So much for the “setback” of Jason Garrett turning down the Ravens. Following the NFL injury theme of “next man up,” the Ravens spend no time dwelling on rejection and turn to Jim Harbaugh who’s hired as the new head coach. Harbaugh’s not only happy to have the job, he basically told the Ravens to give him the job. Ravens vice-president Kevin Byrne was part of the interview process and in the room when Harbaugh told the hiring panel (after two days and 15 hours of discussions) that they should hire him. Byrne tells me that team owner Steve Bisciotti (who was mostly convinced that Harbaugh was the pick) took Harbaugh up on the offer- and a deal was done. Bisciotti himself is a renowned risk-taker with the confidence to trust his gut, and Harbaugh’s hard sell to him fit right in with what the owner is looking for in a new coach.

The press conference to introduce the new coach was like many I’ve covered for any number of teams in different sports. I liken that event to a wedding: it’s all smiles, hugs, handshakes and photographs amidst renewed hope and a fresh start. The guests at the wedding all nod and smile, it’s the respectful thing to do, but when the event ends, and the confetti and rice are swept up- the hard work and tough questions begin. How good is this hire really? What difference can this guy make with an aging and sometimes selfish roster of players? What direction is the franchise headed? What if they struggle early under the new coach- how will the fans react? Ah, yes- marital bliss.

My opinion is that John Harbaugh is a solid, risk-free hire. He comes in with a fresh, take command attitude which Baltimore will appreciate. Given the state of the roster (which I believe will have to change significantly in the next few months), Harbaugh can’t lose. Remember, the Ravens fired Brian Billick after a 5-and-11 season, so Harbaugh’s inheriting a clunker (an injured one at that). Is he expected to go 11-and-5 with the same guys? Of course not. Too early to say what the roster will eventually look like, but at the moment it’s reasonable to say that 8-and-8 might be just fine (again, too early to say, but I said it). If they’re worse than that, then Harbaugh gets the leeway of being a new coach with a rebuilding team. If they’re better than that, it’s all gravy for the Ravens. Again, nothing to lose for the first couple years with Harbaugh.

Jason Garrett would rather be an assistant coach in Dallas than head coach of the Ravens. He turned down the Ravens offer for their top job in what amounts to a slap in the face to Baltimore, at least that’s how some are taking it.

I have to call “time out” on the criticism of Garrett. Sure it hurts to be spurned, Baltimore, but handle the situation with some dignity (I say this to those radio talk show callers and message board posters who are ripping into Garrett). As a fast-rising head coaching candidate, Garrett is lauded for his intelligence and maturity. Well, he intelligently and maturely prepared himself for multiple job interviews and took time to be circumspect and careful in assessing his options and making a decision that he deemed best for himself, his family and his career. Being highly sought, Garrett was likewise pursued by his present employer and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones anted up and to make his offensive coordinator the highest paid assistant in the NFL. So Garrett remains in a city in which he and his family are more comfortable, with a franchise he is familiar, making more money and on track to become the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. So, where did he go wrong in that equation?

Hey, no one likes to lose. The Ravens lose out on the guy they wanted to be their coach. Have faith that the Ravens decision makers will regroup and bring in a good coach to take over the team. And, for dignity’s sake, forego the childish sniping at Jason Garrett. He merely lived up to his credentials of being intelligent and mature.

If a 5-and-11 record and the painful firing of a longtime coach weren’t enough humble pie for the Ravens, they seem to have been served another slice in their quest to replace Brian Billick. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti says his team has the talent to be a Super Bowl contender and that their job vacancy would be at the top of any prospective candidate’s list. Yet, Jason Garrett walked into the Castle on One Winning Drive, and walked out without agreeing to be the Ravens new head coach. Now, Garrett isn’t a 20-year veteran like Marty Schottenheimer or a Super Bowl winner like Bill Cowher. Jason Garrett has a total of three years of experience as an NFL assistant, yet he’s not so blown away by Baltimore as to take the job. (Garrett would not discuss anything in depth nor answer questions in a brief meeting with reporters Tuesday evening).

Bisciotti is a billionaire and a known winner at the negotiating table. I wasn’t in the room for the seven-hour interview with Garrett, but I have to believe the owner went into that meeting (along with Dick Cass and Ozzie Newsome) intent on getting Garrett’s name on a contract. But the kid walked, and boarded a plane to Atlanta to listen to the Falcons. Maybe it’s just part of the process of eventually getting Garrett to sign, or maybe this is a slap in the face, and the next step toward a Ravens defeat.

