David Modell

Who doesn't need more bling these days? And what better way to impress your friends than flashing a genuine, diamond-studded Ravens Super Bowl XXXV ring? Right now, it can be yours for a little more than $8,000. OK, maybe that's not exactly a steal. But that's the current bidding price at Lelands.com, where the ring is being auctioned. Here's the back-story, though: the ring doesn't belong to a former player. The name “Dickson” is inscribed on it. But it doesn't belong to current tight end Ed Dickson, who was still a kid when the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2001.

March 1, 2002: The Ravens release Elvis Grbac, the expensive but mistake-prone quarterback they wooed last year instead of re-signing Trent Dilfer, who'd helped them win the Super Bowl . Grbac committed 26 turnovers in a 10-6 season as the Ravens lost in the division playoffs. Feb. 26, 1996: Team officials begin efforts to name Baltimore's new NFL franchise. "We're using some old suggestions," says David Modell, son of team owner Art Modell . "I'm sure people can extrapolate that names like Ravens, Bombers, Bulldogs and Marauders are on the list.

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns, and his minority partner, Alfred Lerner, left the NFL meeting together yesterday and flew to New York.Yet Modell told his son, David, to vote against Lerner's bid to bring a team to Baltimore. The Browns were among the 26 teams (of 28) that voted to give Jacksonville, Fla., the expansion team.When asked why his father voted against his friend, David Modell said: "The thinking was, Art told us to vote for Jacksonville and we did."

Former Ravens owner Art Modell did not make it to the final cut during Saturday's voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When the ballot was narrowed from 15 to 10 modern-day finalists (plus two senior nominees), Modell's name was not on the list. That means he'll have to wait at least another year to be considered for a place in Canton. Art's son, former Ravens president David Modell, spent the day with his family at the Ravens team hotel waiting for word. When the news came, he was understandably disappointed, but he spoke glowingly of all that has happened with the Hall of Fame process and the Ravens exciting Super Bowl run. “We are obviously disappointed, but extremely grateful that Art Modell was considered among 17 high quality candidates," he said.

Officials with the Ravens and NFL Properties viewed potential uniform designs yesterday as the team appears to be narrowing in on a color scheme of black, dark purple and gold."

Ravens owner Art Modell is recovering in a Rancho Mirage, Calif., hospital after suffering a mild heart attack Friday morning. According to his son David, Modell is "doing excellently" and is scheduled to be released tomorrow from Eisenhower Medical Center. Modell, 76, who was at his California vacation home at the time, is expected to fly back to Baltimore, where he will undergo further tests at Johns Hopkins Hospital. "The fact that the doctors are letting him fly speaks volumes to how he is doing," said David Modell, who serves as team president.

Art Modell's last season as Ravens owner will also mark the final run for his son. Ravens officials announced yesterday that David Modell will step down as team president at the end of the season but will remain with the franchise as a consultant like his father. The move will become official in four months, when minority owner Steve Bisciotti buys the remaining 51 percent of the team from Art Modell for $325 million. David Modell, 42, was informed of Bisciotti's intentions in a face-to-face meeting before the season.

CHICAGO -- Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell has not given up his quest to return the Colts name to Baltimore.Although Indianapolis Colts general manager Jim Irsay said Thursday that his family would not return the name to Baltimore's new NFL team, Modell said there is a chance Irsay might relinquish the name.Modell said he approached Irsay last month about acquiring the name."I told him I was leaving the Browns name, colors and records in Cleveland," said Modell. "I told him since I was leaving the legacy there, it would be nice to restore the tradition in Baltimore.

PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Colts and Bombers are probably out, but the new Baltimore NFL team is still trying to find what's in for the team's nickname.A delegation from NFL Properties will meet with the top executives of the new Baltimore club today to make a presentation on the results of a telephone poll of 1,000 Baltimore residents on possible nicknames. The poll followed work with several focus groups.Regardless of the poll and focus group results, Colts and Bombers are likely to be ruled out.Jimmy Irsay, the son of Indianapolis Colts owner Bob Irsay, simply has put too high a price on the Colts name.

In a gradual transfer of power, Ravens owner Art Modell announced yesterday that his son David has become the team's president and chief operating officer, and will run the club's daily operations.Art Modell, who will remain as CEO of the club, also promoted son John Modell from executive producer of Ravens' Entertainment to vice president of special projects. John is 38 and David is 37."We're a family business and this is the logical next step," said Art Modell. "They both carry the extra weight of being the sons of the boss, but both have earned their promotions.

