How a fried-chicken slinging convenience store conquered Baltimore!

Edited by Lydia Woolever

Illustrations by Daniel Sulzberg | Photography by Christopher Myers

Food & Drink

How a fried-chicken slinging convenience store conquered Baltimore!

By Lydia Woolever
Illustrations by Daniel Sulzberg
Photography by Christopher Myers

December 2021

ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, the hottest hangout in Hampden might very well be located on the northeast corner of West 36th Street and Roland Avenue. The neon glow of blue and green lights beckons newly transplanted twenty-somethings in through its glass doors for cigarettes and Red Bulls, while old-timers pick up Keno cards, construction workers fill up on hot coffee, and police officers idle outside like taxis. For a century, the two-story limestone building has been an epicenter of local life here, once housing the Bank of Hampden, then the Sandler’s Department Store, and now, at all hours of the day, the Baltimore landmark of Royal Farms.

“RoFo is certainly a hub of activity for the people of Hampden,” says Samantha Clauseen, owner of nearby Golden West Café. “They were absolutely a part of the neighborhood changing over.”

Indeed, similar scenes are playing out in communities across Baltimore, where Royal Farms have become ubiquitous. And we’re not quite sure how we got here. In part because the Kemp family, who founded the company some 63 years ago, is notoriously private. Also, because, for all of our local loyalty, Baltimore City is just not the kind of town to play favorites with corporations. We value the underdog. But somewhere along the way—undoubtedly with the help of its coveted fried chicken—Royal Farms has risen from a small-town shop to a fast-growing, gas-guzzling, cult-followed convenience store chain that we’re inexorably drawn to, sometimes despite ourselves. “Anytime I drive by one at night,” says Baltimore writer Rafael Alvarez, “I think of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

But long before it spread like kudzu across the state—now with 250 locations in not only Maryland, but Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey—and before it became a brand almost as synonymous with Baltimore as the Ravens, Orioles, Old Bay, or National Bohemian—Royal Farms began with humble roots.

In fact, RoFo, as it's affectionately known (rumor has it that catchy but seemingly misspelled nickname was invented by Loyola students), was born out of another beloved Baltimore company, Cloverland Farms Dairy, founded by Homeland resident Maynard Kemp and his brothers, circa 1919. For many, this was the Baltimore milkman, famed for its horse-cart service and an ear-candy jingle that many Baltimoreans can still recite today: “If you don’t own a cow, call Cloverland now.”

“Do you want me to sing it to you?” asks chef John Shields of Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen. “Everyone in my Parkville neighborhood had their insulated metal milk box out front. I can hear my mom now”—in a thick Bawlmer accent—“Didtha milkman come yat?!”

Over the years, declining home-delivery demand would encourage the company to open its first shopfront in 1959—the predecessor to the modern-day convenience store—with “White Jug” locations from Timonium to Halethorpe, selling “quick pick-up items” and a full dairy lineup. (The Pennsylvania-based Wood Brothers Dairy would follow a similar trajectory, opening what is now known as Wawa in 1964.)

But it all came to a head in the late 1960s, when Cloverland joined forces with the Royal Dunloggin Dairy, which had acquired another West Baltimore milkman with a familiar name several years before that. “How has Royal Farms Dairy grown in three years from 30 quarts of milk a day to 7,500 quarts a day?” asked one Sun ad in 1934. “The answer is in every bottle of Royal Farms milk—the answer is EXTRA RICHNESS.”

A Royal Farms Dairy truck parks outside of the 2 O’Clock Club on The Block, circa 1943.

By the 1970s, “White Jug” shops would be supplanted by the all-new Royal Farms Stores, open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, with the likes of hot coffee, doughnuts, and frozen soda “coolees” on offer. It wouldn’t be until the next decade, though, following the demise of the “Cokes and smokes” era of such shops, that the company would add a new menu item that changed everything.

“Other stores had food, but it was fried 12 days ago and under a heat lamp—a frightening thing you wouldn’t think to eat unless you were very drunk,” says Shields. With their fried chicken, though, “Royal Farms was a whole new ball game. It seemed like suddenly everybody was talking about it.”

Maryland has long been a hub of poultry production, but the fried chicken at Royal Farms was not some nod to their local roots, instead ironically inspired by a fryer salesman, with a borrowed recipe tweaked over time, initially made with meat from the Eastern Shore’s Purdue.

“In 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation, Clark Griswold says, ‘I’m so hungry I could eat a sandwich from a gas station,’ and at the time, it was the funniest line in the movie,” says Jeff Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores. “Now that’s changed. Anthony Bourdain said, ‘Proximity to petroleum products is rarely an impediment to a great meal.’ And a lot of people, especially in Baltimore, know that, too.”

Today, even with fresh food options like fruit and salads, it is undeniably the chicken that has garnered the company its customer devotion and cool points, with praise from national tastemakers like Food & Wine, The Washington Post, and Garden & Gun.

“I would venture to say that Royal Farms’ fried chicken is better than that chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, or that other one with ‘Louisiana Kitchen’ in its name,” wrote G&G’s Julia Bainbridge in reference to KFC and Popeyes, respectively.

Still, others go for the caffeine fix. “I drink their coffee every day,” says Xenos Kohilas, owner of Ikaros Restaurant, a Greektown stalwart located within two miles of eight Royal Farms locations. “It’s always fresh. The product is consistent. They’re never out of what you want. I get gas there and sometimes a newspaper. It is a convenience.”

Their 24/7 service even made them a haunt for local newspapermen. “Back in the day, before cellular communications, I used to hit Royal Farms regularly for the pay phones,” says Sun columnist Dan Rodricks. “It was also a regular stop when my kids were playing ice hockey and I was a man in a van. I have a RoFo rewards card. I’ve been a RoFo road warrior a long time. Still haven’t bumped into Justin Tucker there yet, though.”

It might have been that very moment—when beloved Ravens players like Haloti Ngata and Justin Tucker became RoFo spokespeople—that we finally realized just how big the company had become. Of course, there was the sponsorship of Royal Farms Arena in 2014, and in 2010, the $1.95-million replacement of an iconic local landmark.

“It broke my heart when they took over Burke’s Restaurant,” says Alvarez of the 76-year-old watering hole that served oysters and martinis on Lombard and Light streets. “The death of downtown Baltimore, and the way we used to do things, could be marked by that moment. It’s the homogenization of culture. They promised they were going to have the same onion rings, which they never have.”

Similarly, Shields laments the loss of Holly’s Restaurant to the hands of Royal Farms. “It made me very sad, like, ‘There goes the neighborhood!’,” he says of the Eastern Shore staple he frequented on his way to Ocean City. “You can get too big for your britches, and maybe they are a little aggressive. They don’t need to be McDonald’s. But I’m also a realist. That’s what business is about, and we live in suburbia—a car-cultured society. Royal Farms plays right into that.”

It’s those gas pumps, in part, that have inspired neighborhoods to add RoFo to the Not In My Backyard list, with boycotts from Annapolis to Towson, with Bengies Drive-In going so far as to sue for the nuisance of the neon-like lights.

“Their ubiquitousness is a bit unsettling,” says Alvarez. “It’s almost impossible to not be a Royal Farms customer in Baltimore. You have no choice.”

Still, even as the stores get bigger, brighter, and more inescapable, adding bells and whistles like self-checkout and apps like UberEats, Royal Farms remains small in comparison to the competition. Pennsylvania is nearly four times the size of Maryland, of course, but Wawa has 900 locations, Sheetz has 600, and 7-Eleven? A whopping 10,000.

These cookie-cutter colosseums of convenience will never replace the mom-and-pop corner stores of yore, nor the all-night diners or old dive bars full of colorful characters. They may represent the city’s changing face—the crossroads conundrum between past and future Baltimore—but they have also undoubtedly tapped into an essence of this region: that we root for our own, for better or worse, no matter what.

