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Things to do in Columbia

  • Historic Oakland Historic Oakland Columbia, Maryland
    Visit the homestead of one of the Historic Oakland was surveyed by John Dorsey in 1688, sometime before the county was created, with 1100 acres of prime land, and two homes sitting there. One was a log cabin and the other was a combination of log and stone. It has been called Felicity, part of the upper Anne Arundel County region, with Mrs. Deborah Sterrett, getting the land as part of her inheritance from her father's family, the Ridgelys. She passed on, and her son, Charles, changed his surname to Ridgely so he could inherit the property of Felicity in 1790. He was the speaker of the House of Delegates for Maryland, and in 1811, Charles built the mansion called Oakland as a country estate, since his main house was in Baltimore. The house was constructed in the federal architectural style, by Abraham Lerew, a Baltimore housewright. The mansion is presently a mixture of federal, Colonial revival and Greek revival. Charles Sterrett Ridgely sold the mansion, two years before he died, to Robert Oliver for $47,000, who was a rich merchant in Baltimore. Robert gave the estate to his son, Thomas, for use as a summer retreat, with the lot size running about 567 acres. By buying up lots around the property, they were able to increase its size to 775 acres, owning it for 13 years, and then advertising its sale in the Baltimore American newspaper in 1838. Two months later, George Riggs Gaither purchased the property for $50,459.95, where he began training a cavalry squadron for the Maryland militia, in which he had the rank of major. George was also a rich merchant, and he used the property as his country estate until he sold it to Philip Tabb and his wife in 1864. The Tabbs were serious horse racing fans, and decided to build a half mile track on the property and breed race horses, with a number of them becoming famous in the latter half of the 19th century. While they owned the estate, they had a precise map made of the property with all the buildings, roads, gardens and orchards fully noted on the map. Then, in 1906, the Tabbs sold Oakland, with 421 acres to John V.L. Finley, who then began selling the estate in 1923, listing it with 15 rooms and 3 baths; with electricity.  The house passed through many owners until 1965, when the Rouse Company bought it and made their headquarter there for the Columbia project, then it became the Dag Jammerskjold College and Antioch College, then lastly, the county offices of the American Red Cross. In 1989, the mansion was opened for viewing, with many thousands coming here to visit or be guests, since it was returned to its pristine condition in the federal style, and presently is a meeting house and social event center for the region. There is a library on the first floor, with a small collection of books on Howard County, Oakland, historical events and pastimes. The ballroom is used for various purposes, and it goes out onto a beautiful veranda with gardens surrounding it. The Maryland Museum of African Art is located on the second floor, with various wings located throughout for different functions. 

  • African Art Museum of Maryland
    The African Art Museum mentioned above, located in the Oakland mansion's second floor, was created to encourage a better understanding for the art and culture of Africa. Striving to do this, the museum holds many events that accomplish this including; workshops, lectures, displays, tours to Africa, and a marvelous program that goes to public and private schools in the area. Visitors include, seniors, youth groups, underserved parts of the community and the disabled. The beautiful collection contains textiles, musical instruments, sculptured figures, masks, jewelry, basketry and household items. Some of the current displays include; goldweights of the Harold Courlander collection, Diversity of Forms and Idea, which show the numerous conventions of African art by its masks and African art; For the Love of Ghana, which includes baskets, textiles, stools and jewelry.

  • Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
    The Baltimore Zoo has become the Maryland Zoo that is located in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, and holds over 2000 animals. It is the third oldest zoological park in the country, opening in 1876. It ran into financial problems in 2004, and was forced to close parts of it and reduce the amount of animals that live there. The reptile house, was closed, as was the main valley, since they were the oldest parts of the zoo. The reptiles, gibbons and snow leopards were sent out on loan to other zoos or aquariums in the nation, although it was featured in 2008 in America's Best Zoos of 2008. The zoo is involved in many conservation projects, most prominently the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program and Project Golden Frog. The zoo is known for its great breeding program with African black footed penguins, as well as helping local wildlife, but mostly birds of prey like the American bald eagles. The biggest area of the zoo is called the African Journey, with a great number of animals that have come here from that continent. The Maryland Wilderness showcases a children's zoo with many wonderful animals from around the state. The Polar Bear Watch contains polar bears, snowy owls, arctic foxes and ravens. It is a fabulous place to visit with the entire family and well worth the time to go there.

