NOTEBOOK: READER MAILBAG

By Joe Platania

1950 -- For the first time, the Colts played a preseason game in what eventually became Memorial Stadium, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-27.

1959 -- The traditional game between the NFL champions and collegiate All-Stars took place at Chicago's Soldier Field, and the Colts administered the usual beatdown, 29-0, as they intercepted five passes.

1967 -- During one of the few pre-merger preseason matchups between AFL and NFL teams, the Colts routed the Boston Patriots at Harvard, 33-3.

1971 -- The Colts traded linebacker Bob Grant to the Washington Redskins for two 1972 draft picks. With one of them, a second-round selection, the team took Michigan wideout Glenn Doughty.

1974 -- Baltimore traded a second-round pick and eventual Hall of Fame linebacker Ted "The Mad Stork" Hendricks -- who is immortalized in the Ravens Ring of Honor -- to the Green Bay Packers for an eighth-round selection.

1978 -- As part of a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Colts received an eighth-round pick, which they later used to select University of Washington cornerback Nesby Glasgow.

1979 -- Ravens backup guard/center Tony Wragge was born in Creighton, N.M.

1982 -- Ravens punter Sam Koch was born in York, Neb.

1982 -- During what would eventually be their last Memorial Stadium preseason win, the Colts beat the New York Giants, 19-14.

1983 -- The Colts registered what would turn out to be their final preseason win as a Baltimore-based team, edging the Minnesota Vikings, 10-7.

1996 -- Future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre made his first Baltimore appearance during a preseason game at Memorial Stadium as the Green Bay Packers won, 17-15, on a last-second Richie Cunningham field goal.

1997 -- In a bizarre press conference held in a dank, smelly basement room at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, top draft pick Peter Boulware ended his holdout and signed his Ravens rookie contract.

1999 -- Baltimore signed unrestricted free-agent quarterback and future folk hero Stoney Case, who went on to win an overtime game in Atlanta that year with a long pass to Justin Armour.

2000 -- The Ravens put special teamer/safety Bennie Thompson on the reserve/retired list after he played in each of the team's first four seasons in Baltimore.

2001 -- For only the second time in NFL history, a preseason game was canceled because of poor field conditions, as the Ravens walked off the Veterans Stadium turf after head coach Brian Billick deemed it unsafe.

2003 -- The Ravens won a preseason game in Atlanta, 13-10, a game during which quarterback Michael Vick suffered a broken ankle when Adalius Thomas tackled him from behind.

2008 -- Quarterback Kyle Boller's Ravens career was effectively ended when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during a 23-15 home preseason loss to Minnesota.

2010 -- The Ravens unexpectedly terminated the contract of Matt Katula, who was to that point the longest-tenured long snapper in the team's history.

2011 -- In a trade with the Buffalo Bills, the Ravens acquired wide receiver and former first-round pick Lee Evans for a fourth-round pick.

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JOEY P'S TRIVIA TIME: Today's question:

Even though the relevance of preseason results is questionable, the Ravens can at least say for the most part that they know how to get their fans excited in August.

Including the win in Atlanta last week, the Ravens are 39-25 lifetime during preseason games, and have gone unbeaten four times during their previous 16 preseasons.

But on the other hand, have the Ravens ever had a winless August?

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of Tuesday's post-practice entry.

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MAILBAG: A pair of assorted sentiments came through the reader mailbag during the past week, and you can chime in by either using the comment field below, or e-mailing us at joeyp@pressboxonline.com.

"Steve from Sandpoint" had this to say about Bryant McKinnie's money troubles; the offensive tackle is getting roughly half his 2012 wages garnished by the Ravens.

"With McKinnie, if he needs $4.5 million to cover expenses, he is in dire need of a financial consultant," Steve wrote. "To have that kind of lifestyle and still have money problems? He needs to get a real job and see what reality really is."

Steve, it's unfortunate but true: McKinnie is hardly the only active or retired NFL player that has had financial difficulties.

But there is a bulletin board posted outside the locker room complete with information about which accountants are reputable enough to be trusted, along with known warnings from NFL Security about those trying to scam players out of their money, so the available tools are there for them to be helped.

"Tara from Taneytown" had her memory jogged by our "This Week In Baltimore Football History" item about Mark Clayton signing his initial rookie contract with the Ravens in 2005, the year he was the team's first-round pick.

"I remember my ex-husband saying how great it was that they drafted Clayton, since he was an Oklahoma fan. Speed, good hands and yards after the catch, this was a guy that was going to make the Ravens a very explosive offense.

"As it turns out, the Ravens were wrong about Clayton, my ex was wrong about him, too, and I was wrong about my ex!"

Posted Aug. 14, 2012