By Joe Platania, PressBox Staff 

OCEAN CITY -- You know him as "Captain Defense,” the tall, omnipresent camouflage-clad Ravens “superfan.” 

But at home, he's Waldorf resident and former Naval Intelligence employee Wes Henson, who faced quite a dilemma recently. 

"I was looking at my calendar at home," Henson said, "and my wife said, 'We have a [five-day] cruise coming up.' I told her the Ravens' event was coming up in Ocean City."

Wes Henson, a.k.a. "Captain Defense"  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

The "event" was the Convention of the Council of Baltimore Ravens Roosts, the annual four-day, weekend-long bash that once again drew over 5,000 partying fans from more than 50 Roosts to the Castle In The Sand Hotel (37th Street) for their annual parade, as well as great food and even better times.

The event began in the late '60s (as the Colts' Corrals convention) on a much smaller scale, but it has grown into the type of gathering that has made it a must for anyone who loves the Ravens and loves to party.

"People will do anything to get down here," Council president Ed Young said. "A lot of different personalities [are] down here and they'll do anything."

For example, the usual five-player Ravens contingent that made the trip to the beach to thank the fans for their support unexpectedly grew to six.

Long snapper Matt Katula had already been to the convention and ridden in its customary Saturday morning parade, as had tackle Mike Kracalik. But starting left guard Jason Brown, guard Chris Pino and defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison were on their maiden voyages and wanted to let their teammates know what they were missing.

"We got [cornerback] Derrick Martin here, too," said community relations vice president Kenny Abrams. "The players from San Diego State [Pino and Kracalik] and everybody were sending out text messages saying that they have to come down here. It's that strong history in Baltimore that drives this. There's nothing like this in San Diego or anywhere."

Ravens offensive lineman Chris Pino  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

Hopping on a scooter, buckling his helmet tight and probably making better time than anybody else on the road, Martin made it to the main stage to greet thousands of cheering fans just before the awards ceremony on the event's final evening.

Whether by scooter, car, truck or any other mode of transportation, for many, simply getting to the convention is just as important as having a good time there.

"Talking to the fans, you find out that they have many different ways of getting down here," Abrams said. "The ones from Delaware and Pennsylvania, instead of driving down here, they'll stay at a friend's house or at the house of a [fellow Roost member], maybe a total stranger and they'll use that as a rest stop. Even if it means finding someone to take care of something, getting down here, they'll do it.

"Some folks will do a park-and-ride situation. They'll stop at one location, pick up someone else and do a caravan-type of thing. So it's always something. It's interesting hearing how people get down here."

It sounds like a lot of time and trouble. So, why do they do it?

"It's a great time. Look around," Abrams said. "You're finding folks that really enjoy themselves. You won't find this anywhere around the country during the [offseason]. That's the beauty of it, people enjoying the Ravens experience. 

Ravens long snapper Matt Katula  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

"They're wearing Ravens gear and showing their appreciation for the sport and in addition, they're showing how much they care about this team and that's why we come down here each year, so we can reciprocate and show them how we feel about them."

One player who made the trek every year was Edwin Mulitalo. A special highlight of Saturday's ceremony was a cell phone call from the Detroit Lions' guard, who was a Ravens’ mainstay and convention attendee for many years. 

More than a few of the parade floats, working under the "Saluting The 12th Man" theme, instead paid tribute to Mulitalo, who departed as an unrestricted free agent earlier this year after eight seasons in Baltimore, and his longime stewardship of Big Ed's Band Foundation, which attempts to furnish schools with instruments and upgraded music programs.

Due to the Lions' organized team activity (OTA), Mulitalo was not able to greet fans in person. Instead, Young held up the phone as the fans cheered.

In an age in which players' loyalty to their teams and cities is certainly not what it used to be, it was a rather poignant moment -- one that underscores the burning desire for Ravens fans to get to Ocean City every year on the first weekend in June.

Despite the calendar conflict, Henson completed his five-day Bermuda cruise and made sure he would be there.

Roost 44 (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

"It depends on your perspective," he said. "I don't care what I have to do to be there, I'm going to be there. I love being around all the Ravens fans, talking football and getting ready for the 2007 season.

"We left last Sunday and got back [Friday]. The ship docked at Locust Point at 7 a.m. and by the time I got home it was around noon. I changed my clothes and left [Waldorf] at 4 p.m. to get here. That's how important this is."