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  • Fort McHenry National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument Baltimore, Maryland
    Fort McHenry, located on a small peninsula in Baltimore, Maryland, is star shaped and well known for its vital involvement in the War of 1812, when it was used to stop the British navy from attacking the city from the Chesapeake Bay. During the bombardment of the fort, Francis Scott Key, was so inspired by the defenses that he wrote the famous and well loved, "Star-Spangled Banner" national anthem, or more precisely the poem that was soon set to music for the anthem. The fort was designed by Jean Foncin, a Frenchman, in 1798, which was named after James McHenry, the Secretary of War during President George Washington's term. It was built to withstand any future attacks after the War of Independence, and sits on a peninsula called Locust Point, that sticks out into the harbor. It was built in the shape of a five sided star, and surrounded by a dry moat, which was deep, wide and more of a trench that could keep attackers of the fort at bay. The bastions or points were set up so that any attackers that ran to the trench would be caught in a crossfire of cannons from the points and musketeers from the rails. On September 13, 1814, British warships bombed the fort for 25 straight hours starting at 6 AM. in the morning. The fort had 18, 24 and 38 pound cannons that had a range of 1.5 miles, and the British had cannons that would travel 2 miles and rockets that could travel 1.75 miles. The warships were unable to enter the harbor because of the cannon fire, sunken ships, and a huge chain that went across the harbor opening. The British did get close enough to bomb the fort, but their accuracy wasn't very good, and the limited range of the fort's cannons kept severe damage from either side happening. The British stopped the bombardment the next morning, and that ended the British naval invasion of Baltimore. The fort was under the command of Brevet Lt. Col. George Armistead, and they had 4 men killed and 24 wounded; that included an African American soldier and a woman that was cut in half by a ball while she was carrying supplies around to the troops. One of the massive bomb balls hit the magazine, but it was either a dud or the rain put out the fuse. Francis Scott Key was a Washington lawyer that came to Baltimore to get the release of Dr. William Beanes, a civilian prisoner of war, and saw the bombing from a nearby truce ship. An oversized flag had been made by Mary Pickersgill for $405.90, knowing the attack was coming, for the fort, and when it was raised on the morning of the 14th, Francis had so much emotion flowing through him that he started writing the poem that morning. It was originally called "The Defense of Fort McHenry", but later was renamed to the "Star-Spangled Banner" and set to music to become the national anthem of the new United States of America.

  •  Walters Art Museum
    The Walters Art Museum is in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood, and was opened in 1934, with two collections donated to it by William Thompson Walters and Henry Walters. William started collecting when he went to Paris at the beginning of the Civil War, and Henry refined it and moved it to a palazzo building on Charles Street in 1909. When Henry passed on, he left the collection containing over 22,000 works of art, as well as the Charles Street building to the city for the benefit of all people. In the magnificent collection, there are masterworks from ancient Egypt, Greek sculpture and Roman sarcophagi, illuminated manuscripts, Chinese ceramics and bronzes, medieval ivories, art deco jewelry, Renaissance bronzes, and old master and 19th century paintings. The Walters Art Gallery became the Walter Art Museum in 2000, so that everyone would realize that they were much bigger than a gallery. In 2001, the museum was reopened after a three year restoration project, and the Archmedes Palimpsest is on loan for preserving and spectral imaging studies, from a private collector. In 2006, this museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art were able to allow free admission thanks to the generosity of the city and the Baltimore county. In the fabulous permanent collection, is ancient art, Islamic art, art of the ancient Americas, Asian art, 18th and 19th century art, medieval art, and Renaissance and baroque art. Three building make up the museum complex, the Charles Street building, Hackerman House and the Centre Street building.