When Justin Tucker's game-winning 47-yard field goal slipped inside the right goal post at Sports Authority Field and dismissed Peyton Manning and the heavily favored Denver Broncos from the playoffs, there was nothing to do but watch in wonder and then wonder about what we all just watched. Apparently, revenge really is a dish served cold - very cold, in this case - but that was last week's storyline. The word everybody likes to use when something so strange and wonderful happens in the world of sports is "destiny," and it was thrown around a lot Saturday night in the aftermath of a game that featured so many entertaining twists and turns that the Ravens may get a new dance named after them.

While Ray Lewis was lapping the field and basking in the glory of his final victory at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, David and Michel Modell were on the Ravens' sideline connecting the final dot. They placed a bouquet of flowers on the large black circle bearing the first name of the father of the Ravens franchise - and the father figure who helped steer Lewis through the toughest time of his life. Art Modell , who passed away just four days before the Ravens opened the 2012 season, surely was there in spirit.

Thousands came to pay their last respects Saturday to the man who brought pro football back to Baltimore, nodding solemnly at the coffin on the 50-yard line of a stadium that might not be there if it weren't for Art Modell . Mourners thanked him for 17 years of purple Fridays and Ray Lewis dancing out of the tunnel, for the Lombardi Trophy that gleamed next to his flag-draped casket in recognition of the Ravens' 2000 World Championship. They thanked him, most of all, for restoring a piece of the city's soul.

Matt Wood cannot understand it when Baltimore fans shrug off Cleveland's bitterness toward the late Art Modell . "It's bewildering to me when Baltimore fans say, 'Big deal, he moved the team,'" said Wood, who writes for the Cleveland Browns fan website Dawgs by Nature. "It's like, dude, you're in bed with our Irsay. " There it is right there. If you grew up in Baltimore and want to know how Cleveland fans felt Thursday when Modell died, think back to how you felt about the death of Robert Irsay.

Matt Wood cannot understand it when Baltimore fans shrug off Cleveland's bitterness toward the late Art Modell . "It's bewildering to me when Baltimore fans say, 'Big deal, he moved the team,'" said Wood, who writes for the Cleveland Browns fan web site Dawgs by Nature. "It's like dude, you're in bed with our Irsay. " There it is right there. If you grew up in Baltimore and want to know how Cleveland fans felt on Thursday when Modell died, think back to how you felt about the death of Robert Irsay.

Longtime Baltimore Colts and Ravens fan Jim Phillips will be laid to rest Saturday following a service at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hagerstown. Phillips, 81, was a huge part of the fiber of Baltimore football, almost as much as some of the former Colts and current Ravens greats. Jim was passionate about the game and had ties with some of the city's great legends like John Unitas, Art Donovan, Lenny Moore and Mike Curtis. He rarely missed a game on Sunday, and even kept the old Colts Corral group in Hagerstown going during the 13 years when Baltimore didn't have football after the Colts left for Indianapolis.

Matt Wood cannot understand it when Baltimore fans shrug off Cleveland's bitterness toward the late Art Modell . "It's bewildering to me when Baltimore fans say, 'Big deal, he moved the team,'" said Wood, who writes for the Cleveland Browns fan website Dawgs by Nature. "It's like, dude, you're in bed with our Irsay. " There it is right there. If you grew up in Baltimore and want to know how Cleveland fans felt Thursday when Modell died, think back to how you felt about the death of Robert Irsay.

Roy Sommerhof, the Orioles' director of stadium operations, has decided to leave the organization to take charge of ticket sales for the NFL Ravens."It's a good opportunity for me," Sommerhof said. "I'm just looking forward to the challenge."Ravens officials said that Sommerhof approached them about an opening."He sent us a resume," Ravens owner Art Modell said. "I don't want people to perceive this as us raiding the Orioles."Said Ravens vice president David Modell: "We're not in the business of poaching employees from any organization."

Who doesn't need more bling these days? And what better way to impress your friends than flashing a genuine, diamond-studded Ravens Super Bowl XXXV ring? Right now, it can be yours for a little more than $8,000. OK, maybe that's not exactly a steal. But that's the current bidding price at Lelands.com, where the ring is being auctioned. Here's the back-story, though: the ring doesn't belong to a former player. The name “Dickson” is inscribed on it. But it doesn't belong to current tight end Ed Dickson, who was still a kid when the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2001.

The party had all the makings of a Hollywood A-list affair: a red carpet with reporters and photographers corralled behind velvet ropes, famous directors and lots of local glitterati. However, this event was in Baltimore. And all about Baltimore. Baltimore-based filmmakers John Waters and Barry Levinson, as well as "The Wire" creator David Simon, were the guests of honor at the Maryland Film Festival's second fundraiser. Although the evening's main event would be an open conversation among the three - moderated by TCM's Elvis Mitchell - a couple of hundred folks had paid top dollar to mingle with the Baltimore favorites at a dinner reception beforehand.