I hate the fucking Baltimore Ravens. If you asked fans of the Tennessee Titans who their most hated rival is, there’s a large sect of us that would reply with the Ravens. There’s just such a longstanding history of violence between these two teams, and now, that history has had a new chapter written into it.
My earliest memories of this rivalry go back to being a teenager and watching Eddie George and Ray Lewis going at it. That clip of George practically chokeslamming Lewis and then immediately getting up and getting in his face made the rounds on social media last week, and it’s a good indicator of just how brutal this rivalry has always been. Those were two physical battering rams back in the old AFC Central days.
Then, I think of 2008, when the Ravens were blatantly trying to injure Chris Johnson, and eventually succeeded in doing so. Johnson had to come out of the game, and we all know that if he had been able to finish that one, the outcome likely would’ve been different. The Ravens cost the Titans a Super Bowl that season – they were the #1 seed in the AFC after going 13-3. It was the height of Smash and Dash – the combo of Johnson and LenDale White, and it marked a resurgence on defense. It took nine years for the Titans to recover from that.
Now, over a decade later, we have this new chapter with this new generation of Titans and Ravens.
Starting with the 2019 playoffs, the Titans went on the road to Baltimore and absolutely dominated the Ravens. It stuck with the Ravens – even back in the spring of 2020, when the season’s schedule was just announced, the Ravens were talking about getting revenge and circling that game on the schedule. Once we got to that game, the Titans won it in overtime, further irritating the Ravens.
Mike Vrabel and John Harbaugh made headlines during that game after Harbaugh refused to shake Vrabel’s hand. Harbaugh took issue with the Titans stepping on the Ravens logo before the game. Not realizing that the Titans did this before every game against every opponent, Harbaugh called the move “disrespectfull.” I’m tellin’ y’all…this shit writes itself – another dimension to this old feud.
All of this led to things boiling over the way they did on Sunday. It’s hard to beat a team three times in a row – the Ravens were clearly motivated, and the Titans failed . We saw ’em talkin’ shit before the game. They took the opportunity to dance on the Titans’ logo after Marcus Peters intercepted Ryan Tannehill to clinch the game. Lamar Jackson ran directly to the locker room without shaking hands after the game. Tell me there ain’t some hurt feelings in this one.
I think it’s safe to say that the last couple of seasons have breathed new life into the dislike these two franchises have for one another. That’s why this violent, physical rivalry will always have a special place in the hearts of the Titans fan base. It’s bad blood – it’s heart, and it’s passion. Say what you will about the Ravens, but this is what football’s all about, baby!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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