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...

Is Joe Flacco this years Eli

Before last season started, Elk Manning was asked whether or not he was an elite quarterback. He said he was and promptly went out an had an incredible season. He had moments last year that drove me crazy, with frustrating losses in the regular season. Some how he discovered how to win in the fourth quarter and in the post season and lead the New York Giants to a title. Well Joe Flacco has had more of a frustrating regular season and is in position to duplicate Eli's feat. Flacco does things in the regular season that makes you scratch more than your head. He has games that defy logic and give his detractors ammunition. The Ravens were 1-4 in their last five games and it could have been worse. Their one win was against the Giants. You either love Joe or you ask Joe to let the defense win games for you. In the regular season, the Ravens were hard to watch after week 10 but somehow, Joe has channeled his inner Eli Manning and has been brilliant in the post season.  He has beaten, Andrew Luck, Peyton, and Tom Brady end route to the big game. He has thrown 8 touchdowns and no picks so far and has outplayed those three qb's in the postseason. The throw he made to tie the Broncos is the stuff if legend. Outplaying Brady in Foxboro and getting redemption for last year is big contract worthy. He must pull off the finale in order to have an Eli Manning storybook, finish. The 49ers don't lose these games. They have had their ordinary Joe take them to the promise land. Multiple times... The Eli comparison from last year is a good one. He must finish however what he started...