Getty John Harbaugh with his players in camp.
The Baltimore Ravens revealed an impressive statement and call to action in the wake of civil unrest this week, and the inspiration behind it is team driven.
As John Harbaugh explained, he was only a small part of the whole decision. When he heard the players wanted to get involved, he let them facilitate their voice and hash out the plan moving forward. As a result, Harbaugh says he is very proud of what the team put together.
Speaking with the media, Harbaugh was asked about what Thursday was like and he said the trust he put in his players was rewarded in the end with the positive statement they delivered.
“The players felt strongly that they wanted to do this together. When you empower someone, it’s because you trust them.”
Coach Harbaugh on empowering his players’ voices:
Harbaugh said:
“The players felt strongly that they wanted to do things together. We had very knowledgable assistant coaches that were involved in it. I stepped away from the meeting and I trusted them. When you empower somebody, it’s because you trust them and you believe in them. Not everybody is going to agree with every point in that statement. Not everybody on our team probably is going to agree with every aspect of it. But the ability to respect everybody’s opinion and come up with something that’s workable that we can go forward with, I think it’s kind of a good example of how you work every problem. I’m proud of them for doing that. I thought it took a lot of courage and intelligence and thought. Experience was brought to the table and I’m proud of them for doing that.”
The statement has been lauded by one of the best by a professional sports team, and the attention to detail that was put into it on the Baltimore end is obvious. It’s neat to see a staff in tune with their players in such a way as Harbaugh is.
Ravens Revealed Impressive Statement
That was the case until the Baltimore Ravens set the bar with a fantastic statement which included multiple specific calls to action. Thursday morning, the Ravens elected to practice, but in the afternoon, they were hard at work talking and brainstorming their response. By the time it was revealed, it was incredibly powerful.
The result? A comprehensive statement which not only outlined how the team felt about what was going on, but made specific points about what the team is calling on to change nationally.
Statement from the Baltimore Ravens:
Specifically, the Ravens called on the police who shot Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor to be arrested. They also demanded that senator Mitch McConnell bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the senate floor. Additionally, the team said they encouraged folks to vote and get involved in the political process, demanded prison sentences that were fair and equitable and encourage citizens to report any possible violations of the police to the department’s internal affairs unit.
As the Ravens said, these steps will help the world become a better place for everyone’s children and grandchildren. The hope is some of these demands are met with a serious mindset from those in power.
Ravens Players React to Their Statement
In the aftermath of the statement, the Ravens hopped on Twitter and showed major support for the words of the franchise. As Calais Campbell put it, the team wants meaningful change and they want it right now.
Mark Ingram said he was proud to be a Raven.
Robert Griffin III said that he wanted everyone to read the words and start to demand changes be made.
As a whole, the Ravens are unified behind their message and their approach which is great to see. That includes the coaching staff as well clearly.
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