“It’s where we started and it’s still where we call home,” says Breahna Brown, a spokesperson for Royal Farms. “We are proud to be a part of the Baltimore community. We’ve lived here, made friends here, been part of our community here, and have been fortunate enough to serve many of our neighbors.”

RoFo now ranks 38th in the top 100 chains list by Convenience Store News, with 4,500 new employees to be hired by the end of 2021, and more than 20,000 pounds of food donated to the Maryland Food Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still family-run in their third-generation and headquartered in Hampden, they sell Baltimore-made Cow Tales and Berger cookies and Cloverland Dairy milk products to this day.

“Going back to when it was called Cloverland Dairy, local has remained in the forefront,” says Marty Bass, veteran news anchor for WJZ. “Local wins and Royal Farms has not let the locals down . . . Only in Charm City could what should be ‘RoFa’ become ‘RoFo’ and loved as such. It just screams hon-ness!”

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Local chefs weigh in on why RoFo chicken is so fly.

By Jane Marion

Hard to say whether it’s the salty skin, crackly exterior, never-frozen juicy meat, or fresh-from-the-fryer glow of Royal Farms “world-famous” fried chicken, but there’s one thing we know for certain about this secret recipe: It’s damn delicious.

And the great tastemakers have taken notice, with Food & Wine dubbing it some of “the best fast-food fried chicken à la gas station” and The Washington Post hailing it the second-best chain fried chicken after Popeyes. “Royal Farms has won me over,” wrote the Post’s Michael O’Sullivan. “It’s the chicken that sealed the deal: fresh, hot, moist, flavorful . . . and with a beautifully golden, assertive, if slightly yielding, crust. It’s also unusually well-suited for reheating as leftovers, if there are any.”

In Baltimore, local chefs cluck the praises of RoFo, too. “I’m not supposed to eat it—I’ve had heart issues,” says John Shields of Gertrude’s, “but it’s one of those secret treats I have every now and then—I just love it so much.”

For Ekiben co-owner Steve Chu, who serves a Taiwanese-style curried fried chicken with a cult following of its own, it was love at first bite. “The first time I had RoFo, I was 12 years old,” he says. “My mother brought home a huge RoFo pack with 16 pieces of chicken for three kids, plus all the sides—the whole nine yards. I remember how juicy and hot and salty it was. It was truly perfect.”

The Milton Inn chef Chris Scanga, who graduated from the famed Culinary Institute of America, also has fond childhood memories of eating the chicken: “I grew up in Lutherville, where there was a RoFo near the train tracks that I could walk to from my house . . . It’s the one fast food I can’t give up. Even under the warmer, it stays crisp.”

Linwood Dame of Linwoods in Owings Mills was taken aback the first time he tasted it. “I was at a friend’s house one Fourth of July and she had this chicken that was really tender and flavorful,” he recalls. “I remember saying, ‘This chicken is really good, where is it from?’ She said, ‘Royal Farms.’”

Shields recalls a time in which even former Sun food critic Elizabeth Large was duped by the dish. “Years ago, [interior designer] Dan Proctor was invited to a party at Elizabeth’s. He told her he’d make the fried chicken but didn’t have time, so he went to Royal Farms. He brought in these exotic platters, and she’s eating it and says, ‘This is the most delicious fried chicken I’ve ever had! I’m from the South and I love fried chicken. This is that good.’ I'm not sure he ever told her.”

Even with Maryland technically below the Mason-Dixon Line, and also a hub of poultry production, chef Catina Smith of the Our Time Kitchen couldn’t get past the locale. “For the life of me, I don’t trust gas-station chicken,” she says. “However, recently, we were in a rush and the kids were hungry, so my boyfriend grabbed some as we were stopping for gas. It was crispy, well-seasoned, and moist—all the things I look for in fried chicken.”

And while little is known about the actual ingredients, Shields says the recipe is likely rather simple. “Flour, salt, pepper, and possibly a little MSG,” he surmises, perhaps nailed down due to the perfect ratio or cooking practice.

“They use a pressure cooker, which helps maintain the moisture while cooking it all the way through at a fast rate,” says Chu, who thinks part of the appeal is that “it’s a little too salty in all the right places.” Basically, it’s down to a science.

Arguably the most famous fried chicken in Maryland, it’s also affordable, easy to transport, and, even as the company rapidly expands across the mid-Atlantic, remains a no-frills local treasure.

“Marylanders love to support our own,” says Chu. “RoFo is a local business, and we support it out of hometown pride.”

A childhood that tastes of chicken and freedom.

By Janelle Erlichman Diamond

THE SMELL LINGERS in the air like the illegal cigarettes smoked behind the 7-Elevens and movie theaters of our youth. But this time, the vice is fried chicken, as pre-teens sit shoulder-to-shoulder on the curb behind the dumpster at Royal Farms.

Among the green and blue logo, fluorescent lights, and overstuffed shelves, the kids who linger are in various stages of puberty, school, and responsibility. They are usually in groups, frequently on foot, and often with bikes and scooters. They are too young to worry about salt intake, but old enough to know the pain of a brain freeze.

In Baltimore, the true rite of passage involves not a first kiss, but official permission to walk to—and linger at—the neighborhood Royal Farms without parental units. Like Mario Kart, there are different levels to this local ritual that involve supervision (or lack thereof), money (borrowed vs. earned), and intent (to eat food and/or socialize with friends).

Your children’s transition from RoFo trainee (a parent idles outside the Royal Farms while kids get to shop alone) to expert (your teen says, “I’m walking to RoFo,” and four hours later comes home with a pack of half-eaten sunflower seeds, a Monster Energy drink, and a crushed, greasy bag holding leftover Western Fries) is swift but unavoidable. After all, a childhood that tastes of spicy chicken tenders—and freedom—is as good as it can get.

And like all good places with a young cult following, there is merchandise. Every summer, new “limited-edition” ChickenPalooza gear is released, and parents dutifully race out to grab shirts and socks before the coveted sizes are gone and kids are reduced to wearing their pirate-themed jersey—“Here be chicken!”—to bed since it’s three sizes too big. The shirts can be seen at summer camps up and down the East Coast and on students waiting at bus stops and walking to school.

At Royal Farms, kids linger in the parking lot, swap snacks, stare at their phones, leave the spoils of their meal behind, know the managers’ names, throw soda bottles on the ground to make them explode, eat a second dinner or third lunch, laugh, pester, and toss food at each other.

It’s delightful, chaotic, and a little sticky, just like the mecca itself.

Ah, to be young.

RoFo fries are hot potatoes.

Is there any more polarizing potato than the Western Fry? Within Maryland limits, the breaded starch popularized by the RoFo chicken box stirs great debate among the chain’s most diehard devotees. Even in our own offices, a raucous round of opinions broke out during one recent meeting, with our staff split down the middle over whether to love or leave the iconic side.

What is a Western Fry, exactly? It’s actually kind of an East Coast thing—and certainly a staple of chicken-box spots throughout Baltimore. It’s not your typical French, shoestring, or steak variety, but rather a skin-on, hand-cut wedge, lightly seasoned and breaded, then cooked in oil until a crispy golden brown.

So what's the big deal? Their size, for starters. Western Fries (always capitalized, mind you) can be a small meal unto themselves. They are chunky, meant for dunking, particularly in Chesapeake dipping sauce. (For a power move, get them doused in RoFo’s Old Bay-like spice.)

Even the small order is at least an entire spud, but it still takes a strong will not to eat them all, with a few undoubtedly snacked on before you start your car.

In fact, we recommend you eat them immediately. Even for fans, the Western Fry is not without its asterisks. They don’t make good leftovers, the breading falls off easily, and while we love the batter’s peppery zest, they’re also potent salt bombs. “All they do is make you feel bad about yourself,” wrote one Reddit user, which isn’t entirely untrue.

And so the debate rages on. Do we love them? Do we regret them? One thing is for sure: Through the good, the bad, and the ugly, we’ll probably keep coming back for more.

