It's a very BIG Sunday in Baltimore.

It's a BIG Sunday in Baltimore,

25 years ago today I left Heathrow airport and the UK on my first ever airplane flight. It was a Pan-Am flight to New York.

The night before as we celebrated New Years Eve my girlfriend had told me to expect the feeling of my head caving in as the airplane took off and that my ear wax would explode out of my ears. To say I was far from worldly is an understatement.

The flight was exciting, despite the Pan Am attendant being rude and unfriendly- I didn't know any different. The food was delicious and served on a china plate with real silverware. There was one movie on the 1 screen that we all watched. I remember being almost suffocated by the heavy smokers 5 rows behind me, but my seat reclined back quite a way and I had plenty of leg room, so I took a nap for a while. They even gave me a full sized pillow and a thick blanket to keep me warm. This was economy class in the 80's.

New York was intimidating. No one could understand me and I had a hard time understanding them. It was bustle bustle from the moment we arrived. I asked someone to direct me to "The Loo" and they looked at me like I was mad. Someone said "Do you need the restroom?" and my response was "No I don't need to lie down".

Finally I took off on a plane to Indianapolis to stay with family members. As we drove away from the airport I remember being mezmorized by the huge billboards on the side of the road that seemed to light the night up. They appeared to be the size of a house, maybe bigger. To this day they still make me smile as I remember my first introduction to the USA.......BUT I HAVE DIGRESSED. My post does have a point.

A few days after my arrival my Uncle Jack sat me down and spent 3 hours explaining the rules of American Football. He said " Our Family are Cincinnati Bengals Fans, so you shall support them too" .

Today is a tough day.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals are playing the last game of the season in Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium. I have lived in the Baltimore area almost as long as the Ravens, formerly the Browns, have been here since leaving Cleveland. (They arrived in 1996 and I in 1997). I go to the games when I can, I enjoy the tailgating, I am more familiar with the roster and I love the atmosphere in the Central Maryland area during football season. My son lives in purple this time of the year. The play-offs take that fever to the next level. BUT I HAVE BEEN A BENGALS FAN FOR 25 YEARS!

If the Baltimore Ravens win today they will earn a bye in the first round and a home game in the 2nd round. Lose and they still go to the dance, but on the road again. A victory would be AWESOME for Baltimore residents and Baltimore City. Great for the local economy as fans head to the City for the game and outstanding for local moral. Baltimore have NEVER had a play-off game at M&T Bank Stadium, even when they won the XXXV Superbowl in 2001 they played every game away from home. Cincinnati lose today and their season is over.


Go Ravens: Go Bengals!