THERE’S STILL SOME CLEVELAND IN THE RAVENS

By STEVE KING

I can remember it as if it were yesterday, when in fact it was nearly a quarter-century ago.

Newly-named head coach Ted Marchibroda of the newly-named Baltimore Ravens said in the spring of 1996 that he had “to get all of the Cleveland” out of the former – and original – Browns franchise.

Look, I understood exactly – exactly! – what he was saying, and if I were him, I would have been saying – and trying to do – the same thing. But because the wound of losing the Browns was still very fresh and thus still very hurtful, even though it had been decided that a new – and expansion — Browns franchise would return to Cleveland in three years in 1999, I wanted to drive to the former Browns headquarters in Berea, where the Ravens were still based while their new temporary practice facility was being readied, and strangle the life out pf the former Baltimore head coach who, in 1975, gave some 23-year-old kid namded Bill Belichick his coaching start.

Oh, yeah, I sure did. I was that upset.

But that was then and this is now, and now I find it not irritating but interesting – very much so – what’s going on with the Ravens. It involves a lot of familiar names.

In reorganizing themselves after the retirement of Browns Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens announced on Thursday that they had named:

*Pat Moriarity, a Cleveland native who had played with the Browns as a running back and began his post-football career as director of business operations with the Browns, as senior vice president of football operations.

*George Kokinis, a former Browns scout and then GM for a very short time about a decade ago, as director of player personnel.

*And Vince Newsome, a former Browns safety and scout, as senior player personnel executive.

Cleveland native and former Browns public relations director Kevin Byrne remains in that same capacity with the Ravens.

Former Browns assistant trainer Mark Smith remains as head athletic trainer of the Ravens.

So, then, despite Ted Marchibroda’s efforts, the Ravens still haven’t been able to get all of the Cleveland out of their organization.

That makes me smile – a whole bunch.