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Justin Tucker is Royal Farms’ main Raven.

By Max Weiss

If Justin Tucker ran for mayor of Baltimore, he would win in a landslide. So it makes perfect sense that Royal Farms chose the handsome, affable, multitalented Ravens kicker to be their pitchman after Haloti Ngata was traded to the Lions in 2015. We chatted with Tucker about intentional overacting, how he takes his coffee (black), and what it’s like to break into song in the middle of a convenience store.

How did you get involved with Royal Farms?
It had to be like, gosh, seven years ago now. My agent hit me up one day and said, “I’ve got this opportunity. You know those commercials where Haloti Ngata is talking about fried chicken and coffee and gas?” And I’m like, “Oh yeah, of course, it’s Royal Farms!” I guess, as they say, the rest is history.

Had you done any acting before?
I certainly had not done any acting. And perhaps it shows.

What kind of notes did you get on set?
One of the first and most important things that stuck out to me was that I was encouraged to be over the top. Just really bring the energy. Because for a 30-second spot, the last thing you want is for everything to fall flat. If you think you’re bringing enough energy, you probably need to bring 10 times more.

And at some point, they let you sing?
They had caught wind of the fact that I am a classically trained singer. I guess they figured, hey, this totally makes sense, let’s have Justin sing an opera song about our amazing coffee. The script writers came up with this song about Royal Farms coffee [to the tune of “La donna è mobile” from Rigoletto]. And I don’t know if it was a hit, but I enjoyed it. I believe it was that same year, I sang a rap song about fried chicken into a drumstick.

What was the response from your teammates?
I certainly heard from plenty of my teammates and coaches and friends. If a guy has a new commercial out, Harbs [Ravens coach John Harbaugh] will play it at the team meeting. Like Lamar [Jackson], for example, he’s got Oakley shades. Or Sam Koch has this amazing spot that he shot years ago for Jiffy Mart that may have been recorded on a potato. So whenever I’ve got a handful of new Royal Farms commercials, Harbs will put them up in the team meeting so I can be celebrated-slash-made-fun-of all at the same time.

What’s your favorite commercial so far?
I liked the one where there were multiple Justins going in and out of the store. It gave the creative folks an opportunity to do something a little more unique; it wasn’t just that traditional Billy Mays-style hard sales pitch. It’s already weird seeing myself on TV. But seeing that many of me on TV is definitely a little trippy.

How about the one where you break into song in the middle of a Royal Farms? Was that staged?
No, that was totally legit. We took several takes and it was really funny. A couple of them got interrupted. Somebody would say, “Oh hey, you’re you! Let’s take a picture.” Or, “Can you sign my hat?” Obviously, those didn’t make the final cut. People were surprised to see me break out into song in the middle of their favorite Royal Farms.

What is your go-to RoFo order?
It depends on when I’m there. Like if I’m stopping through in the morning, it’s got to be a massive cup of coffee, black. If I’m stopping through for a snack—I say a snack, it ends up being a whole meal. Like the five-buck box of fried chicken and Western Fries. I wash it down with a huge soda. It may not be the quintessence of health and wellness, but man, does it taste good.

Why do you think Baltimore loves Royal Farms?
As simple as I can put it, Royal Farms is just awesome. You can fill up your car with gas. You can get a cup of coffee. In my humble opinion, you can get the best fast-food fried chicken out there. The stores are always in great shape. They’re clean. Everything you can get is fresh and fast. And if you sign up for your RoFo Rewards Card, you can save 10 cents or more per gallon of gas—so there’s that.

You’re good, man.
But in all semiseriousness, there seem to be these regional convenience-store turf wars. You’ve got the Royal Farms, and then the Wawas and the Sheetz. If you go down south, there’s the QuikTrips and the RaceTracs. It seems like everybody has their spot that they get really fired up about. And out here in Maryland, the obvious choice is Royal Farms.

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From doughnuts to detergent, the other stuff we can’t live without.

POTATO CHIPS | UTZ Original

You know that RoFo gets Baltimore when you see the chip aisles. This is Utz country, baby, because as we all know, the PA brand is truly in love with the Land of Pleasant Living. Crab chips forever.

LOCAL SWEETS | Berger’s & Otterbein’s

RoFo vs. Wawa has nothing on Berger vs. Otterbein, but the two Baltimore cookie companies harmoniously coexist in the check-out lines, where we fully support a bag of each.

SCRATCH-OFFS | Maryland Lottery

We can’t help but dabble in a little lotto action on the occasional visit. They had us at Keno, and the fact that someone just won $2 million from a scratch-off sold at a Laurel location.

COFFEE | House Joe

Royal Farms says, and means, that its coffee is “real fresh,” with Swissmade brewing systems that literally grind the beans and brew the joe as you order it.

AUTO | Motor Oil, Gas Cans, Etc.

We’ve all had the rare panic for antifreeze, wiper fluid, or motor oil, but not enough time to run to the automechanic. RoFo even has those dangly treeshaped air fresheners.

HOUSEHOLD | Tide & Toothbrushes

Who doesn't wrap a household shopping run into a quick pitstop? RoFo has the basics covered, from toothpaste and detergent to trash bags and duct tape.

MEDIA | The Baltimore Sun

In the days of disappearing newsstands, it’s nice to know you can still grab your local paper at your local store, with the Sun always on offer. (A few good RoFos stock us, too!)

SNACKS | All the Snacks

Our inner children still want to steer us straight to the snack aisles, filled with junk-food classics like Pop-Tarts and Pringles. Even adults need an annual slushie.

INCIDENTALS | Chapstick & Bic

It’s the little things that count—and ratchet up our final bill—typically in the form of our thousandth Chapstick stick, Bic lighter, or cell phone charger cord.

CLASSICS | Chicken & Doughnuts

In true, ingenious, Southern fashion, we couldn’t think of a better complement to the “world-famous” fried chicken than a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Not everyone wants a RoFo in their backyard.

By Ethan McLeod

Nicole Evanshaw is proud to be part of the steady main-street evolution afoot in Hamilton. She and her husband co-own Silver Queen Cafe, a beloved neighborhood restaurant, and a recent wave of transportation updates, including a bike lane and floating bus stop, have only helped small businesses like hers in the 5400 and 5500 blocks of Harford Road, she says.

No surprise, then, that Evanshaw is not thrilled about the prospect of an eight-pump behemoth coming just up the hill. For nearly a decade, Royal Farms has been pushing to build a convenience store and gas station at a fiveway intersection.

“This has been going on so long,” says Evanshaw. “I can’t believe Royal Farms still wants to plow ahead. It’s not what fits with this neighborhood.” Over the last nine years, a zoning battle surrounding these plans has pitted residents against the popular Baltimore chain. Royal Farms hopes to activate a vacant lot, but a coalition of neighbors and community leaders say it’s ill-advised as they fight to make Hamilton more family-friendly and prosmall business. (Royal Farms declined to comment for this story.)

Hamilton is among a growing list of locales that have recently fought Royal Farms’ plans for new locations. As the company has expanded over the last decade, similar battles have unfolded from Annapolis to Joppa to Towson as residents oppose more chains in their communities.

The company first unveiled its plans for a gas station in 2012 and, a year later, Baltimore’s Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals approved the conditional use needed to install the 12 pumps. However, upon learning that the board had changed the decision’s final phrasing after speaking in private with Royal Farms attorneys, neighbors successfully appealed for a new hearing. The BMZA reheard the case in 2015 and again approved the plans, this time for only eight pumps and various promised intersection improvements, but residents remained steadfastly opposed. In 2018, the Maryland Special Court of Appeals ultimately sent it back to the BMZA for a third time. Both sides were set to square off again at a March 2020 zoning board hearing, but it was called off as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to spread across Maryland.

Regarding next steps, “Because of the long history and the need for a comprehensive review,” says BMZA’s acting executive director Kathleen Byrne, “no firm date has been set.”

