In 2001, I wrote Purple Reign: Diary of a Raven Maniac and I’ve had many inquiries regarding reprinting it and packaging it with the new book on the 2012 Ravens. So, below are the options to purchase both books as well as a 6-CD collection of our best WNST radio interviews with the many stars and interesting people from Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLVII. It will have original audio from 1990′s with Ray Lewis, Brian Billick, Jon Ogden as well as a two-hour life retrospective when I sat down with Arthur B. Modell in 2004. We’ll also include highlights from the past two years with Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, John Harbaugh and others. It will be nearly seven hours of conversation with Baltimore Ravens who have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

As for the new book, we anticipate delivery to your mailbox in time for Father’s Day. The book will be more than 350 pages, chock full of stories, background, behind-the-scenes information told in 22 chapters from the firing of Brian Billick to the hiring of John Harbaugh to the drafting of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice to the 2012 season and the Super Bowl XLVII win and parade down Pratt Street and celebration inside the stadium back in February.

And the best part of the book or books? They both have happy endings. If you love the Baltimore Ravens, you’ll love the book(s).

It’s the best work of my career and I know once you read it you’ll agree.

If you’d like to read an excerpt from Chapter 6 of Purple Reign 2: Faith, Family & Football – A Baltimore Love Story, click here…

Here’s our shopping cart for all things Purple Reign, new and old:

Purple Reign V.I.P. Box Set

Includes:

Purple Reign 2: Faith, Family & Football – A Baltimore Love Story (2013)

Purple Reign: Diary of a Raven Maniac (2001) vintage edition

WNST Purple Reign Radio Memories (6 CD’s)

RAY 2:52/BELIEVE IN JOE New Orleans poster

Full color 12X18 poster of Purple Reign 2 cover (featuring fabulous artwork of local sports cartoonist Mike Ricigliano) that is suitable for autographs/framing or your mancave wall

And if you buy this deluxe package, make sure you let me know how to personalize the new book for you below:

$59.95 plus S&H

How do we sign Purple Reign 2?

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Purple Reign Both Books Hardbound

Includes:

Purple Reign 2: Faith, Family & Football – A Baltimore Love Story (2013)

Purple Reign: Diary of a Raven Maniac (2001)

$49.99 plus S&H

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Purple Reign 2: Faith, Family & Football – A Baltimore Love Story BOOK ONLY (hardback)

$26.95 plus S&H

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Purple Reign: Diary of a Raven Maniac BOOK ONLY (hardback)

$24.95 plus S&H

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Purple Reign Radio Memories — a 6 CD set of WNST purple interviews with stars & heroes of Super Bowl XXXV & Super Bowl XLVII

Nearly seven (7) hours of classic audio conversations including the life story of Arthur B. Modell in his words

$19.95 plus S&H

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Both Purple Reign: Faith, Family & Football – A Baltimore Love Story

&

Purple Reign: Diary of a Raven Maniac

WILL BE AVAILABLE as E-books in the digital format of your choice. Please fill out the form below and we’ll email you the appropriate links for your reader of choice (Amazon, Kindle, iBook, Nook, etc.) when the book becomes available in early June. We cannot take pre-orders for digital books at this time because of service restrictions from the providers. Plus, when you buy the e-book, you must buy it from their direct platform.

The post Buy “Purple Reign 2: Faith, Family & Football – A Baltimore Love Story” here appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

I remember as a little guy when the Ravens first started and held open practices in the mornings and afternoons at McDaniel College.  Back then, I couldn’t get a grasp of what was going on. I just loved being near the players, who appeared gargantuan in size, being near the coaches and being at practice with my dad, brother, uncle and grandfather. I used to love waiting after practice for the autograph sessions as my dad would carry me and my brother toward the front of the lines to get our favorite players’ autographs. As I got older, the value of an autograph dwindled for me, but my passion for attending practices did not.

