New York, NY (Sports Network) - The Baltimore Ravens will begin defense of
their Super Bowl XLVII title on the road instead of having the customary
Thursday night contest at home to start the season.
The NFL announced Friday that because Major League Baseball wouldn't move the
start time of the Baltimore Orioles' home game against the Chicago White Sox
from a 7:05 p.m. (et) scheduled first pitch, the Ravens would have to play on
the road.
The Ravens and Orioles play at stadiums next to each other and share parking
lots, so the NFL decided to make the move to avoid traffic issues in the area.
"While we are disappointed for the fans in Baltimore, we appreciate the
efforts of the Ravens, Orioles and Major League Baseball and understand the
logistical problems in trying to schedule the teams on the same day," NFL
spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement. "The Ravens will open the season on
the road on Thursday night, September 5, in our annual NFL Kickoff Game on
NBC. We are exploring potential fan activities in Baltimore around the Kickoff
Game, including a pre-game concert."
The Orioles will start a new four-game series on Sept. 5, the night after
completing a three-game set in Cleveland.
The Sports Network