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Local Restaurants in Columbia
  • Clyde's Restaurant
    Dinner specials; rigatoni bolognese w/onions, peppers, tomatoes, spicy meat sauce & pecorino Romano; grilled filet mignon w/buttermilk mashed potatoes, green beans & mushroom, tomato & fresh herb sauce; grilled smoked chicken & apple sausage fusilli w/leeks, pancetta, cream & parmesan; pepita crusted shrimp w/spiced butternut squash sauce, grains, dried cranberries & spinach; butternut squash ravioli w/apples, spinach, toasted pecans & sage cream sauce; beef stew over buttermilk mashed potatoes; grilled pork tenderloin w/mashed sweet potatoes, green beans & mustard molasses sauce; grilled swordfish w/braised fennel, stewed white beans & rosemary broth; portobello mushroom Wellington w/roasted red pepper, portobello, grilled red onion, spinach & goat cheese wrapped in puff pastry, baked, served w/roasted red pepper vinaigrette & small salad; pumpkin seed crusted Atlantic salmon w/root vegetable hash, brussels sprouts & spiced pumpkin butter sauce; roast duck w/mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts & cherry balsamic sauce; jumbo lump crab cakes w/green beans and Tom's potatoes; sautéed calf's liver w/baked potato, broccoli, bacon & caramelized onions; grilled Elysian Fields lamb loin chops is two 4 ounce chops, couscous salad, sautéed spinach, au jus & apple-raisin chutney; stuffed chicken breast w/roasted red peppers, spinach & goat cheese, Tom's potatoes, sautéed spinach & creamy Marsala sauce.

  • The Iron Bridge Wine Company
    Appetizers; foie gras stuffed dates with frisee, red oak, romaine, champagne vinaigrette; duo of tapenade is yellows tomato tapenade, olive caper tapenade, toasted focaccia; spice roasted pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg, peppered goat cheese; anisette PEI mussels with tomato, onion, cilantro, white wine, anisette butter, toasted focaccia; pan seared sea scallops with sesame & pepper crusted ahi tuna, sweet chili dressing, Napa cabbage, bell peppers, crispy wonton shell; lobster mash with Gloucester cheddar cheese mashed potatoes, Maine lobster medallions, tobiko; soup du jour; Caesar salad with baby red romaine, garlic crouton, grana padano, extra virgin olive oil; grilled cheese with grilled brie, cranberry pecan compote, baguette; seared foie gras with caramelized apples & onions; smoked fish plate du jour with smoked shellfish, cured fish, toasted baguette, soy ginger dipping sauce; three cheese plate with selection of artisanal cheeses; crispy calamari with lemon caper aioli, arugula, lemon; sherry & sage meatball flatbread with herb roasted cherry tomatoes, asiago cheese sherry demi glace, baby spinach; portobello & caramelized shallot pizza with red wine shallots, gruyere, baby arugula & balsamic reduction, truffle oil; Carolina BBQ chicken slider is pulled Carolina BBQ chicken, southern slaw, hand cut old bay frites; Belgian endive salad is endive, honey crisp apples, toasted pecans, apple cider vinaigrette; roasted beet salad is roasted red & yellow beets, firefly farms goat cheese, toasted hazelnuts, blackberries, baby frisee, white truffle honey vinaigrette. Entrees; braised beef short ribs is herb braised beef short ribs, braised kale, crispy shallots; grilled wild boar chop with black bean & chorizo stew; forest mushroom bread pudding with fall spiced butternut squash sauce, buttery brussels sprouts; braised boar pappardelle with broccoli rabe, sun dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts; Moroccan glazed local rockfish with herbed cous cous, sautéed spinach.

Grilled Lamb loin Chops Clyde's Restaurant Columbia, Maryland

 

Stuffed Chicken Breast Clyde's Restaurant Columbia, Maryland

 

 

 

 

Braised Beef Short Ribs Iron Bridge Wine Co. Columbia, Maryland


 Braised Boar Pappardelle Iron Bridge Wine Co. Columbia, Maryland


Moroccan Glazed Rockfish Iron Bridge Wine Co. Columbia, Maryland

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  • USS Constellation USS Constellation Baltimore, Maryland
    The USS Constellation, a sloop-of-war, was constructed in 1854, in Norfolk, Virginia, and is also the second ship to have carried that honorable name. The first was a frigate, that was dismantled in 1853, in the Norfolk Gosport Navy Yards, and the same place that the sloop was built, perhaps using some of the materials that were taken from the frigate. The sloop was the final sail only ship built by the US Navy. Its first captain was Captain Charles H. Bell as she was commissioned in July, 1855. Up until 1858, the sloop was used mostly for diplomatic purposes, in the Mediterranean squadron, and in 1859, the Constellation became the flagship of the African squadron, staying there until 1861. During her time in the fleet, she was able to stop three slaves ships and set the slaves free, with the final ship being stopped just as the Civil War broke out. She was then used for chasing Confederate ships and other commerce raiders that operated in the Med. When the Civil War was over, the sloop carried famine relief supplies to Ireland and exhibits to Paris, France for the Exposition Universalle in 1878. Later, she was used for a practice ship for the Naval Academy midshipmen, and in 1894, was ordered to Newport, Rhode Island, where she became a training ship; helping train over 60,000 sailors during WWI. The sloop was decommissioned in 1933, and ordered to become a national symbol by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. In the second WW, the Constellation was the relief flagship for the Atlantic fleet, however, during the first half of 1942, she was the flagship of Admiral Ernest J. King and Vice Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll.

