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The Baltimore Ravens have seen plenty of great teams over the years, but it's hard to say the 2000 Super Bowl XXXV-winning team wasn't the best in franchise history.
Sure, the 2012 team also won the Super Bowl, and many would consider that the greatest Ravens team ever. However, the 2000 team boasted one of the best defenses the NFL has ever seen, allowing a mere 10.3 points per game and shutting out four different opponents throughout the season.
The Ravens capped off the season with a dominant 34-7 win over the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, holding them to just 152 total yards and no offensive touchdowns.
The offense may have been pedestrian, but the defense ensures this team will be arguably the most memorable in Ravens history, and among the most memorable in NFL history.
At least, that's what many belive. CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo ranked every Super Bowl champion of the 21st Century, and controversially placed the 2000 Ravens at No. 24, only ahead of the 2001 New England Patriots.
"Led by future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore had a historically dominant defense, a punishing running game (led by then-rookie and future 2,000-yard rusher Jamal Lewis) and a dynamic returner in Jermaine Lewis," DeArdo wrote. "The Ravens were great in some elements, but they lacked an elite passing attack that contributed to the unit undergoing a five-game drought without a touchdown during the season."
"Baltimore's defense was awesome, but it didn't face the toughest of competition that season, especially from a quarterback standpoint (Troy Aikman was the only future Hall of Fame quarterback the team faced that season, and he and the Cowboys were on a steep decline at that point). That's one of the reasons why the 2000 Ravens are not ranked higher."
Perhaps those are valid points, but it still feels wrong to place a team with one of the greatest defenses ever so low. With the amount of talent on that unit, it's hard to imagine any potential opponent faring well against them.
The 2012 Ravens came in at No. 13, the exact midpoint of the list. That team stumbled in the final stretch of the regular season, but pulled it together to go on one of the most impressive playoff runs ever, with Joe Flacco playing some elite football and Ray Lewis and Ed Reed leaving Baltimore as champions.
The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles claimed the No. 1 spot, so perhaps there is some recency bias in this list. Not to say the Eagles don't deserve that spot, but it's just a theory.
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Aaron Rodgers appears to be weighing three options
It has been nearly three weeks since the official start of NFL free agency, and Aaron Rodgers remains unemployed. The former MVP has taken much longer than expected to decide his future. In terms of his playing career, Rodgers appears to have three choices. Let's examine them. Pittsburgh Steelers Before Tuesday, two teams were willing to sign Rodgers as their starting quarterback heading into 2025. The New York Giants were one of them, but they signed Russell Wilson to a one-year, $21M contract. That leaves the Steelers as the only team with known interest in Rodgers as a starter. Rodgers visited with Pittsburgh on Friday. It was believed that a deal might come together quickly after he sat down to talk with head coach Mike Tomlin, owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan. That did not happen. Wilson is no longer available, so Pittsburgh's contingency plans are drying up by the day. If the Steelers had reason to believe Rodgers would not sign with them, they probably would have given up the pursuit and re-signed Wilson. Still, Rodgers is making them and everyone else sweat. Retirement Rodgers contemplated retirement two years ago when he went on his infamous darkness retreat. He ultimately opted to keep playing, and the Green Bay Packers traded him to the New York Jets. While Rodgers has indicated that he wants to continue his career, it would hardly be a shock if he decided a Super Bowl title, four NFL MVP awards and 10 Pro Bowl selections are enough. Wait it out Perhaps Rodgers does not feel that the Steelers are the best fit for him. There has been talk for weeks that he would prefer to play for the Minnesota Vikings, who have said publicly that they are committed to J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy is coming off knee surgery and has never made an NFL start, so there are plenty of questions surrounding him. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked about Rodgers on Wednesday and did not entirely rule out signing the veteran. If Rodgers believes there are better options outside of Pittsburgh, he could wait until training camp to see if another opportunity arises in Minnesota or elsewhere. Injuries happen, and Rodgers may not be excited about the grind of another NFL offseason, anyway. Is something else bound to come up? Rodgers might be willing to wait it out.
