Baltimore Beatdown
Hello, Baltimore Beatdown readers!
My name is Nikhil Mehta, and it is my privilege to be the next managing editor of Baltimore Beatdown. You may know me from my stint at Beatdown during the 2024 season, my work at Russell Street Report, or my presence on the website formerly known as Twitter (@nikknowsball). I’m honored to be taking over from Kyle Barber, a close friend and mentor who has spent nearly a decade(!) building Beatdown into what it is today. I’m also excited to be working with editor Frank Platko and writers Zach Canter and Dustin Cox.
First, a little about me. Like Kyle, I have a connection to Colorado: I was born there. I grew up, however, in Maryland with a Ravens fandom firmly instilled in me by my Baltimore-born father. I collected trading cards, played pick-up games in my neighborhood, and like many in this industry, made some embarrassing early attempts at blogging. I didn’t learn how to properly write until I studied under Tom Mullen, my journalism professor at the University of Richmond. And I didn’t learn how to write about football until 2020, when Tony Lombardi took a chance on an unproven youngster and published my first article on Russell Street Report.
From there, I learned everything I could from Tony, Derek Arnold, and Dev Panchwagh – about writing, the Ravens, and the entire football ecosystem. Thanks to RSR, I’ve had the opportunity to attend four years of training camp, two years of offseason practices, the NFL Combine, and my first credentialed game this preseason.
In that time, I’ve realized one basic truth about myself: I love football. I firmly believe that it is the best sport on the planet and the NFL is the best league on the planet. From the ever-evolving schematic chess match between coaches, to the intense physical matchups between players, to the intricacies of roster management, NFL football is endlessly fascinating. Each week, we are treated to the pinnacle of athletic and strategic competition with an offseason that never wants for excitement and drama. The two main roster-building mechanisms of the league – the draft and the salary cap – are designed for parity, making the phrase ‘Any Given Sunday’ more than just a Hollywood cliche. The advent of analytics, growth in international fandom, and arrival of flag football are just a few of the ways football continues to grow and evolve.
I am thrilled to be bringing that passion to Baltimore Beatdown. My plan moving forward is simple: continue to provide high-quality, up-to-date Ravens news and analysis. Kyle set an excellent example with his stewardship of the site and I intend to follow his professional approach and standards.
You may, however notice a few differences. For example, there will be a noticeable uptick in movie references. There will also be expanded coverage of my particular obsessions: the salary cap and the draft. I want to offer a glimpse behind the curtain of the NFL and explain how teams make their...
