---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was growing up in Baltimore, the…"
description: "\"When I was growing up in Baltimore, the Colts were not just a team that played in the city. It was part of the city. Football players didn't make close..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png"
---

#  When I was growing up in Baltimore, the Colts were not…

![“When I was growing up in Baltimore, the Colts were not just a team that played in the city. It was part of the city. Football players didn't make close to the money they make today and most took jobs in the off-season. Some were mechanics, others worked at furniture stores, and you could find them…” quote by Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png)

> “When I was growing up in Baltimore, the Colts were not just a team that played in the city. It was part of the city. Football players didn't make close to the money they make today and most took jobs in the off-season. Some were mechanics, others worked at furniture stores, and you could find them drinking at a neighborhood watering hole.”

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Local sports teams embody community identity, and players often live modest, ordinary lives.

**In simple terms:** Sports teams reflect city culture and everyday work.

Key Takeaway

Value community ties and humble roots.

Themes

community sports identity

Mood

nostalgic warm contemplative

Type

cultural historical inspirational

When to use this quote

- sports events
- neighborhood gatherings
- team support groups

Key Concepts

team loyalty socioeconomic reality local culture

Questions to Reflect On

- How do local teams shape city pride?
- What lessons arise from athletes’ dual careers?

A Different Perspective

Modern athletes’ wealth changes this dynamic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baltimore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baltimore/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Football player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-player/) [Football players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-players/) [Furniture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/furniture/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Mechanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanic/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Off season](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/off-season/) [Seasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seasons/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/)

## Related quotes

> [I played in a city in Brazil where there are only two big clubs and Internacional versus Gremio was unbelievable - the pressure, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar/i-played-in-a-city-in-brazil-where-there-are-only-two-big-clubs-and/)

[Oscar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar/)

> [I've not always played well for City, but I'd never been the scapegoat, coming off at half-time when in my head I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-richards/i-ve-not-always-played-well-for-city-but-i-d-never-been-the-scapegoat/)

[Micah Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-richards/)

> [I guess, technically, I went to a New York City high school, but I wouldn't call myself a New York City kid. But I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-bird/i-guess-technically-i-went-to-a-new-york-city-high-school-but-i/)

[Sue Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-bird/)

> [I knew that my father played at City and I was born here but moving back to England is a bit special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erling-haaland/i-knew-that-my-father-played-at-city-and-i-was-born-here-but-moving/)

[Erling Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erling-haaland/)

> [Every time that happens, it's an opportunity for the next person...We prepare hard. We come to the game with 45 guys, and everyone needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-belichick/every-time-that-happens-it-s-an-opportunity-for-the-next-person-we/)

[Bill Belichick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-belichick/)

> [I thought the first Welsh team I played in was the golden generation, with Neville Southall, Mark Hughes, Ian Rush, Dean Saunders, Gary Speed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-coleman/i-thought-the-first-welsh-team-i-played-in-was-the-golden-generation/)

[Chris Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-coleman/)

> [At Shakhtar I was already established and was comfortable with the way the team played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willian/at-shakhtar-i-was-already-established-and-was-comfortable-with-the/)

[Willian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willian/)

> [Every team I played for, I pretty much been the dude on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonzo-ball/every-team-i-played-for-i-pretty-much-been-the-dude-on-it/)

[Lonzo Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonzo-ball/)

> [At Valencia I was playing a high level every week and I improved a lot. I was under pressure in a good way, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-pereira/at-valencia-i-was-playing-a-high-level-every-week-and-i-improved-a/)

[Andreas Pereira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-pereira/)

> [Theres a place in my heart for every team I played on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/theres-a-place-in-my-heart-for-every-team-i-played-on/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [That the Dream Team played against each other every day. The greatest games ever were the practice games they played. Everybody was talking smack.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmad-rashad/that-the-dream-team-played-against-each-other-every-day-the-greatest/)

[Ahmad Rashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmad-rashad/)

> [At United, my United, we had been honed into a ruthless team who played great football but, ultimately, were there to win football matches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scholes/at-united-my-united-we-had-been-honed-into-a-ruthless-team-who-played/)

[Paul Scholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scholes/)

> [I don't think you can go back to any team I ever played on and find someone who will say I was a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rosen/i-don-t-think-you-can-go-back-to-any-team-i-ever-played-on-and-find/)

[Josh Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-rosen/)

> [I think the first team I ever played for was a YMCA team, probably around when I was seven years old. And really I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/i-think-the-first-team-i-ever-played-for-was-a-ymca-team-probably/)

[Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/)

> [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray &amp; Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/)

[Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/)

