Gameday

Labragator in the house, ready to cheer on the Ravens this Sunday. Truth be told, she was less than amused at being dressed up in people clothes for a photo. When kickoff finally gets here, though, I have no doubt she'll be more than ready for some of our gameday snacks. And while I'll be tempted to share (those big brown eyes get me every time), the experts say I'd better be careful -- not all people snacks are OK for our pets. Trainer and T.V. star Cesar Millan says there are some treats that are fine for man and canine, including peanut butter, cooked chicken (if your dog isn't allergic -- Molly is, so this is off our list)

Are you ready for some gumbo? At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 3, when the Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, much of Baltimore will be watching, either from their stadium seats in New Orleans or here at home. Ravens fans not lucky enough to have tickets to the big game still have plenty of reason to celebrate at home in Baltimore, and they can do so in N'awlins style. According to local chefs with Louisiana roots, the Big Easy's cuisine is tailor-made for parties.

3 -- Turnovers committed by Browns 14:10 -- Ravens' edge in time of possession 150 -- Yards rushing by Ravens on 33 attempts 178 -- Ravens' edge in total yards in the first half.

Labragator in the house, ready to cheer on the Ravens this Sunday. Truth be told, she was less than amused at being dressed up in people clothes for a photo. When kickoff finally gets here, though, I have no doubt she'll be more than ready for some of our gameday snacks. And while I'll be tempted to share (those big brown eyes get me every time), the experts say I'd better be careful -- not all people snacks are OK for our pets. Trainer and T.V. star Cesar Millan says there are some treats that are fine for man and canine, including peanut butter, cooked chicken (if your dog isn't allergic -- Molly is, so this is off our list)

UNPREPARED TO PLAY Whether it was overlooking the Buffalo Bills or looking forward to the bye week, the Ravens didn't show up with any focus. Of their 11 penalties, five were offside on the defense and two were false starts on the offensive line. Tight end Quinn Sypniewski fumbled deep in Ravens territory, and rookie Yamon Figurs misplayed three returns. SOLID RETURN FOR MCGAHEE In his first game back in Buffalo since being traded to the Ravens, running back Willis McGahee was one of the few Ravens to show up. More elusive than he had been all season, McGahee gained a season-high 114 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.

OPPONENT -- Raiders Site -- M&T BANK STADIUM WHEN -- Sunday, 1 p.m. TV -- Ch. 13 RADIO -- 97.9 FM Line -- Off the board

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Which of the NFL pre-game show casts has been together the longest?Go to the head of the class if you picked the gang at ESPN's "NFL GameDay," the program that coordinating producer Bob Rauscher describes as "the pre-game show without a game."Starting with the nucleus of host Chris Berman and analyst Tom Jackson -- finishing up their eighth season together -- and adding Joe Theismann, Chris Mortensen and newcomer Phil Simms, to go along with a solid core of field reporters and production crew, you get a solid show each week.

1 Ravens 3 Titans 0 The Ravens turned defensive tackle Justin Bannan's first career interception into points courtesy of a 38-yard field goal by Matt Stover. Cornerback Chris McAlister picked off another pass by Kerry Collins, and the Ravens ended the quarter with a successful challenge to reverse the initial ruling of an interception by David Thornton. Ravens: FG Stover 38, 5:52. 2 Ravens 3 Titans 3 The Titans returned the favor when free safety Michael Griffin stepped in front of a pass by Joe Flacco intended for wide receiver Demetrius Williams.

B&O Brasserie is amping up its Ravens love with playoff week specials. The bar will be serving 50-cent National Bohemians and the Hail Mary, a purple cocktail concocted by Head Bartender Brendan Dorr. Thomas Dunklin is bringing bar snacks like candied bacon deviled eggs, pork belly sliders and Gulf shrimp corn dogs. The specials are in effect all day long on Purple Friday (Jan. 4) and game-day Sunday. Midtown BBQ & Brew is promoting a free halftime buffet for Sunday's game along with beer and shooter specials.

While many Baltimoreans associate Shuckers of Fells Point with its outdoor patio and picturesque views of the harbor, it has long been a good, if underrated, place to watch a game. Like Looney's Pub in Canton, Shuckers separates itself from surrounding bars with its abundance of TVs. On Sunday, 40 flat-screen TVs will be on at a time, with most tuned (appropriately) to the Ravens' Battle of the Beltways against the Redskins. So even if you can't grab the comfortable leather couch in the back, there will still be plenty of seats and screens available.

For most Canton residents, the unassuming Hudson Street Stackhouse is the ultimate neighborhood bar for beer-loving hockey fans: It proudly supports the Washington Capitals. But the Stackhouse also makes an ideal place to watch a Ravens game. First and foremost, the Stackhouse - located near Safeway and sandwiched between rowhouses - is instantly comfortable. With its concrete floor, exposed brick walls and tin ceiling, the Stackhouse eschews a cheesy theme or flashy design, instead favoring a laid-back atmosphere that feels inviting and low-pressure.

Ravens fans attending Sunday's game will need to layer their purple. Despite partly sunny skies, downtown temperatures will climb to only about 38 degrees by late afternoon. At kickoff time, 1 p.m., expect 33 degrees and a light but chilly NW breeze. Gloves, thick socks and a few layers will be helpful. Ear muffs could serve double duty ... keeping ears warm as well as blocking the noise from the Ravens fanatics.

It's a good thing I like the Muppets, because there was no escaping them Thursday on the NFL Network. Ads for their movie, “The Muppets” were all over the screen as sponsor of the NFL Network's “Gameday” show that started at 10 a.m. from Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium. And then, Kermit and the gang were back as sponsor of the pregame show at 8 p.m. Every time I looked at the screen Thursday, I saw a furry, crazed character. But that's OK, and not just because the Muppets make me smile.

The Ravens' 23-20 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night has earned the team a new member with a familiar name on the bandwagon: Michael Irvin. The former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and Hall of Famer was complimentary of the Ravens during Sunday night's NFL GameDay Final on the NFL Network. Irvin was especially impressed with quarterback Joe Flacco's decision-making and throws in capping a 92-yard game-winning drive with a 26-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith.

As my fine Baltimore Sun colleague and gameday chat partner Kevin Van Valkenburg wrote in a feature for Sunday's newspaper, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is close friends with Steve Spagnuolo . But the Rams coach admitted to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that in the heat of the moment after the Ravens ran up the score on his Rams in Sunday's 37-7 win, Spagnuolo questioned whether he would speak with Harbaugh again . "It's funny....

A small city rises up for a day whenever the Baltimore Ravens play at home. Nearly 80,000 fans converge on M&T Bank Stadium, all of them hungry, pretty much all at the same time. Keeping this ravenous crowd well fed is an army of hawkers selling humble hot dogs in the stands. Toqued chefs setting bananas foster aflame in exclusive suites. Wired food-service bigwigs monitoring crowd data on their BlackBerries. Overnight cleanup crews mopping the kitchen floor. Not to mention cooks, who get started days ahead of time in kitchen space that looks like it could serve a good-sized restaurant, not a huge stadium.