The Ravens made a depth move Friday, acquiring 12-year veteran guard Bobbie Williams.

Williams, 36, spent the last eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He started nine games for the Bengals in 2011, and missed the last three contests after fracturing his ankle.

Williams will likely be another intriguing piece to the puzzle that is the Ravens’ situation at left guard-which includes rookie Kelechi Osemele, 2nd-year man Jah Reid, and Williams.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh had some interaction with Williams in Philadelphia after Williams was taken in the 2nd round by the Eagles in the 2000 NFL Draft.

“Bobbie is a guy who has been in the league for a long time,” head coach John Harbaugh stated. “We’ve played against him, and we like his style of play and his demeanor as a person and as a player. We’re excited to have him as a member of our team.”

Out of 151 career games, Williams has started 130 of them.

Baltimore, MD (June 8, 2012) – The Baltimore Ravens, who play at M&T Bank Stadium in Camden Yards, and Under Armour (NYSE: UA), the leader in performance apparel, footwear and accessories, whose global headquarters are located downtown at Locust Point, are joining forces in a wide-ranging collaboration that will feature multiple community-focused initiatives. The ten-year agreement also includes naming rights for the Ravens’ practice facility in Owings Mills, which will be renamed the Under Armour Performance Center.

These dynamic organizations are led by nationally-recognized business and civic leaders.  Both Steve Bisciotti, owner of the Baltimore Ravens, and Kevin Plank, the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Under Armour, have enjoyed tremendous success both in the United States and abroad.

“I love the Under Armour brand and am proud that it is Baltimore-based,” Bisciotti said. “They started with football wear that players wanted, and still do. They produce great products. Under Armour is the only partner for our training center. Their success has been off the charts, and this partnership will serve as a long-term platform that will showcase to the nation the best of what two of Baltimore’s strongest companies have to offer.

“We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Steve and the Ravens over the years.  The Under Armour Performance Center is a facility that reflects our shared commitment to making all athletes better and to help the Ravens players excel on game-day,” said Plank. “We are even more excited that our partnership extends off-the-field, and will allow both of us to implement meaningful changes in the community.”

While both the Ravens and Under Armour have been active in improving the community, the two companies will combine to empower local youth and schools through football initiatives.  Specific youth football programs include the creation of annual grants, multiple clinics and statewide competitions.  Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and his assistants will play an active role in some of these programs, including a free Under Armour-sponsored clinic for over 400 Carroll County youth on June 16 at McDaniel College.

The creation of an annual 7-on-7 high school flag-football tournament, which already has attracted registration from 72 schools and more than 1,400 students for 2012, highlights the competitive elements of the agreement.

A visible component of the partnership is the renaming of the Ravens’ practice facility to the Under Armour Performance Center, which will host local and national media throughout the year and will showcase two of the city’s most successful corporate entities.

Under Armour recently announced the launch of a local community-based empowerment program, entitled “WIN Baltimore.” The platform is designed to spark positive social change throughout Baltimore and its surrounding neighborhoods by fueling the social, educational and physical advancement of the boys and girls who will serve as the future business and community leaders of the region.

The Ravens franchise, founded in 1996, won Super Bowl XXXV in January of 2001. The team has earned playoffs berths in five of the last six seasons, and they are the NFL’s only team to appear in the playoffs in each of the last four seasons – posting at least one victory in each of those postseasons. Long recognized for their community involvement, the Ravens’ mission is to win football games, serve their fans and be a positive force in the community.

About Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour^® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.ua.com.

On Wednesday, May 23, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno will present Outstanding Civilian Service Awards during a program honoring those who have passionately supported the U.S. Army. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh will receive one of the distinct honors.

The citation that will be presented to Harbaugh by Gen. Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the Army, will read:

“For outstanding service to the United States Army, Soldiers, families, veterans and military communities. Your visit to Iraq and your initiatives to show thanks to service members for their service through appreciation days, opportunities to attend Baltimore Ravens practices and games and to meet team members have improved morale and created a sense of pride and appreciation among our servicemen and women. Through your visits to military installations, you have increased morale, inspired leadership and created a mutual sense of respect and appreciation between the U.S. Army and the National Football League. Your voluntary efforts to purchase, package and send care packages around the world have had direct, positive impacts on our deployed Soldiers living in austere conditions. Your selfless, outstanding contributions have improved the health and readiness of the United States Army.”

John Harbaugh just released this statement after the social media fallout of comments on 98 Rock this morning:

“While on the 98 Rock show this morning to talk about the run to honor O.J. Brigance and raise funds for ALS research, I answered a question about playing within the rules and referred to the perception that the Super Bowl championships won by the Patriots and Saints have a stain. My reference was to the perception out there that came as the result of the league’s actions.

“I could have been more clear that I was referring to those viewpoints. I totally believe that the Patriot and Saint coaches and players earned those championships. Bill (Belichick) and Sean (Payton) both know that.

“There has been some distortion about what I said.

“The original tweet indicated I pointed the finger at Bill Belichick and mentioned Bill’s name. I did not. I have so much respect for Coach Belichick and the job he does and has accomplished in his Hall of Fame career. I called him to remind him of my respect for him. I also reached out to Tedy Bruschi, who rightfully defended those Patriot players and coaches on ESPN, to tell him that I agree with him that the Patriots earned every victory.”

The only losers Saturday night at Homewood Field Saturday night were the people who weren’t in attendance.

Well, and I guess the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. Yeah, they were losers too. But that doesn’t really help in terms of where I’m going with this.

During my “Free Advice” segment last Thursday, I addressed a group of people who do what I do for a living. Radio hosts, writers, TV hosts, bloggers, anyone whose job is to “cover Baltimore sports.” I specifically pointed out one who came in from out of town recently and told me they were here to “dominate the market.” I don’t really care who “dominates the market” particularly, I’m actually a fan of a number of other people in this field, including the likes of Comcast SportsNet’s Rob Carlin and WBAL’s Keith Mills and Pete Gilbert.

There are actually many many more, but I don’t want to get myself in trouble by forgetting someone and hurting their feelings.

The point is that anyone who does this for a living that wants to be known as an “expert” or “The King of Baltimore Sports Talk” (a title we here at WNST.net once bestowed upon our own Luke Jones), I wish them nothing but the best. It’s just that as a Baltimorean, as someone who Charm City means everything to, I’m offended by how many people do this for a living without really getting a feel for the entire market.

You see, the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Orioles are the most significant sports properties in this town, but they’re clearly not the only ones. It’s crucial that other sports properties are not only recognized, but celebrated as unique to our region.

It doesn’t mean we all need to know the score of every Loyola field hockey game. It doesn’t mean we have to keep tabs on what the high score was this week was at the duckpin bowling alley in Rogers Forge. But there are a few events that are particularly unique to Baltimore and deserve to be celebrated.

The Loyola Blakefield/Calvert Hall “Turkey Bowl” football game and the annual City/Poly game at M&T Bank Stadium are two of them. The Morgan State/Coppin State basketball games are on the list. They are events that are special to us in Baltimore. You don’t necessarily have to make it to every one, but you have to experience them to understand. You have to experience them because otherwise you don’t really have the ability to give them context in conversation. It’s not a conversation that you would have every day in this town, but it IS a conversation you should have at least once a year.

There’s something special about those events, sometimes they’re even magical. I’ve been to some forgettable Coppin State-Morgan State games, but I’ve also been to some that were magical. (Ask Drew Forrester about Reggie Holmes’ Senior Night back in 2010 at Hill Field House. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it.)

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