HK Colts vs. “Big” ’67 Baltimore (my fantasy Art Donovan)
Electric football, fortunately, isn’t real life. As we’ve postulated in a previous blog, electric football is the original “fantasy football.” And the fantasy part of electric football trumps the current statistical fixation that defines modern fantasy football.
Electric football puts you in a place that feels a lot simpler, a place where anything seems possible. For most of us there is something very “real” in electric football, something we feel. It has nothing to do with how many “hurries” that an obscure defensive lineman had in a game between two out of contention teams that we never had any intention of ever watching. Where’s the passion in that?
The Colts moving vans, off to Indianapolis. Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Pearson / March 29, 1984
Apologies for taking so long to get to our Wild Card matchup, but passion is the theme we used for picking the Baltimore Ravens and the Colts. As someone who was living and working in the Baltimore area as a neutral observer when: 1)The Colts slinked out of town in the middle of the night; 2) The city unconditionally embraced the CFL Baltimore Stallions (the only American team to be champions of the CFL); 3) The NFL dumped on the region and its pro football history by expanding to Charlotte and Jacksonville instead of back to Baltimore; 4) NFL football finally returned to the city in the form of the relocated Browns, I can say this…
Baltimore was, and always will be passionate and proud about its pro football teams and history.
And the Baltimore fans will be licking their chops for another payback to the Colts and the Irsay family. Although it’s been almost 30 years now, Bob Irsay took part of the city’s soul when the Colts snuck off to Indiana. Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Raymond Berry, Art Donovan, the 1958 NFL “greatest” game, the 1971 Super Bowl, the swaggering Bert Jones-led teams of the mid-70’s, were all woven into the civic identity of Baltimore. The move will never be forgiven.
As someone who arrived in the Baltimore area as a neutral, yet watched and absorbed all that transpired during my nearly two decades there, I’ll be rooting for Baltimore. The city has paid its pro football dues.
Earl
Nice job, Earl. Being a football historian and living in the DC/Baltimore area for over 20 years, I know the football passion that runs through the heart of Charm City. I grew up respecting and marveling the great Unitas Colts teams of the late-’50s and ’60s. As a Jets fan, I was envious of the ’70s Colts teams with Bert Jones, Lydell Mitchell, Roger Carr, and the Sack Pack. The unforgivable blame for the Colts betrayal of Baltimore can be put squarely on the shoulders of that embarrassing alcoholic Jim Irsay and his family. As you point out, the NFL also deserves its share of blame. I’ve always respected Peyton Manning, but now I feel like I can root for him since he’s with a franchise that respects and honors both its history and city. So, with that said…GO RAVENS!!