Quoth the raven, and other trash talk

I'm not so much with the sports. I mean, I'm marginally athletic (when I'm not sitting on my ass while slurping down a bottle of Chardonnay.)

But unless it's total cliches like gymnastics ("OMG, that bobble totally cost her. I wonder when she'll hit puberty.") and ice skating ("OMG, that shaky landing totally cost her. I wonder when she'll hit puberty.") and swimming ("OMG, Michael Phelps.) I'm generally 100 percent sports ignorant.

This is especially funny (or, problematic) because in the context of my career, I need to be somewhat sports literate. I've had assignments that involved attending the Indy 500, the Final Four, pro basketball games and various other duties.

The Modern Gal, a girl who loves SportsCenter as much as Sex in the City, knows her shit and helps me out. She's even gone so far as to allow me to fax her a box score while both of us were at work, so she could talk me through the mix of numbers.

But, while I know jack about sports, I do know a thing or two about trash talking, a skill that comes in handy several times a year during any period known as "the playoffs."

This should explain why I was downright GLEEFUL to find out that the Baltimore Ravens will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in something called the AFC Championship tomorrow. (Ok, I'm not that sports illiterate.)

Why?

Because, yours truly hails from the great state of Maryland. (Woooot! Free State in the house!)

Now, aside from the fact that cheering for the Ravens and Redskins is some kind of birthright in Maryland (along with crabs and lacrosse, but I digress), the main reason I dig the Ravens for this: they're literary!

Yup.

The team is named in honor of Baltimore's adopted son, Edgar Allen Poe, and his most famous poem "The Raven." The team's mascots _ three cartoon birds _ are named Edgar, Allen and Poe. (As a word nerd, this warms my heart.)

So, with that said, com'n Pittsburgh. STEELERS? Really? What the hell? That'd be like calling Maryland's team the Baltimore Crabbers. Or the Baltimore Oysterers. Or the Maryland Jousters (true fact, Maryland's official state team sport is jousting.)

Steelers, sheesh. Laaaame.

I bet your team doesn't have any connection to great works of literature.
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Btw, that super cute embroidery image is courtesy of Urban Threads.