The Baltimore Ravens are a National Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

The history of the Baltimore Ravens is unusual due to the unprecedented actions taken by the cities of Baltimore and Cleveland, Ohio and a new policy agreed to by the National Football League following the relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in 1996. Browns owner Art Modell decided to move the team to Baltimore citing the condition of the old and decrepit Cleveland Stadium and the lack of a sufficient replacement. Without a NFL team for more than a decade, Baltimore fans were still bitter about Bob Irsay moving the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, Indiana in the middle of the night. Irsay's refusal to let the team history remain in Baltimore despite the pleas of Baltimore Colts players supported Baltimore's claim that its football history was stolen as well.

Baltimore fans were sympathetic with Cleveland's plight and had no wish to take its history, believing that the team's history resides with the city in which it was made. Thus, the deal that was worked out by the league for Browns fans stipulates that the team name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland. For that reason, past records and Hall of Fame players are attributed to the Cleveland Browns and not to the Baltimore Ravens. See the Franchise History entry for the Cleveland Browns for full details of the move.

Thus, due to this agreement with Cleveland and Baltimore and long-time refusal to implement a similar agreement with Indianapolis, the NFL under Paul Tagliabue officially considers the Ravens as a 1996 expansion team. Still, Baltimore fans continue to assert that the Baltimore Colts is the predecessor team to the Ravens, as do (did) many of the Colts' former players. In fact, the old Colts marching band and fan club became part of the Ravens organization.

QUICK FACTS
Founded: 1996, a team moved to Baltimore by Art Modell from the Cleveland Browns

Other Baltimore NFL teams: Baltimore Colts (1953-1983), a team moved to Baltimore by the NFL from the remains of the Dallas Texans

Home field: M&T Bank Stadium (formerly known as PSINet Stadium and Ravens Stadium) Previous home field: Memorial Stadium (1996-1997, was also the home of the Baltimore Colts from 1953-1983 and nicknamed "the world's largest outdoor insane asylum")

Uniform colors: Black, Purple, Metallic Gold, and White. (The primary home uniform is a purple jersey and white pants. Traditional away gear (also worn at home during late summer day games, but mostly on the road, are white jerseys and white pants. In 2004, the team introduced an alternate attire of black jersey and black pants for select prime-time national game broadcasts.)

Helmet design: A black helmet with a purple and black raven's head in profile, with the letter "B" superimposed in metallic gold and white. Purple "talons" rise up from the facemask up the center of the helmet.

Mascots: Edgar, Allan, and Poe