My thought is not to pile on the Ravens for what appears to be a public embarrassment. But it’s noteworthy to point out that a proud organization that’s been known to puff out its chest (and had earned the right to do so), is getting a taste of life as an NFL “commoner”- maybe not as special a franchise as once perceived to be.

But just like a lousy 5-and-11 record, an apparent rejection (and maybe just one for the moment) can be a shot of reality toward recovery. It’s an on-going process, I know. I’m interested to see how the Ravens negotiate the upcoming twists and turns. Seems this latest twist was unexpected.

It’s a fitting finish to a bad year for Baltimore sports. The Ravens fire Brian Billick on New Year’s Eve: out with the old, in with the new, right?

The Billick dismissal seems a perfect capper to a 2007 year that also included the firing of Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo in that team’s 10th straight losing season. The Ravens’ 5-and-11 campaign is no doubt the most disappointing year in their 12 year existence, and it included a team record 9-game losing streak.

It was an awful year, but for Billick- what a way to go out! He gets $15 million to walk away from a team that included a sub-culture of disgruntled players who no longer responded to his leadership. While players griped and complained behind his back, Billick bit his lip and kept coaching…and kept his eye on that golden parachute he knew he could cling to when he was pushed off the airplane amidst a growing mutiny. The coach protected his players publicly, never calling them out for their inadequacies (or complaining about roster inadequacies). But that’s the way it works at the highest level of sports: the lone leader is the one to go, not the players.

A similar scenario played out at Camden Yards this year. In the O’s case it was sub-standard talent that managed to play even below the most modest of expectations, and the lone leader was left hanging by the players. Out with Sam, in with Dave Trembley and with the same players, guess what happened? They still lost a lot.

So, as Billick is given a bundle to go away, how much better can the Ravens be with the same cast of players? They need a new coach, renewed health, increased roster depth and balance, and a healthy dose of humility before they can expect to be better. But what do I know? I’m the one who espouses that it’s players who make the biggest difference, not coaches (or managers).

Happy New Year, Brian. You deserve it.

There are a number of powerful images I’ll take with me from covering the Ravens 2007 season. You might be most interested in the things I was privy to “behind the scenes.” I’ll keep the identities anonymous, but some of the images don’t need names for you to get a glimpse into what life can be like in the course of a long, physically demanding NFL season.

While in the locker room in Owings Mills during a week late in the year, a player called me over and told me to take a look at his knee. He hiked up a pant leg on his sweat pants to reveal a knee swollen to what appeared to be three times its normal size. He was going to get the knee drained by doctors, something he has to do a couple of times each week. He would endure the swelling and the draining from early on in the season- and he never missed a game. On the road at the team hotel on a Saturday night before a game, I saw him limping through the lobby, dragging his leg like a dead weight. He had just gotten it drained by the team trainer. The player had a standout game the next day.

Working for MASN, I flew on the team charters and rode the busses with the team during road trips. After one long West Coast trip that was coming to an end in the early morning hours, I sat near a veteran player on the bus from BWI to the team headquarters in Owings Mills. The player had suffered a knee injury in the game, and it seemed his pain medication was wearing off. He gritted his teeth as he rocked in pain in his seat, breathing rhythmically with increasing volume. He didn’t say a word. He looked like he was about to explode in pain, like he wanted to jump up and scream and leap off the bus. He put his head down, took a deep breath and calmed himself. The bus was getting close to the final destination. This was a picture of a player in pain, gutting it out- and he never uttered a word of complaint.

In the final minutes of a game, I will leave the press box to head down to the field, or to get in position to head into the locker room at field level for interviews. While walking through the bowels of a stadium on the road with seconds remaining on the game clock, I encountered Ravens trainers slowly walking a player toward an x-ray room near the locker room. The player was shirtless on a cold day and steam from his body heat was rising from his skin and scalp. There were numerous bruises and red marks on his shoulders and chest, and the player appeared dazed- he had suffered a concussion. His eyes were half-shut and he took small, stifling steps as one trainer held him by the arm. The player had argued with the training staff to let him continuing playing after he’d gotten hurt.

Football players are well paid and from what you see from the stands or on TV, they lead a “glamorous” life of fame and glory. They are a unique breed, and you never hear any of them say they’d trade the experience for anything else- pain and suffering included. From what I saw this year, the physical pain that all players encounter (some more than others) must feel many times worse during a losing season.