Every year, my family has made the journey out to Westminster for the morning sessions. Hearing the coaches barking orders at the players, watching Ray Lewis leveling somebody, even though they are playing “thud” and watching guys like Orlando “Zeus” Brown “running” laps was pure entertainment for me. Now, it’s virtually a thing of the past as there are only three open practice sessions this year: August 4th at M&T Bank Stadium, August 12th at the Naval Academy and August 19th at Stevenson University.

While I will be attending all of these events, I wish there were more opportunities for the fans to watch the players practice. Some fans go to the practices because they can’t afford tickets, a PSL or can’t find time to make it to a game because of their work schedules. Watching training camp caused for more fan interaction with the players that gets lost sometimes during the regular season.  Watching practices also allows fans to see what the players have been working on to improve their game even further. A greater appreciation for all of the hard work the players put in comes from this.

As a fan and former college football player, I can appreciate all of the hard work and dedication Ray Lewis has put in to make himself look more slender. However, I want to see him practice more than just three times. I want to see all the players putting on a show for the fans. I want to watch them go through the tough everyday grind that training camp is. Yes, it’s great we have these three opportunities, but it’s also interesting to watch the tam on a down day at practice to see how they’ll respond later in the week. Its like my one football coach used to say, “Week to week, you either get better or worse. There’s no in-between.” Watching the progress, or lack thereof, has always been an intriguing aspect of watching football for me and I hope there are more opportunities for me and the fans to witness training camp in the future.

The post NFL Training Camp: Nothing Better Than Watching Professionals Practice Their Craft appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

The NFL is a “What have you done for me lately?” type of league. You can have all of the accolades in the world, but if you haven’t produced in recent years, you won’t get paid. Ed Reed has produced, just not Ed Reed numbers. Last year, a mere three interceptions to his career total. Reed has ambitions to catch Paul Krause’s all-time interception record with 81, but Reed, at age 33, currently has 57. If he was the player he was back in 2008 when he totaled nine interceptions and three defensive touchdowns, I could say him catching Krause. He just isn’t anymore. Two neck injuries have clearly altered his play and his ability to be the game-changer he once was.

The perfect example I always cite in showing how Ed Reed has changed is Week 17 of last season in Cincinnati. First, Reed wasn’t reading and ball-hawking Andy Dalton as I was expecting. Rookie quarterbacks used to be afraid of debuting against the Ravens solely because of Ed Reed. While he didn’t have the best game of his brief career, he didn’t throw any interceptions. If it wasn’t for Terrell Suggs showing up with the forced fumble on Jermaine Gresham, Dalton may have driven down the field causing the Ravens to lose the divisional crowd once again.

Also in that game, Reed did something I’ve started to notice wit his playing style. He avoids big hits and almost all contact at times. Bernard Scott was scooting up the sideline as Reed appeared to have a perfect pursuit angle on him to make a big hit or t least the stop. He whiffed. He threw an arm out and Scott shook it off like it was yesterday’s trash. Part of the blame goes to coaches nowadays not teaching proper tackling form because almost every safety in the NFL today leads with their head and doesn’t understand the concept of a form tackle. The other part of the blame goes toward Reed because he appeared to come up lame in fear that he may hurt his neck again. Is this a sign of things to come?

Reed has been an on-and-off with the Ravens for about two years now. It’s hard to tell if he loves the game anymore. He’s been toying with retirement and doesn’t always put football at the forefront. I can respect a man that has the interest of his family and his own health first, but tell the organization that so they can move on accordingly. As of now, CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora reports that Ed Reed won’t hold out from the Ravens. However, a relative of Reed’s was the one that told Jason this, so how should Baltimore fans take this.

At this point, Ed seems more interested in his family and enjoying his time with them, more so than football. If he doesn’t want to play, he should retire. The team shouldn’t focus on an aging safety that appears to be losing more than a step, they should focus on their franchise quarterback that has finally provided somewhat of a passing threat on offense and stability at the quarterback position that this organization hasn’t had since Vinny Testaverde. Pay Joe, let Reed go.

