Ravens know for a fact their protest led to low attendance of their games and because of that sent a letter apologizing to the fans.
Yeah, you read that right. Ticket holders, suite holders and sponsors were some of the no-shows at M&T Bank Stadium this season according to ESPN.
Team president Dick Cass signed off on this letter and says this year the low attendance feels different.
“The numbers [of no-shows] 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.”
While in London on September 24, the team protested by taking a knee during the national anthem. The knee was in response to president Trumps comments regarding NFL players. A week later, the Ravens knelt and prayed before standing for the anthem and were booed by the fans for it. Since then the Ravens have just stuck to football.
According to Cass the Ravens wrote to people who called about the protest and or wrote to the team. Cass also met with some of the fans and spoke with them.
Cass wrote,
“We want the Ravens to continue to be a strong, unifying force and source of pride in our community, when the Ravens win, we can bring families and the community together. We’ve done that before, and we can do it again.”
He continued,
“In light of recent events, we are also reminded that winning alone is not always enough to make the Ravens the unifying force we want to be. We don’t take your support for granted, and we know that we must continue to earn your respect and investment in us.”
It’s all about the stands being filled on this one and Cass understands that…