Why is Mo in Baltimore endzone in white for AFC Championship game?
Baltimore hosted Kansas City on Sunday evening and NFL fans were all asking the same question.
The Ravens hosted the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game with a place in Super Bowl LVIII at stake.
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Aerial footage of MT&T Stadium before Sunday’s AFC title gameCredit: X @BaltimoreRavens
Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the Baltimore logo in the end zone included an interesting detail.Ā
The letters in the team name were all coloured white with gold bordering apart from the ‘M’ and ‘O’, which were painted gold with white outline.Ā
The different font was noticed by a number of fans online.
“Why is the MO in Baltimore a different color,” asked one fan.
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Another said: “Question: Why is the āMOā in Baltimore gold. Any sort of significance or just random?”
The answer is rather heartbreaking.Ā
The golden ‘Mo’ is a tribute to Baltimore superfan Mo Gaba, who died from cancer in 2020, aged 14.
A frequent caller on local sports talk-radio shows, Gaba became an inspirational figure for players on theĀ OriolesĀ andĀ RavensĀ for his positive attitude and selflessness.
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Gaba’s fame in Baltimore began in back in 2015 when he secretly called a local radio show while his mother was at work.Ā
Soon, he was throwing out the first pitch before an Orioles game and calling a play inside the Ravens huddle at practice.
In September 2020, not even two months after his passing, an entire section at M&T Bank Stadium was filled with Mo cutouts. They called it “Mo’s Rows”.
Mo’s legacy was further immortalised with a new endzone design that lasts to this day.
Vice President of Community Relations explains: “Normally it’s white lettering, with a gold outline.
“But we’re going to make sure the ‘Mo’ in BaltimoreĀ is gold, so everyone can see it and everyone knows he’s going to be out here with us.”
Gaba became only the second fan to be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame. Lying in bed, he had the announcement read to him.
“The world has lost a beautiful spirit and a shining light,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after Gaba’s passing.
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“With his infectious laugh, amazing love of life and love of Baltimore sports, Mo captured the hearts of not only our organization, but the entire state of Maryland.”
In 2019, Gaba became the first person to announce anĀ NFLĀ draft pick off a card written in braille.
