Trip back in time, to the first DEN game...

[Ravens2006]

Below is a snippet of thoughts during the first Broncos game. Names removed to protect the guilty. Seriously, I don't care who said what at the time. But just remember not to over-react next time the team loses a few games, or looks particularly hideous any given Sunday.

9-7. No playoffs. This team is a joke.

...most importantly, Harbaugh and Pees must go, or we'll just get the same show with new actors.

Shouldn't come as a surprise I think we all knew that the 9-2 record they had was a bit of a mirage.

This team and coaching staff needs to be blown up at the end of the year. Harbaugh may be through here...

What you see today with Flacco is as good as it gets. If the Ravens sign Flacco to a long term deal, they not as smart as many people think they are.

They will lose out - and if by some miracle they make the playoffs they will be one and done there as well.

Thank you, Joe Flacco, for removing any doubt whatsoever as to what a colossal loser you are.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Flacco isn't the guy.

Just wondering: Who's the backup QB for the Ravens?

Hate to say it but the window is closing right before our eyes...

[NCBirdfan]

Rest assured, none of those comments came from me. I even mentioned in one of the threads that this season was eerily familiar to the 2000 season. I also have been a Flacco supporter even when he had rough days. I said, then and I say now, that if the OL can block for him he will do fine. It did and he did.

[Fang]

Can you provider a link to the thread? I would love to know what I said.

[Ravens2006]

I think they all came from the "Game Thread" that day...

[NCBirdfan]

I think they all game from the "Game Thread" that day...

To be fair with the posters in game threads, emotions usually win over rationalizations in those threads. Cooler heads usually prevail hours and days later.

[Flu]

Neither one was uttered by me either.

[Slidemaster]

I said at least three of them.

[ChippewaJoe]

'Shouldn't come as a surprise I think we all knew that the 9-2 record they had was a bit of a mirage.'

I didn't write that one, but that was one of my feelings.

I've only been to 9 games starting in 2002. A friend won two tix in a silent auction for the Denver game. His first Raven game. My first loss in person.

We rode it out til the clock read :00. Thoughts also went along the lines of 'have they quit?', 'the offense looks the same unimaginative nonthreat as under Cam', 'they need to get healthy on defense, and fast', and 'a shame they wasted those stunning victories'.

After the Giants game, I felt relief, confidence knowing Ray was coming back, that they'd win the home playoff game(especially after playing smashmouth against the Bengals with Tyrod). But that would be it.

And then, with the weather report, odds were even against Denver. Not expecting a win, but it would be close, expecting one heart-breaking play or sequence to end the season.

When the weather report came out for NE, once again, odds were even, but one debatable call would end it.

SF....would be close, but the 'niners would come back late.

So, I was almost right on a few things.....and delightfully wrong in the end regarding the last three games.

[OriginalColtsFan]

It took some time to separate out the Cameron offense from the Caldwell offense. I maintain that had Cam Cameron remained the OC, the Ravens would not have won the Super Bowl. I further maintain that it was Harbaugh's stupid and ill-placed loyalty to Cameron that caused the problem in the first place. So criticism against Harbaugh was fully justified at that time. Once the decision was made to fire Cameron, however, AND Caldwell was able to tweak that offense to maximize the players' potentials, things became to change.

Harbaugh also was responsible for not playing McKinnie at LT and Oher at RT. So again...until that changed, he was the one responsible for that mess as well.

Once those two things changed, everything changed. And the rest as they say, is history.

[bmore_ken]

While none of those comments are mine, I'm man enough and not afraid to say I had them losing both Denver games. I do have to say however, it's easy to pull out your crystal ball at the end of the season without putting out some of the other things that were posted. Such as:

People called early for Cam to be gone. Some people before the season started
People called for McKinnie to be on the field and Oher moved to RT.

It's easy to pull out selected quotes after the season

[AFKAR7]

Not sure which might be mine but I have owned up to my 8-8 feeling about the team before the season started. I was surprised at the 9-2 start and felt like they were going to drop the last 5 when that stretch of games started.

I am still shocked how this all came to an end. I have no problem owning up to my mistake on who this team was and what they would do this year.

