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Baltimore Owner Steve Bisciotti Bans LGBT Merchandise at M&T Bank Stadium

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti discusses Harbaugh extension, Jackson contract  situation | WBAL Baltimore News

The Baltimore Ravens have become the latest NFL franchise drawn into a cultural firestorm after team owner Steve Bisciotti announced a controversial decision to ban the sale of LGBT-themed merchandise at M&T Bank Stadium. The ruling, described by Bisciotti as necessary to “preserve the Ravens’ identity and the integrity of the fan experience,” has immediately ignited heated debate across Baltimore and the league.

According to reports, the decision came after weeks of internal discussion surrounding stadium retail operations. For some, it signals a dramatic shift away from the NFL’s recent inclusivity campaigns, where rainbow-branded apparel had become commonplace in team shops across the country.

In a strongly worded statement, Bisciotti defended the move. “This was not a decision made lightly. The Baltimore Ravens stand for grit, resilience, and unity. While I respect that not everyone will agree, my responsibility is to protect the culture of our team and the integrity of the fan experience. This step was necessary to ensure that.”

The reaction has been swift and polarized. Supporters applauded Bisciotti for “keeping football about football,” while critics denounced the ban as exclusionary and damaging, warning it undermines the Ravens’ ties with LGBTQ+ fans and Baltimore’s broader community. Advocacy groups have already begun organizing demonstrations outside M&T Bank Stadium, and hashtags like #BoycottRavens quickly began trending nationwide.

The NFL has yet to comment, but insiders suggest league officials are closely monitoring the situation. With Commissioner Roger Goodell under increasing pressure to uphold the league’s messaging on diversity and inclusion, Baltimore’s decision could soon escalate into a larger confrontation with the league office.

For the Ravens, the timing could hardly be more disruptive. With the team off to a strong start in the AFC North, Bisciotti’s ruling now risks overshadowing on-field success with an off-field cultural storm.

Whether the decision strengthens loyalty among some fans or erodes trust with others, one thing is clear: the Baltimore Ravens have been thrust into the heart of America’s culture wars, and the spotlight will not fade anytime soon.

Stay tuned to ESPN.

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Chiefs Head Coach Announces Chris Jones to Start on the Bench for Standout Rookie After Costly Mistake vs. Jaguars
  Kansas City, MO —The Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff confirmed that Chris Jones will start on the bench in the next game to make way for rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott, following a mistake viewed as pivotal in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move is framed as a message about discipline and micro-detail up front, while forcing the entire front seven to re-sync with Steve Spagnuolo’s system. Early-week film study highlighted two core issues. First, a neutral-zone/offsides penalty on a late 3rd-and-short that extended a Jaguars drive and set up the decisive points. Second, a Tex stunt (tackle–end exchange) that broke timing: the call asked Jones to spike the B-gap to occupy the guard while the end looped into the A-gap, but the footwork and shoulder angle didn’t marry, opening a clear cutback lane. To Spagnuolo, this was more than an individual error—it was a warning about snap discipline, gap integrity, pad level, and landmarks at contact, the very details that define Kansas City’s “January standard.” Under the adjusted plan, Omarr Norman-Lott takes the base/early-downs start to tighten interior gap discipline, stabilize run fits, and give the call sheet a cleaner platform. Chris Jones is not being shelved; he’ll be “lit up” in high-leverage situations—3rd-and-long, two-minute stretches, and the red zone—where his interior surge can collapse the pocket and force quarterbacks to drift into edge pursuit. In parallel, the staff will streamline the call sheet with the line group, standardize stunt tags (Tex/Pir), shrink the late-stem window pre-snap, and ramp game-speed reps in 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 so everyone is “seeing it the same, triggering the same.” Meeting the decision head-on, Jones kept it brief but competitive: “I can’t accept letting a kid take my spot, but I respect the coach’s decision. Let’s see what we’re saying after the game. I’ll practice and wait for my chance. When the ball is snapped, the QB will know who I am.” At team level, the Chiefs are banking on a well-timed hard brake to restore core principles: no free yards, no lost fits, more 3rd-and-longs forced, and the return of negative plays (TFLs, QB hits) that flip field position. In an AFC where margins often come down to half a step at the line, getting back to micro-details—from the first heel strike at the snap to the shoulder angle on contact—remains the fastest route for Kansas City to rebound from the stumble against Jacksonville.