Ravens

Kevin Plank can't help himself. The Under Armour CEO might know, in his heart of hearts, that his horse is a long shot against the world's finest 3-year-old thoroughbreds. His farm manager, Tom Mullikin, describes the dark bay colt as more "grinder" than star. But Plank's own rise, from blindly ambitious college kid to billionaire apparel mogul, is an underdog tale. So he can't help but play Joe Namath and talk big about his colt's chances in the 137th Preakness Stakes. "Tommy, did you guarantee on Tiger Walk?"

Many folks may be traveling on this long Memorial Day holiday weekend, but if you're going to be around, here are two activities not to miss on Saturday. The first one's a snap - you don't even have to leave the house, or get out of your PJs. At 9 a.m Saturday (May 26), local cable, broadcast and satellite TV stations will feature a half-hour documentary about the Healthy Harbor campaign to make Baltimore's harbor swimmable and fishable by the end of the decade.  The algae bloom and fish kills this week are furnishing a pungent reminder of why this campaign was launched.

Hard-core Ravens fans and HBO viewers know what Kenny Jackson did on his big night out during training camp. He gave an unequivocal thumbs-up to Planet of the Apes, even if it wasn't the most memorable film he has seen this month. Jackson is the unusual rookie free agent whose quest to join the Super Bowl champions was developed into one of the subplots on Hard Knocks, the HBO chronicle of the Ravens' preseason. He's a chiseled 6 feet 2, 253 pounds, and there are plenty of rough edges to his game.

The most significant offensive additions the Ravens made this offseason were free-agent wide receiver Jacoby Jones and a pair of rookie linemen in Kelechi Osemele and Gino Gradkowski. Their personnel losses include Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs and veteran backups in running back Ricky Williams and wide receiver Lee Evans. On paper -- and we know the dangers of evaluating football teams on that alone -- it doesn't appear the Ravens have done much to improve an offense that ranked 12th in points scored and 15th in total yards a season ago. But there is reason to believe that the offense will be better in 2012: They will finally have a little continuity.

The NFL tweaked some of its rules Tuesday, making thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for players (starting in 2013) and pushing forward a pair of other changes involving the trade deadline and injured reserve. The rule involving thigh and knee padding for players is already being met with criticism by some players who argue that the bulky, additional padding slows them down without adding much protection . Vanity might also be a factor here for some opponents of the rule change, specifically those flashy wide receivers and defensive backs.

W hen Michael Oher takes the field as a Baltimore Raven this fall, a national audience of readers and moviegoers even bigger than the Ravens' fan base will be cheering for him. The amazing story behind his rise to football stardom will fill the bestseller shelves at bookstores on Oct. 12, with a new edition of Michael Lewis' powerhouse piece of nonfiction "The Blind Side." And if all goes according to plan, it will also pack movie theaters on Nov. 20, when writer-director John Lee Hancock's movie version hits theaters, starring newcomer Quinton Aron as Oher and Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy - the wealthy, white, conservative, evangelical couple who devoted themselves to the happiness and success of "Big Mike," a black kid from the meanest streets of Memphis, Tenn.

THE LAST couple of times they made a TV series about this town, wise-cracking detectives were kneeling over fresh, bullet-riddled corpses ("Homicide: Life on the Streets") and hollow-eyed junkies were sticking needles in their arms and joining the walking dead ("The Corner"). Both were riveting shows, but probably not the kind that made folks at the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association high-five each other, murder and drug addiction being somewhat low on the list of things a city likes to trumpet.

Ed Reed being non-committal about his future is an annual rite of spring here in Baltimore, and he kept the tradition going Thursday by telling Sirius/XM NFL Radio he isn't 100 percent committed to playing in 2012. Citing concerns about his health and long-term future, the Pro Bowl free safety told hosts Adam Schein and Rich Gannon that he isn't sure if he will play this season. He said that he has considered retirement during the past three offseasons -- this one included. It's also worth noting that Reed is in the final year of his contract.

In the aftermath of the Ravens' latest loss to another seemingly unworthy opponent, coach John Harbaugh was asked whether there might be a psychological component to the team's apparent inability to make the most of their most winnable games. "I'm not a psychologist," he replied. "I think what you do is look at football. You look at what you can do better as a football team. So, we're moving forward. " That was the right answer … after the Ravens followed up their blowout win over the Steelers with a deflating loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 2. It might still have flown after the Monday Night loss to the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7. But the third time definitely is cause to wonder just what's going on inside all those helmets.