The Ravens eighth straight defeat of the 2007 (adding to the team record for most consecutive losses) has taken the fan base to the breaking point. What makes the eighth straight loss worse than the previous seven is that the last one came at the hands of the previously winless Miami Dolphins who were 0-and-13 when they took the field against Baltimore.

I understand the sense of exasperation in losing to the Dolphins and the embarrassment that comes with it, but what makes this defeat any worse than the loss at Buffalo before the bye week? The Monday Night Football blowout at Pittsburgh after two weeks rest? The punchless performance at home against Cincinnati when fans hit the exits at halftime? The heart-breaker against the Browns who benefitted from the “Immaculate Deflection” field goal? The defensive collapse at San Diego? The gut-wrenching Monday Night defeat to the unbeaten Patriots? The humilation at home on national TV to Indianapolis?

I understand that losing can have an accumulative effect- the fan base feels beat down by it, but really, is the Miami loss any worse than the others? I’ll suggest that it’s not nearly as bad as the Indy, Pittsburgh and San Diego blowouts. At least the Ravens competed against the Dolphins. Not only did they compete (playing into overtime), but they did so with a depleted team: Pro Bowl defensive starters Ray Lewis, Chris McAllister, Samari Rolle and Trevor Pryce were not available to stop Miami’s second half comeback led by journeyman QB Cleo Lemon. Down to their third string QB, too, the Ravens got a game-tying drive from Troy Smith who also put the Ravens into position for the game-winning kick in overtime (which usually-reliable Matt Stover missed).

It’s a lost season for the Ravens, and it’s been lost for some time. There’s an element of bad luck at play for Baltimore, for sure. I believe that good teams make their own luck, and good teams are made up of good players. The Ravens are without many of their best players because of injury- and when your team is injured AND the ball doesn’t seem to bounce their way, it’s a fatal combination in the NFL.

While angry fans beat the drum to run coach Brian Billick out of town (which is an expected reaction), I suggest taking a step back and looking at the big picture of a season gone bad. Billick is likely to be back, albeit with adjustments to the offensive coaching staff and roster. In nine seasons as Ravens coach, Billick is suffering through just his third losing year. The previous two times the Ravens had a losing campaign under Billick, they bounced back the next season to win the AFC North division title. Patience amidst the outrage may do the Ravens well in this case again. It certainly has served them in the past.

Bulletin: baseball players have been using steroids and human growth hormone. We knew that, now we know it with an official Major League Baseball stamp on it, It’s called the Mitchell Report, a 400-page summary of an investigation done by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell. I’ve read through parts of it, especially the parts that document the numerous Orioles named as users. I’ll give Mitchell credit for his authoritative presentation in the press conference at which he unveiled his findings, but the investigation and the findings themselves were less than earth-shattering. I kept hearing analysts and news people speak of the report as “historical” and “definitive,” but as is too often the case in matters of media build-up, there was more hype than heat to this fire, in my opinion.

Most significant was the information naming Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte as users. The testimony by their former trainer was rather damning (although Clemens claims there’s not a shred of credible evidence in what his lawyer terms a slanderous report). We’ve all heard the rumors and whispers regarding Clemens, the Mitchell Report provides the first true documented allegation against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

Looks like the Orioles win the Mitchell Report sweepstakes with 19 guys named who played for the O’s at one time. But none of those named are surprising. Raffy Palmeiro and Jay Gibbons have already been busted and penalized. David Segui had already admitted his use of HGH. Jason Grimsley’s case is well-known, and we already knew he fingered Brian Roberts after Grimsely was arrested. Miguel Tejada was named in Jose Canseco’s book and accused by Palmeiro. Larry Bigbie comes across as a tattler. Through it all, I can appreciate some of the salacious detail and documentation, but if I had to draw up a total “guess list” with my own version of how players may have been involved- I would’ve been pretty close to what took Mitchell and his team 20 months to uncover. Not to discount their work, but none of it comes across as truly important or revealing. Again- I feel like we already knew most of this stuff.

What the report does show, I think, is that as much as we feel we now know- there’s so, so much more that’s undocumented and untold. Mitchell found a clearing in forest, only to find himself (and baseball) surrounded by immense acreage of unchartered woods that’s unlikely to be discovered. In other words, the more you learn- the more you realize what you don’t know. And, unlike science, no one is in a rush to help Mitchell or anyone else find out any more.