The post Ed Reed Should Be Priority Two appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

The 2011 season for the Baltimore Ravens can be summed up in a few words, “Oh my God.” Terrell Suggs uttered these words after Billy Cundiff’s field goal drifted away along with the Ravens’ hope for another chance at winning the Superbowl. The Ravens quite possibly had one of the more interesting 12-4 seasons in NFL history because they underachieved to a certain degree. They shouldn’t have lost some of the games they did and had a chance at perfection if they didn’t lay down to certain opponents throughout the year. Some might say, if they didn’t lose to Jacksonville and Seattle and the Patriots game was in Baltimore, we would be talking about a different result in the World Championship. This year’s team has a little higher to climb to reach the peak of the mountain and get that second Superbowl trophy in franchise history, but it won’t come without challenges.

This year’s Ravens will look slightly different. New Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees replaces Chuck Pagano after he had a successful campaign with a defense that ranked third in the league in points allowed (16.6), third in yards allowed (288.9), fourth in passing yards allowed (196.2) and second in rushing yards allowed (92.6). The question remains, will the defense continue to be stout?

The injury to Terrell Suggs’ achilles tendon will not make things any easier for the boys in purple this fall. I initially was upset at the guy for hurting it while playing basketball. My initial argument was that he has a responsibility to the Ravens in his contract and should only do football moves and activities. Then, I paused and realized I do the same thing at school. While my playing days have recently passed, when I did play, I would often find myself playing racquetball or basketball to stay in shape and maintain my cardiovascular level.  It’s a thing we like to do as athletes, try no movements to further our fitness level. I realized I can’t down Suggs for trying to do what I do as an athlete. The team on both sides of the ball has to respond with the “next man up” mentality the Houston Texans exhibited last year with losses such as Mario Williams, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson.

Key Losses/Additions:

1. Ben Grubbs out, Kelechi Osmele/Bobbie Williams in. 

What can’t be said about the former first-round pick out of Auburn.  The guy was a stalwart on the offensive line and rarely let anyone on the left side penetrate. Anytime you lose a pro-bowler it’s going to hurt. Unfortunately, the Saints put out more money for him and left the Ravens searching for a replacement. Early in the off-season, Head Coach John Harbaugh hinted that Jah Reid may fill the void, but that appears to be more of hearsay now with the free agent acquisition of 35-year-old guard Bobbie Williams. Williams recently came off of a stint with the Cincinnati Bengals where he was considered to be a workhorse and a mauler; key characteristics of a left guard. The Ravens also drafted Kelechi Osmele out of Iowa State with the 60th overall pick in the second round to potentially fill the void of Grubbs. The teams hopes that Osmele will take the job as he is obviously the younger of the two, but a quad injury during minicamp has put Osmele a few steps back of Williams. Hopefully, both will be healthy so the team can have a great competition that produces an outright winner to establish some continuity on the offensive line that easily sits amongst the league’s elite.

The post The 2012 Baltimore Ravens: Time to Get That Elusive Ring appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

Flacco’s Ascension: Will the real Joe Flacco please stand up?  The steady quarterback has led the Ravens to 4 straight playoff appearances and remains solidly under center for the defending AFC North Champions, but many want to see more out of the young playcaller.   Flacco has said that he doesn’t think he gets the credit he deserves, which a point can be made for given his perennial playoff appearances.  But does Flacco really deserve more credit?  While he lead the Ravens to the door step of the Super Bowl, his regular season numbers were pedestrian compared to the league’s elite.  3,600 yds, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions = above average.    That’s 11th, 13th, and 18th respectively.  Ray Rice is a nice back to lean on, but if Flacco wants to be regarded inthe same class as the Rodgers, Brady, Brees, and the Manning brothers – he’s going to have to step us his production.

Rice’s Health:  Ray Rice’s 1,364 rushing yards were 2nd only to Maurice Jones-Drew last year. In addition, Rice lead the team with 76 receptions.   Rice did it all last year, occasionally getting a breather from a semi-productive Ricky Williams.    That won’t be the case this year with Williams having retirned for a 2nd time.  Who will backup Rice? Good question – none of the candidates have much NFL experience.  If Rice goes down with a major injury or misses a significant amount of time, even more pressure will be placed on Flacco.

