Great moments in Maryland history...

1st thing I saw on tv when I had my cable hooked up in Jackson during my first round there in 1984-85.

This move cost me any opportunity of ever enjoying professional football with my father, who disowned the sport when the Colts left. Because of this, the Steelers are not my most hated team in sports, nor the Yankees, but rather the Colts. They cost me a childhood of Sunday memories with my old man.

I was born in 1979, so I don't have any memories of the Baltimore Colts... but I know that the Colts were a PASSION for my parents who both had season tickets growing up. My parents basically lived at Memorial Stadium.

Although the Ravens are MY Team, reading the old Colts articles and seeing the pictures make me sad, as I have learned so much about their history in Baltimore.

I only wish Irsay would have done what Modell did with leaving the history of the team in Baltimore. I like the Purple/Black of the Ravens, so I don't care about that, but what really irritates me is when Indy fans try to claim Unitas and others as theirs.

Joe in Bangor, ME

A date that will live in infamy!

It has been 25 years.... LET IT GO. We have this new(er) football team... The Raivens, and my oh my are they good entertainment!

These types of articles are akin to looking back at a high school crush and still holding a all this seething contempt for the guy that stole her from you...

If we have learned anything from Ray Ray's recent debacle, it is that this GAME of football is more closely tied to business than games for the actual players. Why not let bygons be just that, and move forward with Joe Cool and the gang?

I am not trying to beat you up Paul, but I mean c'mon. You can't seriously tell me that we have not ripped the scab off of this wound more than several times. Let the healing finish and bury this issue like the dead dog that it is.

If any of the current Ravens Players are reading this, keep your focus on the prize, you have 71,000+ in the stands. Each spectator wants nothing more than for you to have fun playing this game, in the hopes that we can share in your victories on the field.

While the Colt's departure was sad, I've come to believe we are better off without them, as we vwould have suffered through another 20 years of losing and rancid mediocrity. Now we have local ownership, a good team, and a competent front office. No doubt It would have been fun to watch Payton Manning, but take him out of the equation -- which eventually must happen -- and the Colts will quickly revert to their standard of haplessness. The Ravens will prove to be the better team -- and the better match for 21st Century Baltimore -- over the long haul.

I just wish the AAA team at Camden Yards would move...

Baltimore shouldn't be mad, cause you did it to Cleveland..Im from LA two cities did this to us and the reason the media says is we don't care...WRONg....Rams and raiders left cause of money and cities like Indy/baltimore/phoenix...aka places with nothing to do excpet steal other cities teams...

Current colts fan here.. I wasn't alive when the colts were in Baltimore still but my dad was. I live neither in Baltimore or Indianapolis. As a current colts fan, I could definately say my dad fell in love with the Colts when Johnny Unitas was under center back in the Baltimore days. If it wasn't for Johnny U and the Baltimore Colts, I would never be an INDY fan today. Yes it sucks when cities lose teams but the Ravens used to be the Browns as well. It's about loving the sport.

Current colts fan here.. I wasn't alive when the colts were in Baltimore still but my dad was. I live neither in Baltimore or Indianapolis. As a current colts fan, I could definately say my dad fell in love with the Colts when Johnny Unitas was under center back in the Baltimore days. If it wasn't for Johnny U and the Baltimore Colts, I would never be an INDY fan today. Yes it sucks when cities lose teams but the Ravens used to be the Browns as well. It's about loving the sport.

There is a huge difference between what happened to Baltimore with the Colts and what happened to Cleveland and the Browns. Indy took all our records, they took our colors, they took our name, in the middle of the night. While what Baltimore did was not right, and honestly I didn't become a Raven's fan until after Cleveland got a new Brown's team, the situation between Bal. and Cle. isn't even close to that of Bal. and Ind.

