Congratulations to Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens
Last night, the Baltimore Ravens played the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans.
The Ravens jumped out to a huge lead at the half (21-6) and then returned the second-half opening kickoff for 108 yards (was initially considered 109 yards – which would have been an NFL record but it was changed this morning) to take the lead 28-6. Then something happened.
The lights went out in the stadium. It took just over 30 minutes for the power to be returned and when it did, the 49ers came storming back and turned what might have been a blow-out into a very tight game.
Instead of breaking down every play, every penalty or the blackout, we here at Sports Unbiased have decided to let each writer share their individual thoughts on the game, the commercials, or whatever they want.
JR Williams: The Ravens defense was all over the 49ers in the first half and I thought the game was over. Kaepernick couldn’t capitalize on 3rd down conversions and it appeared the Ravens defense had pulled the card on the pistol offense. Joe Flacco completed some tough passes and the Ravens got ahead early, and when I saw the score at halftime I thought it would be a blowout. What made matters worse, after the half the Ravens returned a kickoff, this game was getting further and further out of reach for the 49ers, the Ravens had all the momentum and Jim Harbaugh was close to having a heart attack, then the lights go out in the stadium. I think the power outage was strategically deployed in an attempt to shift momentum back to the 49ers. Keapernick responded well and completely decimated the Ravens defense. The 2-point conversion decision made by Harbaugh should go down as one of the biggest bonehead moves in Super Bowl history, and it may have cost them the chance to win the Super Bowl.
Kureen Paige: The game was about the Ravens not getting the respect they deserve as a complete team. Always known as dominant defensive team in the past, they showed they can still play good when it matters most. 1st and goal at the fice yard line against a dynamic offense at the end of the game in a “stop them or lose the Super Bowl situation” and they came up strong. Never getting credit for being an offensive team 
they put up 34 points against a top-3 defense. With football being three phases, they showed the all-around team they are by winning the special teams battle as well. Ray Lewis is the leader of this team but they are more then just a defensive squad lead by a Hall of Famer. Last year Lee Evans was almost the perfect addition to complete the puzzle, this year Jacoby Ford was thay final piece.
Rich Stowe: The game seemed like it was going to be one of those Super Bowls that we all saw in the 80s and 90s – a blowout. But, that all changed once the lights went out. I do believe the extra time really hurt the “older” Baltimore Ravens players and this helped the 49ers in their comeback. I gotta give the 49ers credit – they never gave up. Outside of a couple boneheaded moves (not being ready for the Ravens to take the safety at the end of the game for example) it turned out to be a great game. And before anyone says it, no, the “non holding call” at the end, shouldn’t have been called. If anything offensive pass interference could have also been called so I think the refs did the right thing by not throwing the flag. On a side note, have the Super Bowl commercials ever been that bad? There were four, maybe five good ones (the Clydesdale’s, the M&Ms, the Jeep Wrangler “Troops” and the Dodge Ram “Farmers” ones were the only good ones).
Kimani Gregoire: Thank God the lights went out when they did! The Ravens had seemingly landed the big knockout blow after Jacoby Jones returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown and a 28-6 lead. The 34-minute delay killed the Ravens’ momentum while also allowing the 49ers to recoup and turn a blowout into a real contest. Both Harbaughs (Jim and John) did a good job of coaching yesterday. I don’t blame Jim Harbaugh for going for the 2-point attempt in the fourth quarter. However, he does have to take some blame for that wasted timeout during the second half which came back to bite him in the end. For the Baltimore Ravens, the Super Bowl (and the entire postseason) showed that though Ray Lewis was their emotional leader, this is now Joe Flacco’s team. He is their franchise quarterback (I won’t go as far as to call him elite – that word gets thrown around loosely nowadays in my opinion) and I expect him to get paid one way or the other this summer. For the San Francisco 49ers, I expect them to be back at this stage in the near future. Jim Harbaugh is already one of the top two or three head coaches in the NFL and Colin Kaepernick could end up being one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the league. I think he’s the real deal! He’s got a strong arm yet can throw the ball with some touch. He’s big, fast and athletic. And he has a great supporting cast. The sky’s the limit for this kid!
Vote in the polls below and then comment for what you liked, didn’t like and any other thoughts you have on the Super Bowl. Also be sure to watch the video below that includes full highlights from the game.
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