Despite Captain Defense's heroics, which included 20 mid-parade pushups as he marched in front of Roost 88 (Paradise), he still punched in a bit late for the convention.

That's because it got underway on its customary Thursday with an open-mic karaoke night. Competitions in horseshoes, tug-of-war and volleyball followed over the next few days to go along with tropical drinks, pit beef, hot dogs and other bull-roast style food cooked outdoors in open grills under beautiful, sunny skies.

That's usually not the kind of food found at wedding receptions, but that didn't stop one happy couple from starting a tradition of their own.

Roost 35  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

Five years ago, a federal officer and Roost 50 (Carney) member simply known as "T" Elliott was getting married to Cindy, a medical researcher and fellow Ravens fan.

"We planned it so we would be here after we got married," Cindy said. "We went down to the courthouse and got married and got on our way here."

Naturally, that means the convention falls on or around the Elliotts' anniversary every year, but there's something else that draws the couple to the annual gathering.

"When you follow a football team, you're talking about people from all walks of life," T Elliott said. "Here, they're all coming together for one common goal. It's like a family. This is the place to be and if you've missed it, you've really missed something."

Roost 5 (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

Elliott did his customary impersonation of linebacker Ray Lewis' pregame dance in front of Roost 50's parade float, prompting dozens of children to ask for his autograph. That surely made an impression on a pair of other Roost members who followed the Elliotts' lead and traveled to their first convention.

"There were a couple of ladies who came down," Cindy Elliott said. "One of them had a wedding today. The other had a babysitting job, but they came down early this morning so they could experience this."

Battling traffic is a way of life for Roost 18 (Glen Burnie) member Chuck Meek, who lives in Anne Arundel County and commutes to work in Hanover (Carroll County) each day. His boss had a special assignment for him Friday, but that didn't deter him from reaching the beach.

Roost 55  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

"My job doesn't put me on the road too much, but my boss said I had to go up to Pennsylvania," Meek said. "I went up there, got back by 2:30, left at quitting time and got here by 7:30 last night. Had to go from one end of the state to the other, but I made it here.

"All those years supporting the Colts and then they left. The Ravens came and that was great, because I love football and I love being here."

For Cindy Boyer of Roost 65 (Pasadena), it wasn't enough just to be at the convention.  Boyer had always wanted to stay at the headquarters hotel, with its amphitheatre-like setting, volleyball and horseshoe courts and two music stages. With balconies adorned by Roost banners, it makes for quite a scene.

But until this year, Boyer had no success and was forced to walk over to the festivities from other hotels. That's not an uncommon problem; members of Roost 5 (Dundalk) stayed at the nearby Barefoot Mailman, a five-minute walk from Castle In The Sand.

However, Boyer finally made it this year.

"It's a popular event, and it's hard to get in," Boyer said. "I just kept calling, calling, calling and I finally got lucky. I wanted to be here, with the (main) group. It's all about the fans and the atmosphere. Everybody's having a great time."

Helping provide some of the atmosphere was the Baltimore Marching Ravens' pep-band unit, headed by Glenn Wilcher. Aside from its curbside pre-parade performance, the event is a chance for band members to become fans in the midst of their hectic annual schedule.

Roost 18  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

"The band plays so many performances, we don't get a chance to socialize," Wilcher said. "So we'll come here for the weekend, out of our own pocket, and we get a chance to be with the people and not just perform. We're fans, too, we're not just musicians."

During the parade, Roost 44 (Ocean City) paid tribute to the band by dressing in faux band uniforms and playing make-believe instruments.

"Without question, we were honored," Wilcher said. "We had no idea it was coming. It made us feel good that they thought enough about us to do something like that, so that's cool."

It's just one of the many reasons Henson and others have seemingly moved mountains to reach Ravens party heaven.

Bill West (Roost 15) participates in the sand volleyball tournament, while Chris Pino takes his turn in the dunking booth.  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

"It's important to have camaraderie with a good group of people," he said. "It's just a passion that you have. It's great having people from different parts of Baltimore and Maryland coming together. We're all Ravens fans and we're all rooting for the same team. 

"And there's a certain passion that we all have for each other, too."

Issue 2.23: June 7, 2007