  • Evergreen Museum & Library
    The Evergreen Museum and Library that is located between the College of Notre Dame and Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, is the historical museum of the Johns Hopkins University. The mansion that houses the museum, was constructed in the mid1850s, and purchased in 1878, by the B & O Railroad's president, John W. Garrett, who was able to make the home magnificent and well known, since he was in charge of one of the biggest railroad companies in the United States at the time. His son, T. Harrison, had a wing added that contained a bowling alley, billiard room and gymnasium, which later became a private theater and art gallery. The Evergreen House was the residence of the Garrett family until 1942, when it was given to the university. John was one of the trustees of the Peabody Institute, and inquired of its founder, George Peabody, to have the Johns Hopkins create a bequest that would allow the start of the university, school of medicine and hospital. In 1983, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with a spectacular example of Gilded age architecture sitting on 26 prime acres in northern Baltimore. The initial design called for the house to be constructed in the Italianate architectural style, but since the Garretts had the money and inclination, it soon became a 48 room mansion with a 23 karat gold plated bathroom, a theatre painted by Russian artist Leon Bakst and the library holding 30,000 superb volumes. The interior's furnishings reflect the travels and varied interests of the family, that includes a red Asian room that showcases Japanese and Chinese artifacts, as well as paintings by Degas, Modigliani and Picasso, with glass by Tiffany or Dutch marquetry.

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  • Inner HarborInner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland
    The Inner Harbor is a wonderful landmark in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, that is a historical seaport and tourist attraction as well. The harbor is the last part of the Patapsco River and is used for the water area as well as the harbor buildings that surround the water. This includes President Street on the east, Camden and Conway Streets on the south, Greene Street on the west and Lombard Street on the south, with all the land and structures from these streets to the water. The harbor area is within walking to Oriole Park at the Camden Yards and M & T Bank Stadium, and has a marvelous water taxi that connects the harbor area to Fort McHenry, Fells Point and Canton. This has been a prominent seaport since the 18th century, although the shallow water made it difficult for the heavier ships or industry; until it was dredged; with Locust Point, Canton and Fells Point being the ports for the larger ships. During this period, the port was used for light industrial and passenger shipping, up to the 1950s, when the economic shifts in the light freight and passenger lines, like the Old Bay Line's steamers, slowed down. The numerous rotting warehouses and wooden piers were taken down and open grassy areas for parks were created that were used for city fairs, other recreational activities and the 1976 US Bicentennial's visit of the Tall Ships. The first renewal of the harbor and the continuous improvement of the harbor area was changed into important cultural and economic areas that were started by Mayor Thomas J. D'Alesandro, Jr. In July, 1980, Harborplace, the city's waterfront festival marketplace, opened, with the resulting cultural center creating many attractions for visiting tourists. The two main places were the National Aquarium of Baltimore and the Maryland Science Center. The following years have helped create hotels, restaurants, condos and retail space; locally known as the Harbor East. Since almost every inch of land has been filled, the new idea is to create mixed use buildings that have office or retail space on the ground level, with condos and hotels being used on the higher floors.

  • American Visionary Art Museum
    This art museum is located in the Federal Hill area of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, with land being donated by the city with the conditions that the people involved in the new museum would clean up the pollution that was left nearby from a whiskey warehouse and copper paint factory. Congress has designated the museum as an American national museum for self-taught art. The founder and present director of the AVAM is Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, who was a psychiatric nurse that left her position to "trumpet the wonders of raw human creativity", raising over $7 million in 6 years from such noted donors as Anita Roddick and others. It opened in 1995, after being designed by Rebecca Swanston and Alex Castro, with over 55,000 square feet of display space, and a permanent collection that holds 4000 relics.  Some of the wonderful works include paintings by Ben Wilson, Ho Baron, Vollis Simpson and Clyde Jones, with over 40 items from the Caberet Mechanical Theatre in London, England; with some being shown on the first floor, in the James Rouse Visionary Center and scattered outside where the temporary themed displays are installed. The museum doesn't showcase styles or artists, but rather themed displays like the Wind in Your Hair, or the High on Life; allowing the director to gain pride in the museum's rather unorthodox methods. The educational goals are also different than mainstream museums, that include the expansion of defining a worthwhile life, confirmation of the infinite hunger that drives each of us to discover what we do best, in our own words and anytime in our lives, engender respect for and the delight of the talent of others and to promote the usage of innate intelligence, self-exploration, creative self-reliance and intuition.

