Tag: Dick Cass

Outgoing Ravens president Dick Cass is comfortable passing baton to Sashi Brown

Ravens president Dick Cass is comfortable passing the baton off to new incoming President Sashi Brown

It was announced that Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass is retiring after 18 years in the position. Sashi Brown will take over the role of Cass, and he’s got big shoes to fill. Cass is one of the most respected executives in the NFL.  Brown has prior experience working in the NFL and the NBA, so he’ll bring plenty of knowledge to the Baltimore organization.

In the press conference introducing Brown to the media, Cass expressed his confidence in passing the baton on to Brown.

“I knew him as a person, and I interviewed him several times very closely this past year. I had a high degree of confidence that he would be really good for us here. Steve also spoke to someone that Steve and I know and both respect, and he knew Sashi and also recommended him highly…”

Cass also talked about what he saw in Brown when the two worked together in a legal setting.

“What I saw in him is that he’s a smart guy. He’s very smart [and] has good judgement. He’s thoughtful. He always … As a young lawyer, a lot of guys come in thinking they know everything, and, of course, we don’t know anything as young lawyers. He didn’t pretend to know everything. … You keep coming back to his people skills, his poise and his presence. I think people here will like him. I just think he’s going to do an outstanding job…”

Brown went into detail about taking the baton from someone he respects so much in Cass.

“…He’s just been a model; he’s been great that way. And then I look and say, ‘Oh, damn. Now it’s on me.’ (laughter) And so, from my perspective, I really take it seriously, in terms of the responsibility that … You take that baton, and you know it’s coming at a good pace – to use a relay and track & field analogy – and so, I think I’m up to the challenge. There are some big shoes that I will not fill entirely Day One, but I look to growing into and hopefully filling out in time. So, it’s an important responsibility and charge, just as it is taking over one of the leadership roles here, for this great organization and this great community of Baltimore, and I take all that very seriously.”

Cass clearly thinks highly of Brown as a person as well as in terms of what he can bring to the Ravens organization. Brown will bring a new perspective, and should excel in his new role.

Ravens president Dick Cass retires, Sashi Brown named as successor

Ravens president Dick Cass is retiring from his role and former Browns general manager Sashi Brown will be his successor

The Baltimore Ravens have had a whirlwind of a 2022 offseason so far, with multiple big moves happening throughout many levels of the organization. The team has parted ways with their old defensive coordinator in Don Martindale and hired a new one in Mike Macdonald, seen a few other coaches leave, and now have seen  a retirement of a major team official.

On Friday, it was announced by the team that president Dick Cass would be retiring after 17 years with the franchise. In his place, former Cleveland Browns general manager Sashi Brown was named as his successor.

Cass was integral in many parts of the Baltimore organization, overseeing multiple aspects of how things ran. He is widely respected and very loved by many people within the Ravens.

Brown comes to Baltimore with a plethora of experience, most recently as the president of Monumental Basketball, where he worked on multiple aspects of the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, and Capital City Go-Go. Brown has the respect of many within the NFL, and should be a very positive addition to the Ravens and their operations as a whole.

Navy – Notre Dame football game to be played at M&T Bank Stadium in 2022

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipman will match up to play football on November 12, 2022 at M&T Bank Stadium

M&T Bank Stadium has been a premiere venue ever since it was opened in 1998. Football games, concerts, and other events have been the primary use of the site, and the location provides a great experience.

It was announced that the football programs of the Naval Academy and the University of Notre Dame will be matching up at M&T Bank Stadium on November 12th, 2022. The Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk said in a news release that M&T Bank Stadium is one of the “finest facilities in all of sports”.

“Every time we come to Baltimore the Navy football family has an extraordinary experience in one of the finest facilities in all of sports.”

Gladchuk also went into detail on the growing relationship between the Baltimore Ravens and the Naval Academy.

“Our dealings with the Ravens have grown over the years to the point of a much appreciated and constructive professional relationship.  The Baltimore Ravens are a great organization that do everything in a first-class manner and our coaches, players, alumni, and fans know it. We are very much looking forward to our trip to Baltimore in 2022.”

Ravens president Dick Cass said that it’s “special” to have Navy return to M&T Bank Stadium.

“It’s special for the Ravens and Baltimore to have Navy returning to M&T Bank Stadium for a game. Having Navy play here creates a special event that the whole area embraces. Because of the historical prominence and popularity of Navy and Notre Dame, this game will also produce regional and national attention, including visitors from around the country. This long-term rivalry is filled with memorable players, coaches, games and plays, and there will be more in 2022 when they meet in Baltimore. We’re very excited to host this event.”