## More by Barry Levinson

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [Now, a lot of people didn't know him at all - it went through feeder funds, so they wouldn't even have known anything about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/now-a-lot-of-people-didn-t-know-him-at-all-it-went-through-feeder/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [You don't always have to have the ending, but you want to have a satisfactory conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/you-don-t-always-have-to-have-the-ending-but-you-want-to-have-a/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [At the end of the day, you can't do a copy of somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-can-t-do-a-copy-of-somebody/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I'm interested in the relationships of people. I'm interested in the darker moments within us. All those aspects of human behavior, I'm fascinated by.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/i-m-interested-in-the-relationships-of-people-i-m-interested-in-the/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I've had a lot of movies that didn't get great numbers on test screening, but a lot of times the film was able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-movies-that-didn-t-get-great-numbers-on-test/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [You have a movie and it proves itself and then certain things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/you-have-a-movie-and-it-proves-itself-and-then-certain-things-happen/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I think certain movies work and that is part of the magic of it all. We can't truly define why something succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/i-think-certain-movies-work-and-that-is-part-of-the-magic-of-it-all/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [Creative differences are legendary in this movie business, so we're really not exploring the creative-difference aspect as opposed to the money aspect, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/creative-differences-are-legendary-in-this-movie-business-so-we-re/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [Apparently nobody really read it, it was a cheap movie, it fit their schedule in terms of things so fine, let the guy make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/apparently-nobody-really-read-it-it-was-a-cheap-movie-it-fit-their/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I play around with human things, human relationships and that, and allow that kind of talk to work in that way, on that level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/i-play-around-with-human-things-human-relationships-and-that-and/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [You have to do a version of somebody that's the essence of Paterno. I think that's what Al is so great at. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/you-have-to-do-a-version-of-somebody-that-s-the-essence-of-paterno-i/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [How do I make the son, daughter, wife of Paterno interesting? Then you just have to start seeing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/how-do-i-make-the-son-daughter-wife-of-paterno-interesting-then-you/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [Studios just sometimes make decisions on their own that you're always flabbergasted by. It just happens that way for whatever reason - not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/studios-just-sometimes-make-decisions-on-their-own-that-you-re-always/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [We excuse movies like 'Independence Day' that really lack logic and say, 'It doesn't make any sense, but it's a ride.' I thought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/we-excuse-movies-like-independence-day-that-really-lack-logic-and-say/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

[Explore all 81 Barry Levinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

## More Ball player quotes

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/)

[Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/)

> [I have friends in other industries but if I am training for a wrestling match, I would turn to the best wrestler to train,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/i-have-friends-in-other-industries-but-if-i-am-training-for-a/)

[Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/)

> [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/)

[Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/)

> [I competed every day as a professional football player... You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/)

[Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/)

> [“I can’t wait to knock you up and have a whole team of little baseball players around this place!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-sterling/i-can-t-wait-to-knock-you-up-and-have-a-whole-team-of-little-baseball/)

[J. Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-sterling/)

> [MOST AMAZING FOOTBALL PLAYER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD &amp;&amp; IN REAL MADRID](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-amazing-football-player-in-the-entire-world-in-real-madrid/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My older brothers were both basketball players so I just grew up around the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brook-lopez/my-older-brothers-were-both-basketball-players-so-i-just-grew-up/)

[Brook Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brook-lopez/)

> [I'm a basketball player, so I want to do whatever I've got to do to be on the floor and I'm prepared for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-haliburton/i-m-a-basketball-player-so-i-want-to-do-whatever-i-ve-got-to-do-to-be/)

[Tyrese Haliburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-haliburton/)

> [“Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere. While others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeing-yourself-in-print-is-such-an-amazing-concept-you-can-get-so/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [People say baseball players should go out and have fun. No way. To me, baseball is pressure, I always feel it. This is work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-eckersley/people-say-baseball-players-should-go-out-and-have-fun-no-way-to-me/)

[Dennis Eckersley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-eckersley/)

> [Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/canada-is-a-country-whose-main-exports-are-hockey-players-and-cold/)

[Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/)

> [“The great thing about baseball players, from the point of view of personal hygiene, is how seldom they break a sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-great-thing-about-baseball-players-from-the-point-of-view-of/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [A lot of scouts and people are enamored with athleticism and youth. So they take that any day over mature, high-quality basketball players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-brogdon/a-lot-of-scouts-and-people-are-enamored-with-athleticism-and-youth-so/)

[Malcolm Brogdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-brogdon/)

> [I'm a baseball player. I've done this my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sale/i-m-a-baseball-player-i-ve-done-this-my-whole-life/)

[Chris Sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sale/)

Browse all 1,395 Ball player quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I was growing up in Baltimore, the Colts were not just a team that played in the city. It was part of the city. Football players didn't make close to the money they make today and most took jobs in the off-season. Some were mechanics, others worked at furniture stores, and you could find them drinking at a neighborhood watering hole.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barry Levinson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-colts-were-not-just-a-team/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ball player"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-colts-were-not-just-a-team/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a36/barry-levinson-8421_ball-player_when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-c_592669.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I was growing up in Baltimore, the Colts were not just a team that played in the city. It was part of…” — Barry Levinson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Barry Levinson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I was growing up in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-colts-were-not-just-a-team/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/when-i-was-growing-up-in-baltimore-the-colts-were-not-just-a-team/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