I’m sure I come across as cynical on this one, but revisionist discovery that uncovers scant new information only goes so far with me. Mainstream media has done a decent job in uncovering some of the material that was regurgitated by Mitchell. Significant, too, is Mitchell’s use of hearsay evidence that upon strict analysis holds little credence. Example: Larry Bigbie says Brian Roberts refused to take steroids when offered them by Bigbie and David Segui, but years later Bigbie says Roberts told him he injected steroids once or twice. That testimony given by Bigbie results in Roberts being named as a user in the Mitchell Report. Lame.

To his credit, Mitchell is more concerned with revising baseball current monitoring and testing system than he is rehashing its past. The past he presented elicited a yawn relative to what was expected. Move forward, as Mitchell says. The old stuff is stale.

Here we go again: a controversial finish in another Ravens defeat. It happened in consecutive home games in losses to Cleveland and New England, and the cries of foul play by the players have given fans the go-ahead to rev up the conspiracy band wagon. What is it about Baltimore fans that we love to fuel up that wagon and jump on for a drive around the block, honking the horn and screaming of being downtrodden and put upon by the big, bad NFL?

In my opinion, the alarmist words of the conspiracy theorists are embarrassing to our city. So many phone calls and e-mails come flooding into my radio show, saying things like “the NFL has always had it out for Baltimore…the league doesn’t like Billick or Ray Lewis…it’s better for their business if New England, PIttsburgh, Cleveland (fill in any team) wins.” Why do we do this to ourselves? Does it make a fan feel better to foist blame upon some higher power, some omnipotent football god, instead of admitting the short-comings of the home team? It does perpetuate the image that Baltimore is a small town with an inferiority complex. So, let’s step back and look at the situation.

Do game officials make mistakes? Of course they do- in every game in every sport it happens. That’s a fact of life in sports: game officials are human and, like the athletes, are prone to errors in judgment at times. That being said, where’s the basis for the conspiracy theory that the officials- in some secret mandate handed down by the NFL office- are out “to get” the Ravens?

Okay, let’s assume the NFL does have it out for any given franchise, that the league (as ridiculous as this sounds) has favorites among its membership and wants to manipulate the results to the benefit of the “favored” and the detriment of the “outcasts.” I’m hearing Baltimore fans say that the New England Patriots are one of the NFL’s “favored” teams. Really? Which coach was fined $500,000 and his team penalized the loss of a first-round draft choice for breaking NFL rules by secretly videotaping another team’s signals this season? Bill Belichick and the Patriots. What coach is scorned league-wide for his surly nature in addition to his piling of points on beaten opponents? Bill Belichick. So, we’re to assume the Patriots are “favored” by the NFL office. Doesn’t make sense, does it?

And let’s look at the supposed “outcasts,” a group that certainly includes the Baltimore Ravens, right? If the league has it out for the Ravens- why would the NFL have “allowed” the hated Ravens to win the Super Bowl in January 2001? Think about it: Ray Lewis was less than a year out of prison for his part in obstructing a double murder investigation, team owner Art Modell was vilified nationwide for moving the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore, and coach Brian Billick earned great scorn for admonishing the media in a pre-Super Bowl press conference. If the NFL had reason to enact conspiratorially against Baltimore- THAT would’ve been the year, right?

How about the king of the NFL “outcasts”- the Oakland Raiders? Al Davis is public enemy number one with the league, he’s taken the NFL to court, for God’s sake! Yet the man has been “allowed” to win THREE Super Bowl titles! If there’s any team the NFL would want to act conspiratorially against in some grand scheme it would be the Raiders.

In conclusion- put the conspiracy bunk to rest, Baltimore. It’s demeaning of the true efforts of a Ravens football organization that works toward and strives for success, and like every other team in the NFL, success is never easy or guaranteed.

Did you get your fill of holiday bird? I’m serving my version of leftovers: Baltimore’s Sports Turkeys for 2007. What’s the criteria for earning turkey honors? It’s self-evident. Dig in!

Aubrey Huff. He’s the first guy who came to mind when I considered our local turkeys. This Oriole chirped out of turn when he called Baltimore a “horse-bleep” town during a raucous satellite radio interview. A professional athlete just has to be more responsible and aware. He knows better.Ray Lewis. It’s not what he does, but what he says. Ray remains a dominant, physical specimen on the field, but off the field he lets his frustrations get the best of him with the “our defense is better than our offense and I play defense” line of commentary. The classic was his bragging about how well the defense stopped the run in a 38-7 loss to Pittsburgh. That’s talkin’ turkey, Ray.

