Ravens Roost #41 - Local News Coverage

Ravens fans understand call

The Super Bowl champs were to play Minnesota in the first Monday game in Baltimore in 23 years.

September 14, 2001

In January, York resident and Baltimore native John Siegmund felt like he was on top of the world. On Tuesday, he felt like he was at the center of hell.

Eight months ago, Siegmund decorated his face with black and purple paint and cheered his Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV along with fellow members of Ravens Roost 41, the local branch of the Ravens fan club, at The Cove restaurant in York.

Another significant step in the team�s brief history was scheduled to take place Monday. That�s when the Ravens were to host the Minnesota Vikings in Baltimore�s first Monday Night Football game since the Colts defeated Washington Redskins in November 1978.

But after Tuesday�s terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., the world of sports has become an afterthought. After mulling over the idea, the NFL postponed its entire Week 2 schedule on Thursday.

Siegmund, a retired 22-year Army veteran, planned to attend the Ravens� game on Monday, despite the fact that he was at the epicenter of the disaster. He was inside World Trade Center 7 � one of the smaller buildings � on Tuesday morning when two hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers.

"I have completely different emotions from Sept. 11 than I did on Jan. 29," Siegmund said. "It puts everything in perspective.

"Did I ever think I would be there and see that? No,� Siegmund added. �I don�t think the full realization of it all has hit me yet."

Siegmund returned to York uninjured on Wednesday, still shocked by the events. Still, he had planned on going ahead with the Ravens Roost�s pregame routine of tailgating in Lot A of PSINet Stadium and attending what was supposed to be another highlight in Baltimore�s rich football history.

Believe it or not, Siegmund wanted to see the NFL play its games this week. He said not only would it be a part of the healing process, but it would also be an important step in the return to normalcy.

"I am a Ravens fan,� Siegmund said. �I still wanted to show up and support my team. Secondly, I think this country has to show that nothing is going to stop us from going about our daily lives. If the game had been played, I fully expected to see as much red, white and blue in the stands as purple and black."

Ravens Roost member Alan Epstein said he understood the decision if it was based on team travel issues or if assembling thousands of fans into 15 large stadiums created larger security risks. But, otherwise, he thought games should have been played.

Those factors were considered in the decision, as were the feelings of teams in New York and Washington - the Jets, Giants and Redskins - who said they would not play.

"I think it�s far enough afterward,� Epstein said. "In a way it's a symbolic gesture that feeds into everything the people who did this wanted to do. Obviously, it�s all secondary to what went on Tuesday, but I think it�s far away from the event."

On the Ravens� official Web site, 56.1 percent of fans polled agreed with the NFL�s decision to postpone games, as of Thursday evening.

"I think that no matter what they do, there are going to be people who won�t agree with it," said Ravens Roost 41 president George Christas.

Christas admitted he felt removed from the incident until he had heard that Siegmund was in lower Manhattan during the attack.

"I had no clue that there was anyone I knew who was close to it," Christas said. "Nobody has seen anything like this happen. It�s a sad, sad situation and it�s going to take a long time to recover from this either way."

The 90-plus members of Ravens Roost 41, who usually spend every fall Sunday together, had no plans to meet this Sunday, Christas said.

"I don�t know," Christas said. "One lady called and suggested we should go and raise money at Camden Yards. But, honestly, I think I�m just going to stay home with my family and hug my kids."

Reach Eduardo A. Encina at 771-2060 or [email protected].

© York Daily Record 2001