SUPER BOWL
It’s one night, one game, and one chance
to be crowned champions of the NFL. In a vacuum, the ultimate match showcasing
the two best teams from the AFC and NFC is what happens on the gridiron. But
this is sports we’re talking about, and it’s near impossible to look at events
such as this only on the basis of who won and who lost.
Neutrals and non-sports fans may see the
game in two ways. The first is that the timeslot occupied by this game is filled
with a battery of interesting and innovative commercials and advertisements.
It’s that one time of the year when brands are sure to stamp their name in the
consumer’s mind get if they manage to land one of the few prime ad slots of the
game. The second caters more to the showbiz and musically inclined as the
halftime show features recording artists and their Grammy-awards-worthy
performances (sans Timberlake and Jackson circa 2004).
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| Coaching brothers John (left) and Jim (right) Harbaugh - Landov/Reuters |
For those hungry for something deeper
and more meaningful to sport, Super Bowl XLVII had storylines that added more spice
to this already significant game. This game was billed as a sibling rivalry on
a grand stage as brothers John and Jim Harbaugh are the coaches of the opposing
teams. John leads the Baltimore Ravens while Jim, younger only by less than 2
years, heads the San Francisco 49ers. Second, Super Bowl XLVII was billed as
the end of the 17 year storied career of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. To add
one more championship ring with the other earned back in 2001, there was no
better way to send him off to his post-NFL days other than to leave while at
the top of the mountain. He solicited the sentiment of anybody who wanted a
good end to any story.
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| Ray Lewis' last game - Dave Martin/Associated Press |
But all that was set aside the moment the
players and coaching staff ran to the field and were welcomed by the roar of
the supporters that made their way to New Orleans. All eyes were locked on the
action inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome come the coin toss and the opening
kickoff. Forget the ads, forget the halftime, forget the storylines, we had a
game to watch and a champion to crown.
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| Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (white) - Chris Graythen /Getty Images |
The 1st half was all
Baltimore as Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco made numerous deadly passes to go
deep into 49er territory. His hand was a rocket that sent the football past
defenders and safely to the hands of his very capable receivers. Three Flacco
touchdown passes in the half was thrown to three different teammates.
Baltimore’s immovable offensive linemen played championship football. They
blocked every 49er rusher to give their on-field leader enough time and space
to make key plays. These men never allowed San Francisco to get a grip on the
game for most of the first 30 minutes. The Ravens defense wasn’t really called
into action as much as expected.
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Ravens celebrate after a successful drive- Associated Press
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Baltimore imposed their will on feeble
San Francisco. It was very evident on the players. Flacco had the look of a calm,
controlled, and confident quarterback. This was nothing unusual to the man who
had a very good scoring rate in the post season. Colin Kaepernick on the other
hand, his counterpart on the other team, looked worried and fidgety. His age
and immaturity to the pro game was beginning to show, and one would wonder if
he was ready to handle kind of responsibility his team placed on his shoulders.
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Lost 49ers - Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
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There was already a sense of
disappointment brewing in as this final game didn’t seem to live up to its
billing. All the hype and storylines promised may be for nothing as San
Francisco didn’t look like they were there to win it. Ray Lewis and the Ravens
were going to stroll through the park. As the halftime whistle was blown, the
score was 21 to the Ravens, and 6 to the 49ers who managed to score from two
successful field goals.
Everyone was given a break at halftime
with a special quick Destiny’s Child reunion. After the epic performance, it
was game time once more. As the 49ers came out to the field, their faces’
displayed determination and optimism that hinted a comeback. Probably due to
the singing of “Survivor”? However, all hope was lost as their kickoff led to a
record-breaking 108 yard touchdown return by Baltimore’s Jacoby Jones. 28-6 in
favor of the Ravens.
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Jacoby Jones' (white) TD return - Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
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Some thought that the game was already
wrapped up after this play. It appeared to be the dagger that sucked all life
out of San Francisco. But somehow, there was a feeling that it was still too
early for that. Hold the celebration; we’re just one minute removed from the
half. There still a lot of football to play.
If there was one play that started to
tip the balance of the game, it had to be in the 1st 49er drive of
the 2nd half. After the team took another blow with a 6-yard loss
due to a devastating sack, they were sitting at 3rd and 13 at their
own 40. The next snap had the power to dictate if there was still a game worth
watching. The play clock ticked and the players huddled and positioned
themselves to the line of scrimmage. As everyone waited to see if San Francisco
was going to deliver, the lights went out. Darkness. It was something totally
unexpected of the modern game. Play had to be stopped for around 34 minutes as
power was being restored. Fans became restless and teams had an extended
halftime. The rest of the logistics crew was busy scrambling all over the place
to fix the problem. Little did we know then that those 34 minutes of darkness
and inaction would be the start of the 49er resurgence that will give this Super
Bowl its special place in history.
