Baltimore Ravens president says anthem protest 'factor' in lower attendance

Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass recently wrote a letter to season ticket holders, citing a national anthem protest as a "factor" for poor attendance.

The Ravens rank No. 13 in average home attendance, at 70,602, according to ESPN.

Ravens players have kneeled this season, but they did so in Week 3 before a 44-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 24 at Wembley Stadium in London. Nearly 30 players participated in the kneeling, including former captain Ray Lewis.

The team knelt in prayer before the anthem in Week 4, but has not protested during the anthem since.

"We recognize our players' influence," Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said after the protest. "We respect their demonstration and support them 100 percent. All voices need to be heard. That's democracy in its highest form."

Last season, the Ravens averaged 71,102 fans at home, good for No. 12 in attendance, according to ESPN.

"I am writing to thank you for your continued support of the Baltimore Ravens,"Cass wrote in his letter, according to CBS Baltimore. "You are an important part of who we are and what we have become."

"Created over 22 seasons, our bonds with you are strong and deep. Our Ravens family is built on memories of great games, plays and people. That foundation includes you and Ravens players named Jonathan, Ray, Ed, Sizzle, Joe, Todd, Bart, Goose, Mac, Edwin and many others. Our cement is a pair of Super Bowls, the "Mile High Miracle," the single-season best defense ever, and playoff wins in New England, Oakland and Pittsburgh, as well as memorable regular season victories at M&T Bank Stadium over Jacksonville, the Steelers and Seattle and the snow game against Minnesota."

"All along, our organization and our players have volunteered to make our community better. That work continues almost daily and, certainly, weekly. We are especially proud of our current players' commitment to make Baltimore a better place to live and work."

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"We are once again in a serious battle to make the playoffs. If we achieve that goal, it will be the seventh time in the last 10 years. But we know it has been an unusual season. A glut of injuries, especially on offense, had us struggling early to find both consistency and our identity."

"We had the poor showing in London, complicated by the kneeling of a dozen players during the National Anthem. That became an emotional and divisive issue. We know that hurt some of you. Others saw it differently and welcomed the dialogue that followed. Others bluntly told us to keep statements and protests out of the game. There are some of you who have stayed away from our games."

"We have had significant numbers of no-shows in the past when our play on the field has not met the high standard we and you have set for the Ravens. But this year has been different. The numbers are higher, and it is noticeable. There are a number of reasons for the no-shows, but surely the one-time protest in London has been a factor."

"We have responded to your concerns about the protest by re-doubling the efforts of both the organization and our players to make the Baltimore area a better community. We have also reached out to a number of you who wrote or called about the protest. I personally made a number of phone calls and met with some of you. Some of my Ravens colleagues have also made a number of calls. While we have not been able to reach all of you, we have learned a lot from these interactions."

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"We want the Ravens to continue to be a strong, unifying force and source of pride in our community. When the Ravens win, we can bring families and the community together. We've done that before, and we can do it again. In light of recent events, we are also reminded that winning alone is not always enough to make the Ravens the unifying force we want to be."

"We don't take your support for granted, and we know that we must continue to earn your respect and investment in us. We are committed to putting the best possible team on the field and providing an outstanding gameday experience for you. That commitment requires us to continue to make significant investments in our facilities. This summer we will finish our $45 million renovation and expansion of our Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills. By the beginning of the 2019 season, we will complete our ongoing $120 million renovation of M&T Bank Stadium. [By the way, our first set of escalators to the upper bowl will be completed in 2018]."

"We hope you and your loved ones are having a wonderful holiday season. Let's add to the celebration with a Ravens run to the postseason. Thank you for reading this."

The Ravens host the Indianapolis Colts at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Baltimore (8-6) sits in second place in the AFC North and is currently projected as the No. 7 seed in the conference playoff picture. If the Ravens win out, they can clinch a playoff spot.