Today, the site still sits empty, and community members say it’s become a tired conflict. “I tell people I was a young man when it got started,” said lawyer John C. Murphy, who has represented the neighborhood coalition in court and before the zoning board and today has “a whole table filled with Royal Farms pleadings.”

With the project in limbo, some public officials have made it clear that they side with the residents. This June, city planning director Chris Ryer recommended “disapproval” of a gas station at the already busy intersection, stating that doing so “would be inconsistent” with the transit and traffic reduction improvements completed in 2019, being “most particularly in conflict with efforts to improve the pedestrian experience for patrons of other businesses.”

Councilman Ryan Dorsey, who represents Northeast Baltimore neighborhoods in the 3rd District, echoed his opposing argument before the BMZA six years ago.

“It’s an extremely low-density, auto-oriented use—one that makes exceptionally low-value utilization of land that is key to unlocking the potential of a neighborhood,” he says.

A gas station will make even less sense moving forward, Dorsey says, since the city plans to extend its traffic-calming designs another four blocks northward, including past Royal Farms’ planned location.

The company already has a total of four locations in the area and just over the county line, with stores in Lauraville, Parkville, and Nottingham, all under three miles away.

A fifth is in the works, with Royal Farms scoring BMZA approval this July to build a new gas station and store on Belair Road, about a mile away in Gardenville, at a site strikingly similar to Hamilton’s.

Anne Yastremski, president of the Hamilton Community Association, noted her neighborhood already has multiple convenience stores, as well as a fuel stop just three blocks south. She’s adamant that another gas station is not what Hamilton needs. “Do we need a giant station? Is gas the future?” she says, noting other visions, such as green space or an expanded library. “You’re not going to attract new residents based on, ‘You know, there’s a giant gas station on the corner.’”

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Fast-food fealty forever.

GOOD OLD-FASHIONED competition has always been a cornerstone of American culture. First, there was Ford and Oldsmobile. Then, there was Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Then, of course, McDonald’s and Burger King. But perhaps few battles of the brands have rivaled that of local convenience stores, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic, where numerous regional brands—Baltimore’s own Royal Farms, naturally, plus Pennsylvania’s Wawa and Sheetz, the underdog High’s, and national behemoths like 7-Eleven—are all vying for the same customer base.

Luckily for them, these turf wars tap into a source of local pride. The same way the Ravens flock can’t comprehend local Washington supporters (the Colts left 37 years ago, y’all), and Orioles fans wouldn’t be caught dead in a Nats jersey, Maryland residents have their go-to places to buy their coffee, fill their gas tanks and tires, and sneak in their most coveted indulgences. And they vary zip code to zip code.

“Somewhere in Harford County, there’s a line of demarcation with Wawa on one side and Royal Farms on the other,” says Baltimore writer Charles Duff, with Western Maryland cementing itself as Sheetz country, and the Eastern Shore speckled with Shore Stops. By sheer volume, Central Maryland is squarely under the supreme rule of Royal Farms, but its goose-themed competitor—three-times the size of the Baltimore company, with more than 10 times the Facebook followers—is closing in quickly, sometimes just across the street, even igniting gas price wars.

Of course, even as these one-stop shops compete for the coolest new technology—touch screens, self-checkout, and the ultimate convenience, delivery apps—it’s safe to say that these otherwise interchangeable pitstops truly set themselves apart, and garner their fiercest loyalties, over one thing and one thing only:

Be it chicken or hoagies or even High’s new Maryland crab cake, “There’s always a heated rivalry any time you talk about food,” says Jeff Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores. “There’s plenty of room for everyone. Even the most passionate McDonald’s fan will go to Wendy’s if the need presents itself. Sometimes variety is the spice of life.”

Still, some supporters will always take it to the next level. “I guess where the rubber meets the road is: Did that person also get the brand tattoo?” says Lenard. “That’s how you know you’ve made it.”

Go ahead, Google it.

What makes RoFo so special?

“Royal Farms is a bonafide staple of Baltimore. Similar to crab cakes, Orioles, and Ravens, the green and blue lights always make me feel at home. Plus, it is impossible to pass up a free car wash after filling my gas tank.”
—Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott

“My go-to order? Hands down: egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches!”
—Baltimore Symphony Orchestra maestra Marin Alsop

“I’m almost 40, but anytime I walk into a Royal Farms and smell that fried chicken, I’m instantly 23 again, a little tipsy because it’s 2:30 a.m., and about to destroy a two-piece dark with a side of Western Fries.”
—WTMD radio host Sam Sessa

“There’s a RoFo two blocks from the station and I always use the excuse ‘I’ve got to get gas’ to run in and grab chicken and a biscuit. It’s wicked good, wicked crunchy, and a better indulgence than chocolate.”
—WJZ news anchor Denise Koch

“You can’t go wrong with 24/7 service, fresh chicken, and hot coffee. My go-to order is a no-brainer: three-piece chicken with Western Fries.”
—Maryland Governor Larry Hogan

"I’ve been going to Royal Farms since my pop took me to the Mace Avenue store in Essex in the late 1970s and got me every MLB helmet with a slushy. I wish I still had ’em! They didn’t have fried chicken back then, but I’m glad they do now because it’s the best in town.”
—WNST radio host Nestor Aparicio

"People write it off because it’s a gas station, but it’s better than the fast-food chains in my opinion.”
—Orioles pitcher Bruce Zimmerman

“Royal Farms enables us to dine with royalty every day. Toss the tiara and pass the chicken.”
—Senator Barbara Mikulski

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A few more things to keep an out for as Phelps looks to add to his already overstuffed medal chest:

•He’ll be wearing special Under Armour sneakers at the Games, with patented 3D printed midsole technology and the footprint of his infant son Boomer printed on the insole of the shoe, as a “personal reminder that Boomer is with him every step and stroke of the way.” (Awww.) But swimmers don’t wear sneakers in the pool, you say? You clearly are not thinking like an Under Armour marketer.

•Since he’s already won more medals than any other Olympiad (22 including an unprecedented 18 gold), everything else is mere gravy at this point, but there are still some events where he is considered a serious gold-medal contender.
Look for Phelps to thrive in the:

100m Butterfly (Finals: Friday, August 12)
200m Butterfly (Finals, Tuesday, August 9)
200m IM (Individual Medley) (Finals: Thursday, August 11)

Honestly, we get chills thinking about watching him compete again.

•Also, if you’re concerned that the 31-year-old athlete is not in peak shape, please note that his body still looks like this:

Of course, Phelps isn’t the only local Olympiad
Look for Men’s Gymnastics alternate Donnell Whittenburg to possibly see some competition, especially in the vault. At just 21, he is a rising star on the international stage, and has a compelling backstory (he was raised by a single mother in Northeast Baltimore and draws inspiration from his special needs sister).

Other locals in the Games include swimmer Chase Kalisz from Bel Air and and volleyball player Aaron Russell from Ellicott City.

Meanwhile, how bout them O’s?
They didn’t make much noise at the trade deadline, but they did acquire left-handed starting pitcher Wade Miley and bring back a familiar face, utility man Steve Pearce, without giving too much away. (Lefty prospect Ariel Miranda for Miley and minor league catcher Jonah Heim for Pearce.)
A case could made for the fact that they don’t need to make many changes. At 39-17, the Orioles have the best home record in the MLB. Oh, and pitcher Zach Britton has converted 33 consecutive saves, a record for a left-handed pitcher. Cy Young anyone?

Boy with double hand transplant throws out first pitch at Orioles game
This is incredible. Zion Harvey, from Owings Mills, made headlines last year by being the first child to undergo a double hand transplant (at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.) On Tuesday, he threw out the first pitch at the Orioles game against the Rangers. His range of motion is absolutely extraordinary (note the way he casually turns his cap backwards.) And, of course, the cutie threw a strike. Check out the heartwarming video here.

