M T Bank Stadium

Baltimore Sun reporters are stationed along the parade route, from City Hall to M&T Bank Stadium. See their observations, fan interviews and other updates here. #52 Ray Lewis smiled wide to the crowd and yelled "Baltimore!" as he approached the podium. "There's no [better] place on this earth than the city of Baltimore," he said before he referenced his long career. "This city believed in each other from Day 1, 1996 to now, we believed in each other, Baltimore. " "I said this is my last ride," he told fans, "and every moment every time I've stepped into this stadium, what I've recieved is pure love.

Dizzy with the thrill of a Super Bowl victory - and late-night revelry - Ravens fans spent Monday stocking up on purple gear and planning to close offices and pull children out of school for Tuesday's victory parade. Women heaped on purple rings and bracelets, couples slapped purple paint onto the family car and parents dragged children into school a few hours late, explaining they had stayed up late for the Super Bowl . From time to time, Marylanders marveled at the news that, for many, felt like a dream come true: After 12 years, the Ravens were again world champions.

Week 1 (Sept. 10) at M&T Bank Stadium: Ravens 44, Cincinnati Bengals 13 The Ravens began the 2012 season on a strong note, blowing out the Bengals in convincing fashion on Monday Night Football. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns and running back Ray Rice had 93 total yards and two touchdowns on 13 touches as the Ravens had their highest-scoring game since a 48-3 win over the Detroit Lions on Dec. 13, 2009. Week 2 (Sept. 16) at Lincoln Financial Field: Philadelphia Eagles 24, Ravens 23 The Ravens defense forced four turnovers - three from Eagles quarterback Michael Vick - but the offense couldn't capitalize.

When Eastern Shore native Peter Michaels Allen moved to San Francisco two years ago, he made sure he had a way to make money and a place to sleep before getting to the really important stuff - finding a place to watch his Ravens. Though they're nearly 2,500 miles from home, Allen and several dozen Ravens diehards are doing their best to color 49ers country purple. They call themselves Ravens in the Fog, and with imported Berger cookies, drinks laced with Old Bay and war-painted faces, come Sunday they'll be waving the Baltimore flag - hard - in enemy territory.

When John Harbaugh stepped to the podium here Monday night, it seemed to complete his evolution as a head coach. It is Super Bowl week, a period that can drive a lot of head coaches nuts. If this was Harbaugh's first year with the Ravens, they'd probably have hauled him away in a strait jacket after about three days. He is different now, much more relaxed. So far in public, Harbaugh has been well-dressed, humorous and handled the media circuses well. His players are loose and having fun - and they are focused.

In the latest video sweeping this Ravens-obsessed city, Baltimore women channel Beyonce with a Super Bowl spin on her famous "Single Ladies" video. The women, in leotards and heels, brave the 20-degree weather from earlier this week to dance outside M&T Bank Stadium and at the Inner Harbor. It makes us shiver just watching them. They sing that they're ready to put a Super Bowl ring on it. That and a coat. Maybe some mittens. Filmmaker Paul Hutson and Mike Maiatico edited the faithful-to-Beyonce video with photography by Will Cocks.

After nine tantalizing seasons, Steve Bisciotti finally stood exactly where he wanted to be, encircled by jubilant Ravens players and cradling the hollow silver football that said his team was on its way to the Super Bowl. Bisciotti had just accepted the trophy from former player O.J. Brigance, whose fight against ALS has inspired the Ravens organization. As the king whose army had conquered the enemy's field, he could have basked in a nation's gaze. Instead, as is the Ravens owner's wont, he exited the stage quickly.

The folks at Aramark sent over some game-day recipes from M&T Bank Stadium's Executive Chef Joe Bachman . There was one for Maryland crab cakes, another for pit beef sandwiches, but I thou ght you'd want to see the one for Maryland Crab Tots. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Aramark is the exclusive food and beverage partner for M&T Bank Stadium. Here's the recipe for Maryland Crab Tots from M&T Bank Stadium: •    2 pounds tots (any supermarket brand will do)

Over the past five months, I have rambled and ranted about the Ravens after each of their games in our weekly online column, Five Things We Learned About The Ravens. It has been an honor to take over for the great Kevin Van Valkenburg, who is now at ESPN. And after running on fumes and coffee the next day because I closed down the press box many times, I have an even greater appreciation for how good he was at this. While pecking at my keyboard, often in the wee hours of the morning, I tried to be fair and to avoid drawing concrete conclusions based solely on emotions or one eyebrow-raising performance, whether it was a good one or bad. Still, there were some things I got wrong, though I feel there were a lot more that I got right.

Baltimore might have missed out on hosting World Cup matches when the U.S. lost its bid for the quadrennial event in 2022, but M&T Stadium will be part of another prestigious international soccer tournament when the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup comes to the city in July. M&T Bank Stadium is one of 13 venues that were announced Wednesday as hosts for the regional championship event. CONCACAF is the governing body for association soccer in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.