The Loss Column — Baltimore Sports Blog and Community

Today, Jonathan Ogden — first ever Ravens draft choice and almost certain future Hall of Famer — announced that he’s hanging up his cleats.

What can you really say about Ogden? He’s a great player and a class act, the kind of franchise cornerstone every organization wishes they had. He’ll be missed ’round these parts.

But, luckily enough for us, his legacy isn’t just limited to superior on-field performance…

Farewell, big fella.

According to the news coming out of Ravens minicamp, Troy Smith has the early lead on the starting job in ‘08.

This is as it should be.

We’re all familiar with the team’s trials at the QB position. Only the Vinny Testaverde years were stable in any real sense, but the fact that they were bad kind of takes the bloom off that rose. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl — and I’m a huge fan of The Dilf — but it’d be hard to argue that he was great in any sense of the word.

Everybody else that came through here up til now is utterly forgettable. I think things are about to change.

In trading up to draft Joe Flacco the Ravens have settled on the guy they believe will lead them to a Super Bowl in the coming years. But by keeping both Smith and Kyle Boller around they’ve also clearly settled on not rushing Delaware Joe. Which is very, very smart.

Smith looks like he has the maturity and smarts to step in and start for a year or two. While he does, Boller’s in a position to do what he does best: be the backup. Both of them can keep the seat warm for Flacco, who should step in only when he’s ready. The worst case scenario (if you can call it that) is if Smith ends up looking like a world beater, but that’s not the worst problem you can have.

Add to all that the fact that Cam Cameron is on board to groom these guys — free from the poison tyranny of Brian Billick — and you’ve got the ingredients for a QB renaissance. Or, at least, the ingredients for something better than abject failure.

Better late than never, right?

In case you missed it, a little bit of “news” came out of Ravens camp over the weekend. I’ll let David Ginsburg at the AP tell the story:

Nearly all 85 players in camp were involved in a squabble Saturday that began when offensive tackle Oniel Cousins and defensive tackle Amon Gordon threw punches after running back Allen Patrick was taken down hard on a burst up the middle. All the players surged toward the middle of the field, and it was nearly two minutes before peace was restored.

Later during practice, which was held indoors because of rain, defensive backs Corey Ivy and Frank Walker came to blows during a blocking drill.

My first reaction to this was, “here they go again.” Maybe the clubhouse problems weren’t all Brian Billick’s fault after all? But after thinking about it a little more, I think this might actually be a good thing. For a team with as much to prove as the Ravens this year it’s probably a net positive for them to be showing this much passion this early. There’s something to be said for forging an identity through fire.

John Harbaugh had better be careful, though. Real careful.

I’ll cop to not being much of a draft expert. I pay good money (not really) to have a Draft Guru on staff, and I think we’d all be more comfortable if he was handling the Draft Thread. Alas, Kiper hired him on as a Special Consultant and he is no longer available.

For what it’s worth, here’s how I see the Ravens‘ day going:

They would like to get Matt Ryan in the first round, but he’s not going to slip past the Falcons, the Chiefs, and the Jets. Ozzie won’t mortgage the rest of the draft just to get Ryan, so they’ll pick “best available” at #8. There’s an outside chance that ends up being Vernon Gholston, which would satisfy everyone, but I think it’ll be Sedrick Ellis. Either way they’ll be fine.

There’s also a chance that they trade out of #8 and stockpile picks, but I’m not sure I see that happening.

The QB need will be filled in the second round, where the Ravens will hope and pray that Delaware’s Joe Flacco is still available. Failing that they’ll look for Michigan’s Chad Henne. I think Brian Brohm’s stock has dropped a little, so I don’t think they’ll look his way unless the other two are gone.

I also think we’ll see the ‘Skins try pretty hard to move their first-round pick in exchange for a talented, game-ready wideout. I’ve heard Roy Williams‘ name tossed around. Don’t be surprised if the ‘Skins end up being major players today.

But, like I said, what do I know?

I’d like to see everyone else’s predictions in the comments. Also, consider this the “as it goes” open thread for all picks today and tomorrow.