Super hero Chris Davis does press conference with his super dog, Samson.
This was simply too adorbs not to share.

Speaking of super heroes, Justin Tucker hit a 69-yard field goal at training camp.
So that happened.

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More good football news: Justin Tucker, one of the NFL’s best kickers and one of our favorite men-about-town, also re-signed with the Ravens.
Tucker officially signed for another year after the team placed their “franchise tag” on him, meaning he’ll play for $4.5 mil this fall while hopefully the two sides work out a longer deal. What’s not to love about a guy who sings operas and gets practice kicks in at Patterson Park? (check video below.)

The bad, but could’ve been worse, news: Terrell Suggs arrested.
The linebacker, recovering from a season-ending Achilles tear, was arrested early this morning in Arizona for leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a suspended license. First reported by TMZ, naturally. No was injured in accident, which was a single-car collision, and police said Suggs was not impaired. Not much else to say, except that we’re glad no one was hurt.

The truly bad news: No pie for you.
Who are these people putting a stop to Adam Jones’s post-game pieing? The kite-banning Taliban? As every O’s fan knows, Jones transformed the traditional, staid post-game on-field interview into a fun, summer ritual at Camden Yards. Who exactly put the kibosh on pie smashing isn’t clear to us, but apparently it was deemed necessary for “safety” reasons. Whatever.

And the awesome: Destiny Hudgins, a 16-year-old Carver student, became the first female from Baltimore City to qualify for the state-wrestling tournament.
Kudos to The Baltimore Sun for profiling Hudgins, a Carver team captain, this week. There is simply no tougher high school sport—physically and mentally—where athletes take the mat alone, literally putting themselves not just at risk of losing, but getting pinned. Only a sophomore, we’re sure there are more great things in Destiny’s future.

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“When I get ready for something it takes me about 10 minutes. I just like to make sure I’m not walking out the door looking like a total ragamuffin,” Tucker told us last night at the re-opening of 18|8 Fine Men’s Salon in the Shops at Quarry Lake. “At the same time, though, I do like to pay a little more attention to detail, and get every hair combed into place.”

Tucker stopped by the grand re-opening (the space debuted last March but recently solidified a newly trained group of stylists) to sign autographs and snap photos with fans. Guests filed into the event decked out in black and purple, and clients were pampered with custom cuts and complimentary beer and wine.

Owner Dawn Koslowski says that her new Baltimore County spot fills a hole in an area seriously lacking male spa retreats.

“The only other places where you see full men’s salons are downtown,” she says. “Men have been left out of the industry for a long time and the choices they have right now are very minimal, even for just a haircut. Guys are comfortable coming here to get things like a manicure, pedicure, or facial.”

In addition to facials and “mani-pedis” for men, the salon—part of a national chain named after the formula for stainless steel—offers custom hairstyling, grooming and waxing services, scalp treatments, and hair coloring. All treatments range from $5-$80.

“What our [stainless steel] philosophy is saying is that when a guy comes in here he’s a little rusty, but we polish him up and make him look and feel better,” Koslowski says. “Honestly, our biggest cheerleaders are the wives or the girlfriends that come in and say it’s the best haircut experience they’ve seen their guys get.”

18|8’s “cool and confident” mantra also carries over in its interior design, which boasts crimson and gold accents, vintage barber shop photographs, and nine stations with built-in shampoo sinks.

Koslowski notes that the “manscaping” trend is particularly popular with millennials.

“With all of the ‘selfies’ and the ‘manscaping,’ the generation that is up and coming right now is very into taking care of themselves,” she says. “But you’d be surprised—a lot of the older folks are drawn to us as well because it’s such a new experience for them.”

Tucker is a prime example of this trend, as he likes to keep up with personal grooming habits, such as routinely waxing his eyebrows. Although his classic haircut defines his look now, he’s quick to point out that the sleek style wasn’t always his thing.

“During my rookie year in the league, I just had a lot of hair,” he says. “It was just this thick mop type of situation and I got to a point where I saw what I looked like in photos and on TV and I said, ‘Man I gotta clean that up.’”

Tucker advises guys to be adventurous when it comes to trying out a new cut, and stresses the importance of choosing a look that elicits confidence.

“Try something out, and, if you like it, great. Have no fear,” he says. “Looking good and feeling good go hand in hand. I’ll make a comparison to the football world. When you’ve got sick sock swag, you’ve got a sick face mask, your jersey and your uniform look sweet, and everything looks locked in, that’s that whole look-good-feel-good-play-good principle.”

Koslowski says that she plans on opening two more salons in the Baltimore area, and that her newest store will debut in Hunt Valley in 2016.

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2. Steve Smith Sr. gives refs a bad Yelp review.
Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. loves the Internet. We’ve commented in this column before about how his tweets go viral and, in that same vein, he mentioned new technology after Monday night’s 26-18 loss against the Arizona Cardinals, which was filled with debatable calls. Addressing media in the locker room, Smith said, “Well, everybody has that app Yelp and you have reviews. Two stars, that’s what I would review this one on my Yelp. Two stars.” The receiver was referring to calls that went against the Ravens that night, like an illegal formation after John Urschel declared himself eligible. Needless to say, if the refs were a restaurant, they’d need some help drumming up business.

3. Justin Tucker shows off for Rick Reilly.
We could have already told ESPN this, but keeping up with Justin Tucker and his high-energy collection of talents is nearly impossible. Famed sports writer Rick Reilly learned that first-hand when he joined the kicker in Baltimore. Tucker feverishly showed off his operatic voice, his impressions of George W. Bush and Christopher Walken, his acoustic guitar skills, and the fact that he can kick anything (including a beach ball and a loaf of challah bread) through the uprights. In the video, his wife Amanda admits that his talent stops at folding laundry. But we were most impressed at the end when Tucker surprised us with an uncanny impersonation of former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

4. Melo Trimble named to Sports Illustrated‘s All-American team.
Terps point guard Melo Trimble made Sports Illustrated‘s second All-American team, which is a prestigious preseason ranking of college basketball players. Trimble was the youngest player selected to be on his “team” and SI had this to say about the sophomore: “The local star recruit wasted little time justifying the hype, averaging 16.2 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 41.2 percent from three and 86.3 percent from the line. For a follow-up, he’ll be asked to helm a Maryland team with the highest expectations the program has seen since its 2002 national title.” We’re not sure about you, but that makes us awfully excited for the start of Maryland basketball season, which begins on November 13 against St. Mary’s.

5. Michael Phelps is a human selfie-stick.
Not that this should surprise everyone, but local Olympian Michael Phelps does not need any props to take that perfect self-portrait on Instagram. This was clearly evident when he posted a photo of him and fiance Nicole Johnson while they were vacationing in Cabo. His arm almost looks super-human, adding to Phelps’ gold-studded list of accomplishments the title of human selfie-stick.

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2. Chris Davis named O’s MVP: Entering Friday, our favorite first baseman was leading the Major Leagues with 45 home runs—the fifth-highest season total in O’s history. Of course, Davis already holds the team’s season-record HR total with 53, set two years ago. We wholeheartedly agree with what Adam Jones said this week: That signing Davis, a free agent, should be the team’s highest priority. Crush, by the way, also smashed his 200th and 201st career homers this week in the same game against the Blue Jays.

3. Local boy makes touchdown. Former River Hill High School (Howard County) star Michael Campanaro scored his first career touchdown on an end-around from the Steelers’ 9-yard line last night, somersaulting the Ravens into an early 7-3 lead. Pic courtesy of the CBS “pylon cam”:

4. Who wore it better? The Washington Wizards announced that several times this season they’ll don retro “Baltimore Pride” uniforms that take their striped inspiration from the ’73-era Baltimore Bullets of Wes Unseld and Phil Chenier renown. We dig it. But we’d like it more if they’d play a couple games up here, like maybe against Cleveland or Golden State?

