Baltimore Ravens Blame Anthem Protest in London for Fan No-Shows at Home Games

The Baltimore Ravens and president Dick Cass claimed in a letter to season-ticket holders that one of the factors in the team's declining attendance was the decision of several players to kneel during the national anthem during the team's game in London this September, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

"The numbers [of no-shows] are higher, and it is noticeable," Cass wrote. "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 redoubling the efforts of both the organization and our players to make the Baltimore area a better community," he added. 

Many of the Ravens knelt in London in the wake of President Donald Trump's divisive comments about NFL players protesting during the anthem.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He's fired. He's fired!'" Trump said in September. "You know, some owner is going to do that. He's going to say, 'That guy that disrespects our flag, he's fired.' And that owner, they don't know it, [but] they'll be the most popular person in this country."

Those remarks prompted protests and demonstrations of solidarity around the NFL, with many teams, coaches and even some owners linking arms during the anthem or performing other gestures. Some teams didn't come on the field during the anthem at all.

Some Baltimore fans didn't respond well to the team's actions in London when they returned home, however.

As Hensley noted, "The following week in Baltimore, the Ravens knelt in prayer before standing for the anthem. Fans at M&T Bank Stadium booed the players when they took a knee."

The Ravens have seen a number of no-shows at their games despite being 8-6 and in the running for a postseason berth. If Baltimore wins its next two games, it will clinch a playoff berth.

"The Ravens are finding themselves in the same situation as a lot of NFL teams this year," T.J. Brightman, president of the public relations and marketing firm A. Bright Idea, told Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun earlier in December. "There is a disengagement by fans across the country stemming from the daily and weekly stories the NFL league office confronts."

Other factors outside the protests are also potentially at play, from issues of player safety and a number of superstars being lost for the season to injuries. There is also the possibility oversaturation has hurt viewership after the NFL expanded its schedule to include Thursday nights in recent years. 

And with advancements in technology, fans are growing more prone to enjoying games at home.

"Watching from the comfort of home is what we battle," Baker Koppelman, Ravens vice president for ticket sales and operations, told Barker. "Having a fan-friendly, dynamic and exciting environment at our home games is something we work at, tweak and talk about constantly. It is a relentless pursuit and we are in it together."