Ravens are in the Playoffs

My husband is a huge hometown sports fan. From what I can tell, the man has bled orange, black and purple his entire life. He is the sort of fan that cheers on his team when they are winning, just as much as when they are losing. He stands behind them, even when they have a crummy record. He curses "fair-weather fans" and I admire his allegiance to his teams. We have a room in our home devoted to Baltimore football and baseball, a room where my husband proudly displays old newspaper articles, Sports Illustrated covers, and other sports memorabilia. His fanaticism for Baltimore sports is contagous; and in the seven years we have been together, my love for the Ravens and especially the Orioles has grown leaps and bounds. For Carl, it is a family affair. He remembers his first trips to games with his father and his brother. Dan is the first person he calls when he needs to talk sports. Through my in-laws, I have discovered that it is fun to be a fan, to cheer on a team. I grew up in a "football family" and Carl has taught me about the world of O's baseball. We are now the family that shows up at games decked out in the team colors. My daughters received their first piece of Oriole's gear at 3 months old, and made an appearance at their fist game when they were 4 months old. They even have a commerative certificate framed in the "man-room".
Now that the Ravens have made the playoffs, the excitement in my home is running high. Carl has been planning his playoff celebration since the Ravens started posting a winning record. He has everything in the man-room perfectly organized, down the way that his Ravens throw- blanket is folded on the couch (although he would never admit that). His current level of excitement about the Ravens is one that I have not seen since early in our relationship, when the Ravens made an appearance in the Superbowl. Back then, Carl lived in Theta Chi and I was across the street in Steven's Hall. He watched the game with his brothers, but soon after the Ravens won, I received a drunken phone call, insisting that I come to the house to "celebrate". As I walked across the street that cold night, I found my boyfriend running around his house screaming that his team had won. My, how things have changed since then! My family wishes the Ravens the best for this playoff season, and we hope that you have the determination to make it all the way!!!!