Ravens President Dick Cass yesterday said that the latest off-the-field issues with the team have been "frustrating and disappointing," acknowledging that the organization "must do a better job in trying to prevent player misconduct," according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore SUN. Cass said, “We have to look at everything we are doing, but when you look at some of the individual cases, it’s not as though we didn’t know about their background before they came." He added, "We carefully check out backgrounds before we bring somebody into the building. ... We don't think we're treating them any different in terms of education, oversight -- any differently than we've done in the past. But obviously, we've got to re-examine everything to keep trying to make it better." Zrebiec notes team officials "had hoped that the five arrests last offseason ... were an aberration." DT Terrence Cody, CB Victor Hampton and RB Bernard Pierce have already "been arrested" this offseason. Those arrests have come despite coach John Harbaugh "warning players that the organization would have less tolerance for off-the-field troubles this offseason." Cass said, "The messages are still being sent. I just don’t know if they’re always being received. And so maybe we have to look at how we’re sending the message. Maybe, we have to come up with a different message" (Baltimore SUN, 3/24).
TRAINING DAY: Cass yesterday said that the team "should be able to accommodate 1,000 fans per practice this summer and up to 3,000 fans per practice in future training camps" a their Owings Mills, Md., HQ. The SUN's Zrebiec notes because of parking and traffic issues, the Ravens "have only been able to have between 400 and 500 fans attend practice in recent training camps," but that "will change." The organization is "working to acquire land adjacent to the Under Armour Performance Center, where it would build a parking lot that would allow more fans to attend training camp." Cass said that the Ravens are "still working with county officials on land and real estate issues, and the local police to go over traffic concerns." But he is "confident that the necessary changes will be made" (Baltimore SUN, 3/24).
