Due to the departure of Peyton Manning from the Colts*, I found myself without a favorite team last season (2011). I figured I might as well be a fan of the home team until such a time that I was able to really connect with a club. Here it stands at the end of the 2012 season, and I’m still rooting for the home team.** With my cheering them on, the Ravens are going to the Super Bowl! And my city is lit up purple at night. It’s a beautiful thing to see, I tell ya. Even better is that a good friend of mine kept betting against them in the playoffs. He told me that Peyton Manning and his new team were gonna knock them out (the Ravens won in an exciting, albeit LONG, double overtime game). He texted me on the day before the AFC Championshiop game: “Tom Brady is going to speak at Ray’s retirement party tomorrow. How nice.” (The Ravens defense shut out the Patriots in the second half.) Surprisingly (or not), he hasn’t said anything about what will happen this coming Sunday in New Orleans. Imagine that…

As the Ravens are off to see Lombardi (the most wonderful trophy of all), I wish them nothing but the best of luck. Win or lose, they’ve gotten a few monkeys off their back (the Patriots, winning the AFC championship) and I’m proud of them. Cheers and luck to the franchise and thanks to Ray Lewis*** on being loyal to this team and this city by staying here for the entirety of his career.

* This post was extra long with the whole explanation of how I ended up here, but I write too many long posts and I thought you might want something shorter.
** I should note that I have a for real crush on Coach John Harbaugh. I think he’s the cutest thing ever, and have thought so since I found out he was hired as the Ravens coach. I mean, he’s really beyond adorable on the sidelines with his hat and jacket or his big puffy coat in the winter. Sometimes I giggle when I see him on screen, and if you tell anyone, I’ll deny it!
*** I think people here know more about the goings on of the Ray Lewis trial from 200 than anyone else. That trial came on TV every freaking day and blocked my soap operas. My opinion: I don’t think he murdered those men, though I do believe he didn’t tell everything he knew about what really happened. Since that time thirteen ears ago, he hasn’t made another major misstep. Let us not forget, Donte Stallworth (most recently on injured reserve for the Patriots) actually killed someone (charged with DUI manslaughter in 2009) and Kobe Bryant was on trial for rape (2003). No one’s talking about those anymore. And Mrs. Wes Welker might want to look in their team’s own backyard before talking about anyone’s illegitimate children (Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan, anyone?).

Picture Credit: www.baltimoreravens.com