Taking what you rightfully own isn't theft.

itsmetp...one thing you younger guys got to understand is in those days it wasn't all about the money. Those Colts in the 50's, 60's and early 70's only made 25-30 grand a year to play. Many of them had offseason businesses or jobs in Baltimore, made their home in Baltimore. It was fun to go to the old 4100 Club in Brooklyn after the team flew into Friendship (BWI) after an away game and sit around, have a beer, hear them talk about the game. They would show up at old Colt Corral meetings (not announced) just to thank us for our support. These guys-Johnny U, Lenny, Artie, Raymond, Park, Gino and others weren't just our heros, they were our friends. And one night in March that drunken b**tard took it all away. So yeah, I guess you always remember your first love no matter how old. Go Ravens!

If it was not for the logos I think this would be a non issue. Look at soccer in Europe. The teams are name after the city PERIOD. So if the Milan AC team were to move it would no longer be Milan AC.

well there are reasons why the colts leaving was different than other teams moves.

first thing, they "sneaked" away in the middle of the night. could you imagine nowdays if you woke up tomorrow and a team had moved to another city, secretly? think of all the ramifications of that on the nfl and other teams, marketing, corporate sponsors, etc.? and even though it is a business, your decisions still impact others businesses (the other teams). so it is not the typical business situation. just look how long it took for the montreal expo's to become the dc nationals!!

and at least be a man and admit what you want to do, not lie to everyone that you are going to stay put.

and unlike the browns, they still have their team name and history. so their team moving here was nothing like the colts being "stolen" in the night.

i got to spend a wonderful day with johnny unitas just a few years before he died. he was talking about it (he brought it up) and he said he had never once played any football in indy. so how could he be an indy colt? and i am sure they don't want our history anymore than we would want theirs.

yes, teams move because it's a business. but they should have to leave the name and history behind. and now team owners must vote on a team's move, not just do it for one man's gain. so the rules were changed because of the colts move. that in itself tells you something.

i think if the name "colts" and their history had been left in baltimore, we would have been "over it" years ago.

and if the baltimore colts got their place in canton, we would still love our ravens all the same.

Let it go? Let it go? Let it go? NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a Colt season ticket hold 1959 thru 1980.

Let it go? Let it go? Let it go? NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a Colt season ticket hold 1959 thru 1980.

In response to Bryan from L.A......I can't say what the situations were for the Rams and Raiders. However, the Browns left Cleveland and became the Ravens, because they all knew they were leaving, andnobody there lifted a finger to stop them. When the Colts left we had no idea. So the stealing was done by Indy not us. Get it straight.

My Dad was the Ticket Manager for the Baltimore Colts, from '56-'62. What a childhood of Colt memories.
Locker room visits. Players stopping by to get tickets. Games at Memorial Stadium , in Sect. 32 ,Row 24. My Dad went on to other things after the '62 season, but Sundays in the fall and winter were at 33rd St.....with my grandfather and 2 other lucky individuals. We had a total of 4 Season tickets and my Dad and grandfather were always going to go. So, usually one of my older 3 brothers , or myself or Mom would fill the reamining 2 seats.
I'll never forget those days !
It was really a numbing day, when those vans rolled out of the Owings Mills complex. "Under the cloak of darkness", has remained in my memory banks for all of these years.
They were the Baltimore Colts. I could care less what their name is now.
Same thing as , they were the Cleveland Browns, and they are still the Cleveland Browns.

We are ....the Baltimore Ravens.

Let's enjoy the memories. We can rekindle, those of the past. We can retain, and look forward to, the new one's of the present.
One thing hasn't changed, though.
On Sundays, in the fall and winter?
In Baltimore.....it's still the "Outdoor Insane Asylum" !
Only one thing is missing.
A new Baltimore cheer.
R-A-V-E-N-S .... YES-YES-YES !!!

John Moag, Jr., chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, stated in sworn testimony before the U.S. Senate subcommittee responsible for the Fan Freedom and Community Protection Act: "It was the failure of our local (Baltimore) and state elected officials in Maryland to provide the Colts with a firm proposal for a new stadium that led Mr. Irsay to accept an offer from Indianapolis to play in a new dome in that city."