If you had the pleasure of watching Barry Levinson’s “The Band That Wouldn’t Die”, you were treated to one of the greatest documentarys ever. Levinson, an Academy Award winning director for such films as Rain Man, recapped the storied history that is the Baltimore Colts Marching Band. Throughout this documentary, we were treated to various interviews from former Colts Corral members and John Zeman, the band director. We were also treated to no-so-flattering remarks about Robert Irsay, the evil SOB that moved the Colts in the middle of the night to Indianapolis.
I am writing this to deliver two message to two sets of people that really chap my ass. First, I would like to address Indianapolis Colts fans. Now, we are not mad at you personally for the taking of our football team. It’s not like you said “hey, we want the Colts”, the team was forced to relocate because of an evil, drunk, dishonest owner in Bob Irsay, may he rest in pieces and burn in Hell. But, when you start throwing it back in our face that “you stole the Browns” is when we get ticked off and when you say “you didn’t care about your team that’s why they moved”. Let me explain something to you uneducated Indy Colts fans out there. Watch this documentary, and there is one particular segment is what I want you watch. When the camera is panning through the faces of the Colts Corral members when they are replaying the news cast of the Colts leaving Baltimore. Grown, tough, blue collar men from Dundalk, Glen Burnie, Pasadena or wherever they are from still weep over this tragic and sudden loss of their beloved Colts. Next time you come to our stadium and run your mouths like you know something, just think about those men and ask yourself “was it really THERE fault?”
Next, all the Ravens fans that make fun, ridicule, and disrespect the great tradition of the Baltimore Marching Ravens. These are idiot, bandwagon jumpers who know nothing about Baltimore tradition. While you all were sitting on butts doing NOTHING to try and get a team to come to Baltimore, they were going to other stadiums like Cleveland and Philadelphia and playing to their fans during the 13 year absence of Baltimore football in Charm City. They did the work by playing on the State legislative building to get the motion passed to build a new stadium for our football team. They did the work, while you did nothing. If anything, we should shake their hands and thank THEM, along with Art Modell, for bringing football back to Baltimore.
Fans, I am 25 years old and know nothing of the Colts but of what my father, uncle, and television has told me. After watching this documentary, I know the importance of tradition in Baltimore and how important the Baltimore Colts Marching Band is to the Baltimore Community. So from the bottom of my heart, I would like to simply say, in the immortal words of Rex Barney….”Thank Youuuuu”.