5. Manny joins the 20-20 club. The best fielding third baseman in the game has had a breakthrough offensive year and joined baseball’s exclusive 20-20 club with two home runs and two stolen bases in a 6-4 win over the Blue Jays. In fact, Manny’s two home runs pushed his season HR total to 30. The 23-year-old is the sixth Oriole to hit at least 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single-season and, just the second ever with Brady Anderson, to hit at least 30 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same year.

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2. Orioles hit two grand slams in one inning.
It’s been an-ebb-and-flow type of week for the Orioles, (though, technically, we could still take an AL wild card spot) but a definitive highlight was Friday night’s game when the O’s hit two grand slams in one inning. The insane 10-run eighth inning saw both Nolan Reimold and Steve Clevenger hit their first career grand slams in the ultimate 14-8 win. To make things even crazier, that same inning included a solo homer from Manny Machado and manager Buck Showalter getting ejected after a hit-by-pitch. But, obviously, the real feat was the two grand slams, which made Baltimore the only franchise to have accomplished the multi-grand slam twice (also in 1986).

3. Suggs is out for season; Upshaw and Dumervil to fill the gap.
Sunday’s game against the Broncos was frustrating for a lot of reasons—Denver still won despite the fact that Peyton Manning didn’t throw for any touchdowns, we had multiple dropped passes, and, worst of all, Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles heel and will be out for the season. Of course, this isn’t the first time. In fact, Suggs tore his (other) Achilles heel in 2012, the same year the Ravens ended up winning the Super Bowl. So, not all hope is lost. The Ravens have already signed veteran pass rusher Jason Babin, and the two men who have split the starting outside linebacker position for the past couple seasons, Elvis Dumervil and Courtney Upshaw, are also ready to take the reigns. “A guy like Terrell Suggs, what he brings to the table is hard to replace,” Dumervil told BaltimoreRavens.com. “We have guys who have to step up, myself included, and we just have to get the job done.” For his part, Suggs also seems pretty confident that his injury won’t stop the Ravens from living up to Sports Illustrated’s prediction.

Chin up Ravens Nation! We’ve been here before… This changes NOTHING!!! Our mission is still the same!
#2016SanFrancisco #RAVENSNATION
— T.S STARK (@untouchablejay4) September 14, 2015

4. Orioles pitcher helps fan change flat tire.
While O’s rookie pitcher Mike Wright had a dismal start on Wednesday night, his skills as a car mechanic shined a few days earlier. After the Orioles 8-2 win over the Royals on Sunday, Wright saw a fan having some car trouble outside of Camden Yards. According to The Baltimore Sun, he stopped and helped the fan change the flat in 20 minutes, which sounds like record-time to us. As if that wasn’t enough, Wright also gifted the stranded fan a pair of Orioles tickets for the following night. Wright’s simple explanation as to why: “He was obviously having a bad day.”

5. MASN cameraman comes this close to winning $1 million on American Ninja Warrior.
If you’re a fan of America Ninja Warrior, you’ve been following the trajectory of Olney native Geoff Britten (and his cute blonde family), as he breezed his way into the finals. Nicknamed Popeye because of his massive forearms, Britten became the first American to complete the final course (climbing up a 75-foot rope in less than 30 seconds). But he didn’t get the grand prize of $1 million because Colorado rock climber Issac Cladiero completed the course just 3 seconds faster. And, apparently, there is no prize for second place. Britten, a cameraman for MASN, got squat. If you think this seems massively unfair, you’re not the only one. On Wednesday, a GoFundMe page was created because, according to the description, “As someone that works full-time to support his family, we feel that Geoff is just as deserving to receive the prize.” As of Friday morning, the page was up to nearly $5,500 in donations. Plus, we don’t think this is the last time we’ll see Britten fly threw a ninja course on national TV.

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5-year-old Hailey Dawson throws 1st pitch with prosthetic hand, fist bumps Manny Machado: http://t.co/S8cBHf3hC3 pic.twitter.com/G3mn6yHFpB
— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2015

Henry Urrutia’s first career homer is a walk-off.

As if that wasn’t enough feel-good O’s news for the week, Wednesday night’s win against the Mets was a particularly special moment for outfielder Henry Urrutia. Not only was his first major league homer a walk-off, but in his post-game interview the ballplayer teared up when asked about a fan returning the ball to him. “When the guy told me, ‘I have your baseball for you,’ Wow,” Urrutia said. “That’s the best gift for me tonight. Now I can give that baseball to my [16-month-old] son. And my son one day can say, ‘This is the first homer from my dad in the big leagues.’”

Justin Tucker impersonates Matthew McConaughey and it’s the best thing ever.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has never been one to shine away from the spotlight—starring in Dr. Pepper commercials, singing opera, and doing Christopher Walken impressions for us—but his latest performance may be his best yet. Back during the height of Matthew McConaughey’s overly (confusingly?) deep Lincoln car commercials, Tucker was meeting with Carbiz CEO Evan Berney at Thames Street Oyster House. “We were like, ‘Why don’t we just do that?!’” he told BaltimoreRavens.com. The end result is a few ridiculous lines delivered with McConaughey’s signature Southern drawl. In fact, the two Texans have met before at a fundraiser in Austin. “He’s such an icon,” Tucker said of the actor. “I don’t know if it’s one of my better [impersonations] or worst ones, but it’s one of my favorite ones.”

Potential changes coming to Camden Yards.
The Baltimore Business Journal reported this week that changes could be afoot at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Most of us appreciate the retro, non-corporate feel of the stadium, so change can sound scary. But not all of it is bad, including adding a similar experience to the center field bar in the left and right field corners. This sort of change wouldn’t disrupt the overall fan experience and would attract a younger crowd out there—who, let’s be honest, are usually buying those cheap seats anyway. Some other ideas seem a bit more extreme, like making the field visible from the concourse—which makes you wonder what happens to those covered seats in the lower level, home to many a season-ticket holder. And, probably the worst offender, is a suggested “home plate club,” a walled-off, exclusive area for executives that would utterly destroy the everyman fan vibe of Camden Yards. But, knowing John Angelos’s track record (he once said he would never sell the stadium’s name rights) and the fact that the changes are being proposed by original stadium designer Populous means we are in good hands.

Carmelo Anthony enjoyed Captain James crabs.
Along with his wife Lala and Felicia “Snoop” Pearson from The Wire, Baltimore native and New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony visited his hometown this past weekend. The trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop for steamed crabs at Captain James Landing, which seems to be the preferred crab house for celebrities.

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2. Ravens deny they tipped off the Colts.
Documents released in the Tom Brady “DeflateGate” case suggest that the Ravens may have tipped off the Colts about the possibility of the Patriots doctoring balls. But the Ravens are still denying the report.

“I’ve been consistent from the beginning when asked about whether the Ravens tipped off the Colts about deflated footballs,” Coach John Harbaugh said in a statement released Wednesday by the Ravens. “I’ll say it again—we didn’t. We knew nothing about deflated footballs.” The Ravens maintain that they gave Colts coach Chuck Pagano, a former Ravens defensive coordinator, a general tip about paying attention to how the refs rotated kicking balls into the game. The Ravens say that it is not unusual for teams to talk in general terms about field conditions and the conditions of the balls.

However, an email from Colts equipment manager Sean Sullivan to Colts general manager Ryan Grigson suggests otherwise: In it, he relates a phone call where Ravens special team coach Jerry Rosburg specifically tipped off Pagano about the Patriots letting some air out of the ball with a needle. The Ravens say such a tip never occurred.

3. Misty Copeland makes dreams come true.
Misty Copeland, Under Armour client and the first African-American principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre’s history, came to Baltimore’s Reginald F. Lewis Museum on Saturday to sign her new book, Firebird, pose for some pictures, and make fangirl dreams come true. “Try not to get caught up in the small things, like what people think of you,” she told the crowd of 1,000 that included many starstruck young girls in tiaras and tutus. “And don’t compare yourselves to other people. That’s probably one of the biggest downfalls that people have is trying to be someone you will never be.”