[NCBirdfan]

While none of those comments are mine, I'm man enough and not afraid to say I had them losing both Denver games. I do have to however, it's easy to pull out your crystal ball at the end of the season without putting out some of the other things that were posted. Such as:

People called early for Cam to be gone. Some people before the season started
People called for McKinnie to be on the field and Oher moved to RT.

It's easy to pull out selected quotes after the season

It was a terrible game, but not unexpected.The Ravens were really banged up as a team that game and it was Caldwell's first game as OC.

It was one of the few games I didn't see live. (I listened to the game on the radio while traveling). I remember getting home and fast-forwarding the game often. I expected a few gaffes as both Flacco and Caldwell ironed things out. The pick-6 was one of those gaffes. It didn't make it any more easier to watch though. Still, it didn't make me feel the season was over.

The team needed healing and I think when Harbaugh sat most of the players out i the Cincy game, it was one of the smartest decisions in his coaching career.

[NCBirdfan]

While none of those comments are mine, I'm man enough and not afraid to say I had them losing both Denver games. I do have to however, it's easy to pull out your crystal ball at the end of the season without putting out some of the other things that were posted. Such as:

People called early for Cam to be gone. Some people before the season started
People called for McKinnie to be on the field and Oher moved to RT.

It's easy to pull out selected quotes after the season

It was a terrible game, but not unexpected.The Ravens were really banged up as a team that game and it was Caldwell's first game as OC.

It was one of the few games I didn't see live (although it may be the only one). I listened to the game on the radio while traveling. I remember when watching it at home I fast-forwarded the game often. I expected a few gaffes as both Flacco and Caldwell ironed things out. The pick-6 was one of those gaffes. It didn't make it any more easier to watch though. Still, it didn't make me feel the season was over. It was just one game.

The team needed healing and I think when Harbaugh sat most of the players out i the Cincy game, it was one of the smartest decisions in his coaching career.

[can you hear me now!]

game threads are the worst place to go looking for any type of rational postings...they are reactionary and go from play to play....

there were many non-game threads where people jumped off the virtual ledge....

the NFL is a week to week league and this seasons bears that out better than most..

[LarryN]

here it is:

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthr...highlight=lose


I scrolled through and couldn't find any posts from me. I must have been too disgusted that day to actually post anything, but I could have said any one of the things listed above.

[bmore_ken]

It looks like I have a couple of comments, but none from the OP.

[afan]

Neither one was uttered by me either.

nice chest

[Steveg85321]

It took some time to separate out the Cameron offense from the Caldwell offense. I maintain that had Cam Cameron remained the OC, the Ravens would not have won the Super Bowl. I further maintain that it was Harbaugh's stupid and ill-placed loyalty to Cameron that caused the problem in the first place. So criticism against Harbaugh was fully justified at that time. Once the decision was made to fire Cameron, however, AND Caldwell was able to tweak that offense to maximize the players' potentials, things became to change.

Harbaugh also was responsible for not playing McKinnie at LT and Oher at RT. So again...until that changed, he was the one responsible for that mess as well.

Once those two things changed, everything changed. And the rest as they say, is history.

Agreed. I also agree with Suggs that the Ravens would not have won the Super Bowl had Ray Lewis not announced his retirement when he did. I don't know how that worked, but it sure did. A successful team is much more than the sum of its parts.

[Fang]

here it is:

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthr...highlight=lose


I scrolled through and couldn't find any posts from me. I must have been too disgusted that day to actually post anything, but I could have said any one of the things listed above.

Thanks.

This was actually the only game I did not attend. But it looks like I didn't post anything. I will admit I thought firing Cam and not Pees was a mistake. Those losses were on Joe a bit for thowing ints and turning the ball over. But I always maintained Joe was Top 10 and would move into the top 5 when he wins the big one.

[Steveg85321]

I seldom read or participate in game threads. Sports fans can be quite limited in their sense of perspective, and never more so than in the heat of the moment, caught up in the excitement and emotion, not to mention the effects of beer and/or bourbon. I can't blame anyone for those immediate responses, but looking back and paying any attention to them now is pointless other than the amusement value.