According to the WNST text message — thus far the only source I can find for the news — Ravens quarterback Steve McNair is retiring. The team apparently has a 1 pm press conference scheduled to announce the news.

At a glance, this strikes me as great news for the team. They’re now free to draft a QB — whether it’s Matt Ryan in the first round or someone like Joe Flacco or Chad Henne in the second — without totally giving up on Troy Smith.

The downside, of course, is that Kyle Boller will now almost certainly enter training camp as the starter.

EDIT: here’s the story from the Sun

The NFL released the 2008 schedule today, and you can have a look at it here. Team-by-team versions for the whole AFC are here, and a Ravens-only version can be found here.

It’s mostly much ado about nothing at this stage of the offseason, but worth a look nonetheless.

With one Orioles rainout in the books and a strong possibility for a second one tomorrow night, now’s the time to take note of a few recent developments with the Ravens. I know I don’t post on them as often as I should, so consider this a first step in playing some catch-up.

First, there’s this excellent Q&A with owner Steve Bisciotti. The more I read from this guy the more I like him. What he’s doing is applying modern principles of business leadership to the operation of a sports franchise. I’ve already noted in the past how this makes him similar in a lot of ways to Mark Cuban — a good thing.

In the coming years, as team ownership cycles continue to turn over, I guarantee we’ll see more and more of this. Bisciotti is simply way ahead of the curve. Whether or not it’s a solid way to build long-term success remains to be seen, however, as these methods are largely untested in this arena.

My guess? It’s going to work.

It’s also worth noting that coach John Harbaugh has promised that this year’s training camp will be a little bit more like actual training camp than it had been in the Billick era. Another smart move.

Finally, it’s looking like Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan might very well fall to the Ravens. If he does, I say they have to take him. All due respect to Troy Smith, of course, who won the same Heisman trophy as Eric Crouch and Chris Weinke.

Feel free to use the comments here for not just Ravens stuff but also anything else that’s on your football mind this offseason.

Soon there’ll be lots of college basketball on TV. But with college basketball on TV comes college mascots on TV, and you’re gonna need to be prepared.

People either love mascots or hate mascots. But there’s one thing you can’t do: ignore mascots. Here’s the best and the worst from the place where athletics meets community theatre and puts on a costume.

Worst:

5. St. Joseph’s University – The Hawk (view)

A school as over-priced as SJU should be able to pay for an actual mascot costume instead of getting the equipment manager’s mom to sew something together in her free time. The fuzzy sweatpants and Down Syndrome eyes and non-stop arm-flapping and delusions of immortality (The Hawk Will Never Die) inspire involuntary hospitalization as opposed to school pride. It’s telling when people find out you’re an alumnus and immediately ask “What’s the deal with that hawk?”

4. University of Southern Illinois – Grey Dog (yeah, that’s the official name of the mascot) (view)

Good old-fashioned nightmare fuel.

3. Three-way tie:
Purdue - Purdue Pete (view)
UMASS – The Minuteman (view)
New England Patriots - Pat Patriot (view)

People are ugly and scary. Mascots that look like giant plastic people are even uglier and scarier. The clever names are telling of the laziness involved in opting for these cop-out mascots. Two of these horrid things are from Massachusetts. Go figure.

2. Notre Dame – The Leprechaun (view)

Short, bearded, red-headed guys in green vests are made to be ridiculed and hated so it kinda makes sense that Notre Dame chose one to be the face of their school.

1. Philadelphia 76ers - Hip Hop (view)

Hip-Hop is the mascot equivalent of Poochie the Rockin’ Dog meets Chester Cheetah meets The Worst Attempt at Urban Youth-Focused Marketing Since Boost Mobile Phones.

Best:

5. UC Santa Cruz - Sammy the Slug (view)

Look at how hard he’s chillin’. That kind of easy unflappability can’t be bought. It can only be earned. Insect mascots are difficult to pull off. Where Buzz the Georgia Tech Yellowjacket goes so wrong with it’s translucent fish bowl eyes, Sammy goes so right. He looks like a less creepy Gelfling from the Dark Crystal. Plus he’s a slug.

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