The 2022 bout between Navy and Notre Dame will mark the first matchup between the two hosted by M&T Bank Stadium since 2008. In that game, Notre Dame came out on top in a 27-21 thriller. This will be the 23rd time that the Irish and the Midshipmen will meet in Baltimore to play football.

Ravens planning to have M&T Bank Stadium at full capacity in 2021

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t get to see M&T Bank Stadium filled up in 2020. They expect to have a full complement of fans in 2021

The Baltimore Ravens certainly missed having a full complement of fans at their home stadium in 2020. Throughout the course of the 2020 season, players and coaches from the team made a point to emphasize how much they missed the fans cheering for them and creating an electric atmosphere.

Despite the fact that the 2020 season left M&T Bank Stadium empty on most weeks, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. In a letter to PSL owners, Ravens president Dick Cass revealed that he plans on having the stadium at full capacity for the 2021 season.

Cass mentions that there will still be protocols in place to ensure a safe experience for everyone, but points to other examples of events across the country and how they successfully and safely operated with people in attendance.

There’s something about fans being in the stands that can’t be replicated. Teams can pump in as much crowd noise as they want or put countless cardboard cutouts in the stands. However, there’s no replacing the fervent energy of a fan cheering for their team, so having M&T Bank Stadium at full capacity would be a sight for sore eyes for many.

Ravens president Dick Cass, LB Patrick Queen and others sign letter of support to end qualified immunity

The Baltimore Ravens are well represented in the letter of more than 1,400 professional athletes and coaches to support the bill.

Several current and former Baltimore Ravens players, including wide receiver Anquan Boldin and linebacker Patrick Queen, have joined support for a federal bill to end qualified immunity for police. In total, over 1,400 current and former professional athletes and coaches from the NFL, MLB, and NBA signed the petition from the Players Coalition to members of the United States Congress.

The request comes as protests continue in major cities around the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody. Though the four officers involved in Floyd’s arrest have been arrested and charged for his death, the matter has sparked civil unrest as protesters seek changes to police policies and funding.

The Ravens are well represented in the letter with a bevy of familiar names, both current and past, adding to the list. In addition to current and former players like Boldin, Queen, Ed Reed and Torrey Smith, Ravens president Dick Cass was among those to add his name to the cause. In total, Baltimore has ties to at least 29 of those mentioned by name in the letter, including the following:

Ravens president Dick Cass
Linebacker Patrick Queen
Defensive back Justin Bethel
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell
Defensive tackle Justin Ellis
Former wide receiver Anquan Boldin
Former quarterback Tony Banks
Former linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo
Former cornerback Gary Baxter
Former safety Terrence Brooks
Former wide receiver Mark Clayton
Former wide receiver Yamon Figurs
Former defensive tackle Dwan Edwards
Former offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor
Former cornerback Corey Ivy
Former fullback Kyle Juszczyk
Former wide receiver Jermaine Lewis
Former fullback Vonta Leach
Former wide receiver Breshad Perriman
Former running back Ray Rice
Former safety Ed Reed
Former defensive lineman Cory Redding
Former wide receiver Torrey Smith
Former wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Former linebacker Courtney Upshaw
Former linebacker Adalius Thomas
Former tight end Benjamin Watson
Former safety Anthony Weaver
Former center Jeremy Zuttah

Ending qualified immunity would make it easier for citizens to sue police officers accused of brutality. In the letter, the Players Coalition called on Congress to eliminate qualified immunity so, “when police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law.”

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Ravens working to still pay stadium workers even if fans aren’t in attendance

With the coronavirus pandemic still forcing social distancing regulations, workers at M&T Bank Stadium won’t have to fear for their jobs.

While social distancing regulations are easing around the country, no one can accurately predict what the 2020 NFL season will actually look like. Though the NFL schedule release points to the league having plenty of hope for the season to start on time and be a full 16 games, the coronavirus pandemic makes that far from a guarantee.

For many, their employment is directly tied to the football season. Stadium workers, especially, could get hurt the worst if life isn’t back to normal. Not only do they need the games to happen in the first place, but they’d also need fans in the stands to sell concessions to, provide security for, take tickets from and perform a myriad of other underappreciated jobs on a typical game day.

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However, the Baltimore Ravens will be helping those workers out in the event the season either can’t go on or is altered in some way, according to Ravens president Dick Cass.

“If we don’t have that kind of staff because we have a reduced crowd at the stadium, we are planning on creating an employees’ assistance fund,” Cass said in a press conference with the United Way, according to the Associated Press.

Cass continued, saying “We have not terminated or laid off or furloughed anybody and we don’t intend to.”

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