4. Chris Davis hits grand slam, continuing offensive surge.
Last night Chris Davis continued his epic offensive performance when he hit a full-count pitch over the centerfield wall for an extra-inning grand slam, see video below. This is coming during a peak time for Davis who, over the past 15 games, has hit nine home runs, 26 RBIs, and has bat .309. Not to mention that this is his second grand slam in less than two weeks. The slugger is currently leading the American League in RBIs with 79. Hearing Gary Thorne shout “Grand salami!” really made our week.

5. Terps Men’s Basketball ranked number one (!) in ESPN’S “Way Too Early” poll.
Yeah, it’s just August, but as far as we’re concerned, it’s never too easy to say that the Terps are the best team in men’s college hoops.

Additional reporting was provided by digital editor Jess Mayhugh.

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2. Kickin’ it at Patterson Park.
We love Justin Tucker. The Ravens kicker isn’t just one of the best clutch performers in the business, he’s also one of the NFL’s most fun personalities off the field. He sings opera in Dr. Pepper ads, maintains an active social media relationship with fans, and even does an uncanny Christopher Walken impression. He also keeps his valuable right leg in shape booting field goals at Patterson Park in the summer—even tweeting out his informal workout schedule so fans can watch, and if so inclined, help shag footballs. We really hope the Ravens sign this guy to a long-term deal soon.

3. 2131 beer.
Does Cal Ripken Jr. drink Natty Boh? No, probably not. However, the Iron Man shortstop who broke Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive games played 20 years ago, may go for something more upscale—like the premium lager “Fielder’s Choice”—the new commemorative brew from Baltimore’s Heavy Seas. With every case sold, Heavy Seas says they will make a donation to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Sounds like a win-win. (To read more about Cal and the 20th anniversary of the streak, see our upcoming September issue.)

4. Ravens-themed emojis.
We’re not sure what John Unitas or Artie Donovan would have to say about the new Ravens-branded emoji keyboard. Okay, maybe we do. But football has changed since their old-school days with the Colts and so has the marketing that goes with it. So, go-ahead, next-gen Baltimore fans, eat it up. Text, tweet, email, and purple-emoticon away.

5. Manny forever.
There hasn’t been a lot of good news on diamond for the O’s this week. However, Manny Machado, further establishing himself as one of the game’s great young ballplayers, delivered his 20th home run of the season, making him the youngest Oriole to so since the guy mentioned two paragraph’s up—Cal Ripken Jr. He also did a cool little dugout dance after the 434-foot bomb.

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t took you about 1.3 seconds to read “it took you about 1.3 seconds.”

In that same flash of time, Justin Tucker’s right leg can win or lose a football game, changing the fate of a franchise and driving a city to euphoric heights or destroying its collective soul.

Talk about pressure. No wonder the Ravens kicker is kind of obsessed with the number. He mentions it during interviews and made it a central theme of the commencement address he delivered to his alma mater, the University of Texas College of Fine Arts.

Those 1.3 seconds are the reason he’s at the Ravens Under Armour Performance Center practically year-round, and they’re why he’s been known to show up by himself at Patterson Park, drilling kick after kick into the muggy summer air while some very surprised and excited neighborhood kids retrieve the balls.

“This 1.3-second field-goal operation, from the snap to the hold to the kick, is a performance,” he told the UT grads. “It is choreographed specifically, then rehearsed literally thousands upon thousands of times. To me, in those 1.3 seconds lies a sort of cathartic beauty. Almost paradoxically, I become so engaged, so focused, that I lose myself in that moment, much like a musician who performs a piece that he has studied and rehearsed time and time again.”

What kind of NFL player—let alone any 24-year-old—speaks like that? One who can sing operatic arias in seven languages, yet also likes to rap and pick ’90s tunes on the guitar. One who booted six field goals (including a 61-yard bomb) on Monday Night Football, then told fantasy owners around the world, “I hope you guys appreciate the points, as well.”

One who, after the tryptophan had sent most fans to sleep last Thanksgiving night, insisted that his snapper, Morgan Cox, and holder, Sam Koch, join him for his player-of-the-game interview.

“My mom always told me it was rude to chew with my mouth full, so sorry about that, guys at home,” he said as he ripped into a turkey leg on national television. “I wanted Morgan and Sam here because they’re kind of the unsung heroes of the operation. Together we all get the job done. We’re just happy to be of service.”

Tucker knows he’s blessed to be the Ravens kicker, to have earned a Super Bowl ring, to have legged his way to the Pro Bowl, to be increasingly beloved in his adopted hometown. That’s why on a sticky July afternoon, just hours after returning from Austin, the day before he was to embark on a weeklong cruise with Ravens fans, he squeezed in a workout at the park. In a profession where the stress is astronomical and the margin for error infinitesimal, he’s determined to not only put a stranglehold on his dream job, but to enjoy the ride along the way.

He knows that, like those 1.3 seconds, it can all be over in an instant.

The state of Texas produces some of the country’s best baseball players, basketballers, sprinters, hunters, fishermen, rodeo cowboys, and the list goes on.

Sports are big in Texas. Then there’s football.

The first Halloween Tucker can recall was when he was about 5, and he donned a Dallas Cowboys helmet and No. 8 jersey for his Troy Aikman costume. But he didn’t snap on a real chinstrap until eighth grade, when he realized that he might not be playing the right brand of fútbol.

“Everybody else I knew was playing flag football before they could even walk a straight line. I was a little bit late to the party,” he says of his soccer playing days. “I found out I was in the wrong sport because I kept kicking the ball over the [crossbar]. I was getting too many yellow cards. I really liked the contact.”

Despite his size—today he’s “only” 6-feet, 189 pounds—Tucker excelled on the gridiron for Westlake High School in Austin. He also played wide receiver and safety, but it was clear that his best chance for a scholarship rested with his right foot.

Both his father, Paul, a cardiologist, and his mother, Michelle, are UT grads, so for Tucker, wearing the Longhorns burnt orange was the ultimate goal.

Legendary Texas coach Mack Brown offered him a scholarship (seven years later, they would deliver commencement speeches on the same day). His career progressed slowly. As a freshman he only kicked off, but by his senior season he was kicking more than the Karate Kid, serving as the Longhorns placekicker, kickoff specialist, and punter.

While his five-for-five performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers last year was remarkable, it was actually his second most memorable Thanksgiving game. Two years earlier, Texas was playing hated Texas A&M for the 118th and final time. The Aggies were leaving the Big 12 Conference, and all eyes in the state—and many around the nation—were focused on Tucker as he trotted onto the field with three seconds on the clock and the ’Horns trailing by one.

After A&M used a timeout to try to ice him, he coolly drilled a 40-yarder right down the middle to close the book on one of college football’s most storied rivalries. He desperately tried to flee—ultimately failing—as a mob of ecstatic teammates chased him.

“Being the guy who put the dagger in that rivalry is something I’ll hold close to my heart,” he says. “I started running toward the other sideline and saw everybody coming toward me. [Teammate] Kenny Vaccaro, who is now a safety for the Saints, tackled me pretty hard. I almost got flattened at the bottom of that pile. I came out of it with a bloody nose. I think I did pass out for a couple seconds.”

It was a storybook ending to a splendid college career, but Tucker had designs on a postscript. When the NFL draft came and went without his name being called (five kickers were chosen), his resolve only hardened. But he knew if the NFL wasn’t to be, he’d be fine.

Justin Tucker is no one-kick pony.

“I thought he was kind of goofy at first,” Amanda Bass says of her initial date with her now fiancé. “He was fun, but I’m kind of shy, and he really put it all out there. It took a few times of us hanging out for him to relax.”

Sitting together at a coffee shop, they’re an impossibly attractive couple—him with his facial scruff and backwards cap, her with her long red hair and pearly white smile.

