CLEVELAND (AP) -- Hundreds of miles away, Art Modell will watch on TV in comfort and safety. Brian Billick and the Baltimore Ravens won't be so lucky.

They'll experience the wrath of 75,000 Cleveland Browns fans who have been waiting four years for revenge against Modell.

Expletives will rain down upon the Ravens from the stands of the new Cleveland Browns Stadium the way that dog bones used to fly out of the Dawg Pound in the old place.

Billick will probably hear some of the choicest insults. The Baltimore coach recently said the NFL wanted the Browns to win and joked that he might need the Popemobile to get in and out of town safely.

Actually, a tank might work better.

It's been four years since Modell broke Cleveland's heart by moving the Browns to Baltimore.

Time heals? Not here. Not yet.

Ravens kicker Matt Stover knows what kind of welcome Baltimore will get at Browns-Ravens II on Sunday. Stover played for the Browns in 1995 when Modell, upset with Cleveland city officials' refusal to build him a new stadium, took the team away.

"They're still mad," he said. "They're absolutely mad. When Indianapolis came here last year, Baltimoreans were still mad, and that was 14 years later. We just moved three years ago, so this is the same generation of Cleveland fans.

"It's still fresh in their minds. I was involved in the move. It was unbelievable how they reacted, and I can only imagine the reaction we'll get when we go there."

Modell, who knows better than to return to the city he once called home, chose not to talk about his team's visit to Cleveland. He did the same thing in September when the Browns (1-7) went to Baltimore and were beaten 17-10 by the Ravens (2-5).

But while Modell abided by his self-imposed gag order, Billick spoke out.

"I know darn well we're not going to get a call in Cleveland, no way, no shape, no form, no how," he said during a news conference. "The league would really like to see Cleveland beat us."

Billick, who nearly became the expansion team's coach, later apologized.

"I misspoke," he said. "And I did not use the right words to convey my thoughts, which were that it's going to be very competitive and a very volatile situation for us to come to that city."

Hard to believe, but Billick's comments have raised the stakes.

"If there was any additional room to accent the intensity of this game, it's been eliminated by coach Billick," Browns president Carmen Policy said.

The NFL is reviewing Billick's remarks and contemplating a fine.

The Browns and their fans have already made their judgment.

"That's just not right," defensive back Marlon Forbes said.

Offensive tackle Lomas Brown said Billick was "trying to play the psyche game."

"It might be smart for his team," Brown said. "It might be something his team needs."

Policy was initially infuriated by the remarks "because of the impact that I saw them having on the NFL, the integrity of game, our officiating concept."

"And I kind of thought it was a bit of a slap in the face to Cleveland," he said.

For some reason, Billick seems to enjoy tweaking the Browns.

He was their top coaching candidate in January before refusing to cancel an interview with Modell, and Cleveland broke off negotiations.

Billick attempted to make up and sent Policy a bottle of California wine after the Browns won the Hall of Fame game. After hearing Policy was upset with him this week, Billick said maybe Policy should give back the gift.

"It's virtually impossible to return it," Policy said. "Unless I do it in a form that he may not appreciate."

The Ravens would appreciate someone watching their backs on Sunday, and Policy said extra security precautions would be taken for the game.

"We will extend every possible courtesy for the Ravens and try and make it as comfortable as we can for them, just like we would for any team," Policy said. "Maybe even more so."

But this isn't any team, and not any game.

Policy, though, has the right man looking out for Billick and the Ravens. Lew Merletti, former director of the Secret Service, is now the Browns' director of security.

"He has protected three presidents in exotic locations all over the world, and something tells me he will be able to handle a football game in northeast Ohio on a Sunday afternoon," Policy said.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis isn't worried about the crowd. For all he knows it won't be any different from New England or Indianapolis.

"Anywhere you play in the country and you're not the home team, the fans are against you," he said. "Cleveland won't be any different."

Cleveland might change his mind.

BALTIMORE Season schedule and results

CLEVELAND Season schedule and results

September 12 @St. Louis L 10-27 September 19 Pittsburgh L 20-23 September 26 Cleveland W 17-10 October 3 @Atlanta W 19-13 October 10 @Tennessee L 11-14 October 21 Kansas City L 8-35 October 31 Buffalo L 10-13 November 7 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 14 @Jacksonville 4:05pm ET November 21 @Cincinnati 4:05pm ET November 28 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET December 5 Tennessee 1:00pm ET December 12 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET December 19 New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 26 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET January 2 @New England 1:00pm ET

September 12 Pittsburgh L 0-43 September 19 @Tennessee L 9-26 September 26 @Baltimore L 10-17 October 3 New England L 7-19 October 10 Cincinnati L 17-18 October 17 @Jacksonville L 7-24 October 24 @St. Louis L 3-34 October 31 @New Orleans W 21-16 November 7 Baltimore 1:00pm ET November 14 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET November 21 Carolina 1:00pm ET November 28 Tennessee 1:00pm ET December 5 @San Diego 4:15pm ET December 12 @Cincinnati 1:00pm ET December 19 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET December 26 Indianapolis 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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