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  • B & O Railroad MuseumB & O Railroad Museum Baltimore, Maryland
    The museum houses historical railroading equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, opening under the name of the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum in 1953. Claimed to be the most important collection of railroad treasures in the world, containing the biggest collection of 19th century engines in the nation. The museum is found in the old B & O's Mount Clare Station and roundhouse, that is now part of the Mount Clare Shops site that started in 1829, and is now the oldest railroad manufacturing complex in the country. Considered to be the birthplace of American railroading, it is where the first passenger service started in the nation, in 1830. The site is also the place where the first telegraphed message was sent to Washington, D.C. in 1844, using the newest invention of Samuel F. B. Morse. This museum contains a magnificent collection of 19th and 20the century relics that pertain to the railroading system in the country. There are over 250 pieces of railroad rolling stock, 5000 cubic feet of the archival papers, 15,000 artifacts, 4 prominent historical 19th century structures that include the roundhouse and one mile of track that is believed to be the most historic mile of railroad track in the nation. You are able to ride this spectacular train, along the mile, Wednesdays through Sundays from April to December and on the weekends in January. The museum had over 160,000 each year starting in 2002. Featured is an outdoor G-scale layout, a wooden train that children can crawl over, and an indoor HO scale model train. It was made a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and has won many awards from around the country.

  • Homewood Museum
    The Homewood Museum is a historical museum that sits on the Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, Maryland that was listed on the National Historic Landmark site in 1971. In 1800, it was a gift of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, to his son, Charles Jr. that sat on 140 beautiful acres of land in northern Baltimore and called Merryman's Lott. Charles, Sr. had purchased the tract in 1794, and construction started in 1801, and almost finished by 1808, taking 5 years to complete and $40,000. Charles Sr. purchased the estate from his son in 1824, to correct the "most improvident state", until his son, Jr. passed on in the next year. He then gave the house to his grandson, Charles the III, who stayed there until he inherited his grandfather's estate, Doughoregan Manor. John Lee Carroll, the second son of Charles III, was born in the house in 1830, who went on to become the governor of Maryland, selling the estate in 1839 to Samuel Wyman, a local merchant, that lived there with his family until 1865. While living there, Wyman's son, William, had Richard Upjohn create an Italianate mansion on the land that was soon called "Homewood Villa"; that was torn down by the college in 1954. When Samuel passed on, the estate was divided among his sons, with the main house becoming a school for boys, and then in 1902, the estate was put back together, and donated to the university. The house became the University Faculty Club in 1916, and in 1936, Homewood was redesigned into offices for the university's administration. The university operates the museum, that opened in 1987, and the Georgian architecture, with red brick and white marble, has become the inspiration for the university's architecture.

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  • National Aquarium in BaltimoreNational Aquarium Baltimore, Maryland
    The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland is located in the Inner Harbor, opening in 1981, and built during the urban renewal era of Baltimore. Yearly attendance exceeds 1.6 million visitors coming to enjoy the 16,500 specimens of 560 varieties of species, with special emphasis on the multi-storied shark tank, dolphin display, central ray pool and rooftop rainforest. The aquarium is thought to be one of the finest in the nation, and perhaps the world, with Coastal Living magazine naming it the best in 2006 in the country. There is another National aquarium in Washington, D.C. that is run by the aquarium in Baltimore, and was opened there in 2003, but the aquarium in Baltimore is the state's biggest attraction for tourists. In 2006, it won the Best of Baltimore award for the best over priced destination for families. It is housed in two buildings that are connected by a closed in walkway or bridge, with the bigger of the two holding the main gallery that looks out over a pool of sharks, where a blind zebra shark named Zoe stays, a green sea turtle named Calypso, a tarpon and numerous types of stingrays that include; roughtail rays, southern rays, pelagic rays, butterfly rays, bullnose rays and cownose rays. The main gallery starts with arrays of upwards spiraling floors that are connected by long escalators, that first showcase fish from the state, in a stream that could exist in the mountains of western Maryland, and then ends with the ocean, that has fish with important skills shown for surviving in the environments they live in. The very top of the exhibit is the rainforest with its many animals that are seen in the Amazon Rainforest. Along the display is the bird/monkey viewing platform, caves of amphibians, reptiles and arthropods, an Atlantic Coral Reef full of fish, and just below that is the sharks environment with sawfish, sandbar sharks, sand tiger sharks and nurse sharks. The smaller building holds the dolphinarium, where the dolphin shows are held, and also housed here is a temporary display of jellyfish. In 2005, an expansion opened the Animal Planet Australia, with all of its exotic animals, and in the main gallery, a 35 foot waterfall plunges downward into a beautiful pool, all taken from a real waterfall in the state.