An Aging Defence:  Can Ray Lewis and Co.  ignite the same fire that has kept the Ravensrelevant for the last decade?  I’m guessing yes – though Terrell Suggs injury will put them in an early bind.   If Lewis, Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata can stay healthy, the Ravens defense should hold.

The division is the Ravens to lose — with the main competition for the Super Bowl coming from the (surprise surpise) Patriots.   The Ravens have enough talent to beat the Ravens head to head.   If Flacco takes the next step, Rice has another big year and the defense stays healthy – there’s no reason to think the Ravens can’t win it all in 2012.

The post 2012: Year of the Ravens appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

Though there has been some turnover to the roster, the main core is still intact. Ray Ray is still in charge, followed by a band of All-Pros and Pro-Bowlers including: Haloti Ngata, Ed Reed, Ray Rice, Marshal Yanda, Lardarius Webb, Matt Birk, Anquan Boldin, Vontae Leach and Joe Flacco.

Ozzie has kept the talent level on the entire roster at a premium, with excellent drafts over the past decade but teams are starting to pry away some of the depth across the board. Losses this offseason include: Cory Redding, Jarret Johnson, Tom Zbikowski, Haruki Nakamura and Ben Grubbs. Of course everyone knows the Terrell Suggs “training” issue and his bum Achilles; while it is not sure when he will actually be able to make it back on the field.

The following is a breakdown of the roster strengths and weaknesses for the upcoming season.

Biggest Offensive Strength: Ray Rice

Rice has become an all-around weapon similar to Brian Westbrook in his prime years in Philadelphia. He has carried a hefty load throughout most of his collegiate and professional career but has not shown of any signs of wear, as he still has several dominant seasons ahead

Biggest Defensive Strength: The starting Defensive Line

Haloti Ngata has already established himself as one of the elite defensive lineman in league, making life easier for the slew of linebackers behind him. Pernell McPhee will take over a starting DE spot after a highly successful rookie season, with ability to get after the QB from the 3-technique (a rarity). Mount Cody holds down the nose tackle, where his mass alone takes on two offensive linemen, freeing up the middle. Overall, the production of the defensive line last season is one of the main reasons Suggs could perform at such a high level and looks to only improve with youth this season.

Biggest Offensive Weakness: The Tackle Position

Bryant McKinnie has yet to participate this offseason due to weight issues and the team cannot expect the same production out of him as last year when he does hit the field. Michael Oher has been a disappointment as he has struggled to perform consistently on either side of the line. The depth is questionable, at best, with their top options (in case of an injury or poor performance) are young, inexperienced and may be better suited to play guard (Jah Reid, Kelechi Osemele).

Biggest Defensive Weakness: Safety Depth

The starters really complement each other, as Ed Reed is the best centerfielder in the history of football and Bernard Pollard is a true in the box safety.  The problems lies with the loss of three players (Dawan Landry, Tom Zbikowski, Haruki Nakamura) in the past two offseasons who have filled in as starters.  Ed Reed has been an injury waiting to happen lately and with Pollard’s physical nature, the Ravens are two plays away from having a serious problem in the back of their defense.

Most Overrated Offensive Player: Anquan Boldin

This is not a knock on the former Pro-Bowler, but the offense is not best suited for his strengths. His age and production are both heading in a negative direction, and with more weapons on the offense, he will not see as many balls thrown his way. He is still a great receiver but is no longer one of the elite.

Most Underrated Offensive Player: Marshal Yanda

Yanda was overshadowed by Ben Grubbs on the line, even though he made his first Pro Bowl last season. He has been the team’s best lineman for several years now (and one of the best guards in the entire league), as his versatility and consistency have solidified the interior. More will be asked of him this season as he takes over as the leader of the offensive line.