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| You'll know it's dark when you can't see the cheerleaders -Vucci/Associated Press |
Eventually, play resumed and the game
moved on. The drive after 3rd and 13 ended in a punt. What followed
was what can be described as the arrival of the San Francisco 49ers to Super
Bowl XLVII. There was their defense that forced a 1:35 Baltimore drive with two
incomplete passes and repossession of the ball. Next, quarterback Kaepernick
does a combination of his signature timely rushes and pinpoint passing to give
his team their first touchdown of the night. After the extra point, it was
still Baltimore leading 28 to 13. This was followed by another four down and ineffective
Ravens drive due to outstanding 49er defense. First down was an incomplete
pass. Second down resulted to a 0-yard gain. To break the team’s fortitude, the
San Francisco sacked Flacco for an 8-yard loss.
After this play, he didn’t seem
to have the same control he had in the 1st half. The miserable drive
was capped by a pathetic punt that landed near midfield and which was returned by
the 49ers to the Baltimore 20. Kaepernick and the gang returned to the field to
score another touchdown after two perfectly executed plays. Baltimore’s next
drive was again wasted by a Ray Rice fumble. San Francisco recovered the ball
and advanced to field-goal position. The quarter ended 23-28 in still favor of
Baltimore.
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Colin Kaepernick's TD rush for the 49ers - Christian Petersen/ Getty Images
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Since the power outage, the 49ers
outscored the Ravens 17-0. Who knows what exactly happened when the lights were
out, but it seemed that after the blackout, a completely new 49er team was on
the field. They were in the middle of a very heroic comeback. It had the
possibility of being the largest deficit overturned by any Super Bowl team in
history. Ideas brewed of how this will turn out to be a story about San
Francisco. It was beginning to become clear of how perfect the tale would be if
they were able to overcome such an adversity, how the team would win the
“Harbough Bowl” and how the younger coach defeated the elder. To add more drama
to the picture, one could already draw the plotlines of how the 49ers would end
Ray Lewis’ career at a low note. It’s amazing to realize that all this started
from a blackout that can easily be used as symbolic, artistic, and figurative
device to the Super Bowl. Yes, from a writer’s perspective, it couldn’t be any
better than this. It was cruel to the losers, but nothing beats a good story.
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49ers celebrate their scoring run - Harry How/Getty Images
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But Ray Lewis and the rest of the
Ravens’ defense had something to say about that. For a group of men that
weren’t needed for most of the game and were slowly being dismantled, they grabbed
the opportunity to end the story the only way they knew how it should end.
The fate of this game all boiled down to
the last five minutes of play with Baltimore leading just 34 to 29. When the
49ers came knocking near the red zone, they were 7-yards out and four downs
away from a touchdown that would give them their first lead of the game. The
end zone was so near, yet couldn’t be any farther than those seven yards.
Tension mounting, nerves rattling. For the first two downs, the Baltimore
defense put enough pressure on the opposing rushers to concede a mere 2-yard
gain. The third down was a showcase of excellent blitzing and covering to force
an incomplete pass.
4th down and goal, five yards
from the end zone, the game was on the line. San Francisco needed a touchdown
to make a case for the championship. Unfortunately, they realized, for the last
and most critical time, that they were against the defense of the Baltimore
Ravens: the defense that played a huge part on their road to the Super Bowl. Kaepernick
received the snap and tried to stay in the pocket as he saw the oncoming rush
of the defense. Despite the pressure he received, he was still able to throw a
decent pass to receiver Michael Crabtree. Only the harassment and disturbance
of Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith prevented what could’ve been the completion
that to kill Baltimore.
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| The decisive incomplete pass - Al Bello/Getty Images |
The game
trickled on for almost two more minutes, and that defensive play on the end
zone truly encapsulated the hard work and effort the Ravens needed to show for
to earn the Vince Lombardy trophy. If the Baltimore defense wasn’t a factor for
most of the game, they surely played when it matters the most.
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| Love and respect between rival brothers - Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
So much for a comeback, so much for the
drama, so much for the light after the darkness. It almost was a waste. But as
if to salvage some of the drama the blackout had to offer, it was mostly a
waste from a 49er’s perspective. For what it’s worth, Baltimore, John Harbaugh,
and Ray Lewis used the device just as well as how San Francisco could have used
it. Their players and coaching staff took the spotlight on the stage that really mattered. Ray Lewis got the sending off that was 17 years in the making. All the drama anyone would look for
outside the field and beyond the walls of the stadium was little compared to
the emotions Super Bowl XLVII featuring the Baltimore Ravens and the San
Francisco 49ers bestowed upon us.
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| Ray Lewis retires as a champion - Lucy Nicholson/Reuters |
Final
Score: Baltimore Ravens def. San Francisco 49ers 34-31
