Ravens will show Michael Phelps’ race during Thursday preseason game
By Jason Parker
The Baltimore Ravens will honor their hometown Olympian, Michael Phelps, and allow fans a chance to watch his race live during the game.
In the world of Olympic competition, Michael Phelps is further cementing his case as the greatest athlete to ever participate in the summer games. Thursday, he will go for his 22nd gold medal all-time in the finals of the 200 meter individual medley.
At the same time that Phelps, who was born in Baltimore and grew up in nearby Towson, is in the pool going for some more bling, his hometown NFL team, the Ravens, will be opening their preseason slate against the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers.
In this case, what is a Baltimore resident to do: go watch a preseason football game or stay home and watch their hometown hero? Well, thanks to the Ravens, fans can do both:
"The Ravens are planning to air Michael Phelps’ 200-meter individual medley finals race on the RavensVision video boards during a commercial break of the matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The race is scheduled for 10 p.m."
Phelps’ race will occur sometime in the fourth quarter and will be shown during a commercial break so that none of the coverage gets shown on any of the TV stations that are airing the game over the Ravens’ group of affiliates, thanks to NBC’s tight rules regarding footage of the Olympics.
Related Story: Michael Phelps Wins Gold Medal No. 21
This is not the first time the team has done such a thing for Phelps, a huge fan of the team who was on the field celebrating with the team during their Super Bowl win during the 2012 season. In 2008, the team showed one of his gold medal wins immediately following the conclusion of a preseason game.