Saturday, six men were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: defensive linemen Chris Doleman and Cortez Kennedy, offensive tackle Willie Roaf, center Dermontti Dawson, running back Curtis Martin, and cornerback Jack Butler. Meanwhile, former coach Bill Parcells, running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Cris Carter, and defensive end Charles Haley were among the finalists who learned that their busts won't be bronzed this year. For those who were left out in 2012, the road to Canton won't get any smoother in 2013 . A bunch of strong Hall of Fame candidates will be eligible next year, including former Ravens left tackle and franchise cornerstone Jonathan Ogden.

The past 12 months have been a bit of a whirlwind for new Ravens quarterback Curtis Painter. A year ago, he was expected to be the backup to Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts, but Manning sat out the season with a neck injury. Kerry Collins was ineffective early, pushing Painter into the starting lineup for Week 4. He made eight starts for the Colts, who ultimately finished 2-14, before giving way to Dan Orlovsky. Last month, Painter participated in a tryout for the Ravens, along with 2003 first-round pick Kyle Boller and former Pittsburgh Steelers scrambler Dennis Dixon.

Ravens strong safety Bernard Pollard was rewarded this month with a contract extension, a deal that can keep him in Baltimore through 2015. Pollard made 75 tackles and broke up a career-high 13 passes in 2011, his first season here, but he insists his attitude and his play won't change now that he has a new deal. “This is a blessing for me. You hear so many times when guys get extensions and they don't play the same, they don't do the same thing, they don't have the same hunger,” Pollard said at Wednesday's organized team activity . “I stay hungry.

Many of the eyes Wednesday at the Ravens' first organized team activities (OTA) workout that was open to the media were fixated for a decent chunk of practice on the team's offensive line. Team officials had identified that area as one they would like to improve this offseason, and they have attempted to do so by spending a pair of draft picks on linemen, Kelechi Osemele (second round) and Gino Gradkowski(fourth). The Ravens rotated several linemen with the first-team offense, including second-year players Jah Reid and Justin Boren.

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 Ravens will finish up the first of three voluntary offseason team activities today, though they'll do it outside the glare of the media. Yesterday was the one day for media availability, and while no big news came out of it, it was still good to see some action after so much attention has been placed on off-the-field stories over the past couple of months. Making any conclusions after a two-hour practice -- which did not include some of the team's top veteran players, including running back Ray Rice , linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed , and featured most of the players in jerseys, gym shorts and no shoulder pads -- would be foolish.

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, whose weight and conditioning were scrutinized during his first season in Baltimore, attended this week's organized team activities and has been a regular participant in the team's offseason program for most of the past few weeks. “He's been working really hard,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He's been out here most of the time and conditioning has been a fair amount of a priority. He's done a good job. We'll just have to see how he does.” McKinnie, who is listed at 360 pounds, doesn't appear to have packed on additional pounds since last season.

Though the idea that the Ravens could put injured linebacker Terrell Suggs on the non-football injury list and not pay him all of his $4.9 million base salary during the coming season has picked up steam this week, there has been no indication that it's something the Ravens would consider doing. As of Wednesday night, I was told that there had been no internal discussion within the Ravens' front office about trying to get out of part of Suggs' contract after he tore his Achilles tendon last month during a workout.

In a note unrelated to the draft, the Ravens have dismissed their assistant strength and conditioning coach, John "Mother" Dunn. Dunn was hired by Ravens coach John Harbaugh in February 2008. He was voted by his peers as the NFL's Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1994 while with the San Diego Chargers. Dunn has also had stints with the Washington Redskins (1984-86, 2004-2005), Los Angeles Raiders (1987-89), Chargers (1990-96), New York Giants (1997-2003)

Joe Flacco took a couple of steps to his right, spotted Ed Dickson about 10 yards down the field and lofted a pass between two defenders that the young tight end hauled in. After Dickson was touched down and the Ravens' offense retreated back to the line of scrimmage, Flacco yelled out a play that ended with his other primary tight end, Dennis Pitta, making a catch along the left sideline. Flacco wore a red jersey, black gym shorts and no shoulder pads, and his notoriously calm demeanor, which earned him the nickname "Joe Cool," was even more casual than usual.

Although some of the Ravens' biggest names were missing from the team's OTA (organized team activity) today, more than 80 on the 90-man roster were in attendance at the Owings Mills training facility. Heading the list of  no-shows: Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice, who was given the franchise tag, is not expected to practice until he gets a new long-term contract; LB Ray Lewis; OLB Terrell Suggs; S Ed Reed; DT Haloti Ngata; C Matt Birk; and fifth-round draft pick Asa Jackson, who can't attend until his school (Cal-Poly)