He laughs easily, recalling the first time he saw her, on the UT campus before their freshman year: “I thought she was really cute, so I hollered at her on Facebook, like anyone else would do these days.”

She was new in town, so he took her to Austin staples like Amy’s Ice Creams. It worked. Six years later, he asked her to marry him in a candle-filled production after dinner at Wit & Wisdom at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore.

One of Tucker’s first attempts to impress Bass was to play her a rap recording he made with some of his teammates. A love song it was not. Perhaps he should have serenaded her with a rendition of “Don Giovanni” instead.

“It’s kind of my go-to,” he says of Mozart’s masterpiece. “If I was going to get really melancholy, I’d go with Tchaikovsky’s ‘Net, tolko tot, kto znal.’”

A music major in college, Tucker is much more than just a karaoke king. Google his Dr Pepper commercial and you’ll hear his pitch-perfect voice. At Texas, Russian bass opera singer Nikita Storojev served as his advisor.

“Opera singers use so much energy, it’s like sports,” says Storojev, who has performed in Vienna, Paris, London, Milan, and Baltimore. “Sportsmen have muscle coordination. This is very important in classical singing, because you need to control how you take respiration. That helped Justin a lot.”

Hour-long sessions in Storojev’s studio would be as physically draining as a gym workout, Tucker says.

“I’d classify my style less as opera and more as bel canto, which is how a Pavarotti or Dmitri Hvorostovsky would sing,” he says. “All [Storojev’s] voice lessons were something I felt like I had to grind through, but I loved it because it was something unique. Not a lot of young people are beltin’ it out in the bel canto style. You hear a lot of pop music on the radio, and yeah it’s catchy, but a lot of it, I would say, is commercial music. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I think it’s great to mix in some heartfelt classical music or listen to something that has true artistry behind it.”

While he hasn’t performed since college, Tucker is constantly singing around his Federal Hill home, in the car, and throughout the halls of the Ravens facility.

“I first heard him in the shower,” says Koch, the Ravens punter, who doubles as Tucker’s holder. “Right then, you knew he had a voice.”

During training camp in 2012, he was the first rookie to perform during a talent show. He didn’t hold back.

“He sang ‘O Sole Mio,’” says Cox, the long-snapper. “He had the whole place rolling. Everyone thought it was a joke at first, and then we realized he was good. Everyone just sat there listening.”

In a certain sense, Tucker’s musical talents and outgoing personality align with the narrative of kickers as quirky, faux football players. But in his case, the stereotype doesn’t fit.

“It’s always helpful to be part of the team as a kicker or a punter, and one of Justin’s strengths is his ability to communicate with other players,” says Ravens kicking coach Randy Brown. “They see a guy who comes to work everyday and wants to get stronger. My first day with him was at the end of July of 2012. Anytime I see a kicker for the first time, I always close my eyes, and I want to hear the ball. When you hear a thump or a thud, you know the kid’s got a strong leg. When he kicked the ball, you heard it.”

The NFL is a bottom-line business, particularly in the kicking arena. In a league where a quarter of all games last season were decided by three points or less, kickers earn their stripes—and keep their jobs—by hitting clutch kicks. Just ask Billy Cundiff.

Since signing with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent, Tucker has delivered. In two seasons, he’s converted 68 of 74 field goals. (He can describe each one he’s missed off the top of his head in vivid detail.) It seems as if both sides want a more committed relationship.

Tucker, who was due to make just $570,000 this season, a low salary by football standards, is interested in a long-term contract, and this offseason, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said the team would like to sign him to one.

“Mentally, it’s one of the most isolating positions on the field,” Cox says. “You have to stay calm in pressure situations, which he does exceptionally well. The New England kick [an extremely close 27-yarder in 2012 that beat the Patriots and drove Bill Belichick insane] was big. He hates that kick because it wasn’t his best effort, but to come through in that situation against that opponent earned him respect.”

In close games, as the clock winds down and the Ravens near field-goal range, Tucker tries to force his brain to ignore the specifics of the scoreboard. Instead, he concentrates on the mechanics of the impending kick.

“I really just try to make everything as simple as possible,” he says. “As best I can, I try to put all of the emotional stuff in the back of my mind. It can be hard. I’d be doing all of my teammates a disservice if I didn’t just focus on doing my job and making the kick. I say making the kick; there are several components to that. I always take into account the conditions. If the field’s a little wet, I’m going to have to be a little lighter on my plant so I don’t slip. If it’s windy, I’ve got to pick a really specific target line. Say we have a right-to-left wind, and it’s 17 miles per hour, then I might be playing the ball in the right quarter of the uprights, as opposed to the middle.

“At the end of the day, within that moment when the ball is snapped to the time that I kick it, those 1.3 seconds, I think about it as simply as possible. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to go through.”

Conditions couldn’t have been more brutal on January 12, 2013, when the Ravens faced the Denver Broncos in a playoff game in Colorado. The temperature at kickoff was in the single digits, which felt balmy compared to four hours later when Tucker attempted the 47-yard game winner in double overtime.

“I always feel good about going out onto the field,” he says. “Not a lot of people get to do this. This is a heck of a lot of fun.”

As Tucker somehow embraced the moment, an approach he applies to all facets of his life, he made the sign of the cross on his chest (as he does before every kick), while Ravens fans closed their eyes and prayed.

“This young man had never played a game that cold in his entire life,” says Brown, his kicking coach. “He steps on the biggest stage in front of 35 million people, knowing that, if he misses, they’ve got a kicker on the other side who can hit from 70 [yards]. If the other team wins, your season is over. That field had no grass on it; it was frozen solid. With the wind, the cold, making it was huge. It will go down in history as one of the most clutch kicks of all time.”

Three weeks later, Tucker hit two field goals to help the Ravens hoist the Lombardi Trophy near Bourbon Street. That epic night in New Orleans was both the apex of a magnificent rookie season, and a precursor to many virtuoso performances to come. 

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10 Reasons We Are Totally Stoked for This Season:

1. Okay, we mentioned this already, but the unveiling of the Ray Lewis statue—Ray in mid-dance for perpetuity—next to Johnny U. we enter M&T Bank Stadium. We only wish we had similar statues in front of our office.

2. In Ozzie We Trust: The Ravens GM drafted the young inside linebacker we needed, C.J. Mosley, signed the chain-moving slot receiver we needed, Steve Smith, and upgraded the offensive line. If Ozzie can perform another miracle and get our secondary healthy—we’ll be in great shape.

3. John Harbaugh-Joe Flacco. Every great football team always has a lasting head coach-quarterback pairing. Shula and Unitas. Lombardi and Starr. And sorry, Noll and Bradshaw and Belichick and Brady.

4. Weapons: Cool Joe will again have people to throw to this season after losing Anquan Boldin to free agency and Dennis Pitta to injury. With Pitta back at tight end and Smith replacing Boldin, plus Torrey Smith and Marlon Brown with another year under their belts—not to mention Jacoby Jones—the Ravens’s offense will be a lot more fun to watch this year.

5. The Steelers are rebuilding.

6. We host the Steelers a week from tonight—a special Thursday night game at M&T Bank Stadium. We will protect this house. And we will be late for work Friday.

7. We have the best kicker in the game and he’s an opera singer and his name is Justin Tucker. Our only question is when is this guy going to tackle the national anthem?

8. Gary Kubiak. WE LOVE THE OFFENSE. The Ravens have been terribly predictable, often grinding out tough wins with defense, special teams, and a commitment to the running game. But when the running game fell apart last year, we struggled to move the ball at all. Flacco looked smooth in the pre-season in the more efficient, quick-passing, diverse Kubiak scheme.

9. Fullback Kyle (however you pronounce his last name) Juszczyk. The second-year Harvard guy is going to catch a lot of passes this year out of the backfield. If he can block anything at all like Vonta Leach, expect a better year from the Ravens running backs.

10. We went 4-0 in the preseason. Hey, success breeds success. We know how to win Super Bowls, too.

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