As if losing in Pittsburgh isn't painful enough, getting stuck there afterwards is just brutal.
This is my fifth year working for the Ravens, and I've never seen this happen before.
Plane malfunctions meant the Ravens didn't leave Heinz Field until 10 p.m. The game ended at 7:13 p.m.
I write this not to complain. Hey, this kind of stuff happens. But it was a pretty weird situation.
Usually after a game, the Ravens have a team meeting, shower up, answer questions from reporters, then immediately get on busses and head to the airport for the flight home.
That all seemed to be happening yesterday until I wrapped up my interviews and Assistant Director of Public Relations Patrick Gleason said to me, "You know, we don't have a plane."
Ugggh, what?
So apparently our gigantic 767 that carries the entire team and staff members had hydraulic issues. They didn't have the parts in Pittsburgh to fix it, so they needed to get a new plane to fly in from Atlanta to come pick us up.
The players were just as confused as me. They milled around the locker room afterwards, just more time for the mental and physical pain to set in.
Joe Flacco debated hitching a ride back to Baltimore with the equipment staff, which has to truck all the gear on wheels instead of through the air. He was close to doing it, and turns out he probably would have beaten the plane home.
We didn't take off from Pittsburgh airport until just before 11 p.m.
When things go bad in Pittsburgh, they really go bad.
