The Baltimore Ravens win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was far from perfect, but who cares? Enjoy the moment, Ravens Flock.
While drinking my coffee Monday morning, it struck me: Somewhere, at that very moment, there was a Steelers fan who was cursing under his breath while drinking his own coffee, having a horrible Monday morning after his team lost in overtime to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
And that made me smile.
Is that petty? Sure, it is. But I’m not writing on this site because I’m a multiple-time winner of an international Mr. Not Petty Competition. I’m here because I’m a Ravens fan. And knowing that a Steelers fan is aching inside because his team lost to the Ravens in a gut-wrenching manner, well, that’s like Christmas in October.
There are too many Ravens fans bellyaching over this game. “We’re never going to beat New England if we play like this.” “Even if we do win the division, we’ll never make any noise in the playoffs.” “We are not close to winning a championship.”
Stop. Just stop. Savor it. Take a deep breath and soak in the tears and gratuitous profanity from your biggest rival’s entire fan base. Embrace the notion that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is right now stressing out over a season that is bordering on falling into the abyss — with nary a first-round pick in the offerings for next season. Think of how Steelers fans are blaming the refs, or the shape of a bouncing ball or wherever Venus might be lined up in the night’s sky.
There. You feel that? The rage and sadness from an entire city? Your team caused that. Your Baltimore Ravens did that. Life is good, right?
The Ravens have holes, and there’s no doubt that the organization realizes that and is working on fixing the problems. There have been injuries, just as there have been injuries for every other team in the NFL. The tantalizing young quarterback has struggled a little recently, which, you know, young quarterbacks not named Patrick Mahomes often do from time to time.
But there are still 11 games left this season to fix the problems. There is free agency and a draft next season to plug holes, or build on positions of strength. It’s a never-ending cycle of practice, scheme, training, etc. that each team goes through over the course of a 16-game season.
But, barring a playoff appearance, you only get one game a year in Pittsburgh, and Sunday was it. Your Ravens destroyed the soul of an entire city. Smile. This is fun!