Why is Michael Phelps at the Ravens playoff game?

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since they won the whole thing back in the 2012-13 season (who could forget the Har-Bowl?!). On Sunday, they face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

And to get the environment right, the Ravens are pulling out of all of the stops. Not only is celebrity superfan Stavros Halkias taking part in the festivities as he's become increasingly a cult hero over the past month or so, but franchise legends Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Ogden, Anquan Bolden and more are going to be involved in the pregame atmosphere.

So too is Olympic legend Michael Phelps.

Of course, Phelps is a little less connected to the Ravens than most of the other familiar faces and celebrities in Baltimore, so that had fans asking how Phelps is involved with the Ravens and the city.

Is Michael Phelps from Baltimore?

Michael Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist (and 28-time overall medalist), is indeed from Baltimore, MD. He was born in the city in 1985 and spent his developmental years growing up and training in Baltimore as well. In fact, one of Phelps' nicknames from his swimming career evoked the city as inspiration, going by "The Baltimore Bullet". Pretty apt for a guy who was essentially unbeatable whenever he dove into the pool.

So why is Michael Phelps at the Ravens playoff game?

Because of his deep roots in Baltimore, Phelps was selected to deliver the Game Ball on Sunday for the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. Again, the Ravens pulled out all of the big-name stops for this contest in the playoffs and Phelps is part of that. He's a fan-favorite of sports fans in the city, so his presence (and general vibes) are sure to get the crowd fired up whenever he takes the field to give the game ball to the referees.