Lombardi's Way Brian Billick in The Ravens ROH

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For many, the Ravens Ring of Honor is unfortunately a sore spot because its inaugural inductee was Earnest Byner. Byner was a very good player, just not for the Ravens.

Byner’s contributions to the Ravens both on and off the field, were marginal, and his induction into the ROH seems more like a momentary lapse of reasoning by Art Modell. The beloved former Ravens owner seemed to pay homage to Byner for years of dedicated service that reached back to their days in Cleveland. But clearly, it was a mistake to honor him as a Raven. A company Rolex would have sufficed.

Byner’s induction set the bar for inclusion in the Ring…