[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 30, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 15--CONGRATULATING THE BALTIMORE RAVENS FOR WINNING 
                            SUPER BOWL XXXV

  Mr. SARBANES (for himself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 15

       Whereas in March of 1984, the Baltimore Colts stole away in 
     the dark of night, to become the Indianapolis Colts;
       Whereas for eleven long years, the football-crazy fans of 
     Baltimore waited for an NFL franchise;
       Whereas the arrival of the Ravens, coupled with the 
     enthusiasm and energy of their fans, has ushered in a new era 
     of unity in the Baltimore community;
       Whereas the drive of the Baltimore Ravens' organization to 
     win has embodied the spirit and pride of Baltimore as a city 
     with great football heritage and as a great city on the rise;
       Whereas members of the Ravens' team have exemplified 
     confidence, character, perseverance, talent, dedication, and 
     most importantly, a commitment to giving something back to 
     the Baltimore community;
       Whereas the Baltimore Ravens' defense goes down in history 
     as one of the NFL's all-time best defensive units;
       Whereas in the 2000-2001 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens 
     compiled a remarkable record of achievements including--
       (1) the American Football Conference title;
       (2) the NFL record for the least number of points allowed 
     in a season (165);
       (3) 4 shutouts;
       (4) the NFL record for the least rushing yards allowed in a 
     16-game season;
       (5) a Ravens' franchise record of 12 regular season wins;
       (6) the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award (Ray 
     Lewis);
       (7) an NFL punt return leader (Jermaine Lewis); and
       (8) a rookie running back who rushed for over 1,300 yards 
     (Jamal Lewis); and
       Whereas the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV, defeating 
     the valiant New York Giants 34 to 7 in a hard-fought battle: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the unity, loyalty, community spirit, and 
     enthusiasm of the Baltimore Ravens' fans;
       (2) applauds the Baltimore Ravens for their commitment to 
     high standards of character, perseverance, professionalism, 
     excellence, and teamwork;
       (3) praises the Baltimore Ravens' players and organization 
     for their commitment to the Greater Baltimore Community 
     through their many charitable activities;
       (4) congratulates both the Baltimore Ravens and the New 
     York Giants for providing football fans with a hard-fought, 
     but sportsmanlike Super Bowl;
       (5) congratulates the Baltimore Ravens and their fans on a 
     Super Bowl victory and an NFL Championship; and
       (6) recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, 
     and support staff who were instrumental in helping the 
     Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001.
       Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to the Baltimore Ravens' 
     owner, Art Modell, and to the Ravens' head coach, Brian 
     Billick.

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, it is with great pride that I introduce 
this resolution congratulating the Baltimore Ravens on their remarkable 
championship season. On Super Bowl Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens 
completed an incredible season, beating the New York Giants by a score 
of 34 to 7 to become the 2000-2001 National Football League Champions.
  At the beginning of the season, very few of the experts thought the 
Ravens would have a chance at glory. And as the team endured a five 
game stretch without a touchdown, the nay sayers grew and many wrote 
the Ravens off entirely. But during the season's early rough spots, 
when the team could have fallen to pieces, no one pointed fingers or 
assigned blame. Instead, under the leadership of a great coaching 
staff, they grew together and formed a remarkable bond not only amongst 
each other but also with the fans of Baltimore.
  And then, with the NFL's best defense leading the way, the Baltimore 
Ravens began to string together win after win. The victories weren't 
always pretty, but the team always found a way to win--with a new hero 
stepping forward to make something happen. Week in and week out, Matt 
Stover, Quadry Ismail, Shannon Sharpe, Duane Starks, Jamal Lewis, 
Jermaine Lewis, Ray Lewis, Trent Dilfer, Rod Woodson, Tony Siragusa, 
Sam Adams, Jonathan Ogden, and countless others took it upon themselves 
to make the big play.
  Still, even through the playoffs, the experts kept scratching their 
heads wondering how the Ravens were beating their highly acclaimed 
opponents. To the very end, the doubters outweighed the believers. Only 
the Ravens themselves and the fans of Baltimore truly dared to believe 
that a Championship season was possible. Finally, after a hard fought, 
playoff run--on the road--against the AFC's finest, the Ravens have 
brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Baltimore. And now the experts 
believe.
  The game was a defensive masterpiece as those who know and have 
followed the Ravens would expect. But what makes this victory 
particularly special is that the Ravens played as a team, with 
remarkable cohesiveness and spirit. And in the world spotlight, they 
were able to display their diverse, but largely unsung, talents. Jamie 
Sharper's interception, Jermaine Lewis's terrific kickoff return, 
Brandon Stokely's outstanding touchdown reception, Jamal Lewis's diving 
touchdown run, Trent Dilfer's pain-filled, but error-free game, Kyle 
Richardson's coffin corner punts and Ray Lewis's MVP Award-winning 
performance, are just a few of the individual efforts that combined to 
secure this victory. The list goes on and on.
  And Finally, I want to take a moment to recognize the leadership of 
Coach Brian Billick who is in his second year as head coach of the 
Ravens. We all know that to be champions requires a strong commitment 
to working harder than the rest. The Ravens' Super Bowl win is a credit 
to an extraordinary effort by the entire Baltimore Ravens' 
organization, from Art Modell down--but I would be remiss if I didn't 
mention the motivational push, level head and remarkable football mind 
demonstrated by Coach Billick and his coaching staff throughout the 
season, and especially during the playoff run. Most importantly, he 
helped Baltimore believe through thick and thin.
  There is a statue of Edgar Allen Poe located in the plaza of the 
University of Baltimore Law School not too far from PSiNet Stadium, 
with an engraving that reads, ``Dreaming dreams that no mortal ever 
dared to dream before; To thee the laurels belong''.
  Today the Lombardi Trophy belongs to the Baltimore Ravens because 
they dared to dream when no one else believed a championship was 
possible. I congratulate them and their worthy opponents, the New York 
Giants, on a tremendous season and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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