Ravens vs. Steelers

I think this Sunday is going to be a season maker or breaker for the Baltimore Ravens. If they can get by this first game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will be on a good path toward the playoffs. This past week’s game 55-20 was a phenomenal game. It was like the coming out party for our Ravens. They had been playing real sloppy football the past few weeks and now we’re seeing a shift in momentum. The bye week really had a good effect on the team. When you’re playing football, it’s a really tough game on your body. You get banged up pretty quick. A good rest once in a while in necessary for not just your body but your mind as well. The Ravens bye week came at a perfect time and John Harbaugh, who I think is a great coach, gave these guys a couple of days off to rest to be with their families, to take it easy, and to get away from football. Then, they returned refreshed and with a positive attitude. I think the game against the Oakland Raiders was a good indication of what the Ravens bye week did for them.  Despite being against an “easy” team, coming out with such an extraordinary lead was impressive. It will be what gives them the momentum for this upcoming game against Pittsburgh.

With Roethlisberger having a separated shoulder, the Ravens will have to play against the back-up quarterback. A separated shoulder could mean Roethlisberger will be out both times the Ravens face the Steelers. That is a good thing for the Baltimore Ravens. I have a lot of respect for Ben Roethlisberger. He is a real leader on his team and makes things happen. 

Even with Roethlisberger out of the picture, Baltimore still has a tough challenge ahead. The Steelers have a good defensive ball club. The defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dick LeBeau, is a good friend of mine. He has been in the league for 45 years now. He has many years of experience in coaching. He has a knack for coming up with different and unique defensive plays so the Ravens HAVE to be prepared for anything he might throw at them. LeBeau could come up with 3 to 4, 4 to 3, and 4 to 4 defenses. He can also come up with 1 coverages, 2 coverages, combination coverages, zone coverages… it’s all different things he can come up with that give a different view. LeBeau really likes to try to confuse our quarterback. When that happens, he will have Joe Flacco throwing into a spot he thinks will be open but somebody will be there and that’s how turn overs happen. We cannot have those turn overs.

Another problem the Ravens face is the Pittsburgh crowd. The noise that crowd makes really can rattle the players and it up to them to pick up on the signals. Sometimes, when the quarterback comes in the line of scrimmage, he recognizes a specific defense and tries to automatic and it can be extremely difficult for the players to hear. The best thing the team could do in Pittsburgh would be to jump out to a lead right away. Taking the lead early quiets the crowd making the rest of the game easier for the players to communicate.

If the Ravens take this game on Sunday, I think they will make it to the play offs.

Remembering Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas and I were very close. He was my favorite golf buddy in the off season. We even played Racket Ball together. One of the strangest days we had took place in 1968. The two of us traveled to the Towson YMCA, like any other outing, to play Racket ball. The two of us teamed up again two young ladies who were racket ball members of the YMCA. We were having a great time. John and I made a great pair on and off the field. Our fun was stopped short when at the front of the court John fell to the ground. “You tripped me!” he yelled back at me. I was standing in at the back of the court when I responded “John, I couldn’t have tripped you from all the way back here.” I quickly rushed him to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. I wasn’t happy to call Coach McCafferty to tell him the news. “Mack, John just tore his Achilles’ Tendon” I said into the cold telephone connecting me to the coach. I had a reputation for being the team prankster and wasn’t surprised when Mack responded “Tom, that’s not funny.” I wish it had been a joke but I told him “Mack, I’m not trying to be funny. John really did tear his Achilles’ Tendon.” I don’t know what sort of stress the coach must have been in at this point but I had to be in Havre De Grace that evening. Driving to the restaurant in Havre de Grace, my stomach didn’t feel right. I assumed it was stress from a day at the hospital. I was wrong. I became very sick. I was taken to Union Memorial Hospital. Unfortunately, I had to call the coach for the second time that day with bad news. I too was in the hospital but at the time I had no idea why. Turns out, it was acute appendicitis. In less than 24 hours John and I went from Racket Ball partners to hospital roommates.

The whole hospital was humming. Johnny Unitas and Tom Matte were both in the hospital and our friends were visiting. All of our friends brought a case of beer with them. They wanted us to be able to have a couple of drinks when they visited. By the end of the day we had eight cases of beer against the wall! We actually had a good time in that hospital… but we were both happy to get out of there.

John and I had a lot of good times but I will always admire him. He was the epitome of professionalism. He always had a game plan. He had a great arm and he was always thinking. He practiced intensely. He’s the reason I was in the league for 12 years. He helped me understand what the defenses were and how to read them like he read them. He told me that if I could read the defense the same way he could, then he could always anticipate where I’d be on each and every play. He was right. We had a great rapport with each other.He said he knew where I would be every play and he wanted me in his back field, and his back field is where I was. John was a true leader on the field. When we got into a huddle, there wasn’t a peep. We waited silently because when John spoke, we all listened. We were incredibly successful all the years we played.

It’s because of my admiration as well as what Johnny Unitas means to football that we decided to release his Keepr collectible first. He really is a Keepr Legend. His Keepr card will have his hall of fame speech, his statistics, different head shots, different posing shots, his two minute offense, and his interviews. We dug into the NFL vaults to get footage of Johnny Unitas that people haven’t seen in 40 years.

