Section 532, Pittsburgh, PA
In a household split by one of football's most notable rivalries, Jeff Berthney stands true to his roots in Baltimore as a Ravens fan. Jeff and his sons come to Baltimore each season to enjoy watching the Ravens play, develop fun gameday traditions, and create lasting memories. Keep reading to learn about Jeff's divided household, and how he prioritizes watching Ravens football with his sons in this month's PSL Owner Spotlight.
What is your Ravens story?
Originally from Baltimore, Jeff Berthney has been a Ravens fan all his life. His sentiment for the team did not waver when he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (yes Pittsburgh!) to pursue the opportunity to start an insurance company.
Although he became surrounded by fans of the Baltimore Ravens' long-time rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jeff still proudly supports his home team. His sons, Marco and Micah, join their dad in rooting for the Ravens and living with a love for football. Although Jeff is able to share his sentiment for the Ravens with his sons, that sentiment is not shared throughout his entire household. Jeff's wife, Jaclyn is an avid Steelers fan, along with her entire family. Living with someone rooting for the Ravens' most notable rival does not make for light-hearted Sundays, and Jeff described what it's like watching football in his divided household sating, "It's very, very tense...very, very divided...it makes for contentious weekends!" Despite this football rivalry amongst his family, Jeff still enjoys travelling to Baltimore for gamedays, and prioritizes sharing the passion for the sport and the team with his kids. With two PSLs, Jeff brings one of his two sons with him to games, and values being able to create gameday memories with them.
What do Gamedays look like for you?
For Jeff and his son, game prep can start as early as the day before kickoff, as they travel from their home in Pittsburgh to Baltimore, either making the four hour trek to Maryland the night before and staying with family, or driving early the morning of the game.
Once they arrive at the stadium, it's time to see the players. "My son really enjoys getting to see the players come in when they walk in from the parking lot."
Once they have helped welcome the players, they enjoy grabbing food at places around the neighborhood before they head back to the stadium. They are always eager to get there as early as possible so they can be part of the first group of fans to enter the stadium. Then it's back the players as close as they can get, watching them warm up and giving the occasional hi-fives as they come in and out of the tunnel before they head up to section 532.
Most memorable Gameday moment?
The environment at M&T Bank Stadium is extremely special, "electric" as Jeff described. "The fans in Baltimore....it's awesome. With consistent high energy across the stadium, there is no shortage of exciting, emotional, and jaw-dropping moments on gamedays."
When asked to reflect on some of his favorite, most memorable moments at The Bank over the years, Jeff told us it's hard for him pick just one, so how about three!: 1) when WR Nelson Agholor came over to Marco during warm-ups and gave him the gloves he was wearing, 2) the 2003 game against the Clevland Browns when RB Jamaal Lewis set the single game rushing record with 295 rushing yards (broken by Adrian Peterson in 2007) , and. lastly, when CB Marlon Humphrey closed out last seasons' game against the Steelers in Baltimore with a pick-six.
Jeff values sitting in the stands with his son, surrounded by other Ravens fans, getting to watch incredible live moments. "Being able to share that with my sons, and that bond of football...it's been really cool.".
What does being a PSL Owner mean to you?
The opportunity to create long-lasting memories and enjoy new experiences with his family is ultimately what drew Jeff to becoming a PSL owner. He knew he wanted to take the next step and become a PSL owner, not just because of his own passion for the team, but for the opportunity to share that passion with his son and create amazing experiences for them.
When choosing his seats Jeff immediately knew he would want aisle seats. "I have two boys...I know how this is going to go. I don't want to be getting up throughout the game and having people need to get up to move out of the way," he explained. After securing his seats, Jeff knew he wanted to bring each of his sons to at least one game during each season and be able to experience gamedays together.
Reflecting on the period when Baltimore was without football along with the Ravens now entering their 30th season, Jeff has a deeper appreciation for the team and cherishes the moments he's able to enjoy with his sons. It extends to an appreciation for the Ravens community that he has been a part of since becoming a PSL Owner. "Being able to share the community...the whole history of Baltimore sports, and Baltimore football...we grow together."
