Final score- Ravens 34, 49ers 31
Before a power outage delay in the third quarter, the Ravens held a 28-6 lead and a blowout was at hand. However, after play resumed, the Niners came back and made it interesting, although never took the lead or even tied the game. Ravens QB Joe Flacco wins Superbowl MVP and will get plenty of ka-ching in his new contract. Ravens LB Ray Lewis retires after 17 seasons amidst controversy over alleged use of peformace-enhancing drugs, but he wins his second Superbowl championship. Here are some thoughts:
* A key series came in the final three minutes as the Niners set up 1st and goal from the 5. 4 plays later, they didn't get into the end zone and that sealed the victory for the Ravens. There has been controversy surrounding a possible illegal contact penalty on 4th down that wasn't called by the referees. There was contact from both players and even if the penalty was called, the ball would've been set at the 2 1/2 yard line and the Niners would still have to get in to take the lead.
* I had more of an issue with the play calling in this situation than anything else. All of the plays called were passes and didn't utilize the running abilities of RB Frank Gore and QB Colin Kaepernick. Plus, the Niners burned a timeout which left them with only one, which proved critical as they tried to get the ball back after the Ravens final possession. To me, games aren't decided by referee calls or non-calls. The Niners did plenty to put themselves in a hole they couldn't dig out of.
* The commercials were awful, even by recent standards. The commercials have become a sport in themselves, but I haven't found Superbowl commercials to be interesting in many years. This year's crop won't change my perception. The worst of the worst was a Dodge RAM ad featuring a voiceover from the late Paul Harvey about farmers. The ad dragged on endlessly. Am I the only one to believe that Superbowl commercials' best days are behind them?
* Beyonce wasn't a whole lot better. Most of the halftime show was her dancing and maybe singing a verse from a song before moving on to the next one. I don't find dancing to be nearly as entertaining as a musical act actually singing or playing an instrument, but lately there has been more emphasis on dancing. I could do without the pyrotechnics too, but it looks like those are here to stay. At least there wasn't lip-synching...barely.
* Not a fan of Alicia Keys' Star-Spangled Banner. Too much vocal exercising. The song is powerful if you sing it with no frills. Heaven forbid, though, that someone actually sings it that way anymore.
* The power outage was an unexpected dynamic. 35 minutes of sitting around and promises by everyone in New Orleans that the power will come back on "within 10 minutes." I'm sure that someone is going to take the fall for this and lose his job. Investigations are ongoing, although apparently Beyonce's halftime show has been cleared of blame.
* Something I heard today which I found annoying. On Mike & Mike In The Morning, ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio discussed a meeting between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and his father Jack. According to Sal, they "stood in a room for 25 minutes." Dude, the past tense of "stay" is "stayed" not "stood". Stood is the past tense of stand. Got that?
* Next year's Superbowl will be at Met Life Stadium in North Jersey. This will be the first time a Superbowl won't be played in a dome or a warm-weather city. Maybe it will snow, sleet, or there will be an ice storm and the halftime show will be cancelled. I hear rumors to this effect. I can dream, can't I?
* I wrote a post about 49ers CB Chris Culliver earlier. He's the player who made the unenlightened anti-gay comments. He had a terrible game. He was burnt on a long touchdown pass and he was flagged for the game's only pass interference penalty. All in all, he had a terrible week.
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