A resolution congratulating the Baltimore Ravens for winning Super Bowl XLVII.

Mr. President, I join with Senator Cardin as a fellow jock to support the resolution commending the Baltimore Ravens. What a great season we have had. It was thrilling; it was exciting. I have been a Ravens fan since they came to Baltimore, and I was originally a Colts fan.

I was a little girl when the National Football League came to Baltimore. It was the Baltimore Colts. They even had a telethon to buy tickets. Just imagine, we could buy season tickets to the Baltimore Colts for $15. One of the first things I did when I graduated from college and had my own money was to go in with my Uncle Fred to be able to have tickets to go to the Colts games at Memorial Stadium.

I remember watching TV when we had that famous game with New York and Johnny Unitas tossed that winning touchdown to Lenny Moore and won 10 seconds before the game was over. I didn't think football could ever be that exciting again. But then came this Ravens season just roaring to the finish. There they were playing the Broncos in Denver, the mile- high city. Senator Udall really razzed and did some pretty uppity trash talk. But we, with our usual pride and gentility, weathered the storm.

I could not believe it. I thought the game was over. I was ready to kick back and call my sister when, oh, wow, there goes Flacco with that 70-yard toss, and it was a touchdown. Even though I am short and chunky, I was ready to do cartwheels around my condo that evening.

The team went on to deal with the New England Patriots and then all the way to the Super Bowl. We were out there winning again when all of a sudden the lights went out in New Orleans. Even though they went out for 38 minutes in New Orleans, the lights were on all over Baltimore and we were purple. We were purple with pride and purple with joy. We were so pleased that they brought us victory not only on the playing fields of the National Football League, but do you know what else they did? They created a sense of community and a sense of energy.

If you came with me to one of our great major league institutions, such

as Johns-Hopkins or the University of Maryland, you would see that we are shoulder to shoulder with Nobel prize winners who are working in our institutions. The facility managers, nurses, and even the patients had on their purple ties or purple shirts. We were united. It was a sense of community, and it was a sense of pride.

What is it that we liked? Because we did our best. We were the underdog team. Some of the national sports writers would often look down their nose at the football players. We don't carry a chip on our shoulder, we carry the football across the goal line. That is the way Baltimore is. We are gritty, we are strong, and we will fight and take it all the way to the end.

So I want to congratulate the Ravens for creating a sense of energy, creating a sense of community, and, yes, winning the Super Bowl. They were champs, but really what they created was not only champions of the Super Bowl, they were champions on their way to victory to create this sense of community.

Also, a special acknowledgment to Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis has had a tough life. It has been hard-scrapple and hard-tackle for him. He has faced some life challenges and has had some dark moments. Out of that, he has reclaimed his life, and in the process of reclaiming his life and giving essentially all honor to God, he has then gone on to work with other football players and people in our community about how you get your life together, how you hold your life together, and how you are a winner both on and off the field.

So I wish to congratulate the Ravens. We are really proud of them. We are glad they won the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in 11 years.

I have a purple coat that I bought for the first Super Bowl. Some women have special-occasion cocktail dresses; I have a special coat for football season. I pulled it out, and I am ready to wear it, and I am ready to wear it for victory for next season.

Mr. President, we take this time in order to acknowledge the extraordinary accomplishments of the Baltimore Ravens and their victory in Super Bowl XLVII as well as to honor the players, coaches, staff, and loyal fans who helped to secure the Ravens' second Lombardi trophy in the last 12 years as the best team in the National Football League.

I have been a Baltimore football fan for as long as I can remember, from the days of the Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas, Alan Ameche, and Lenny Moore. I am so proud of this team. This team has guts. No one predicted them to win the Super Bowl--no one. At one point no one expected them to even get into the playoffs. They not only made the playoffs but they won in spectacular fashion. They looked after each other, and they worked hard.

Coach Harbaugh brought the team together. Ray Lewis, in his last season, motivated the team. We had players who were injured during the course of the season who came back to play in the playoffs. The team represented Baltimore so well and I think represented the best in football. They not only gave our city and our football fans the opportunity to come together, I was very much impressed how Baltimore changed during Super Bowl week. Our city was so proud of our team and so proud of the manner in which they conducted themselves on and off the field. They gave back to the community in so many different ways. They helped young people. They helped develop healthy lifestyles. They have been role models.

This Super Bowl will be remembered for a long time to come. I think in the first half we thought it was going to be a runaway game, but the Baltimore Ravens have a way to make sure they keep TV ratings high. It got a little more suspenseful, particularly when we had the blackout in the third-quarter, but in the end the Baltimore Ravens prevailed and Baltimore is the championship city.

We are so proud of the accomplishments of our team. Whether we are talking about the comeback of Ray Lewis or Terrell Suggs from a devastating injury or Ray Rice's fourth and 29 scramble to keep our playoff hopes alive, it is clear that the Ravens were the most determined team in the National Football League.

Unflappable Joe Flacco has established himself as a leader and one of the preeminent quarterbacks in the league. His Most Valuable Player performance in the Super Bowl was a fitting capstone on an MVP season and should prove once and for all ``Joe Cool'' has what it takes.

It has been thrilling to watch the Ravens this year, to say the least. In a season during which the team clawed and ``cawed'' its way to some close victories, the Super Bowl was a fitting end. The Ravens came into New Orleans as the underdogs against incredible odds, and they prevailed as the world champions.

I applaud the team, the coaches, the managers, the owner, and all who were involved for giving not just Baltimore but for giving football a team everyone can admire.

I also want to acknowledge the gracious way in which our colleagues from California have handled the results of the Super Bowl. The 49ers are a great team. They played a great game and had a great season. Baltimore and San Francisco share a lot. We share great football and we share a bay. We call our bay the Chesapeake Bay and they call theirs the San Francisco Bay. We share great seafood, and we share a love for the sport of football.

I thank them for their graciousness, and I thank all involved for a great season for the Baltimore Ravens.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 35, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.