Dan,

Let's make one simple rule change. You don't go on the Mount until you retire, just like the Hall of Fame requires. Let's keep Ray Ray off the Mount until he hangs it up. I want Unitas, Marchetti, Donovan & Lenny Moore.

Gimme a coffee and an omelette and then I'm back to work.

Dan, glad to see you are still in one piece. Gotta be careful about firing up the crowd by talking about trading one of the beloved locals at the same time you are offering 2-for-1 drink specials. Good idea going with a safer topic today, and timely also.

I was going to go with Marty Domres, Norm Bulaich, Don Nottingham, and Trent 'TD' Dilfer, but after considering your list I have to reconsider and say you've done a fine job coming up with four giants for the monument. Actually, if you did one for just Ravens, JO and Ray are the first two that go on the list, it's the other two that get tricky. So far, I'd put Ozzie Newsome up there, and probably leave the fourth one blank.

Others that get left off besides the ones you mentioned include Braase, Bubba and Billy Ray Smith, Mike Curtis, Weeb and Shula from the coaching staff (hey, there's an idea for future discussion - Coaching MountBaltMore).

Close, but not quite for JO on mine. In another town, he's probably a shoe in for that kind of immortality, but in Baltimore, there's too much history and too many great players for him to get in, especially as an O-lineman. My mount would have Unitas, Lenny Moore, Marchetti, and Ray Lewis. Three guys who were the unquestioned leaders of their teams, and one guy who is arguably the greatest offensive weapon in Baltimore football history, with apologies to Ray Berry, John Mackey, and Jamal Lewis.

What about Stover? He has been the Ravens only consistent Scorer in franchise History.

I'm not saying he should go on the Mount, but I think he deserves consideration.

I think JO is in the top three greatest football players in Baltimore history with Unitas and Lewis. JO and Lewis became the foundation of the franchise and led to the Ravens becoming world champions in a short period of time (more recent franchises like the Jags, Panthers and Clowns can't compare).

Marchetti likely gets the nod as the fourth because of his significant role on two championship teams, but you could easily swap in any of our other Hall of Famers for him--Parker, Mackey, Berry, Donovan or Moore. Frankly, given his prominent role in the community throughout his life, it's hard for me not to give Lenny the nod. But, I did love those Gino Giants and the crab imperial at the Flaming Pit. Roy Rogers just can't compare.

Whew Dan, tough call.

You’re right; Lewis and Unitas are musts. They’re the face of the Baltimore Colts and Ravens, respectively.

And you make a good argument for Gino Marchetti, though I may come around to argue for Artie Donovan or Bubba Smith. The old Colts’ defense definitely needs to be represented.

Even though it may seem a bit heartless to say it on the day Ogden is retiring, though, I think you have to bump him in favor of Lenny Moore.

I’m not yet sure the Ravens have had a player on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage to warrant a face on Mount FootBalMore.

And, at this point, looking at significance, contributions to the game and just basic overall success, the old Colts are allowed to have more faces than the Ravens.

Donovan, Smith, Ogden, Jim Parker, Mike Curtis, Don Shula, Matt Stover, Lyle Blackwood, Jimmy Orr and Bert Jones are greats — but you can only have four in your top four, right?

It’s a lot tougher of a list than putting together the four heads on a platter for Mount AntiFootBalMore: Bob Irsay, Jack Kent Cook, Paul Tagliabue and John Elway.

So when we talk about greatest, we should consider like adjectives such as "dominating" rather than "beloved", agreed?

I'll stay out of the fray on who was very good, beloved, community fabric, etc. - even "important" - but does JO go up on Mt. FootBaltMore because of his sustained greatness and domination against his competition? Abso-freakin-lutely!

Yeah, he trailed off a little in the last 3-4 years (all players do), but in the years before, I'm not sure there was anyone better in the League. His cause is helped by the fact that he was a "Raven for life."

Ripken doesn't belong on the Mount before Jim Palmer. Just look at the '70's stats. Palmer dominated in a way Ripken never even approached. Also the only link to all the O's world series victories.

After Unitas, no one belongs up there more then Modell....if not, Baltimore is still a baseball town.

Terpfan's drinks are on me the rest of the day for mentioning Gino's burger joint. Man, I miss that place. I'm sure Gino made a fortune selling out to Roy Rogers, but life was never the same.

Going to agree with our bartender on this one. All due respect to the many other Baltimore football greats, I think Johnny U, Gino, Ray and JO is the best balance and representation of our football history to date.

Agreed...

Unitas
Ray Lewis
Ogden
Berry

HAHAHA - Bob are you sure your name isn't "Nancy"?

Stover? BWAK! yeah, he's great and all, but you have to be kidding me!

anyways

Unitas
Lewis
Ogden
Berry

you have to make room for potentially the greatest lineman to ever play.

Kickers don't dominate, they mostly just kick and then run for the safety of the sidelines as fast as they can. Would that I were such a kicker....

JO couldn't carry Jim Parker's jock. Parker was the greatest OL the NFL has ever seen. Unitas, Marchetti, Parker and Berry.

So you start off with Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr, and Johnny Unitas; then when JO and R.Lewis are mentioned you forget about Ripken and Robinson??? Dont get me wrong, I am not even a baseball fan, but you CANT talk about Baltimore sports without Ripken and Johnny U. Maybe you add one more from each sport - then it would be Robinson & Lewis. That will give your Mount Baltimore two from each sport, and two from each era. All due respect and apoligies to J.O., but an offensive tackle is never a player that can TAKE OVER the game. It is safe to say that Robinson, Ripken, Unitas, and Lewis not only took over the game, but were absolute game changers! IMHO

Uh ... Scott,

Look a little closer and you'll see the name of the imaginary monument is “Mount FootBaltMore,” as in “football.”

The Baltimore sports foursome was a much earlier thread, as Dan explains early in his post.

Understand, Ripken and Brooks don't belong in this football discussion. Heck, Ripken played SOCCER in high school, so he absolutely doesn't belong!

Can somebody call this guy a cab?

Jim Moser has it right. Jim Parker by far over J. O. Parker help make players around him better. J. O. just took the money and booked.

To leave Spats, who was never caught from behind - who could catch as well as run, off any Hall of is just nuts.

The people who leave Spats and Parker off any top list are the same idiots who put Elway is the Hall of Shame or what ever we call that disgrace in the bathroom.

Ray Lewis goes in. During Ray's career he led us to a top defense year after year. Ogden never led us to a respectable offense. Never

OH YEAH! Drinks for everyone. Peace, base clear.

Since the abundance of professional players greatly outnumbers presidents, can we not have one for the Orioles, Colts and Ravens separately. Surely we can pick four deserving players who meant everything to "Baltimore", the team they played for, the fans and the example they set both on and off the field. That's twelve players out of all the many hundreds that wore a Baltimore uniform.

what about wes unseld