Super Bowl XLVII

The Super Bowl is finally here, ladies and gentlemen! This year the Super Bowl is New Orleans, Louisiana. Super Bowl XLVII is between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. These two teams are playing for the Lombardi Trophy and the right to be called Super Bowl champions! 

This is the biggest game that all of these players will ever play in, no matter what else they do in their careers. This is the moment that every NFL player lives for, playing in the Super Bowl and hopefully winning it! This Super Bowl is also the last game that first ballot Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis will play in. This Super Bowl is also a family affair; it's the first time that two brothers will face each other as opposing head coaches in the Super Bowl. John Harbaugh is the Ravens Head Coach and Jim Harbaugh is the 49ers Head Coach. It's going to be tough for the Harbaugh parents because one of their sons has to lose. 

Nonetheless, The Super Bowl still has to be played! I'll tell you what both teams have to do in order for their dreams to become a reality Sunday night. First, the keys to victory for the Ravens. 

Hall of Fame Linebacker Ray Lewis has been the inspirational leader for the Ravens. While Quarterback Joe Flacco has been incredible this post-season. Flacco has had career best playoff numbers throwing 8 touchdowns and no interceptions through three games. Ray Lewis has 44 tackles, 18 more than anyone else, in the playoffs. The Ravens key to victory will be three factors.

Joe Flacco- he has to be the same ol Joe he’s been through the first three games. He’s got to play mistake free football and capitalizing on the deep ball with WR Torrey Smith. The Niners will want to put pressure on Flacco and he’s got to utilize the intermediate passing game to counter that. That means utilizing TE Dennis Pitta and WR Anquan Boldin. If Flacco can stay upright for the Ravens they'll have a good chance at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. 

Ray Rice- he’s got to have a productive game. That doesn’t mean he’s got to rush for over 150 yards and two rushing touchdowns, but he can’t lose yards to force third and longs for the Ravens. Rice is powerful back, but it’ll be tough for him to run on the Niners Defense because that Defense is one of if not the best in the league. Rice needs to be active in the screen game, as well as picking up the blitz and protecting Flacco. If Rice can have a productive game it’ll open up the passing game for Flacco and the Ravens will look to take advantage.

The Ravens Defense- Linebacker Ray Lewis leads the Ravens defense. This is the last game Ray Lewis will ever play in his legendary career. The Ravens defense will face the Spread Option offense led by Niners Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has done a tremendous job running it so far. The defense has to be able to stop the run, whether it's Kaepernick or Running Back Frank Gore. They have to control Kaepernick and not let him run wild like he did against the Packers. If they can keep Kaepernick in the pocket and force him to throw the ball in long yardage situations they have a great chance of having a big game against him. Look for Ravens Safety Ed Reed to make plays in the Secondary since Kaepernick has to avoid Lewis in the middle. Plus, the Ravens defense will not only be playing for team and trophy, but for their inspirational leader Ray Lewis. 

Now, the 49ers keys to victory in Super Bowl XLVII.

Colin Kaepernick- The 2^nd year Quarterback has taken the league by storm. A backup at the start of the year but he took over for the Niners when Alex Smith went down with an injury. he's got five touchdowns this post season, 3 passing and 2 rushing. He’s has to have a near perfect game for the Niners. Kaepernick has to be able to run the ball on the Ravens so he can throw the ball on them when they least expect it. He can't turn the ball over and that'll be crucial. He’s ran the Spread Option to perfection so far and that’ll need to continue if he wants to be a Super Bowl Champion.

Frank Gore- The Niner running game is predicated on what this man does. The niners running game goes as he goes. Gore can have a great day because the ravens defense will be keyed on stopping Kaepernick and that'll create holes for Gore. If Gore has a good game then the ravens are in trouble because it’ll be tough to stop Kaepernick since they won't know what's coming at them. 

Niners D/pass rush- The niners have a fierce pass rush with the Smith Brothers, Aldon and Justin. Patrick Willis is one of the best linebackers in the league. Their secondary is hard hitting and ball-hawking. The key will be for them to get to Flacco and put him on the turf all game long, and they can do it, it’s just a matter of going out there and doing it. It's huge that they can get pressure with only their front four because that allows them to have more players in coverage. They have to get to Flacco and put pressure on him all game long, and they have the defense to do so. 

