The city of Baltimore has enjoyed multiple championship parades before.
The streets have locked down, and the crowd has gathered to watch several different title teams waltz and strut along the concrete with trophies in tow. The Orioles have held three celebrations, while the then-Baltimore Colts brought four titles back to Charm City.
The Baltimore Ravens have also had a hand in canceling work and school with their own championship parades. But how many times have they done it? Here’s a look back at their championship teams.
Ravens’ Super Bowl History Includes Record-Breaking Unit
The Ravens have secured two Vince Lombardi Trophies.
Their first one involved some NFL history — both good and bad, with the former more applicable.
The 2000 Ravens were known for their old-school, brute force on defense. The offense, however, had some rather forgettable moments.
The most infamous moment was watching the team go through five straight games without scoring a single touchdown. Placekicker Matt Stover was responsible for handling all the scoring during that time — with his leg. But the slump ended at the 14:07 mark of the second quarter on Nov. 5, 2000, against the Cincinnati Bengals, when Trent Dilfer found Brandon Stokley with a 14-yard touchdown strike.
There was more history made, though — the good kind on the Ravens’ side, which came on defense.
Baltimore didn’t just lead the NFL in scoring defense, but by surrendering only 165 total points, the Ravens shattered the league record of fewest points allowed in the regular season. They broke the previous mark held by the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears.
The Ravens went on to breeze through the postseason — rolling past the Denver Broncos, the top-seeded and defending AFC champion Tennessee Titans, and then the Oakland Raiders to secure the conference title. Baltimore ended its run by dismantling the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
Twelve years after that championship, Baltimore again started as a Wild Card team in the playoffs. Only this time, franchise legend Ray Lewis told his teammates and the media that the 2012 campaign would be his last ride.
Baltimore played inspired football from there. The Ravens knocked off the Indianapolis Colts in Lewis’ final home game, and then they stunned the top-seeded Denver Broncos and ultimately secured the AFC title from the New England Patriots. Lewis — with the help of Ed Reed, Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, and others — got his hands on one last Vince Lombardi Trophy by beating the San Francisco 49ers.
And for Baltimore, that ’12 season marks the last time a team from its city won any major sporting championship.
When Was the Last Time Baltimore Hosted a Conference Title Game?
Surprisingly, given the Ravens’ model of consistency, the franchise will host its first-ever AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
They were always the road team when they played for a spot in the Super Bowl. Now, the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs are in town.
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For the city, this means the next possible earliest celebration will be for the Lamar Hunt Trophy — annually given to the winner of that conference. It will also be the first time since 1971 that Baltimore has witnessed a conference championship game in its town.
That was when the Colts represented Charm City. Led by legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas, the Colts defeated the then-Oakland Raiders, 27-17. Now, 53 years later, Baltimore will hope for a long-awaited conference championship celebration … and a potential third Super Bowl parade after Feb. 11 for the Ravens.
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