written off to divisional rivalry/hate/etc?

To be clear, I'm not one of them square-hat wearing cats who are dying to jump up from behind a bush and holler out 'cism every time anything happens. But when I see it or anything like it, I'ma damn well say it. Hell...its OKP and I'm a random negro with a keyboard. I'd be a bitch if I didn't AT LEAST say it here. My facebook is pictures of me, my girl, and the youngin goofing off around town. This ain't that though...

And yes...some of it could be written off as the Ravens story being a rough sell...'errbody play harder and better when Rev. Ray shows up to play and preaches a sermon, dances in situations where dancing is abnormal, and talks in a threatening type of loud whisper about weapons, mountains, god, and men'. Like that 'your mama telling you to sit down in church' voice. It is all abnormal to most people. It is also that 'leave the door open so folks can see' Southern blackness that is seldom seen in these situations. Some folks call it ghetto because they don't know where else to file it.

Whatever it is, seeing it IS jarring and yes, in some cases, a little bit on the extra side. And folks are going to feel some kinda way about it. I like it BECAUSE it is jarring. It breaks up the typical Madden 2013-style celebrations and the clean cut, and in many cases, 'fake' story that these leagues tell us about these players/teams/organizations. It breaks up the cliche. It is sloppy. It is enjoyable to me BECAUSE it isn't marketable, so it is at least a little more honest to me EVEN WHEN Ray goes into extra mode. And it is something that we won't see every year because there's only so many teams in sports like the Ravens.

It reminds me of early Wu Tang...just a bunch of sloppy but talented as hell dudes doing their thing whether the camera is on or not. Sure, they had their Rays who hammed it up too, but it was the same type of thing to me.

Jimaveli