The NFL treats the opening of the regular season "almost like a mini-Super Bowl with its pregame entertainment," but despite the Broncos hosting the Ravens on Sept. 5, "big-name band pregame festivities will not be held outside Sports Authority Field at Mile High," according to Mike Klis of the DENVER POST. Broncos President Joe Ellis on Friday said, "We inquired as to how that was going to go, specifically on Wednesday and Thursday leading up to the game. And, they’re going to rightfully do that celebrating in Baltimore. The Ravens won the Super Bowl and they’re going to be celebrating with the city of Baltimore and the Ravens fans. You’ll see some of that on NBC, I think pregame." He added, "We’ve had some meetings internally ... to try to come up with some plans to celebrate the start of the season, given that it is starting here in Denver. That won’t be televised nationally, although there are possibilities if we get some help from NBC" (DENVERPOST.com, 4/20).
HOLDING THEIR OWN: The Ravens are opening the season on the road due to a scheduling conflict with the Orioles, and in Baltimore, Peter Schmuck wrote the Orioles have an "obligation to its players and fans to do everything possible to facilitate the team's attempt to return to the playoffs." The idea, promoted by Jets coach Rex Ryan and others, that the "baseball team's games are less important than the football team's because there are more of them is simply ludicrous" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 4/20). Orioles manager Buck Showalter responded to Ryan's comments by saying, "I'd be a little more concerned about Nov. 24 when the Jets come here and try to figure out a way to beat the Ravens, wouldn't you? I'd think that would be a little bit more of a challenge. I try to stay out of things I don't know about. Like I don't know about the NFL schedule and the NFL challenges. So that would be my advice. I would stay in what is my area of supposed expertise" (CSNBALTIMORE.com, 4/19). In N.Y., Gary Myers wrote, "How great was Buck Showalter taking shots at Rex Ryan after Ryan complained that the Orioles should have stepped aside so the Super Bowl champion Ravens could have opened the season at home on Sept. 5? Hopefully, Ryan will respond. There's just nothing like a good Jets-Orioles feud" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/21).