'I knew that this way, everything would be easier': Toni Nadal reveals reason behind not charging nephew Rafael Nadal for tennis lessons
The uncle of former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Toni Nadal, has revealed the reason behind not charging his nephew for tennis lessons. The 38-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles. He retired from professional sport last year after participating in the Davis Cup. For most of his career, Nadal was coached by his uncle Toni, who introduced him to the sport as well. Toni was recently quoted in a report by the English media outlet Daily Express, where he revealed the reason behind not charging his nephew for tennis lessons. "Because I didn't want to charge for it,” he said. “I knew that this way, everything would be easier; I could tell him what I thought I should say. Well...I would have had to be more careful about saying what I wanted to say because ultimately the one who pays does so to hear what they want to hear." Nadal, who is also regarded as the King of Clay after having won 14 French Open titles, a record in the competition’s history, explained in his autobiography, which was released in 2011, how tough his uncle was with him during his early playing days. "Toni was tough on me right from the start, tougher than on the other children,” wrote Nadal in his biography. “He demanded a lot of me, pressured me hard. He’d use rough language, shout a lot, he’d frighten me — especially when the other boys didn’t turn up and it was just the two of us. If I saw I’d be alone with him when I arrived for training, I’d get a sinking feeling in my stomach. My friend Miguel Angel Munar reminds me sometimes how Toni, if he saw my head was wandering, would belt the ball hard at me, not to hit me, but to scare me, to startle me to attention. It was always me, too, who he got to pick up the balls, or more balls than the others, at the end of the training session; and it was me who had to sweep the courts when we were done for the day. Anyone who might have expected any favouritism was mistaken."
Coco Gauff's reign as No. 1 U.S. tennis star in danger
World No. 3 Coco Gauff has been the top-ranked tennis player from the United States — male or female — for nearly two years. All that could change on Saturday when No. 4 Jessica Pegula clashes against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Miami Open. A win would allow Pegula to surpass Gauff in the WTA rankings and crown her as the new U.S. No. 1 in the tennis world. Pegula pulled off an impressive semifinal victory over Alex Eala on Thursday, winning in three sets after dropping a first-set tiebreaker to the Filipino breakout star. The win meant she exercised her Miami Open demons after previous semi-final defeats in 2022 and 2023 and a quarterfinal loss to Anastasia Potapova a year ago. The 31-year-old American has been on a stellar run recently. After reaching the 2024 U.S. Open final, her first taste of a major final, she followed it up with a finals appearance in Adelaide and a WTA250 title in Austin, Texas. Entering the Miami Open, she had 5,361 WTA points, trailing Gauff (6,063) and leading Madison Keys (5,0004) in a three-way battle for the U.S. No. 1. With Gauff and Keys suffering early exits and Pegula reaching the final, the latter is at 5,796 points in the WTA Live Rankings. A win over Sabalenka would give her 6,146 points, enough to surpass Gauff. A bad sign for U.S. tennis? Pegula's rise would be a feel-good story for U.S. tennis, but it would be equally a poor reflection of the country's younger stars. At the Australian Open, too, fans celebrated journeywoman Keys finally winning a major but lamented the early exits of Gauff, 21, Emma Navarro, 23, and Ashlyn Krueger, 20, from the slam. There's no other way to slice it, but losing the U.S. No. 1 status would be a devastating blow for Gauff. The 21-year-old has failed to advance past the quarterfinals at any event this season, suffering fourth-round exits at Indian Wells and Miami and second-round losses at Dubai and Qatar. Her 2024 was also a letdown, leading to her firing her coaching staff, changing her service stance and tinkering with other aspects of her game. Gauff has become increasingly vulnerable and doesn't exude the dominant energy she did en route to her 2023 U.S. Open win. Amid Gauff's subpar run, Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams' former coach, recently sounded the alarm bells. Stubbs believes Gauff may lack the mental capacity to endure tough three-set battles and that "her technique fails under pressure." Gauff will next be seen in action at next week's Charleston Open.
Penn State Wrestling Recruiting: William Henckel Dominates National Preps—What’s Next?
Penn State Wrestling commit William Henckel won his second National Prep Championship last month and said he was a little emotional after his last high school match but was out there having fun. Hailing from Connecticut and wrestling for Blair Academy in New Jersey, Henckel has been a highly ranked and sought-after recruit since his freshman year. Henckel had not yet won his first National Prep Championship when he committed to Penn State. Buy The Newest Penn State Gear at Fanatics | Shop Penn State Merchandise on Amazon He went on to prove Nittany Lions head coach Cael Sanderson right by winning back-to-back National Prep titles. Henckel isn’t the only wrestler in the family, though—his sister, Sarah Henckel, won the Girls National Prep Championship at 165 lbs. How William Henckel Fits in the Penn State Wrestling Room In his senior season at Blair Academy, Henckel competed at both 175 lbs and 190 lbs, with his championship coming at 175. At the next level, Henckel looks most ready to compete at 174 lbs or 184 lbs with Carter Starocci leaving. Henckel is also adept at securing falls, which is always valuable in dual meet season.
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