Stan White remembers Baltimore in the 1970s. It was a football town, plain and simple. While he’s glad that his son, Stan Jr., can experience that today, the former Colts linebacker wishes there was more of a connection between the teams that define the two generations.
With the Indianapolis Colts coming to town today for an AFC second-round playoff game against the Ravens, the debate about the history of the team ? and the city of Baltimore, for that matter ? is a heated topic of discussion.
“There is no relationship with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Colts,” White said. “It would be like me meeting a guy named White and assuming we’re related when we have nothing in common but a name.”
But somewhere in the back of the Mayflower vans that left Maryland in March 1984, the Irsay family stashed Baltimore’s football history for safe-keeping. Indianapolis has the uniforms, helmets, logo, records and retired numbers of many former Baltimore Colts. And that ignites a fire in Baltimore’s football legends.
“It shouldn’t be there. We were not Indianapolis Colts,” said White, who points to Indianapolis? media guide and record books. “We were a completely separate, independent franchise.”
Aside from the franchise’s history, the main connection lies in the team’s ownership.
“I know the Irsay family now owns the Indianapolis Colts, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to have all the guys in the Hall of Fame as Indianapolis Colts,” said former Baltimore Colts defensive back Rick Volk. “These Colts like Unitas, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, Raymond Berry ?are Baltimore Colts, not Indianapolis Colts.”
Some aren’t as sympathetic.
“[Robert] Irsay didn’t have to take the colors and the name and the tradition there,” Baltimore Colts great Tom Matte said. He added that former Ravens owner Art Modell allowed Cleveland to keep the Browns’ history and offered to buy back the Colts? traditions from the Irsays.
“[Robert?s son] Jimmy Irsay has kept our records, too,” Matte said. “He acts like he has nothing to do with this, but his hands are dirty.”
While the colors and name are different, White said Baltimore has embraced Ravens, comparing it to the welcoming of a second child. Perhaps the acceptance had something to do with the Ravens? organizational willingness to include former Baltimore Colts.
“They’re doing a lot of things now to make us feel a part of it all,” Volk said. “Even though they have done that, it?s not like we played here. So you don’t have that connection.”
Volk said this Ravens team is “right up there” with the great ones in Baltimore history and “may be even a little better than our Super Bowl V team.”
“If they play their game,” Volk said, “they should win the Super Bowl this year.”
? Staff writer Ron Cassie contributed to this story