Most Overrated Defensive Player: Terrell Suggs

Though he is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, he still would have made this spot before his tragic injury. He does not produce for an entire season, where he is dominant one game but take the next off (as evidenced by the games in San Diego and Pittsburgh last season). He is a great player, but still has more untapped potential we have yet to see.  The injury will really set him back this season, and if he does make his way back, no one can expect anything more than him becoming a situational pass rusher in 2012.

Most Underrated Defensive Player: Jameel McCLain

The Ravens finally found someone to step up next to Ray Lewis, and last season, he filled in admirably as the center of the defense when Lewis was out. McClain took the next step in 2011, surpassing the Ravens leader in production on the field; while more responsibility as a leader will be bestowed upon him as the ageless wonder is closer to hanging it up.

Biggest Addition: Bobby Williams

After the team lost out on Ben Grubbs, there was a major hole in the interior line at left guard. Williams is not anywhere near the talent as Grubbs, but will be a more than serviceable replacement. He fits in nicely with the Ravens style of offense and makes life without one half of their Pro Bowl tandem not nearly as difficult as it initially looked.

Biggest Loss: Jarrett Johnson

Johnson would have made this list as the most underrated player on the defense, if he did not follow Chuck Pagano to Indy. He made the entire defensive strategy possible, as he sealed the edge, while doing the little things to make everyone else around (especially Terrell Suggs) him better. His presence will be definitely missed but hopes are Paul Kruger can play in a similar fashion.

Offensive Player Most Likely to Break Out: Dennis Pitta

Though he has split time with Ed Dickson, Pitta has shown more flashes of becoming the every down tight end. He has a good frame and ability to run block, while the hands to really stretch the middle of the field. Pitta is also the big target the Ravens will look to in the Red Zone, as his production this season should take a major hike.

Defensive Player Most Likely to Break Out: Terrence Cody

Cody really started to produce last season and as long as he remains within his weight limit, he should only improve upon that. He is actually much more athletic than he looks and could be used in a more versatile manner on the line, as his comfort level grows. The Ravens can expect Cody to be a dominant nose tackle in the mold of Gilbert Brown or Keith Traylor for years to come.

Offensive Player Most Likely to Take a Step Back: Bryant McKinnie

McKinnie’s performance last season was noble for someone with his checkered past. As stated before, no one can expect the same from him this season, at his age and size; the chances of him even making it through the entire season are slim. Hopes are they can replace him internally during the season at some point, or Flacco could be in trouble.

Defensive Player Most Likely to Take a Step Back: Lardarius Webb

Webb was more than excellent last season and this is not a knock on him but more confidence in the other corners on the roster. Both Jimmy and Cary Williams will benefit from last season’s experience; possibly enough to the point their talent may take over the starting spots. Webb will still produce at a high level this year but by season’s end he may not be the best corner on the team anymore.

Biggest Question Mark: Ray Rice’s Contract Situation

The Ravens desperately need to make sure this does not get out of hand, leading to a lengthy hold out. Rice is too important to the offense and hold out running backs are notorious for having slow starts to the season (as evidenced by Chris Johnson’s lack luster season last year). The man is too important in the fate of the franchise and needs to be paid appropriately, no matter what the cost.

Rookie to Make the Biggest Impact: Bernard Pierce

As mentioned, this is more a result of Ray Rice’s contract negotiations than his actual performance. If the Ravens do not settle the dispute before the training camp begins, Rice will need to get his legs ready for the season. Pierce will be relied upon heavily the first half of the season if there is a hold out, where he will need to display the ability to handle about 10-15 touches a game.

Season Outlook: 9-7; Wild Card Appearance

A tough schedule, especially at the start (with games vs. the Bengals, at Philadelphia, at New England), will tell a lot of where the Ravens stand among the some of the best in the league. Playing in probably the best division football will be a real test; as the Steelers are always consistent and the Bengals are on the rise. With the losses on both sides of the ball and aging team leaders, it cannot be expected to finish better than last year’s regular season.

