“RAVENS?”
As far as I know, the only significant connection that the word “raven” has with Olde Bal’mere is that Poe used to live in the city, and he wrote this poem called, well, you know.
Precisely what are you referring to with the term “Ravens”?
Actually, the name “Ravens” does refer to the poem by Poe. It’s kind of clever. It’s one of the few team names in any sport that are literary references.
TEAM???
Did the Orioles change their name?
The Orioles?
Baltimore Ravens is a football team. FOOTBALL. As in the National Football League.
Baltimore is a town with an image problem. They have been treated as a suburb of DC for so long that they couldn’t accept themselves as a first class town even if they were. I lived right between Baltimore and DC for years. I spent the 80’s driving in and out of both cities everyday and the 90’s only slightly less regularly. As long as DC is only a 30 minute drive away, Baltimore will always have an inferiority complex. Baltimore is a city that works. DC is a city with power. It is no suprise to anyone that lives anywhere close that the most famous person in town got famous for coming to work everyday. (See: Cal Ripken) So RN ripped Baltimore. Everyone rips B-more. They seem to be used to it and accept it as their lot in life. Balmer has experienced a revitalization of its harbor area since the 70’s but the rest of the city hasn’t changed much in 20 years. It’s still a rat-infested shithole with open air drug markets, open prostitution, crooked cops, gang-bangers, too many murders, and residents who, like parents defending their kids even though they know they’ve been bad, love their city, right or wrong.
BTW - I no longer live there. I personally am not one of the people who love the city. I just understand those that do.
No, I’m not describing my mood at the moment but uh…
I’m so sorry…
I keep thinking Gary Newman… isn’t he the bloke who did that, “in cars” thing?
Or have I got the wrong guy for the second time?
I know Randy Newman sucks and always has (stop doing music for movies since it’s all the SAME MUSIC over and over, you whacking putz! [sorry, Wally!]) but for some sick and twisted reason I keep thinking about this problem while driving “in cars”.
Dunno.
Might just be me.
FTR: Where you live is home. And no one can trash it but you. Folks might froth at the mouth over SLC, Utah but you better not say one bad word to me about it because it’s my home.
Hey! It’s like my little sister; I can call her a slut but YOU better not!
I have hated Randy Newman since he did the song Short People.
Hey I’m five foot 2 and a half inches tall ( and dont forget the half, it makes me feel taller).
Hey Byz, (Can I call you Byz?)
I did a year in SLC (Actually, in Sandy) Is it OK if I say something bad about it?
Not that I would. I just want to know.
(I’m still licking my lips from lunch at the Mill Creek Inn and dinner at La Cai!)
Ayesha – forgot about that little slice of his shit that hit the musical world. But now that you mention it… I’m tall, that’s okay (for me) but I never did like him putting down the “little folk” like my mom.
She does have reason. She could kick his sorry butt! So could you! I second the bon fire! (No one but NO ONE puts down my MOTHER! You’d have better odds claiming that you were bigger than Jesus than to fuck with my MOTHER!)
Cynical1 – yep, you sure can, everyone calls me Byz… or bitch. I prefer Byz… you did a year here? Like, what, this is some sort of prison system? Or did you actually do a year in the prison outside of Sandy? Enquiring minds and all!
Really, you can say what you feel about SLC, Sandy or any place in Utah. But I will post my own feelings about the land here. High on the Colorado Plateau… a unique geological position. Yeah, the Mormons are a bit weird but the land, the awesome beauty of the land, more than makes up for their evangelical drive!
Best!
Byz
(Not A Hijack - Packed and moved three times in SLC)
Byz,
Funny you should mention prisons…
Actually, I did purgatory there…
(I often say “I no longer fear Hell for I have lived in The Valley!”)
No, seriously, I was transferred there for work and run out of town for not being Mormon enough. Go figure since I’m Lutheran. (I actually got called in for “Tithe Settlement” and threatened with excommunication if I didn’t pay up. When I didn’t pay, I lost my job and my lease on the 800 SF apartment. Go figure.) What a wonderful landscape though. Eye Candy in the extreme. Maybe the most beautiful place in the country (Unless you happen to like trees)
BTW - Do you know my wife? People call her “Bitch” too. Only because she asks them to. Badge of honor and all that.
