While most Ravens fans probably turned off the TV after the team’s 17-10 AFC Championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the announcers reminded those who stuck around of the national perception of Baltimore.
Toward the end of the CBS broadcast, the announcers referred to Baltimore as “the home of ‘The Wire.’”
The HBO television series, created by former Baltimore Sun police reporter David Simon, portrays the criminal and drug scenes of Baltimore, among other facets of the city. Though a fictional series, the show is inspired by many real-life accounts, and its stories have become synonymous with Baltimore for many out-of-towners whose only frame of reference for the city is “The Wire.”
Baltimoreans acknowledge the issues plaguing the city, but they also know Baltimore is much more than the crime and drugs featured in telvision shows and movies. While recommending places for Taylor Swift to visit while in the city, for example, Baltimoreans and Swifties highlighted the openness of Baltimore, its good restaurants and bars, and nice places to go for a walk.
In response to football announcers’ comments about the city Sunday, X user “WayneLinhart” expressed frustration with “The Wire”’s role in shaping the nationwide opinion of Baltimore. The Wire allows the rest of the country and world to see the city through one lens without looking at what the city is actually like, according to the user.
“[The Wire] keeps being used to reduce our great city in the last 20 years in the media and pop culture pundits. It’s lazy, reductive and simple,” the post read.
Former WBAL-TV reporter Jayne Miller also chimed in on X, asking people to “do their homework” before automatically correlating the TV show to the actual city.
Kaliope Parthemos (“kaliopepart” on X), former deputy mayor under Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, asked what other TV show is given such a strong correlation to the city it’s based out of. One respondent said the only other correlation they could think of that comes close to Baltimore and “The Wire” is Albuquerque and “Breaking Bad.” But even then, X user “planetJoseph” said the Baltimore correlation is stronger.
Maybe the statement was not intended to be a dig at Baltimore, said X user “HankCampbell,” who suggested perhaps the announcers thought likening “The Wire” and Baltimore was an endorsement of the city when really it had the opposite effect. Another X user made a similar suggestion and said maybe the announcers had never seen the show.
One X user poked fun at the message by bringing up another popular thing that Baltimore is known for.
“It’s like they never heard of crabcakes,” said X user “Shall001.”
Parthemos said she was not necessarily upset about the reference, rather the comment simply made them look up.
But for other fans, it added to an already rough day after the No. 1 seeded Ravens fell at home, sending the Chiefs to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years.
“‘The home of The Wire’ just pissed me off further,” said X user “astoldbytamia.”
Hi Mr. Shindel,
Having over 50 years of a Baltimore life lived, I’ve concluded the Ravens are the “bad boy bunch” that should have won the AFC conference game.
Should have won big. They should have “crashed” the KC wedding, so to speak.
And much, much fun it would have been if, during Sunday’s showdown, the M&T Bank Stadium media team had chimed in a scene or two from Barry Levinson’s film”Tin Men”– like when the character played by Richard Dreyfuss beds the character Danny DeVito’s wife (actress Barbara Hershey).
That is Baltimore, Jack.
And they could have had even more naughty fun at others’ expense by playing Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain” over the sound system every time a certain VIP celebrity guest of a star KC Chiefs player was presented in all ecstasy. That’s how we in Mobtown should greet the opposition.
But that’s just coming from me. I’ve only been here my entire life.
Now that the 2023 Ravens have gone down in defeat, they have won the hearts of everybody in this port city who ever had a promise broken, a wish taken from them, and have trudged that boulevard of broken dreams. “They got a name for the winners in the world…” might be a Steely Dan song lyric but one that also says a lot about life as a sports fan in Baltimore. Guys like me should know.
Anthony R. Murawski
Towson, MD
I’ve lived in Baltimore all my 51 years too. Yes good crab cakes, get one if you don’t get robbed or murdered. Bad schools, out of control crime, gangs, corrupt people running the show and bad fans just to name a few. Low class, low rent, ignorant population in this city and you don’t want to admit the truth. What the hell does Taylor Swift have to do with how horrible and low class this city is! The Ravens didn’t deserve to win, they are undisciplined, bad sports and Lamar Jackson is arrogant, self serving, and definitely not worth 260 dollars let alone 260 million. How long has he been a Raven, no super bowl wins not even an appearance in a playoff until now. How’s that for your superstar! We keep trying to prop up this sewer of a city instead of just calling it what it is, a rat hole. ?
Hi Robin,
The biggest Baltimore rat saga occurred in the early 1990’s at the Yellow Rose Bar in East Baltimore, where bar patrons organized the BARF (Baltimore Area Rat Fishers) to have rat fishing rodeos in the dirty alley out back. It was their “league night” if you will. Eventually, then-Mayor Kurt Schmoke got the City Health Department to investigate. Now the Rat Fishers are gone, and the Yellow Rose is gone, but today’s gentrified Baltimore population probably never heard of this.
Anthony R. Murawski
Towson, MD
Hi Robin,
The BARF (Baltimore Area Rat Fishers) were a crowd that hung out at the Yellow Rose Bar in east Baltimore in the early 1990’s, until then-Mayor Kurt Schmoke sent the City Health Dept. to investigate the “rat fishing rodeos” conducted in the trashy alley behind the bar. Most of today’s gentrified Baltimore has never heard this story.
You need to leave the city with that nasty attitude
When people in TV say dun things like that about Baltimore it’s because they’re dum ass”is and have nothing , left to say, I love Bmore so b more respectful .ps u???
Why None of The Blame on John Harbaugh???!!! How long it Take Joe Flacco to win A Superbowl??!!! 6 years !!!! Harbaugh is Head Coach !!! He has Done this before Change The Game plan that was Working!! Let Lamar Run !!!! The Ravens would of Won !!!
The Wire is my favorite show of all time. Anybody who is a big fan of the show knows that there was much more to the show than crime, drugs and murder. Other aspects of Baltimore were well represented in the show. You got to see the difference between the county and the inner city, you got to see the different neighborhoods in the city (the bad and good).
Now, I don’t want to be obtuse either. I get it. To the casual observer, the Wire is probably mostly known for some of the ills of inner city life, but to us diehards, we know the show provided a view of ALL of Baltimore.
The Wire is just a part of Baltimore!
“The Wire” reference came after Terrell Suggs entered the stadium from the tunnel to Omar’s whistle from “The Wire”
They’re just pissed off because they lost ???
Whoever is complaining about “The Wire” reference or statement towards Baltimore is reaching hard. It’s really not that hard to understand the fact that “The Wire” having one of the highest rated shows amongst one of the highest number of ratings, could easily be associated with Baltimore. Basically “The Wire” is considered to be one of the best shows of all-time. Also
with that being said, it’s just a show. Noone said Baltimore is defined by the show. I swear people cry about any and everything nowadays, lol.
Dude, just be happy that your city is associated with the greatest television show of all time.
We know it’s not all murder and drugs. Saying, “home of The Wire is a complement.” Take it.
The Wire was one of the best written (and acted/directed) series ever. I am proud that it was made here. In fact, we even have a Wire Tour(along with a John Waters tour!) Embrace it ! I am reminded of when a certain president mentioned that we have rats. Numerous Baltimorons were outraged, even though their cars sport a ‘Baltimore Rat ‘ sticker.
Let’s not forget we used Omar’s whistle of Farmer in the Dell .ore than once. So…..