The Superbowl

Most Superbowls don't live up to their names.   Often the games are lopsided and boring.  The 49ers had more yards (468 to 367) but came up short in time of possession and in score (31-34).   With a halftime score at 21-6 and with a superb start for the Baltimore Ravens at the beginning of the second half - the game looked like a blowout until two 49er touchdowns in the third quarter turned the game into a game.   It came down to a non-call in the end of the fourth quarter where there seemed to be offsetting illegal contact between Crabtree and Smith.   In the end the failure to complete the pass allowed the Ravens to win the game.

There were a lot of backstories on this game.  Certainly, the final game of a long career for Ray Lewis brought a lot of emotion.  Lewis had 17 seasons - all of them for the Ravens.  That is not all that common in any professional sport.  Another sidelight is the fact that one of Lewis' children is named Raven.

The 49ers are a young team and are likely to be in contention next year.  

The halftime show was trashy.  There was a long delay of the game while the "Super"dome in New Orleans had to put a couple of pennies in their fuse boxes to get the lights back on.  But all in all it was a wonderful game.

One other highlight needs mentioning.   I heard from several friends in Mexico that there was high interest in the game there.   From what they said, there was stronger support for the 49ers.   Last night immediately after the game I had a call from a friend in Xalapa who is a priest and he said his community had watched the game.