Of course, we'd all love to be rooting for the Ravens in Super Bowl LIII. But 29 other NFL fanbases feel the same way.
Thus, Ravens fans are caught having to choose between rooting for the lesser of two evils when the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots square off tonight in Atlanta.
Here's a guide to help you pick your squad, with five reasons to root for each:
Why to root for the Rams
- Why did we even write this article? It's the Patriots … need we say more?
While we at the Ravens, of course, respect the Patriots, they are the country’s favorite team to hate. They're also one of the Ravens' chief rivals.
- The Patriots have won enough*.*
The Patriots are going to their third straight Super Bowl and have five Super Bowls over the past 17 seasons. Six in the past eight would mean they win the Super Bowl 1/3 of the time. That's insane. Let somebody else have a turn.
- They have deeper Baltimore roots*.*
Rams running back Todd Gurley was born and raised in Baltimore. Right tackle Rob Havenstein is from Mount Airy, Md., and played at Linganore High School. Linebacker Micah Kiser is from Baltimore and played at Gilman. Defensive back Blake Countess hails from Owings Mills and went to Good Counsel.
- Tom Brady tried to spike Ed Reed*.*
Let's be honest. For Ravens fans, this is Hall of Famer Ed Reed's weekend. And remember when Brady tried to spike him in the 2012 AFC championship game? Brady did later text to apologize.
- The*Patriots would own the most Super Bowl losses in NFL history*.
Getting into sports debates with Patriots fans can be exhausting. What comeback is there? Well, if the Rams win, the Patriots would take over sole possession of the most losses in Super Bowl history. They are currently tied with the Broncos with five. So, there's that.
Why to root for the Patriots
- A jab to Steelers fans
Steelers fans hold the ultimate trump card right now with the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history (six). If the Patriots win, they would be tied at the top. The only thing better than getting in a jab in a debate with a Patriots fan may be annoying a Steelers fan.
- They have more former Ravens.
It's always good to see former Ravens do well, and the Patriots feature three of them. Highly respected linebacker and special teamer Albert McClellan landed in New England this season after eight-plus seasons in Baltimore. Defensive end Lawrence Guy was a starter for the Ravens (2014-2016) and linebacker John Simon was a fourth-round pick of the Ravens in 2013.
- Maybe Gronk retires?
Brady already said there's a "zero" percent chance that he'll retire after the Super Bowl, regardless of the outcome. But what about tight end Rob Gronkowski? He said, "Yes, no, maybe so" when asked the question, and reports suggest he may be on his way to hanging up his cleats. Perhaps the result doesn't matter, but a stinging loss could put him over the edge. Then again, it could also make him want to give it another shot. Who knows …
- They get a worse draft pick*.*
If the Patriots win, they get pick No. 32 in the 2019 Draft instead of pick No. 31. It's not much, but it's something.
- You really hated that no-call in the NFC Championship*.*
There can be a strong argument made that the Saints should be in the Super Bowl instead of the Rams. If the league would listen to Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and make more plays reviewable, the Saints probably would be. Thus, if you're still ticked off about that non-call, you probably also don't want to see the Rams win it all.
