When the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers resume their heated rivalry today at M&T Bank Stadium, they'll share more than a goal of winning the AFC North.
For two teams and fan bases that dislike each other so much, they are bonded by their history, sports culture and football philosophy.
Both cities embrace their blue-collar roots. Both work on the same sports calendar (the annual losing seasons of the Orioles and Pirates are mere distractions until training camp).
And both talk about their teams in a way others can't understand. In Pittsburgh, it's "Yinz love dem Stillers." Around here, it's "Youse luv dese Bawlamer Ravens, hon."
Even the football teams are built similarly - on the hardened mantra of running the ball on offense and stopping it on defense.
"They play football the way we play football," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "They're a physically tough and mentally tough football team. Those are things that we honor and desire to be. In order to do that, you got to line up and play with guys like these."
A comparison of the teams and cities:
COACHES: : In replacing their Super Bowl coaches, the Ravens and the Steelers went with low-profile choices. Had anyone ever heard of Tomlin or John Harbaugh before they were hired? But both have proved to be the right choices. Tomlin won the AFC North in his first season, and Harbaugh could do the same this year. The one lament: Harbaugh and Tomlin lose style points because neither comes close to the sound bites of Brian Billick or Bill Cowher. Advantage: Even
FOOD:: The signature item in Pittsburgh is the Primanti Brothers sandwich, which consists of grilled meat, cole slaw, tomato slices and french fries all between two pieces of Italian bread. Huh? No wonder most Stiller fans look like nose tackle Casey Hampton. In Baltimore, it's all about the crab cake. No contest here. Advantage: Baltimore.
QUARTERBACKS:: Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco are both at least 6 feet 5. Both came from small football programs. And both already have nicknames (it's Big Ben vs. Joe Cool). Let's just hope the similarities don't eventually extend to motorcycles. Roethlisberger, though, has the more proven track record at this point, winning division titles and a Super Bowl. Advantage: Pittsburgh.
