Ravens head coach Brian Billick gathered his team together at the center of the field Wednesday at about ten minutes before noon.
Just a few moments before, some of those players had broken into two different fights during the team?s voluntary workout at the team?s headquarters in Owings Mills.
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“Since you don?t want to practice, you?re going to [expletive] run until I get tired of making you run,” Billick told the team.
Players ran from sideline-to-sideline for nearly 10 minutes. When they were finished, Billick reminded his players of last year?s nightmarish Detroit game. In that 35-17 loss, the Ravens had 21 penalties (two short of an NFL record) and had two players ejected.
The team was then the subject of national scrutiny for their lack of discipline.
Billick was not scheduled to speak with the media following Wednesday?s practice, and he was not made available to comment on the fights.
Fights are not rare in preseason workouts, but they typically surface during the more intense training camp workouts amid summer humidity. Wednesday?s practice was business as usual until the emotional fights broke out about 90 minutes into the morning session.
“It?s going to happen,” offensive lineman Edwin Mulitalo said. “I?m sure there is going to be some more. The key is keeping them controlled and get better.”
Running back Jamal Lewis received some contact as he attempted to go through the defensive line during a play. In the ensuing seconds, offensive lineman Jason Brown locked horns with linebacker Mike Smith. They each grabbed the other?s helmet during the fight, but other players came between them.
Brown then rolled into defensive lineman Jarret Johnson, and another scuffle ensued.
Just a few minutes later, Smith scuffled with Brown again after a play, with Johnson getting involved. Defensive lineman Kelly Gregg briefly took part as well. Punches were thrown during the second melee.
None of the players involved were available for comment after practice.
“When you don?t have the pads, sometimes different people are [running at] different speeds and that?s what happened,” Mulitalo said. “Hopefully, it?s a little family scuffle, and we get closer from this.”
Running back Mike Anderson said Billick used the fight as a learning tool.
“You know, coach is a teacher, a wonderful teacher. He just basically used that as something to learn from,” Anderson said.
According to the Ravens, players involved in the incidents were not disciplined.
