1. There probably isn’t a more hated man in San Francisco than Chris Culliver right now. After inviting boatloads of bad karma during the week thanks to some highly ignorant, homophobic remarks, the cornerback got beaten repeatedly and had an overall shoddy performance on the field. Why he said what he said when he said is beyond me. But even moreso, why he said what he said despite representing San Francisco, the gay capital of America, is just plain bewildering. And topping all of that with a stinker on the world’s biggest stage…just SMH over and over again.
2. But negativity aside, the Ravens played lights out (no pun intended). They came aggressive from the opening minute and made the Niners play catch-up for pretty much the entire game. And Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco threw the ball like he could taste a maximum contract.
3. Nobody I was watching the game with could remember the name of the third member of Destiny’s Child. All we knew for sure was that there have been several third members of DC throughout history. In fact, another speculation we had was that they all came back to the Super Bowl too, but just to be extras for Beyonce’s halftime set.
4. Crabtree got held on SF’s final offensive play of the game. That may be the bias in me talking, but I could give a damn. He got held and the refs missed it. It’s football and we know it happens. But a no-call sucks when it happens in the Super Bowl, on the last ditch effort to pull out the W. Still…
5. …How fitting is it that Ray Lewis ended his career on a goal line stand?
6. Someone forgot to pay the power bill at the Superdome and the ensuing blackout delayed the biggest sporting event in America for over thirty minutes. Not a good look at all for whoever was running the show.
7. My worst fears came true. While Colin Kaepernick has been largely brilliant this season, his inexperience was bound to show and growing pains had to happen. He’s still undoubtedly the quarterback of the future for SF, but the question will always linger: Could Alex Smith have taken the 49ers the distance yesterday?
8. John Harbaugh’s strategy to burn more time off the clock by taking a safety was brilliant. I’ve never seen anything like it before but it was sheer genius. Why Ginn didn’t fair catch the ensuing kick, I don’t know. I still think that there were higher odds of completing a Hail Mary than a kick return for a TD. But that’s just me.
9. There was no better game than this one for Jacoby Jones to show Roger Goodell and the rest of the world why special teams is absolutely crucial to the game. His torching of the Niners kicking unit kept the game just out of arm’s reach and took the pressure off Baltimore’s shoulders.
10. San Francisco got outplayed. The Ravens were the better team and deserved the victory. There shouldn’t much debate about that. Colin Kaepernick is a stud, but the Niners just weren’t ready to play on the big stage just yet. Baltimore had that ‘it’ factor and there was nobody who could stand in their way. As Rev. Ray said repeatedly throughout the playoffs, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper.” Hats off to the Ravens coaching staff and, of course, the players. The championship was well earned.