The Inquirer shared this a short time ago on Twitter, and this news actually dropped on Monday, but I guess it somehow slipped through the cracks and Philly outlets didn’t notice until today.

Wawa is forsaking the Delaware Valley to forge a multi-year partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, if you can believe it. They are turning their backs on us, via press release: 

Wawa, Inc., and The Baltimore Ravens today announced a multi-year agreement with Wawa becoming the “Official Hoagie” and “proud partner of the Baltimore Ravens.” As part of the partnership, Wawa and the Ravens will team up on a number of exciting promotions throughout the season both in Wawa stores and at the stadium.

Do Baltimoreans even call it a hoagie? Do they even eat sandwiches? I thought they were all about crab cakes and football. That’s what Maryland does.

More press release, after the jump:

“As we approach the historic milestone of our 50th anniversary in Maryland, Wawa is thrilled to partner with the Ravens to make deeper connections with some of the best fans in football and reach communities all over the city of Baltimore and beyond,” said Adam Schall, Sr. Director of Store Operations for Maryland. “As we continue our expansion throughout the state, we are thrilled to be able to connect with more customers and introduce even more Ravens fans to our built-to-order hoagies and our strong commitment to supporting and giving back to our communities. We are excited to partner with our fellow birds in Baltimore this fall and can’t wait to fly higher through the addition of exciting new offers for Ravens fans everywhere!”

Baltimore Ravens supporters are not “some of the best fans in football.” That title goes to the fine folks right here in Wawa’s home region, the Delaware Valley.

More press release:

In 2020, Wawa will mark its historic milestone of 50 years of serving the Maryland community. Throughout the year and into the future, Wawa also has significant plans for store expansion and other investment in the State.

“We couldn’t be more excited to spread our wings in Maryland, including the wonderful city of Baltimore, through new stores and job growth. With the Ravens as our partners, we look forward to fulfilling even more lives in Maryland!” said Schall.

Hmm yeah, I’m not sure about all of this.

Maybe Mike Sielski was right when he wrote that Wawa hoagies were “overrated,” noting that this area has plenty of terrific delis to choose from.

So I’m a bit down on Wawa for deciding to partner with the Baltimore Ravens, but I am not yet ready to go to extremes, such as inviting Sheetz on down to Philly.