The Orioles bullpen. It’s a season-long honor, but giving up 24 of the 30 runs scored by the Texas Rangers in the 30-3 debacle is the clincher.Kevin Millar. I’m a big fan of 1-5, but he can’t escape turkey recognition for throwing out the first pitch at a Red Sox playoff game.

Steve McNair. 9 turnovers to go with just 2 touchdowns in 2007. Ouch.Jim Duquette and Mike Flanagan. The O’s g-m tandem re-built the bullpen and brought in Huff and Jay Payton. Duquette has walked away.

Jon Ogden’s big toe. After uncertainty over whether he’d play this year or retire, JO’s toe made the decision and the season even more painful.Pete Morelli’s officiating crew. They got the call right- Phil Dawson’s field goal was good, but the process was badly mishandled.

Dannys Baez. The Tom Turkey of the terrible bullpen: 0-6, 6.44 ERA at $6M/year…for 3 years.Brian Billick. Every time the Ravens pass, the fans think the team should’ve run…and vice-versa. Play-calling hasn’t been this scrutinized since the days of Matt Cavanaugh.

Jay Gibbons. O’s outfielder can’t hit and can’t field, bad combination for a guy getting $5M/year. Throw in an HGH scandal and this Jay is a dirty bird.

Me. For thinking the O’s would win 80 games and the Ravens would win 10. I’m a turkey for those calls!

It was one of the most bizarre scenes in NFL history: the Ravens and their fans celebrated a much-needed victory after a field goal attempt by Cleveland’s Phil Dawson was ruled “no good” on the final play of regulation. Ravens players rushed to the locker-room believing their losing streak had ended. But their streak of bad luck was not only going to continue, but it was about to get worse.

After conferring, game officials ruled that the field goal attempt was indeed a good kick as it had bounced on the back support bar and therefore had cleared the plane of the uprights. It was the correct call: the kick tied the game and sent the Browns and Ravens into overtime.

But the reversal is questionable in that NFL rules state field goals are not subject to video review. Head official Peter Morelli announced that the reversal came after an on-field discussion among officials, and not due to video review. It’s suspicious that it took five minutes of conferencing to make a final ruling, and unlikely that video played no role in the decision.

Regardless, the correct ruling was ultimately rendered: the kick was ruled good (which clearly it was) and the game was then tied and overtime was necessary. The Browns beat the Ravens 33-30 with a certain field goal by Dawson in the extra period.

Sure it’s a gut-wrenching defeat, but a dose of objectivity (which I feel I regularly deliver) will go further in this discussion than the emotional reaction of blaming the officials and crying that the Ravens were robbed.

The Ravens did not play well enough to win. After Matt Stover tied the game with :26 left in regulation, it was the Ravens that allowed Joshua Cribbs a 39 yard kickoff return, and allowed Derrek Anderson to throw two passes for 24 yards in 23 seconds to put the Browns in position to kick the disputed field goal. Did the refs allow that?

And, it was the Ravens that allowed Cribbs a 41 yard kickoff return to begin overtime, and allowed the Browns four complete passes in four attempts for 34 yards to set up Dawson’s no-doubt game-winner. The refs? Please! How about Joshua Cribbs? The man touched the ball 11 times (7 kick returns and 4 punt returns) and accounted for a stunning 306 yards! And some want to talk about the officials? Don’t waste your breath. The Ravens made a noteworthy comeback and battled to the end, but they lost fair and square.

Begging for charity is unbecoming a franchise the stature of the Ravens (and, for the record- the players have handled the outcome professionally…it stings, but they all know the right call was made and ultimately they are responsible for the outcome- not the officials).

It was a good game and the Ravens competed to the end after trailing by 13 points in the third quarter, but the Cleveland Browns fought hard, too, and the Browns were better. For those who want to write it off as part of the NFL conspiracy against Baltimore and put it on the refs- you would not be dealing with reality. The Ravens have earned a 4-and-6 record (complete with a 4-game losing streak and 0-and-5 record in the AFC North). The difficult truth (having nothing to do with game officials) is that the Ravens are not as good as they were expected to be. That happens in sports sometimes.

The sting of the defeat is acute, it certainly hurts. That pain causes some to want to lash out and blame (and officials are always the easiest target). Go ahead, vent. But don’t lose sight of the reality: the Ravens lost that game on their own while the officials only made the right call at the end.