As a journalist, I look for the narrative in everything, and it does not get much better than the Super Bowl.
This year, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers will play for more than the Lombardi Trophy. They will be playing out a sibling rivalry on the biggest stage possible.
In case you did not watch any TV last week, you should know that the head coaches of the two teams are brothers. John Harbaugh coaches the Ravens, and Jim Harbaugh coaches the 49ers. They will compete against each other, making for a fantastic story leading into the Big Game.
But, the HarBrawl (or Super Baugh, or Har Bowl, take your pick) is more than two brothers on the sidelines and one conflicted family in the stands.
Both teams are looking to take the next step after losing their respective conference championships last year. And both teams have young, unproven quarterbacks.
Joe Flacco played for the Ravens in a consistent manner during his young career, but many fans criticize and doubt his ability to win.
On the other hand, 49ers fans believe wholeheartedly in Colin Kaepernick after he started midseason and lead his team straight to New Orleans.
Jim Harbaugh’s decision to bench long-time starting quarterback Alex Young in the middle of a successful season and going with an unknown quarterback gives the 49ers’ run the air of destiny.
The Ravens can claim that too, seeing as their unlikely run is superstar linebacker Ray Lewis’ last hurrah. The future Hall-of-Famer announced at the start of the playoffs that this season would be his last after a 17-year career.
His last game will be in the Superdome, for better or for worse.
San Francisco had one heck of a year in sports already, with the Giants winning their second World Series in three years. It does not hurt that the San Jose Sharks are off to a 5-0 start, either. I would say a 49ers Super Bowl win would be the icing on the cake, but it would really be more like another cake altogether.
This Super Bowl has the best narrative since the underdog Giants took on the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. That story got better when the Giants pulled off the upset and felled the evil Patriots.
In this game, there is no clear villain, which in a lot of ways makes it more enticing. Unless you are a Falcons or Patriots fan bitter over your recent loss, you can sit back, relax and watch the Harbaugh’s match.
The only part of the story yet to be written is the game itself. If Super Bowl XLVII turns out to be a close game, it will be an all-time great. This Super Bowl has delivered on pre-game hype. Let us see if it can deliver on in-game excitement.
If not, there are always the commercials.