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Baltimore’s Edgar Allan Poe Statue Sadly Acknowledges Ravens Loss To Patriots

The bronze statue of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore often seems to have a sort of sad expression, with its downcast gaze. But it looked extra gloomy yesterday as the statue sported a New England Patriots scarf in consequence of Maryland Poe fans losing a bet to Boston Poe fans when the Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 in last Saturday’s football playoff game.

As part of the ongoing (friendly) rivalry between the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation in Boston and Poe supporters in Baltimore, the two groups had agreed that the town whose team lost in the Patriots-Ravens (named after Poe’s famous 1845 poem “The Raven”) game on Jan. 10 would wrap a scarf in the colors of the rival team around the bronze Poe in their city.

Jeff Jerome, formerly curator at the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, had expressed confidence of the Baltimore Ravens' chances against the New England Patriots. (Jeff Jerome)
Jeff Jerome, formerly curator at the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, had expressed confidence of the Baltimore Ravens' chances against the New England Patriots. (Jeff Jerome)

“I thought, well, OK, it’s a foregone conclusion that we’re going to win, so I don’t mind sticking it to Boston,” Jeff Jerome, who was curator at the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore from 1979 to 2013, boldly pronounced before the Jan. 10 game.

Those words came back to haunt him as the Ravens’ loss obligated Jerome yesterday to wrap a Patriots scarf around the Poe statue at the University of Baltimore.

Previously: Patriots Playoff Bet Sparks Question: Would Edgar Allan Poe Root For The Ravens?

Greg Cook is co-founder of ARTery. Follow him on Twitter @AestheticResear and be his friend on Facebook.

This article was originally published on January 16, 2015.

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Greg Cook Arts Reporter
Greg Cook was an arts reporter and critic for WBUR's The ARTery.

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