One “Super” Bowl

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

While none of my “wild predictions” came true (they weren’t actually supposed to), the Super Bowl on Sunday was one “Super” game.  At least the 2nd half.  While the NFL and the stadium avoided any big time controversy following the big time comeback of the San Francisco 49’ers after the “brownout”, the game itself turned into what it was billed as.  A close game.

The 49’ers really have no one to blame but themselves and while Colin Kaepernick is shouldering the blame for the loss, the reality is that in the closing minutes with the ball on the 10 yard line and the goal line in site, they simply choked.  Failing to move the ball into the endzone.  No retiring Ray Lewis didn’t make the heavenly stop in his final game, it was the SF play calling that left fans wondering what they hell they were doing.

Four consecutive chances for a TD and the 9’ers couldn’t get the ball into the endzone.  They couldn’t avoid the blitz and rather than put the game on the legs of the boy wonder, Kaepernick, they opted to put the game on his arm.  Passes to WR Michael Crabtree were ill advised at best and none of the passes were high percentage completions.  Simply the Ravens stepped up and delivered a solid stand.

The MVP of the game, Joe Flacco will have an interesting off-season as he is set to become a free agent.  The Ravens won’t let that happen.  Still, it’s safe to say that given his second half of the 2012 season, the playoffs, and his performance in the Super Bowl, he will be seeing a sizable raise the next time he steps out onto the field of play.

The game was billed as Harbaugh v. Harbaugh and until the lights went out in the stadium and on the Baltimore Ravens momentum, it appeared as though the elder Harbaugh’s Ravens would walk away with another route.  Instead, after a 34 minute delay, the 49’ers found time to wake up and play football.  While the game was one of the great Super Bowls, a 3 point difference, the reality is that as of today football won’t return to the field of play until next September.

The off-season is officially underway with the NFL Combine two weeks away, the start of free agency a little over a month away, and of course the myriad of college pro-day’s and the draft in April.  Then we begin the long wait.  For now we go back to our lives of Sunday’s without excuses to not do laundry, mow the lawns, or finish all those projects we started last off-season.

Our spouses should be thrilled!

For those of you wondering, the annual “way too early” odds for the Super Bowl next year has the Miami Dolphins at 50 – 1 odds of making the big game.  At least it’s better than the Jaguars who are 150 – 1.