Baltimore Celebrates Super Bowl Win With Parade
B A L T I M O R E, Jan. 30, 2001 -- Ray Lewis danced on stage with the Super Bowltrophy on a cold and rainy day that was simply beautiful for 200,000Baltimore Ravens fans.
Lewis and the rest of team were feted in a victory paradetoday that ended in front of City Hall, where the MVP in the 34-7Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants was the first to comeon the stage.
The linebacker then broke into his sliding, side-to-side dancethat he does before each game.
Just a year ago, Lewis was implicated in a double murder afterthe Super Bowl in Atlanta. Murder charges against him were droppedand he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
"Baltimoooooooore. Hey, this is me and all my teammates and weneed you to help us," Lewis said, asking the crowd to join him inthe team's traditional pregame chant.
"What time is it?" Lewis asked.
"Game time," the crowd responded.
"Any dogs in the house?" he asked again.
"Woof, woof, woof," the crowd replied.
Let the Ravens Reign
Earlier, team owner Art Model thanked the crowd, whichresponded, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Lewis then joined Art Modell on stage. The 75-year-old ownertried to imitate the linebacker's dance, prompting Lewis to hughim, perhaps to stop the dancing.
Coach Brian Billick followed Lewis.
"This team taught me that the word team is really just anextension of the word family, and you all are a part of thatfamily," Billick said. "Believe me when I tell you it's youpeople that brought Art Modell and this organization here, and youall are the reason that I am here."
By the time the parade reached War Memorial Plaza in front ofCity Hall, thousands had packed the square, craning for a view ofthe stage.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Edward Norris estimated the crowdalong the parade and at City Hall to be 200,000.
The Marching Ravens band started the parade, along with theteam's three mascots, Edgar, Allan and Poe — named for the 19thcentury writer of the macabre poem from which the team derived itsname.
A little further behind, team president David Modell held theVince Lombardi trophy as he walked. His father, owner Art Modell,rode in a limousine; the players rode in 30 military vehicles.
"I told my husband this morning, it's raining too much, theweather's not good, stay home, but I'm going," said Mary Arthes,57, of Ocean Pines on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Six fans waiting for the team at War Memorial Plaza got onto thebalcony of a nearby building and held signs spelling the team'sname, prompting the crowd to chant "R-A-V-E-N-S."
Bringing Baltimore Together
The Ravens returned home Monday, 156 years to the day afterPoe's poem "The Raven" was first published in the New YorkEvening Mirror. Poe lived briefly in Baltimore and is buried in thecity.
Joan Duppins, 65, of Baltimore, was at City Hall with hergrandson, Graham, carrying a homemade sign reading, "God bless youRavens."
"The best thing about this is the love you feel all through thecity. This has brought all of Baltimore together," Duppins said."No matter who you are, when you see the Ravens flag flying, youhonk your horn and wave, you just feel the love."