Baltimore was not awarded an expansion team , passed up in favor of Charlotte , North Carolina and Jacksonville , Florida . The Bombers proposal was believed to be near the bottom of the list of contenders , and league commissioner Paul Tagliabue opposed any expansion to Baltimore , saying “ some towns are football towns and some towns are museum towns . I guess Baltimore is a museum town . ” Shortly after the NFL 's rejection , the Canadian Football League approved an expansion team for Baltimore ; originally christened the Colts , legal action from the NFL compelled the team to stop using the " Colts " name . With a team that was eventually re-christened the Stallions , Baltimore became one of several U.S. markets introduced to Canadian football as part of the CFL 's ill-fated expansion . Although they played only two seasons , the Stallions were , by far , the most successful CFL expansion team of the era , both on and off the field . Their success was a major factor in Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell 's decision to relocate his NFL franchise to Baltimore , announcing his signing of a deal to move the team on November 6 , 1995 . Further legal action from the NFL eventually produced a settlement whereby Modell agreed to leave the Browns ' name and colors in Cleveland in exchange for an expansion franchise in Baltimore that acquired the Browns ' roster . Bombers was one of the names rejected by the team in the naming process , with city mayor Kurt L. Schmoke even writing a letter advising against the name in light of the Oklahoma City bombing and the Jaffa Road bus bombings in 1995 and 1996 , respectively . The name of Marauders finished third in the final voting . The new NFL franchise would become the Baltimore Ravens while the Stallions ceased operations ( although their ownership group was granted a new CFL franchise in Montreal and successfully re-signed much of the Stallions ' roster )
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
Baltimore Bombers (proposed NFL team)