Good Guys Links - Ravens

Good morrow there Hangarmaniacs, all, what, 10 of you. Thats an increase from 5 so we're taking baby steps. Here's a round of links from the Good Guys: Ravens Edition. Because in Ravenstown, our girls look like this...

...and this...

...while in Steeler Nation, where inbreeding is not only accepted, it's encouraged, they look something like this...

...and this...

And yes, longtime readers will know that I have made this joke before, but I don't care. I'll post this shit every week if I could guarantee to piss off one Steeler fan. Anyway, why were we here? Oh yes, linkage.

- Ray Lewis is signed, sealed and delivered. Ray says the flirtations with other teams was never serious. Translation: I had no offers. Here's an NFL Network interview with Ray Lew after the signing press conference. I see he brought his Versace sunglasses with him.

-L.J. Smith is also official. Orlando Pace could be next, although I'm not sure I see the logic in that one. The Sun says nothing is imminent between the two sides.

- The Ravens apparently requested not to play a prime-time game in Pittsburgh this year. I know Sheeler fans will say the Ravens are scared or some nonsense but I see where the team is coming from here. Three out of the past four years the Ravens have had to play a Monday night game in Pittsburgh. In the last two years the powers that be have almost treated the Ravens as a homecoming opponent for the Steelers. Who wants to be treated like that year after year? Plus, if nothing else it means we don't have to see these godawful uniforms again...


- Corey Ivy has signed with Cleveland. I don't think I have ever been happier to see a Ravens player sign with a division rival. Look, Corey Ivy is a courageous guy and seems like a nice enough man. But we Ravens fans saw way too much of this...

...for anyone's taste.

- Finally, here's a piece from NFL head of officials Mike Pereira on some rule changes for next year. Much like the NHL, the league is looking to cut down on blows to the head and two rule changes in particular are relevant to the Ravens since they happened in this year's AFC Championship Game.
First, is a new rule that would flag crackback blocks to the head, like this hit from the aforementioned AFC Title game by Limas Sweed on Corey Ivy. BTW, looking back at it, how was this not a penalty at the time as its clearly a helmet-to-helmet shot?


The second rule change would penalize hits on defenseless receivers to the head with the shoulder. This one seems like it would be hard to enforce but I see where they are going. The league is trying to cut down on scary blows to the head like this one by Ryan Clark on Willis McGahee, again from the title game.


Now if only they can start calling dives by punters like this ridiculous swallow dive by Mitch Berger, yes, again in the championship game.

No, I am not still bitter about that game.