BLOG: Ravens Excuse For No Westminster Is Valid

Based on the calls, texts and emails I received, there's a lot of people that are upset about the Ravens canceling their training camp in Westminster.  A lot of people seem to think that they owe it to the fans and this was just about saving money.  People have a reason to be upset, but I would direct it generally at the NFL and NFLPA for failing to get an agreement done rather than specifically at the Ravens.

What some people don't realize is that, by holding camp at McDaniel College, the Ravens have to be off campus by the time the students come back.  If training camp starts late, then they would have to shorten training camp to get off campus. It's a huge production moving all of their training and office equipment to Westminster.  It is a two day production each way.  That could be an issue getting out of Westminster. Typically, the Ravens shut down training camp before a pre-season game so they have two days to do it before the players are due back for practice. There's no guarantee the day they have to do it is around a game, and they can't afford to lose two days of no practice, no meetings, no film, etc.

The Ravens' top priority is winning games. Training camp is a huge part of it, and they just couldn't run the risk of having so much uncertainty affect the quality of camp.  If I'm a Ravens fan, I'm annoyed that the league and union took this long in negotiations, but I think the Ravens excuse is a valid one.