A Flock of their Own: In the Nest with Ravens Nation

What it Means to be a Baltimore Ravens Super Fan

Baltimore Ravens superfans are a dedicated and highly enthusiastic group. The Ravens are a relatively new team (they joined the NFL in 1996), but superfans quickly created traditions and rituals to celebrate their Baltimore pride. Referred to as the “Ravens Flock,” these fans show up in droves and pack their home stadium for every game. There are Ravens fans across the globe, with “Flocks” located in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Brazil and many other countries.

When the #RavensFlock wants to get involved in the team’s preseason activities, they have a few different options. In August 2016, not only could the Ravens faithful attend two open practices at M&T Bank Stadium, but several thousands won the chance to attend up to 13 Training Camp practices at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills. These special sessions offer fans an up close and personal look at the team and the massive training facility, which includes a TV studio, a full-service kitchen, racquetball courts, and much more.

It’s not the only time Ravens fans can celebrate, either. In addition to a host of special nights, each spring the team organizes the Ravens Flock Festival, a Draft Day event especially for fans. The festival includes kids-only autograph sessions, the annual Retail Outlet Sale, fan forums, photos with the Lombardi Trophies, appearances from current and former Draft picks and much more.

But for some fans, it’s not enough just to go to M&T Bank Stadium; they want to own a piece of it. A few lucky folks got to do just that after the 2015 season, as the Ravens auctioned off several pieces of artificial turf. The turf, which was swapped out for fresh grass, came complete in special Ravens packaging, and let fans own a nice piece of Ravens memorabilia. That’s just one example of how much fans have helped to build up the Ravens in just 20 seasons.

Math-Tested Passion

Michael Lewis is a professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Each year, he releases a list of the best fans in all of football, a list he assembles by analyzing “15 years of attendance data and 4 years of social data,” which he then applies to a series of mathematical models and formulas. For the 2015 season, which Lewis outlined in a list released in July 2016, the Ravens ranked all the way at No. 9.

It’s an especially impressive standing considering some of the other teams in the top 10 – like the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys – have been around much longer. For eight home games in 2015, the Ravens drew in 568,018 fans, 100 percent of capacity. Meanwhile, the team’s social media accounts drew similarly big numbers, with 824,000 Twitter followers and over 2.3 million Facebook Likes. All those numbers equal just one thing: Ravens fans are among the best in the league, and the math proves it.

Baltimore Ravens Fans on Gameday

There are a number of traditions and rituals that Ravens fans abide by on game day. As the unofficial song of the Baltimore Ravens, chants of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes can be heard across the city of Baltimore on game day. That is followed by the fans screaming “O” during every national anthem. Upon entering M&T Bank Stadium, superfans must rub the toe of the Ray Lewis and Johnny Unitas statues.

Tailgating is also an important tradition for Ravens fans. It is permitted in all the surrounding lots of the stadium and begins four and a half hours before kickoff. The tailgating experience is an extravaganza of excitement, with great food, cold drinks, marching bands, live DJs, face painting and much more present. M&T Bank Stadium also has the famous RavensWalk leading from Oriole Park to M&T Bank Stadium between lots B and C. Open three hours before Ravens home games, the RavensWalk features food and drinks for purchase with special pricing, a big screen TV and all the fun games one can expect at the perfect tailgate.

Memorable Moments in Baltimore Ravens Fandom

There are a number of memorable moments in Baltimore Ravens history. Historic ones include the Ravens winning the Super Bowl in 2001 and 2013. Winning the 2001 Super Bowl only six seasons after the team entered the league was something that solidified the bond between the fans and the Ravens. Ravens fans understood they had a team that could not only provide them with exciting football, but back it up with a championship. The 2013 Super Bowl win improved the Ravens fandom by showing that even after a somewhat weak decade of football, the Ravens could still come together and pull off a Super Bowl win.

Famous Baltimore Ravens Fans

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baltimore Ravens (@ravens)

The Baltimore Ravens have a large group of famous fans. This list includes Baltimore native and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony. Rapper Kodak Black is also a known fan of the Ravens. Kodak Black and Raven’s quarterback Lamar Jackson both grew up in Pompano Beach, FL and their friendship and Kodak Black’s support of the Ravens was seen with a sideline embrace between the two when the Ravens clinched the AFC North title in 2018. Oscar nominee Ed Norton is also a Ravens Fan, narrating the “America’s Game” documentary about the Ravens’ 2012 Super Bowl season. Olympic legend Michael Phelps is also a well-known Ravens fan. Phelps has credited Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis for convincing him to come out of retirement and compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Some other notable Ravens fans include:

• Model/actress Stacy Keibler, a former Ravens cheerleader.
• Basketball star Carmelo Anthony
• The members of rock band All Time Low
• Singer Mario