Who wins the Super Bowl today

This is as difficult a super bowl to handicap as there ever has been. The funny thing is why? On paper the San Francisco 49ers have a better team than the Baltimore Ravens. On a 54 or 47 man roster, the 49ers have 17 players who have either been voted to a pro bowl or played in the game at some point. They have the better running game, passing game, rushing defense, and passing defense. They have the premier defensive linebacker's in the game. They have the future superstar pass rusher  on their team. They can maul you on the offensive line, finesse you with the pistol offense, embarrass you with the deep pass. This year clearly, the NFC is far more talented than the AFC. Did you see the Pro Bowl? Did you see how the Packers mauled the Texans? 49ers beat the Patriots? Redskins beat the Ravens. This game shouldn't be close. Right?
The only reason people think this will be a competitive game is people think that there has to be some magic to what the Ravens have done.  They have beaten the Colts, who had their old defense coordinator. They went to Denver and finally beat Peyton Manning in a meaningful game. They beat New England in Foxboro. The Ravens were the only AFC team to defeat the Patriots this season. The Ravens in most people's eyes are an older version of the 49ers on the defensive side of the ball. The Ravens can run the ball and stretch a defense with their passing attack. Joe Flacco can throw a ball from end line to end line. They have so many compelling story lines. The death of the owner Art Modell. The retirement of Ray Lewis. The inspiration of O.J. Brigance and his physical battles. Tory Smith and his brothers untimely death. Is Joe Elite? So many typical cliches to make a team want to overcome. If they did not have all of this baggage  I wonder what the true spread would be. We know that paper doesn't win titles execution does.
The 49ers just simply have been brilliant.  Colin Kaepernick has shown he can win with his arm and he can win with his legs. He ran circles around Green Bay. He set a rushing record by a quarterback in that game. Against the Falcons he rallied his team with his arm and savvy to victory. He could be a trailblazer today if he can win this game. Everyone is ready to see a different style quarterback win the big game. We have seen Steve Young do it as a dual threat guy. Jeff Hostetler do it as dual threat guy. They threw it more in the Super Bowl game. Young threw 6 touchdown passes and could thrown more.
Hoss ran to keep drives alive.
I am taking 49ers to win. Too much offense. Too much defense. 34-17. Sorry Ray

Ray Lewis

For the past months we have been a witness to the proper way a great athlete should go out of a game. We have watch people hang on and win rings, we have watched athletes get knocked out, make the game winning shot, and even get injured crossing finish lines. Ray Lewis is getting his chance today to have a Michael Phelps or Micheal Jordan type ending to his extraordinary career. He makes you laugh. He fires you up. He makes you scream at the television when he makes a play to prevent you from scoring or when makes a big hit. For a decade or more, he has been a thorn in everyone's side at some point. He ripped my team apart in the Super Bowl and won the games most valuable player award. Is he the best linebacker to play the game? For me that honor belongs to Lawrence Taylor. Taylor revolutionized the way defensive football was played. Lewis, Seau, Singletary are probably this generations best linebackers and it is hard to distinguish them. All three were ball hawks and their impact on games were different. Singletary was the brains of the greatest defense of all time. He lead by example and seemed to be in on every tackle. Seau made all of the pays for the Chargers in his hey day. He sacked the quarterback, could cover tight ends and running backs, physical at the line especially at the goal line. He was intense.
A super bowl would have cemented his legacy but the 49ers and Giants did not allow that to happen.
Ray Lewis is probably considered better than those guys because of his performance in the super bowl against the Giants. He is the only player in NFL history with 30 sacks and 40 interceptions. I have watched him injure players with legal hits, intimidate players into dropping sure first downs and touchdowns.  He has the same impact as Seau. He was expected to make every tackle. He hasn't disappointed on the field.  He off the field has left us wondering who the real Ray Lewis is. The extremely rude comments by the wife of Wes Weller let's us know that not everyone is drinking the Ray Lewis kool aid. People criticize him for being amongst people involved n a murder case, deer antler spray and of course his sharing of God with the world. Some people think he is phony and playing for the cameras.
He is a performer in every sense of that word some may say. He delivers on the field and plays it up after  the game. You can what you want about Ray Lewis but if they win today, he will be called champion and no one can take that away from him...

Hall of fame is tough to get in..

Seven men were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Who can you dispute? Larry Allen was an offensive line beast. He would knock your head off if he could. Jonathan Ogden the same. Warren Sapp made the Buccaneers relevant and had the second most sacks as a defensive tackle. Bill Parcells won two Super Bowl titles and lead 4 different teams to the post season over a 19 year career. Chris Carter had 1100 catches and 130 touchdowns. Should have been a first ballot guy. I remember Curley Culp, animal on defense. The other man elected was before my time, Mr. Robinson played for Vince Lombardi and won titles on those teams.  Hard to crack into this club. Should they allow more in per year? Maybe. But going forward the players who didn't get in yesterday could be waiting a while and I am confused why they are not in already.
If you ask any player or any knowledgeable football fan to name the five best defensive players from 1985-2000 they should say Lawrence Taylor, Deion Sanders, Reggie White, Mike Singletary, and Charles Haley.  I know Derek Thomas fans will put him there. He is already in the Hall of Fame. Bruce Smith would probably replace Deion Sanders on most people's list.  Ronnie Lott was at the end of his great career. Charles Haley has five rings. He has over 120 sacks. He was a destructive force of nature. He really must have angered the sports writers over his career. He is better than Richard Dent. He is better than Derek Thomas. He is being punished. A no-brainer hall of fame selection. Ask his contemporaries how difficult he was to prepare for and then block.
How about Andre Reed. Reed was the AFC's version of Micheal Irvin and Jerry Rice. He played in multiple playoff and Super Bowls. He is on every list that Rice and Irvin is on. He played in the craziest playoff comeback game and scored 3 touchdowns. He was the third piece of their big three Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. He may not have as many receptions as Carter or Tim Brown, but he ha played in the big game 4 times and was a vital contributor to the success and failures
In all of the games. He should be in.
Contributors of the game like Art Modell and Eddie Debartolo should be in for what they have given to the game. Modell help create the legacy of the Baltimore Ravens and of course his Yeats with the Cleveland Browns. He has served the league for over 50 years and deserves his lifetime achievement award for what he has done. Debartolo built the 49ers into a legendary dynasty. He brought in Bill Walsh and signed Montana and the rest of that legendary team. Legal issues marred the end of that team and maybe that is keeping him out.
Jerome Bettis is being left out for reasons that defy logic. He has more yards rushing than Curtis Martin and he has a ring. He was a dominant player even in his Rams days. He wasn't a guy sticking around to pad his stats. He should be in.
Tim Brown has better stats than Michael Irvin and was every good a player as Chris Carter. He was a punt returner, receiver, Mr everything for the Raiders. He had 1000 receptions.
If these men can't get in base on a proven career, how hard is it going to be for guys like Derrick Brooks, Terrell Owens, Micheal Strahan, Andy Reid. Strahan must be shocked that he is not in. A two time champion, the single season record holder for sacks, Strahan was a monster for a decade in this league. Will Shields was a perennial pro bowler. I guess its unfair to compare generations and contribution. Heck Commissioner Tagilabue can't get in even though the league became a financial cash cow during his tenure.
I don't know what the standards are and I know my eyes are getting old, but these men need to be in the hall. Think about this Vinny Testaverde has thrown for over 40,000 yards in his career. He won't get in. Its the toughest club to enter...