Only one team can win the Super Bowl and football fans hope that these two teams give us a memorable Super Bowl. With all that said, I believe the Ravens will make a couple more plays than the 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII!  It'll be a close and hard fought game. The Ravens seemed destined to win the Super Bowl behind Ray Lewis as they have been on this magical ride since Lewis said he’s retiring after this season.

The Ravens win 24-20. Joe Flacco gets named Super Bowl MVP and Ray Lewis rides off into the sunset as a two-time Super Bowl champion. Ed Reed finally becomes a Super Bowl champion. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh beats his brother, Jim, in the first ever "Har-bowl." 

The Super Bowl, food and friends does it get any better than that? Enjoy Super Bowl XLVII everyone!

Manti Te'o Story Over Hyped?

Honestly, when i first heard about the Manti Te'o story, I was completely insulted as a student journalist. I found the story absurd and completely not worthy of as big of a story as ESPN and the whole country made it.. In my opinion, it was a disgrace to what sports news is, or any news rather. We are taught the term "CATNIPP," which stands for conflict, audience, timeliness, novelty, impact, proximity, and prominence. The Te'o story didn't meet two of those, which were impact and prominence. As a story, It had no impact on society and didn't affect the average person's daily life. So I asked myself how is this news? Then, if you look at the story prominence wise, there really is no importance it has?
As a journalist, you are taught about what is news worthy and what isn't news worthy. You ask yourself questions like; Why should someone care about this, or why is this important information people should know? My point is that a story has to have some value of some sort; and this to me had no impact on my life, and I was never interested in Manti Te'os personal life. The fact that they (ESPN and all other stations) made a huge media frenzy out of the fact Manti Te'o had an internet girlfriend was just ridiculous to me. What's the big deal? Online dating has been around for years, this is nothing new!
The fact that it was a hoax isn't news either, because everyone knows the risks of Online dating. It's almost common sense to not trust Online dating sites like Match.com or EHarmony, because you never know who you are talking to these days. Bottom line, the story was blown way out of proportion and like I said; from a journalists stand point it makes me angry that the media gets by with hyping stories that have no news value like this. What has happened to the media? It scares me to see what will happen in the future if this is the path we are on.

Super Bowl XLVII

My team is not playing in Super Bowl XLVII.  I have no rooting interest.  I don't really care if the San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens win.  It's hard for me to want either team to win.

I like a lot of the 49ers players.  I really don't like their coach.  Jim Harbaugh is about as egotistical and humorless as they come.  And that's a really bad combination in my book.  He's gotten his players to perform at an exceptionally high level.  I just don't like his methods or demeanor.  Plus...he went to Michigan and I went to Illinois.  So I inherently can't stand him.

I can't cheer for the Ravens and the glorification of Ray Lewis.  I admire Lewis for changing after his alleged involvement in a double murder following the Ravens last Super Bowl appearance in Atlanta.
I think he's become a stand up person off the field, appears to be a wonderful father and has learned from his mistakes, his huge mistakes.  But tell that to the families of Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker.    Lewis is able to cap his remarkable 17 year NFL career on the grandest stage in sports.  Lollar and Baker had no careers, their young lives cut short in a nightclub.  Lewis pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice.  His two acquaintances were later acquitted of murder.  But Lewis paid millions to the victim's families in civil suits.   I'm sorry.  I can't buy into the Lewis love affair I've seen on display these last few weeks since he announced his retirement.

My one and only reason for wanting the Ravens to win a little bit more than the Niners is O.J. Brigance.  He's the former Ravens special teams stand out turned front office senior advisor to player development suffering from ALS.  He needs a computer operated by his eyes to be his voice.  He uses a wheel chair to get him from point A to point B.  But he continues to use his brain and immense spirit to motivate and inspire.

My grandmother died of ALS.    I wish she had the same tools as Brigance to help her communicate with us at the end.  Those tools didn't exist back then.  But I can't help but be awed by the grace shown by O.J. Brigance as he battles this cruel disease.  I applaud him.

I guess that means I am cheering for the Ravens...at least a little bit.