and the lack of a sufficient replacement along with his heavy debt. The decision triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of Cleveland and the NFL reached a settlement on. It stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland, including past records and the attribution of its Still, some consider the Ravens and the pre-1995 Browns organization as one continuous entity, using terms like The Modell organization or Art Modell's franchise to denote it. team adopted the name Baltimore CFL Colts, but later were forced by the N.F.L. to drop it and became known as the Baltimore Football Club (Baltimore F.C.). The team reached the championship game in its first season and won the. The team proved a success and the fans showed up in droves to show a great appetite for professional football in Baltimore. Before the Stallions, Baltimore's only After relocating his franchise, retaining the current contracts of former Browns players and personnel as per the agreement made by the city of Cleveland and the NFL, owner Art Modell hired during the early 1990s, as head coach. Ozzie Newsome, the Browns' tight end for many seasons, joined Modell in Baltimore as director of football operations. He was later promoted to Vice President/General Manager.
Focus groups, a telephone survey, and a fan contest were all held to help select a new name for Modell's relocated club. Starting with a list of over 100 possible names, the team's management reduced it to 17. From there, focus groups of a total of 200 Baltimore area residents reduced the list of names to six, and then a phone survey of 1000 people trimmed it down to three, Marauders, Americans, and Ravens. Finally, a fan contest drawing 33,288 voters picked Ravens, a name that alludes to the famous poem, was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year with 11. 5 sacks,
but the team finished 6-9-1. Baltimore then began the 1998 season by moving into their new stadium helped too) but the defense, led by current Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, became the team's hallmark and bailed a struggling offense out in many instances through the season.. Baltimore's season started strong with a 5-1 record. But the team struggled through mid-season, at one point going five consecutive games without scoring an offensive touchdown. In spite of the offensive drought, the team still managed 2 wins during that stretch.
- The team regrouped and won each of their last seven games, finishing 12-4 and making the During the 2000 season, the Ravens defense broke two notable NFL records.
- They held opposing teams to 165 total points, surpassing the 1985 attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Anthony Mitchell, and a Ray Lewis interception return for a score put the game squarely in Baltimore's favor.
- The 24-10 win put the Ravens in the for Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants, cruising to a 34-7 win for their first champioship in franchise history.
- The Ravens recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, one of which was a.
The Ravens
became only the third wild card team to win a Super Bowl championship. The interception return touchdown, followed by two kick return TDs, marked the quickest time in Super Bowl history that three touchdowns had been scored. , but an injury to Jamal Lewis and poor offensive performances stymied the team. After a 3-3 start, the Ravens defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the final week to clinch a wild card berth at 10-6. In the first round the Ravens showed flashes of their previous year with a 20-3 blowout over the , in which the team forced three turnovers and outgained the Dolphins 347 yards to 151. In the divisional playoff the Ravens played the Pittsburgh Steelers. Three interceptions by Grbac ended the Ravens' season, as they lost 27-10. problems in 2002 and was forced to cut a number of impact players. The Ravens stayed somewhat competitive, before a December slide cost them a playoff spot with a 7-9 final record.
, a local businessman who had made his fortune in the temporary staffing field. After the season, Art Modell officially transferred his remaining 51% ownership to Bisciotti, ending over 40 years of tenure as an NFL franchise owner. Modell still has an office at the Ravens' headquarters in Owings Mills, Maryland, and acts as a consultant. The Ravens named Boller their starting QB just prior to the start of the 2003 season, but he was injured midway through the season and was replaced by ). With a 10-6 record, Baltimore won their first AFC North division title. Their first playoff game, at home against the Tennessee Titans, went back and forth, with the Ravens being held to only 54 yards total rushing. The Titans won 20-17 on a late field goal, and Baltimore's season ended early. Ray Lewis was named The Ravens were not able to advance to the playoffs in 2004 and 2005. Boller remained the quarterback through the entire 2004 season. became a full-fle.