Johnny Unitas’ legacy will live on and what he’s done will never be forgotten. I’m excited to give a Johnny Unitas Keepr to my grandson so I can show him why Johnny Unitas is a legend. 

KEEPR NFL Legends

I have been working on a project that I am very excited about. My team and I, at Keepr Media, have created the new product that honors and celebrates legendary NFL players called the KEEPR NFL Legends. The KEEPR NFL Legends series is a premium, one-of-a-kind USB-enabled collectible that plugs into your computer and delivers select player highlights and interviews from the NFL Films Vault, iconic AP photography and comprehensive career stats. The first release includes: Mike Ditka, Franco Harris, Sonny Jurgenson, Howie Long, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Deion Sanders, Phil Simms, Roger Staubach, and Johnny Unitas.

I still haven’t mentioned my favorite part of this piece of media. The sales of this product will actually help retired NFL players and their family. A portion of the proceeds from every KEEPR sale will be donated to the Player Care Foundation (https://www.nflplayercare.com/).

Johnny Unitas KEEPR

For my friends and followers, I’m giving you this code TOM41. Be sure to punch that code in when checking it out for free shipping. Click here to see website for details

The Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Game

I was surprised to see such little improvement in the Baltimore Ravens after the bye-week. I felt hesitant about this past game against the Cleveland Browns. At the start, I felt excited. The Ravens were looking pretty good! Flacco, the offensive line, and the defense were looking really good. Though, something changed and by the end it looked like we were in limbo. This game should have been a blowout but instead it felt too close. Despite all of that, I can say the Ravens looked far more rested and all I can do is wait to see what happens next. The Ravens have a tough schedule coming up. With a 6-2 record, I think they have a better than good chance of making the play offs and if we see the Ravens we saw at the start of the Browns game, we will see a team that takes the division.

Despite the lost momentum half-way through the game this past Sunday, I think Ed Reed #20 played an excellent game. He made his 60^th career interception. He’s been favoring his hurt shoulder a lot and it has affected his game in the previous weeks, but the game against the Cleveland Browns we got a reminder of why the Baltimore Ravens love Ed Reed.

I think if the Ravens can keep the good attitude and the momentum they showed us they can have in the start of the Ravens-Browns game, they’ll reach that next level that will take them to the SuperBowl.

A Weekend With Friends

When Ted Hendricks contacted me about the 11^th Annual Ted Hendricks Golf tournament, I was excited to agree to be there. Ted and I happen to be very good friends. We used to play together for the Baltimore Colts and have a lot of fond memories before he was traded. He also has a wonderful foundation. His foundation helps all kinds of kids and he does a great job in Florida.

I arrived in Miami around 1:30 in the afternoon on Thursday, the first day of November. Unfortunately, that was too late for me to participate in the TED Challenge. I did get a little bit of practice on the golf course before the VIP dinner reception. The provided us with a wonderful meal. There was Italian food, roast beef… they had everything. It was like a smorgasbord. Needless to say, I went to bed Thursday night full of delicious food and fond memories flooding me as I reflected on previous times I’d seen most of my fellow tournament participants.

Friday at 12:15 pm was the scheduled time of the start of the tournament. There were 200 or more participants. It was like old times, playing a competitive sports with Leroy Kelly, Lynn Swann, Tom Mack, and all the other former pros. It was 18 holes of pure competition, but that didn’t stop the friendly back and forth between us.  We are friends, after all. My team was tied for first place at the end of the tournament. You just can’t beat the feeling of victory, especially when playing for charity.

After the heat of game, I participated in the silent auction. I didn’t win anything I had bid on because I didn’t have nearly as much money as a lot of the other participants, but I enjoyed being involved anyway. I did win, however, a football shaped cooler for my wife. Just as cool, I won a couple of little piglet key chains and everyone on my team wanted one of those.

The award dinner after the silent auction was much like the VIP dinner from Thursday night, a smorgasbord. I had a wonderful time in Florida. I stayed a while after too. I had a chance to speak with some of the sponsors and people I had played golf with before in the previous year’s tournament. Dan Sullivan had traveled down to Miami for the tournament and I spent some time catching up with him.

Victory, Fun, Food, and Friends are enough to make a phenomenal weekend. I look forward to next year.

11th Annual Ted Hendricks Golf & Charity Event

November 1^st (Today) and November 2^nd (Tomorrow) I will be participating in the 11^th annual Ted Hendricks golf and charity event. The event will take place at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida. I agreed to participate in this tournament not just because I enjoy golf but because this event is meant to generate funding for national and local charities. Some of the charities include Alzheimer and Dementia Research projects, Birth Defect Survivor programs, mobility equipment for physically challenged youth and veterans, and grants to Special Olympics, ALS, Cystic Fibrosis, the Safe Passage career training program, and youth sports.

