The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have been fierce rivals for nearly as long as the Ravens have existed. While it's not the most storied rivalry, it is definitely one of, if not, the strongest rivalry in the NFL, potentially in American sports as well. The rivalry needs no introductions, as the multi-decade defensive slugfests have not ended, and it will continue again in Week 5 when the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh. There are always the questions of how these rivalries begin, and a Raven legend went back and pinpointed the exact date that the fight began.
Peter Diana Post-Gazette
Steelers Hines Ward flashes signature smile at Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis was interviewed by CBS Sports recently. When they asked about a brutal loss to the Steelers, Lewis changed the topic to the rivalry in general. He had endless praise for the Pittsburgh teams back in the late 90s, and even talked about wanting to be them in a way. He opened up talking about how the Ravens weren't really anything when they moved to Baltimore in the first place.
"When I came to Baltimore in 1996, we had no team, no identity. We had nothing. There was nothing to really represent. The excitement was there, the logo was there, but nothing else."
The excitement came from the fans, but the team still needed an identity. That excitement came from the Steelers. Lewis recalls seeing how passionate Steeler Nation was and how tough the organization's players were. He was on the wrong end of a sweep to the Steelers after a blown 21-point lead that was shortly followed by a 37-0 defeat.
"I remember going to Pittsburgh, and I'm looking at this culture. And I'm coming from 'The U' in Miami, and this culture [in Pittsburgh] is absolutely amazing. It's a legendary culture. The fan base and loyalty and commitment."
The Steelers are known for overtaking opposing stadiums while regularly selling out their own stadium. While Baltimore was excited about having a new team, the Ravens still needed something else. They needed an identity. Despite the Steelers torching them offensively, their strong defense was what Lewis and the Ravens wanted for themselves.
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Former Steelers defensive end Chris Wormley celebrates big play against his old team, the Baltimore Ravens.
When Did The Steelers And Ravens Rivalry Begin
The Ravens started playing Steelers football and beating them at their own game. The blowout losses turned into close, hard-fought wins. As the Ravens got better, the rivalry got tighter. The 2000 Ravens defense is widely regarded as one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL, and the Steelers saw it first-hand.
"Pittsburgh had eight chances to score. If you wanna see old school football and see the switch of power of us saying, 'We have arrived.' They had eight chances. They did not get in. We beat the Steelers, 16-0, and that changed the rivalry. They knew that a new bully was in town."
The Steelers weren't used to getting beat at their own game. They had to fight back, and while a 9-6 win in the same season helped, that didn't change the fact that the rivalry was officially on. That Week 1 loss changed the history of both franchises. The Steelers realized that they were in for a dogfight every time they matched up against Baltimore. To this day, neither the quality nor momentum of either team means anything when they square off against each other.
Baltimore Sun
Steelers Jerome Bettis meets Ray Lewis
The Steelers hate the Ravens, and the Ravens hate the Steelers. Unlike other rivalries, there is still a ton of respect between the two teams and their fans. Even Lewis has nothing but respect for the team that he hated the most. The competition was incredible, but it didn't make Lewis hate the franchise off the field.
"As much as I didn't like them as a competitor, the amount of respect for them that I have is amazing."
What do you think about how the rivalry began, as well as the state of the rivalry today? Let us know in the comments below!
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