to slumping off the field in defeat?

Logically, it’s nothing.

Alas recency bias is an exceptionally powerful force in sports, even more so when you endure three hours of emotional debauchery in the stands. For the record, I’ve attended Steeler and Penguin road games in eight different cities; always clad in black and gold, and NEVER, I repeat NEVER, encountered fan behavior half as vile a what Emily and I endured in Baltimore.

Did I expect it to be a tough environment? Of course. Did I expect a purported adult human being to repeatedly scream the f word right in my face because I was wearing black and gold? Honestly no. And that was the high point of the Raven’s crowd.

I’m a bit ashamed to admit that both Emily and I changed out of our Steeler gear before boarding public transportation outside the stadium. Honestly, and I’m not exaggerating this, we did it out of fear for our safety. Some would call this an intelligent decision and no big deal. To me, it’s akin to Charlton Heston’s famous proclamation that “Bill Clinton can have my gun when he rips it from my cold dead hand.”

It was that ugly boys and girls. And yes I’m angry.

It takes zero additional incentive for me to get amped for the Ravens mind you; but I’ll have plenty in reserve. I’ve always felt it enough for the Black and Gold to beat Baltimore. On Sunday I’m hoping for a “scrape Joe Flacco of the turf” style humiliation.

I’m expecting that the Steelers feel the same way.

Under ordinary circumstances I would fear a letdown this weekend. It’s perfectly understandable coming off the Steelers first victory over Tom Brady in seven years. If this week’s opponent were Kansas City, San Francisco or even the surprising Bungles, I would be genuinely concerned.

Given the Steelers rivalry with Baltimore; combined with what happened eight weeks ago, I see little reason to fear. I’m especially comforted when Mike Tomlin starts his press conference with “Its Ravens week.”

It’s a fascinating comparison, the Steelers’ rivalries with Baltimore versus New England. There is a visceral hatred that exists between the Steelers and the Rat Birds. In contrast, with New England it’s more about knocking those arrogant SOBs down a peg or two. The irony is that New England is the only team in the NFL that forces the Steelers to abandon their identity to beat them. In contrast, the Ravens amplify it.

Go figure the Black and Gold seem to own Baltimore while struggling to beat New England. The Ravens, by virtue of their Steeler like approach to football, are the perfect opponent for Pittsburgh. Simply put, you can’t out Steeler the Steelers. The Ravens like it tough and ugly. The Steelers have always been tougher and uglier…in a beautiful way of course.

With the notable exception of eight weeks ago. I’m still perplexed as to what happened that day. To be that flat against their hated rival; in the most hatred fill rivalry in all of professional sports was simply inexcusable.

I’m confident that the players and their coaches are well aware of that; and have not forgotten.

Which is to say that the Steelers; a team that rarely lacks in motivation, heart, or determination, should have a surplus of all on Sunday night. This is not just about one critical win in the standings, it’s about organization pride. This is about saying that nobody slaps around the Pittsburgh Steelers and gets away with it. NOBODY! Least of all the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers were as focused and motivated as I’ve ever seen them against the Brady bunch last Sunday. They should be even more so this week.

Notwithstanding the emotional element (which I ‘m clearly struggling to avoid) this is bar none biggest game of the season. As much as I hate the Ravens, they have to be considered a dangerous opponent. It’s hard to conceive of them losing more than two games other than the Steeler game. A Steeler win opens up a legitimate path to another division title. A Ravens all but assures the arduous wild card route for the Black and Gold.

That’s not an impossible mission mind you. We’ve seen both for better and for worse since 2005 that a wild card team can win the Super Bowl. All things being equal however, I’ll take my chances with home field advantage and a first round bye. There is an excellent chance of a Steelers/Ravens playoff battle in January and we’ve seen home field advantage be a crucial factor in both match-ups.

To that end, the circumstances are frighteningly similar to last year. The Steelers put themselves in a must win position by losing to Baltimore at home in week 4. That set-up a must win rematch; one the Steelers ultimately pulled out in brilliantly ugly fashion. The Ravens controlled most of the game only to follow the age old script of a critical Flacco turnover, converted to a score by Raven killer Troy Polamalu.

It was classic Steelers/Ravens in every detail, right down to the final result.

One could argue that Baltimore is the perfect rival for the Steelers; a team that brings out the best in the Black and Gold yet always falls short when it matters most. And on some level, buried deep within my subconscious, I have a begrudging respect for the Rat Birds on field success. Such thoughts however are blinded by the raw emotion inspired by this rivalry; especially given what transpired eight weeks ago. In short, my brain may respect the Ravens success; my heart hates them too much to listen or care.

Logically I know that victory, by any means and any score is what matters here. Emotionally I want more, something along the lines of ground Raven paste. When the Ravens confront you they are the enemy…and the enemy deserves no mercy. Or something like that from what I recall.

Victory is all that matters, but for once victory alone is not enough.

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO !!!