More from the Non-accountable Football League. When the Ravens attendance dropped, team president Dick Cass sent an apology letter to season-ticket holders. One problem, he didn't apologize.
The letter addressed the huge number of no-shows after the game. It all started when more than a dozen Ravens players knelt during the anthem for the September 24 game in London.
“We have had significant numbers of no-shows in the past when our play on the field has not met the high standard we and you have set for the Ravens,” Cass wrote. “But this year has been different. The numbers are higher, and it is noticeable. There are a number of reasons for the no-shows, but surely the one-time protest in London has been a factor.”
The kneeling kicks off the first Sunday where more than 200 players kneeled or sat during the anthem. Since then TV ratings and attendance have plummeted.
Cass is pretending that the anthem protests are only a small part of the problem. Even though in the past poor performance was the main reason for no-shows. This team is 8-6 and battling for a playoff spot.
“We have responded to your concerns about the protest by re-doubling the efforts of both the organization and our players to make the Baltimore area a better community,” Cass continued. “We have also reached out to a number of you who wrote or called about the protest. While we have not been able to reach all of you, we have learned a lot from these interactions.”
Cass said that while some fans “bluntly told us to keep statements and protests out of the game” there were many “others saw it differently and welcomed the dialogue that followed.”
The team announces a sellout every game. M&T Bank Stadium holds 71,000 fans when at capacity. Despite the announced sellouts, “There have been swaths of empty seats this season, especially in the upper levels.”
The remaining two games for the Ravens are at home against Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Win those two games and they are in the playoffs. Will the team have the home field advantage they have had in the past? Dick Cass sure hopes so.
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