Though they may not win the division (a title I believe will land in Cincinnati), they still get in the playoffs, where the Giants proved last season anything can happen. With a roster full of experience, the Ravens should make another strong push to the Super Bowl, as long as Flacco can carry them there. While on a side note, and most importantly here in Baltimore, the Steelers have lost more than probably any other team this offseason, as they take a step back in 2013, missing out on the playoffs finishing 8-8.

The post Ravens Roster Breakdown appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

And there was no one in the crowd who wasn’t 10 years younger and wasn’t thinking about pulling out whatever Whiskey Joe’s memories or whatever emotional bond we all have to Jan. 28, 2001.

These stories and memories have surfaced with a variety of interesting and fun comments on Facebook this week but all of this Super Bowl XXXV frivolity – and apparently the Ravens had one whopper of an internal party on Saturday night with all sorts of interesting “fallout” – has made us all misty

The post Ray Lewis past, present and future: Will he be a Ray of Light in the future? appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

With another successful Ravens season reaching the halfway point – and I stand on the side of the room that is delighted with 5-2 for Halloween — it’s always a good time to take stock in where we are as a company and where we’re heading in the future as Baltimore’s measurable sports media leader on the web and in mobile at WNST.net.

We’re not doing a lengthy survey this time around with a “State of Baltimore Sports Media” update, but I do want to thank all of you who participated in February. Of the 1,850 who took our poll, more than 91% of you essentially told me that you “wanted a new newspaper” in our survey.

And lo and behold in May we started in a beta form a daily e-newspaper that we send to your inbox free of charge every morning. It’s had its hiccups and bumps, like any new product, but we’re now getting it consistently out and the boom to our web traffic has been significant.

There can now be no logical dispute that WNST.net is the fastest growing new media site in Maryland. Google Analytics says our traffic is up more than 48% over the last year

The post State of Baltimore Sports Media Fall 2010 Update: WNST.net continues to grow beyond radio and into web dominance appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

With all of the fanfare about Sunday’s 2000 reunion, it’s made me misty-eyed for all purple memories and what a special group of people the Ravens of Baltimore have brought to town as local heroes. It’s been a wonderful weekend of reconnecting with 20 of the 53 Ravens here at WNST.net. for all of our hosts. We hope you enjoy the weekend programming that is 100% Ravens Super Bowl memories on AM 1570 and you can also visit the Toyota Audio Vault here at WNST.net.

This is a long piece from Chapter 4 and it was entitled: “THE ORIGINAL BIRDS AND THE MEAN MACHINE” and also featured an extensive profile of Jonathan Ogden. Here is the original, unedited, unaltered piece on the Ray Lewis that I knew in the early days and where we were in April 2001:

There is no way anyone would have dared predict the greatness of Lewis five years ago coming out of the University of Miami as a very undersized junior linebacker. 
Twenty-three different franchises passed on the future Hall of Famer on that day in April 1996, including the Ravens when they selected Ogden. Now, with 20/20 hindsight and the clarity of a Super Bowl championship and MVP trophy, he would have easily been the first player taken in the draft.

His true impact on every game since the Ravens’ inception has been very clear to only one segment of the population: the fans who watch the Ravens play every week. And up until the 2000 playoffs, that made up a very small segment of NFL fans. The lowly Ravens, with their lack of identity, wins and major-market appeal, were about as far down the food chain as could be found in the league. The Ravens had never even sniffed a Monday Night Football appearance.

Ask around to folks in the organization and to the football minds on the inside and they’ll tell you that Ray Lewis has never played a bad football game. In five full seasons spanning 84 games, Lewis has missed two games after dislocating his elbow early in the 1998 season.

There were a handful of games when Lewis had an “off game” and still managed 12 tackles.

From the moment he took the field in the first game of franchise history, Sept. 1, 1996 against the Oakland Raiders at Memorial Stadium, Lewis has been a dominant player in the league, a guy who never takes a down off. But so very few had actually seen him play. Baltimore was not a preferred destination for media or scouts or front office types prior to the 2000 season.

I can very vividly remember the first time I met Ray Lewis.

The post Purple Reign reincarnated, the life and times of Ray Lewis this week at WNST.net appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.