Man I must be tired
I got mixed up on my threads.
OK. Flame me. I deserve it.
It’s just sooo late, and I’ve had sooo much to drink…
Want to hear some good Randy Newman? Go listen to his version of “Faust” - he plays the Devil, James Taylor plays God, Don Henley plays Faust, Linda Rondstadt plays his goody girlfriend, Bonnie Raitt plays the bad girl (who the Devil falls for), and Elton John does one song as an angel.
Way wicked cool. 
Esprix
from pepperlandgirl
Wello, okay then, when did the Colts change their name, and why?
KD99,
On March 28, 1984, Bob Irsay packed up the Baltimore Colts and moved them to Indianapolis. They have been their ever since. After Baltimore was blatently snubbed in the expansion process of 1993 by Jack Bent Crook and Paul Tag-a-long, we started actively looking for a team to move here. In 1996, Art Model, having realized Cleveland was going to fund every civic project EXCEPT a replacement for the mistake by the lake, moved the old Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. He left the name and heritage behind, which is why the new team in Cleveland is still called the Browns. Bob Irsay( long may he burn ), however held onto the name Colts, and it is still the “official” nickname of the Indianapolis franchise.(AFAIC, the “Colts” ceased to be in 1984.) Needing a new name for our new team, the citizens of B-more voted on several choices, and “Ravens” won by an overwealming majority. Thus, for the last 4 years, our football team has been the Baltimore ravens. We have the best stadium in the NFL, and the team is going to kick ass and take names this fall. I hope that clears things up.
Yeah, fuck Randy Newman!! I’ve hated him since he did “Springfield?!?!? Where The Fuck Is That?” back in '76. Asshole.
Are there no Clevelanders on this board who’ll argue with this? This smacks of revisionist history to me.
Well, Mojo, Tell me what you think. The Browns were the most popular team in Cleveland. They were/are an institution in that town. The Indians were always relegated to the back burner, along with the Calves. ( ever wonder why the Indians were chosen for the movie Major League? Because that kind of support and them winning a championship would be a huge turnaround {at the time}) Cleveland muncipal stadium was a pit, a hole, a toilet,etc…,yet tens of thouands of loyal fans crowded it every week. So what does the city do? It spends over 700 million on Jacobs Field( now why does thet look so familiar to a Baltimoron??hmm? ;)), the new arena for the Cavalers( can't remember the name, sorry ) and the R&R Hall of Fame, then turns around and tells the Browns, "Sorry, nothing left for you", all the while thinking, hell, the Browns are an institution, they CAN'T leave. Ooops. Many Clevelanders will contend that Art was a bad businessman. He may have been. The fact of the matter is that Mayor White and the City leaders dropped the ball, and they know it. If they had built the current stadium for the old Browns, they never would have left. All in all, I think Cleveland got a pretty sweet deal. They got rid of a disliked owner, got NFL for the new stadium, got to keep their name and heritage, and are still in the same division as always, with all the old rivalrys plus us. If you had offered us a similar deal in 1984, we would have jumped at it so fast your head would spin. So yes, I stand by my earlier statement.
I know I came late to this party.
I have been a fan of Randy Newman’s for almost 30 years. He is one of the most intelligent and caustic wits in pop music - and that’s why he has never had popular success. The critics have always loved him, but…
All I can say is- LISTEN to the lyrics. “I Love L.A.” is not about loving L.A.! It’s about the stupidity and superficiality of L.A. “Short People” is not about short people. It’s about the stupidity of discrimination. In fact, a very large percentage of his music is about the mistreatment of the poor and the disenfranchised.
It’s all about context. Idiots read “Tom Sawyer” and think Mark Twain was a racist because he used the “N” word, when ,in fact, he was just the opposite.
I agree with Nurlman- Get “Sail Away”. Randy’s got some heavy stuff to say to you.
Probably a lost cause, Barney. A lot of them appear to be football fans.
Huh… I’m 5’2" on a tall day, and I think that song is hilarious. It would never occur to me to take it SERIOUSLY.