I am not the only former pro football player participating in this charity event. I will be joined by pro football hall of famer Bobby Bell (Kansas City Chiefs), pro football hall of famer Elvin Bethea (Houston Oilers), pro football hall of famer Harry Carson (New York Giants), former defensive end L.C. Greenwood (Pittsburgh Steelers), former defensive end Ed Too Tall Jones (Dallas Cowboys), pro football hall of famer Leroy Kelly (Cleveland Browns), pro football hall of famer Tom Mack (Los Angeles Rams), pro football hall of famer John Randle (Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks), pro football hall of famer Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions), offensive lineman and my former teammate Dan Sullivan (Baltimore Colts), pro football hall of famer Lynn Swann (Pittsburgh Steelers) pro football hall of famer Roger Wehrli (St. Louis Cardinals), pro football hall of famer Dan Hampton (Chicago Bears), and pro football hall of famer Rickey Jackson (New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers).

Today at noon, the first of us to arrive will participate in the Ted Challenge and then tonight at 7:00pm we will all meet for a V.I.P. dinner reception hosted by Walgreens and the Trump Foundation. The tournament begins tomorrow at 12:15pm. After the tournament, we will then participate in a silent auction at 5:00pm. Then, to end the day, we will all participate in an Award Dinner at 6:00pm.

I am looking forward to participating in this golf tournament that not only gives me an opportunity to play golf and spend time with old friends but also exists to raise money for numerous charities.  

This golf tournament isn’t the only charity I am currently involved in. Currently, I am a part of a team dedicated to remembering our retired NFL players. We’ve created the Keepr. The Keepr NFL Legends series is a premium collectible paying tribute to legends of the NFL. This entirely new, interactive USB device features 45 minutes of rare and select video highlights and interviews from the NFL Films vault. It capturers each player’s greatest and most memorable contributions to the game. Not only does this product bring famous retired NFL players into the homes of fans as a collectable item, it also aides our NFL retirees. A portion of the proceeds from this product will be donated to the Player Care Foundation (PCF).

Why is it important we raise money for the Player Care Foundation (PCF)? When I still played for the NFL, we didn’t make the same salary that players today make. When I was drafted, I was a first pick draft. My starting salary was $10,000 a year with a $4,000 bonus (using an inflation calculator, $10,000 in 1961 had the same buy power as roughly $77,000 in 2012). To give a little perspective, I compare that to Sam Bradford. He was also a first pick draft player. His starting salary: $50,000,000 a year. My peak salary during my career was $85,000 at the end. The Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger only has to play 1 game to earn what I did in 10 years. The money we made back then didn’t last the years, but the physical toll did. This is where the PCF comes in. The PCF exists to help us retired players. It is around to improve the quality of life of retired players including all aspects of their life including medical, emotional, financial, social and community.

The Keepr Media's website will be going up this week. www.keeprmedia.com

Where can the Ravens improve?

The offensive linemen and defensive linemen are critical. “You really need the horses upfront.”

The last couple of weeks the Ravens offensive and defensive lines have been shaky. It’s important that the offensive line give Flacco the time he needs. Just as important, the Ravens Defense needs to step up their defense against an offensive running game.

Losing Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb this late in the season has put a damper on defense and it is hard to consider replacing them in the middle of the season. So, it is up to the coaches to adjust and make some tough decisions on how to rectify what’s going on. The bye-week right now will give the players some much needed rest. I think there needs to be a gut-check of the coaches because they need to get these guys refocused otherwise we’re in deep trouble.

The fans are going to be asking whether the problem lies with the players or with the coaches. They might even start wondering if we need a new defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator.

In my time, we had a few incidences where we lost key players mid-season. In 1965, we lost Gary Cuozzo and Johnny Unitas. That left us with no standing quarterback. Back then, we only had 40 active players, unlike today where they have 53. The only way to bounce back from losing key team members is for the rest of the team to step up. It’s important that players be able to play multiple positions. I, myself, was listed in the top ten most versatile players because I could play all the positions.

When Cuozzo and Unitas were both hurt, it was up to me to stand up to the challenge and step in as the quarterback. It would never have worked if the team had not adapted. The coaches and the quarterbacks helped coach me through it. It was how they found they could capitalize on me rolling out. I was basically a running-back turned quarterback.

In time of adversity, other players need to step up. When I was acting as quarterback, I was never touched. Everyone else increased their efforts to protect me. Even in this time of adversity, we made the 1965 play offs.

I played 3 games as quarterback. We were up against the fearsome foursome. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Los Angeles Rams defensive line had been referred to as the fearsome foursome which included Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen, and Deacon Jones. We flew to LA and played out there. Of course, the Rams were favored. Yet, my offensive line stepped line and defensive line stepped up to the challenge. The defense was able to hold the Rams from scoring too much and the end score was 20 Colts -- 17 Rams. After our victory against the Rams, we were 10-3-1—tied with the Green Bay Packers. Back then, ties existed. On Christmas Day, we had to play in Green Bay. The game went into overtime with a score of 10-10. The Green Bay Packers won it with a controversial field goal that appeared to be wide. (Following this incident, the uprights were extended and officials were placed directly beneath the uprights to avoid future bad field goal calls)

When adversity is at hand, it’s time for everyone to do their part and step up. You win football games in the trenches.

With this Bye week, the Ravens have time to think about their strategy and in doing so they have the potential to do great things this season.