Ravens Roar For Orioles

When the Baltimore Ravens played the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday, perhaps the loudest roar the entire day came at the opening coin toss. The Ravens honorary team captain for the coin flip was none other than Baltimore Orioles manager, Buck Showalter. Buck received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted a long time and continued as he walked off the field.

During the pre-game rendition of the National Anthem, the traditional yell of "O" might have been the loudest ever. During the game, the cameras focused on a group of Orioles players sitting in their seats, prompting the crowd to stand and cheer until the players, which included Adam Jones, waved to acknowledge the fans.

It's safe to say that with a capacity of around 70,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium, compared to the 47,000 or so across the parking lot at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, this might have been the loudest cheer in Orioles history. This was the first time that the Orioles were in the playoffs at the same time that the city's football team was one of the best in the league since the 1971 season.

That year, the Orioles made the World Series (lost to Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games), and the Baltimore Colts made the NFL playoffs (lost to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game). The Orioles made the playoffs in both 1996 and 1997, the first two years of the Ravens in Baltimore. However, the best the Ravens could do back then was 6-9-1 in 1997 after finishing 4-12 in their inaugural 1996 season.

Having two sports teams in Baltimore playing competitive ball at the same time makes it a great time to be a local sports fan. As a passionate Ravens fan, I'm proud to say, Go O's!