The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland and a member of the AFC North Division in the National Football League.

The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1996 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his intention to relocate the team to Baltimore.

He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961 – 95 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996 – 2004.

In return, Modell was allowed to take the franchise rights, players and organization to Baltimore as the new expansion Ravens.

Despite a no-cost stadium lease, all revenues from parking, concessions, and TV, as well as a reported $ 25M Maryland subsidy, Modell's ownership of the Ravens resulted in continual financial hardships, and the NFL stepped in and directed Modell to sell his franchise.

David would later work for the Browns / Ravens ' franchise, eventually become team president and CEO before the team's sale in 2004.

Ironically, Browns owner Art Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore ( and ultimately became the Baltimore Ravens ) because he said the city would not refurbish Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which caused the city to build the new stadium.

2006 would also prove to be the Ravens best regular season, as they won the AFC North for the second time in franchise history with a record of 13-3.

After the 2005 season, the Baltimore Ravens declined to place the franchise tag on Lewis, making him an unrestricted free agent after the end of the season.

Reed currently holds the Ravens franchise record for career interceptions with 59.

Cincinnati started out the 2012 with a 44-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the most lopsided opening day defeat in franchise history.

With McNair as the starting quarterback the Ravens improved to a franchise best mark of 13 – 3 on the season, despite only going 6 – 10 the previous year with Boller at the helm.

This included a game against the Baltimore Ravens where he set a franchise record by kicking 7 field goals ( the second highest total in NFL history ).

* Baltimore Ravens, a professional football franchise

He helped lead the Ravens to their first Super Bowl in franchise history in Super Bowl XXXV where they beat the New York Giants, 34-7.

Ferentz served under Bill Belichick in Cleveland and followed the franchise to Baltimore when they became the Baltimore Ravens.

His play was a huge part of the Ravens ' defense ranking # 1 overall in 2006, and also had a franchise record of 60 regular season team sacks.

Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel on October 17, 2006, assuming the role for the remainder of the season, as the Ravens earned a franchise best 13 – 3 record, won the AFC North and earned the first playoff bye in team history.

Pool holds the Browns ' franchise record for longest interception return ( 100 yards against the Baltimore Ravens on November 18, 2007 ).

He finished the season with 27 tackles ( 19 solo ), 12 sacks ( a Ravens franchise rookie record ), 6 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections and 1 interception, earning him Defensive Rookie of The Year honors while only starting one game that year.

On February 19, 2008, the Ravens placed the franchise tag on Suggs.

On February 18, 2009, he was once again given the Ravens ' franchise tag.

When the NFL returned to Baltimore with an expansion team in 1996 ( the NFL suspended the Cleveland Browns franchise, and awarded an " expansion team " in Baltimore in a complex deal ), the loyal band was rewarded by becoming the new Ravens ' marching band.

The tradition is often carried out at other sporting events, both professional or amateur, and even sometimes at non-sporting events where the anthem is played, throughout the Baltimore / Washington area and beyond, notably at Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Georgetown Hoyas, Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech Hokies, West Virginia Mountaineers, Penn State Nittany Lions and Aberdeen Ironbirds games.

After high school, Douglas played basketball for the Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens in Coffeyville, Kansas from 1977 to 1978 where the seventeen year old was a 6 feet 0 inch Power forward.

He is in the Coffeyville Red Ravens Men's Basketball Hall of Fame. He also played basketball at Sinclair Community College from 1979 to 1980 in Dayton, OH before he moved back to Columbus to focus on boxing.

The team's starting right guard, Bennie Anderson, went on to be a starter for the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, and last played professional football in 2006 for the Miami Dolphins.

The Bayhawks have played two seasons at Homewood Field on the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University ( 2001 and 2003 ) and played its home games during the 2002 season at Ravens Stadium now called M & T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore, currently the home of the Baltimore Ravens.

In the former two, Anne Robinson ( played by Jan Ravens ) appeared from nowhere, riding her desk, and entered an apparently historical scene, which rapidly converted into the Weakest Link studio.

He played in the first four games of the season for the Patriots, starting one, before suffering an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Krieger never played in Rick & the Ravens, though.

He re-joined the Dolphins in 2007 and played with them until 2010, and spent the 2011 season with the Baltimore Ravens.

Drafted by the Ravens in 1996, he has played his entire career for the team, and is the last player remaining from the Ravens ' inaugural season.

The game was played between the London Ravens and the Streatham Olympians and the low turn-out of 8, 000 spectators meant that the Summerbowl was not repeated in subsequent years.

After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring after thirteen NFL seasons.

McNair led the Titans to the playoffs four times, and the Ravens once, and played in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans.

The Ravens played in Yale Field.

The stadium is also home to University of Ottawa's Ottawa Gee-Gees, and prior to the disbanding of the Ravens football programme at Carleton University in 1998, was the site of the Panda Bowl, when these rivals played each other with rowdy fans hurling insults across both sides of the stadium.

Doucet played for the Carleton Ravens football team for one season, and then moved to the University of Toronto.

He played for the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Ravens, winning the Super Bowl with both the 49ers and the Cowboys.

After the 1999 season, Coates was released by the Patriots, and afterwards played for the Baltimore Ravens, where he climbed the all-time receiving charts, winning Super Bowl XXXV in the process.

He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and played for the Ravens for ten seasons before playing his final season with the New Orleans Saints.