  • Baltimore Ravens
    The Ravens have represented the Baltimore American football franchise since 1996, playing in the American Football Conference north division of the American Football League. The team's name refers to the poem, "the Raven", by Edgar Allen Poe, who lived and worked here throughout his life, and is also buried here. The Ravens beat the NY Giants in 2000 to win Superbowl XXXV, and is the only time the team has been in the finals, so far. The team came about in 1996, when Cleveland Browns owner, Art Modell, wanted to relocated his team from Cleveland to Baltimore, creating a controversy that wasn't settled until February of that year, with the explicit stipulation that all colors, name, records, and etc. remain the sole property of the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and although all the team's members would keep their contracts, the club team itself would be considered an expansion team. Ted Marchibroda was named head coach, having already proved himself with the Colts in the 70s while they were still in Baltimore, and also when they moved to Indianapolis in the 1990s. They would play in the Colts' old stadium, Memorial, for the first two seasons, then move into the new stadium at Camden Yards, now called M & T Bank Stadium, in 1998. During the 1996 draft picks, the Ravens were given the first two choices, and they decided on Jonathan Ogden, offensive tackle and linebacker Ray Lewis, both of whom showed fantastic results for the Ravens. They won their first game against the Raiders, but couldn't keep it up and ended up with a 4-12 season. In the next season, the team went 6-9-1 with AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year from Florida State, Pete Boulware, and in October went to Landover, Maryland to play against the Redskins, which they won 20-17. In 1998, the Colts came back to the city, and played against the Ravens, but lost to them 38-31, amid the huge cheers of the fans. Brian Billock took over as head coach, since the Ravens hadn't done much in the three years since they returned to the league. QB Tony Banks came over from the Rams, and had his best year ever, and finished with a 8-8 season. With finances becoming strained, the league had Modell sell part of his franchise, and Steve Bisciotti bought the 49% being offered. He had an option to buy the rest by 2004, which he took advantage of and became the sole proprietor in April of 2004. In 2000, Marvin Lewis, the defense coordinator, helped create one of the best defenses in the history of the league, and set a new NFL record keeping their opponents to just 165 points and the rest is history. In 2001-2002, the team had a new QB, Elvis Grbac, but lost Jamal Lewis, their best running back, in a first day training injury that left him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. They played well, and went to the division playoffs against the Steelers, which they lost, 27-10. The next year, after making some trades for QB Kyle Boller from the Pats, it seemed that New England gained the upper hand and took back to back super bowls in 2003 and 2004. The Ravens did get their first AFC division title, but lost to the Titans 20-17. In 2004, they finished the season with a 9-7 record, and 2005 wasn't much better, going 6-10. In 2006, they had former Titan QB Steve McNair bring them to a 4-0 start, then lost the next two, but came back to win the division title again with their best season thus far, 13-3. But the old Colts, now the Indianapolis Colts, fought hard against their former city, and after the first half was over, both teams had only field goals to show for their incredible game. In the end, two tough interceptions put the nix on the new Colts, or Ravens, and they lost 15-6. The next season, the team strived to improve on their record and game play, but had trouble early on and finished with a dismal 5-11, and lost to a winless Miami Dolphins team on New Year's eve, 22-16, and left them in the basement. The 2008 season saw them with a new head coach, John Harbaugh and new QB, Joe Flacco. They made it to the playoffs, but fell to the Steelers in January, 2009, 23-14.

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May 12, 2011