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

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.

It’s a good Friday night to relax, sip a bit of this, and consider some weekend discussion topics.

The Loss Column is — justifiably — known as primarily an Orioles site, but in fact this is a clearinghouse for all things Baltimore Sports. The O’s are a primary focus but I don’t want to entirely lose sight of the bigger picture. So, here we go.

– The NFL free agent signing period is open. I don’t have a read on whether or not the Ravens will be active — any thoughts?

They did jettison both Mike Anderson and Mike Flynn this week. Neither move surprises me (maybe Flynn a little), and I take it as a sign that they’re looking to get a little younger and more versatile. Both of which are good things.

With any luck, Chris will have a full NFL post coming soon.

– You might not be paying attention (it’s hard to keep up), but college basketball in Baltimore right now is as healthy as it’s ever been.

UMBC (my beloved alma mater): they’ve won nine straight games and currently sit at 21-7 overall, 13-2 in the America East. They have a very realistic shot at winning their conference tournament and making it into the NCAA field of 65.

Loyola: winners of 11 of 13, they’re at first place in the MAAC and likewise have a real shot at the NCAAs.

Towson: not doing nearly as well at 11-17 overall, 6-11 in the CAA. But they’ve shown signs of improvement, and let’s not forget that the CAA is a very tough mid-major conference.

Maryland: on the bubble but still looking OK. At 8-6 in the ACC they have to beat either Clemson (home) or Virginia (away), ideally both. One loss and a conference tournament win or two will get them in.

– Down in DC, the Capitals are putting together a nice playoff run. I don’t know if you can call them serious contenders but they’re certainly a team to watch.

– There’s a fascinating and terribly long article in the New York Times about the new leadership of the Yankees. This isn’t something you can really skim, but it’s worth a read. Check it out here.

I can’t help but look at that fat bastard on the right and think that the Yankees might be headed for a 1980s redux. Probably just wishful thinking.

So there’s all that and anything else you want to talk about. Floor is all kinds of open.

I know that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban can be a polarizing figure. He is, in the eyes of many, a classic example of a “bad” sports owner. But I like the guy. I think he brings an innovative, modern approach to ownership that the “old boys club” would do well to examine more carefully. And since it doesn’t matter a lick to me whether the Mavericks win or lose, I think I’m pretty impartial.

Even with that, I looked at his trade for Jason Kidd and said, like a lot of other people, “what the hell?”

Solid move or not, though, Cuban has already done one thing right by stepping up and publicly explaining why he did it. You almost never see owners who are this frank and open with their reasoning. But mark my words: in twenty years every sports owner will understand that doing this is a requirement of the job. Cuban is simply way ahead of the curve.

He’s also making some great points. For example:

That’s the reality of this business. Wins and losses are not just about talent, its about energy and teamwork. The best leaders recognize when a spark is needed and are honest enough to admit it, and get it. Even when things are going well, its sometimes hard to sustain the energy of being a start up or of levels year past. In business it might be an acquisition, or a sale that may not be the perfect transaction, but its the most impactful.

As I read that all I could think was that Cuban’s doing essentially the same thing that Steve Bisciotti did when he fired Brian Billick — taking a calculated risk based on a gut feeling about the best way to move the team forward.

I’ve got a hunch that in Bisciotti the Ravens might have their own, less flamboyant version of Cuban. If I’m right, Ravens fans should feel pretty damn good about the future of the franchise.