National Football League - Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens Unveil New Alternate Uniform

NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. Fashion designer.

Ray Lewis' Hall of Fame resume got a little more colorful yesterday when the Ravens unveiled a new all-black uniform that will be worn once this season. The All-Pro linebacker suggested the idea to owner Steve Bisciotti during a practice last year and played a role in the final look of the uniform.

The Ravens will debut the dark jerseys and pants at their Nov. 7 nationally televised home game against the Cleveland Browns.

"This allows us to come out with a totally different swagger," Lewis said. "It's an intimidation factor. You come out dressed in all black with a swarm of 53 men, that could be exciting."

The Ravens become the sixth NFL team to go with all-black as their alternate uniform, joining the New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. Teams can wear a third uniform for a maximum of two games each season.

The first alternate jersey in the Ravens' eight-year history cost them $25,000 and features white lettering and purple trim. The pants will be solid black (no white stripe down the side like the team's early years) and have a gold 'B' on the hip.

If the Ravens eventually want to switch this to their primary uniform, they would have to notify the NFL two months before the regular season. Teams can change their primary uniform once every five years.

Lewis said his only problem is with the white shoes and socks. Because teams can only have one color shoe (the Ravens have always used white), Ravens officials are asking the league for some leniency in order to switch to black shoes for that game.

The new jerseys - replicas had been available for the past couple of years - will be in stores by the end of the summer. After the game, players will sign the uniforms and the team will auction them for their charity foundation.

"It wasn't to create something that would sell a tremendous more product," said Dennis Mannion, the Ravens' senior vice president of business ventures. "We wanted to give our team a different look."

BACK IN BLACK: NEW UNIFORM, SAME ATTITUDE

By Jeff Esposito

This afternoon as the Ravens’ final minicamp approached its end, the Ravens showed they had another trick up their sleeves.

And different colored sleeves at that.

In the team’s weight room, black-clad linebacker Ray Lewis and quarterback Kyle Boller modeled the Ravens new third uniform after being introduced to local media by senior vice president of business ventures Dennis Mannion.

The new uniform is completely black with the exception of white numbers, a purple stripe around the biceps and neckline, and the Baltimore ‘B’ on the pants.

“We were going to work on the all black, all the way down,” said Ray Lewis, who along with Steve Bisciotti was instrumental in the adding of the alternate uniform. “This is a different switch. We have been around a long time, we have seen other teams come out with different uniforms, but for us to come out with a different uniform, a totally different swagger is our focus right now.”

Lewis has already set the tone for the 2004 season.

“It is simple. It is not hard with us now. If we talk about anything short of Jacksonville, we are shorting ourselves right now.”

To the players, the jerseys just give them extra incentive to show up in top form for their nationally televised game against the Cleveland Browns (November 7, 8:30 PM ESPN).

“I like them, they are kind of intimidating,” said cornerback Gary Baxter. “It is something new. It will spunk the team up and give us some motivation when we play.”

Wide receiver Travis Taylor concurred with Baxter, and added that the all black look goes along with the team’s attitude.

“It will be scary coming out of the black hole,” said Taylor. “It reflects our team’s toughness. Oh yeah, we like the black.”

When asked of what the national television audience and the Cleveland Browns will think when they see the Ravens run onto the field donned in black, Baxter responded, “I don’t know what they are going to think, but as long as we go out and do our thing, and prove to be worthy of wearing them, that is all that matters.”

According to NFL policy, a member club may change its jersey once every five years. The Ravens have the option to make the jersey into their primary jersey, but at this time have opted to use it as a third jersey, for one game, during the 2004 season.

Notes from Owings Mills Wednesday:

• Mannion indicated the team’s black jerseys will be available in retail stores at the end of the summer.

• WR Javin Hunter practiced as a defensive back for the first time after playing wide receiver the past two years.

These articles were taken from www.baltimoresun.com and www.baltimoreravens.com.  All rights reserved.