Harbaugh Bowl – Super Bowl 47

With College Football finished and the New Year well underway, many folks are looking forward to the NFL Playoffs and the Super Bowl.  After last year’s playoffs, we came razorblade close to seeing two brothers coach against each other in the Super Bowl; this year, the story is different.  In the upcoming Super Bowl, if you have not heard, two brothers will be coaching against each other for the supreme title of best football team in the world.  For major sports, including football, this is the first time brothers have ever coached against each other in the championship game.  This is not Madden football, and let’s try to forget the lesser, collegiate Clemson-FSU Bowden Bowls pitting father against son every year: This is the real deal.

Both brothers are very well respected and even their parents are unsure who they will be pulling for.  Jim Harbaugh coaches  the 49ers and John Harbaugh coaches  the Baltimore Ravens.  Both teams feature a great defense with top notch linebackers.  In terms of their offenses, the 49ers are continuing to invest in a newly-founded quarterback and the Ravens have had steady consistent play out of Ray Rice and Flacco.

What the brothers say about the Harbaugh Bowl

This serendipitous story has been described by Jim Harbaugh as a “blessing and a curse,” according to USA Today.

…”I think it’s a blessing and a curse. A blessing because that is my brother’s team, the curse part would be that the talk of two brothers playing in the Super Bowl and what that takes away from the players that are in the game. I just feel like the fighters are first.”

According to the media, the brothers are tired of everybody giving so much hype about the meeting between the two.  The message they continually provide the media is “focus on the players, not the Harbaughs.”  It needs to be noted that each team reached the Super Bowl through dedication and hard work from their players, not from the media’s wildest dream.  Regrettably,  future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis is not getting much media coverage.  This is the last game we will ever see him playing in uniform!  As a fan of professional football, it seems much focus of late has been on coaches instead of the players; fans want to see the inspiring story of different players battling adversity to reach the big show; not just a chess match between two brothers.

It’s still pretty cool though. Who’s your team this year? And why?

The Ravens hold a record of 13-6, while the 49ers hold a record of 13-4-1.  Records may give fans a sense of who is the underdog in these games, however, you can throw the records out the window because this matchup is going to be dog fight to the finish.  For my pick for the Super Bowl, the winner is the….Baltimore Ravens!  Ray Lewis will fight hard and lead his team to victory.  The Ravens are a hungry team and will not let the 49ers stand in way of Victory!

Who do you think will win the “Harbaugh Bowl” and why?  Would love to see a score prediction also!!

J.L. Mann Cromer, Jr. Served as the only True Independent Member of the South Carolina General Assembly from 1990- 1998. Currently, he is a General Practice Attorney in Columbia, South Carolina, concentrating in Probate & Estate Planning, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Law.