#1: The Stadium#8217;s Purpose
Many stadiums are built to serve the community in multiple ways, but Ravens Stadium was built to house the team that moved down to Baltimore to fill the void left when the Colts left for Indianapolis. The city of Baltimore wanted to welcome the NFL back to town with a stadium that was modernized for today, and the stadium authority in the city chose to offer naming rights to the highest bidder. Citizens of Baltimore wanted to name the stadium after Johnny Unitas, but the city was intent on selling the naming rights for a high price. The outer plaza of the stadium was named in honor of Unitas, and a statue of the hall of fame quarterback was erected.
#2: The Ravens
The Ravens came back to Baltimore with high hopes of eliminating the stigma that had fallen over them in Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns had not won an NFL title since the 50s, and they wanted to renew the team by moving to Baltimore. The Ravens soon drafted Ray Lewis out of the University of Miami(FL), and they immediately became a competitive club.
The history of the NFL does not show a great success rate for teams that move into new cities. The Ravens broke that trend in 2000 by winning their first Super Bowl, and there was immediate uproar from fans in Cleveland who believed that championship should have been theirs.
The team remained competitive as they battled with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and the expansion Cleveland Browns in the AFC North division. The Ravens came very close to making it to the Super Bowl several other times, and they won their second Super Bowl in 2013. Ray Lewis immediately retired after the game, and the team entered an era of transition. The Ravens have been a revitalizing force in the city of Baltimore, and M∓T Bank Stadium has helped revitalize the area near the Baltimore Harbor, and it brought back to the city one of the most competitive franchises of the last 20 years.