Bidding farewell
My first blog post on Moving the Chains came on August 2, 2007. It was an entry about Jamal Lewis' first season with the Browns and an introduction of what to expect from the blog.
Since then, it's been non-stop NFL coverage and a lot of fun for the last 10 months. With that being said, it's time to bid farewell. I've had a blast working at baltimoresun.com during the last two-plus years but am moving on for another opportunity later this month.
You, the readers, have been great. A blog like this only works when fans actively participate, and that was no problem here. So thank you to everyone who's ever clicked on a link or made a comment. You've made Moving the Chains a success. Here are some highlights from the 10-month run:
Live-blogging during Ravens games - Many of you chimed in as I updated the blog during games. The criticism of Brian Billick and the team's quarterbacks came early and often. And the argument about whether Kyle Boller will ever be a successful NFL quarterback will rage on in this city long after I'm gone, with defenders discussing the lack of talent/coaching around him and critics pointing to the results.
Weekly power rankings - I would rank the team's top 16 teams each week in an effort to make some sense of a wacky season, and you would voice your opinions like this random comment from Week 8:
"I'm still having trouble buying the Lions"...are you joking me?? Have you not been watching them this season. They are 5-2 and are undefeated against their entire division (I do realize that they haven't played the Packers yet). They've beaten the Bears twice (breaking a record by scoring 34 points in the 4th against their defense). I'm not a Lions fan at all, but Kitna is having a great season and this team deserves a lot more credit than they are given.
Ravens-Patriots, Dec. 3 - Of the eight regular-season games I covered at M&T Bank Stadium, this was the most memorable. The Ravens at 4-7 were out of the playoff hunt but came oh so close to knocking off the then-11-0 Patriots. A chaotic ending that included Jabar Gaffney's game-winning touchdown catch had fans talking all week. On the blog, we set a personal record with 74 comments after this game.
Weekly picks - I miraculously finished the season with an above-.500 record of 125-121-10, making weekly picks with the spread. However, I was dead wrong about the Giants all year and was stunned like most everyone else when they reached the Super Bowl and eventually beat the Patriots.
Draft coverage - Coverage of the NFL draft is completely out of control, and we did our part here to make sure it stays that way. The most popular month in terms of readership came in April when Ravens fans were presumably ready to turn the page on the '07 season and look ahead.
Those are just some of the things that stood out for me. I tried to post something new almost every day and had a great time learning from writers around the country and of course, you, the readers.
No one will be taking over this particular blog on baltimoresun.com, but rest assured that the talented people here will find new ways to provide the area's best Ravens and NFL coverage as training camp approaches in a couple of months.
Once again, thanks for reading. It's been a great run.
