A Different Bird, but It Will Do

The Ravens, who arrived to thunderous applause and otherwise sane folk wearing bird cages over their heads, swooped in like vultures Sunday to pick at the Raiders, and could the next move in the NFL be the firing of Oakland Coach Mike White?

Try to sell a personal-seat license in Oakland this morning, after the team that lost its final six games of 1995 began 1996 with a second-half surrender.

Outcoached, outplayed and left winded by the Ravens’ no-huddle attack, the Raiders presented Baltimore a 19-14 happy NFL homecoming before 64,124, the largest crowd in Memorial Stadium’s 42-year history.

Johnny Unitas, a surprise pregame guest and reminder of the Colt glory days before owner Bob Irsay pulled his team out of Baltimore 12 years ago, inspired the Ravens’ Vinny Testaverde to play like a genuine NFL quarterback.

“Just knowing that he was here today, a legend with the great years he had in Baltimore,” said Testaverde, “it’s just a great beginning for this franchise.”

Unitas, one of 40 former Colt greats to be introduced, although he had been a critic of owner Art Modell’s abandonment of Cleveland in the quest for more cash, remained alone in not tugging a Raven jacket over his Colt jersey. It was still goose-bump theater, however, and Hamid, Qayyum, the electrical engineer wearing the bird cage over his head and painted face, began madly pounding on a drum.

“It’s all that pent up frustration for Bob Irsay,” he said, and Steve Lehner, the guy with the feathers and beak glued to his face, began crowing.

If only they could have this kind of fun in Oakland where there appears now no good reason for an expanded stadium. One game into the 1996 season and it’s 1995 all over again for a bewildered White.

“Obviously, it is a very disappointing loss, but it gets our team started and we’ll see where we will go from here,” White said.

Somebody give this guy a schedule. The Raiders go to Kansas City next, and that should get them started 0-2.

“Some people are going to be mad for me saying this, but Baltimore dug deep down and showed more desire than we did,” said Raider cornerback Larry Brown, who was hired in the off-season to improve Oakland’s attitude after winning the Super Bowl XXX most valuable player trophy for Dallas. “They shouldn’t have beaten us; they weren’t half the football team we were. But they had more heart than we did.”

The Ravens appeared cooked early. Testaverde ran nine yards for the first Baltimore score, but the Raiders responded with a pair of Billy Joe Hobert-to-Tim Brown touchdown passes. At the same time, Oakland’s massive defensive line was dictating play, and even though Hobert eventually proved his 0-2 record as a starter was no fluke, the Ravens had nothing going.

Raider safety Lorenzo Lynch, who has already received the glare from management for telling people the high price of personal-seat licenses had forced his father to reconsider going to Oakland games, said, “When you start a fire you better burn down the building.”

In failing to finish the job, the Raiders once again exposed their Achilles’ heel: Coaching. A few weeks ago their defensive coordinator, John Fox, abruptly resigned after a conversation with owner Al Davis. He must have taken the defensive playbook with him, because when the Ravens unleashed a second half no-huddle attack, the Raiders reacted as if they had never seen it.

Twice they were caught with too many men on the field, which went nicely with the eight offsides penalties called on the defense. Hurry up, hurry up and the Ravens did as they pleased, outscoring Oakland, 12-0, down the stretch, and swiping yet another fine chance for victory from the Raiders.

Too early to panic? Who is going to buy a PSL to watch a team that hasn’t won since last November? How long before Davis turns to assistant head coach Joe Bugel, who thought he was hired as head coach a year ago before learning Davis had changed his mind overnight in favor of White?

“I still have a real good feeling about this team,” White said. “I feel good about the preparation, but again we just let it slip away from us. We just have to get ready for the next game.”

How inspiring.