The San Francisco 49ers are headed to Super Bowl XLVII to face off against the Baltimore Ravens in what will be their sixth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. After a decade of mediocrity, the historically strong 49ers have returned to prominence as one of the NFL's elite teams. However, the journey from the league's worst team in 2005 to one of its best eight years later was a long and arduous process.
Over the past eight seasons the 49ers have seen five different head coaches, seven different offensive coordinators and an astounding 10 different starting quarterbacks. This Super Bowl appearance represents one of the most successful rebuilding initiatives in NFL history, and victory would give some of the NFL's best young players a taste of their first championship.
Growing up in the Bay Area, I have always supported the local sports teams. Since coming to college at Emory, far away from where I grew up, I find myself with a greater appreciation for where I come from and how it helped shape who I am today.
I've found myself, for the first time, rooting for my favorite sports teams as a member of the "away" fan base, which has changed the way I view sports as a form of entertainment.
As a home team fan, I viewed sports as a fun and entertaining medium where I would try to enjoy the event as much as possible with the fans around me.
As a member of the away fan community, I experienced being in hostile territory, rooting for my favorite team in an unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly environment.
I feel as if this experience has allowed me to form a closer bond with my favorite sports organizations, and I now better understand the larger-than-life aspect of sports that connects fans together from all around the world.
Super Bowl XLVII will be a fun and exciting game between two very similar and talented teams. Both the 49ers and the Ravens sport imposing defenses, strong offensive lines, a powerful running attack, quarterbacks unfazed by adversity and brilliant head coaches.
The 49ers have several X-factor players who, in order for the team to win, will need to play at the top of their game on Sunday. The 49ers thrive on playing great defense, and with linebackers like Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith, the 49ers rarely miss tackles.
Defensive end Justin Smith is also notorious for his ability to get after opposing teams quarterbacks and may be the most valuable 49er on defense. The offensive side of the team has undergone a huge transition; with second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking over for long-time starter Alex Smith midway through the season.
Kaepernick is known for having a strong arm and being able to make exciting plays with his legs. Kaepernick's ability to run the read option successfully will be a key to the 49ers game plan.
The 49ers offense also sports powerful running back Frank Gore, speedy tight end Vernon Davis and emerging elite receiver Michael Crabtree.
If the 49ers offense gets going early, the opposing defense will have an extremely difficult time stopping them throughout the game.
The most valuable member of the 49ers organization, however, has to be Coach Jim Harbaugh.
Since joining the 49ers at the beginning of last season, Harbaugh has transformed a largely home-grown organization from an underachieving team to an elite Super Bowl-caliber club.
No coach is more prepared each week than Harbaugh is, as the 49ers coaching staff does an excellent job researching, dissecting and building a game plan around their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. However, Harbaugh's impact on the 49ers goes far beyond play design and game preparation.
Harbaugh's ability to motivate and unite his team is unparalleled anywhere else in the NFL.
Harbaugh is the ultimate players' coach, and the team absolutely loves him. Harbaugh pours his heart and soul into his job, doing his best to pump up his players and reacting in dramatic fashion from the sideline during games.
When the 49ers suit up for Super Bowl XLVII, they won't be playing just for themselves or the city of San Francisco, but they'll be playing for their leader, coach and friend.
Super Bowl XLVII will certainly be an exciting game between two teams who have fought hard to get to this point.
Both the 49ers and the Ravens barely missed out on making the Super Bowl last year, and both teams will want to take advantage of their opportunity now that they are finally here.
I believe that the 49ers have a great chance to win this game, as they can do everything the Ravens can equally, if not better.
San Francisco had not tasted sports success since the early '90s, but with the San Francisco Giants winning the World Series in 2010 and 2012, the San Jose Sharks and Golden State Warriors looking better than ever early in their respective seasons and Stanford University winning the most recent Rose Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers are looking to build on a brand new 21st century winning tradition in the Bay Area. Enjoy the Super Bowl, and go 49ers!
– By Kevin Lujack
klujack@emory.edu
Being a Baltimore fan is easy, at least this week. The Orioles are coming off their first playoff appearance in 15 years, and more importantly, the Ravens are going to the Super Bowl. But it hasn't always been easy to be a sports-loving kid in Baltimore.
As a baseball player, watching the Orioles lump on losing season after losing season was brutal. After a while, most people just gave up on the black and orange birds. The closest basketball team is the Washington Wizards, and everyone knows that they've been awful ever since Gilbert Arenas decided to draw a gun on one of his teammates in the locker room.
The Maryland Terrapins are a fun college team to root for, but they've always been overshadowed by the likes of Duke and North Carolina.
The only constant for Baltimorons (as the self-deprecating natives like to address themselves) has been our beloved Ravens. Year after year we seem to end up in the playoffs, fighting and clawing for a spot in the coveted Super Bowl. In 2001, we actually brought home the Lombardi trophy, although I was too young at the time to truly appreciate the feat.
Yet the Ravens of now are a much different team than the Ravens of then. The only remaining player from that game is Ray Lewis, but I'm not going to spend much time retelling that well-overused story. Needless to say it would be incredible for the star to retire from the game on top.
As for the rest of the Ravens, they've been through a lot in the past five seasons. Ever since John Harbaugh was named the head coach and Joe Flacco was drafted out of Delaware, the Ravens have transformed into a team unlike any Baltimore has witnessed in years.
The defensive juggernaut brought in the likes of Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith on the offensive side of the football to compliment the established veterans on defense. Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs certainly have nothing more to complain about as far as offensive production.
Still, many football fans question Joe Flacco, the Baltimore quarterback. He is often mocked for his claim that he is of "elite" status in the league. After watching him outplay the Colts' Andrew Luck, Denver's Peyton Manning and New England's Tom Brady to bring his team to the Super Bowl, I think his claim is pretty legitimate.
But enough about the players; there's only so much an individual can do for a team. The beauty of being sports fans is that people can be part of something bigger than themselves. Whether it's supporting a college, a city or even a country, sports are one thing that people who have nothing else in common can unite over.
One of my greatest sports memories was watching the World Cup games when I was in Spain and they won it all in 2010. Seeing thousands of fans drop everything for a couple of hours and crowd around the television to watch the game was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
Everyone in the streets was wearing their Villa and Torres jerseys with pride, and with good reason. They could say that their soccer team was the best in the world, and no one could argue with them.
This past summer, when it became a reality that the Orioles actually had a chance to make the playoffs, Baltimore was like a new place. My friends who had never been to a baseball game finally agreed to hop on the light rail and buy $10 tickets to watch the O's play.
For the first time in my memory, the Orioles were playing the Yankees at home, and there was more orange in the crowd than blue. I couldn't have been more proud to be from Baltimore.
This time last year I was still recovering from Lee Evans' dropped touchdown and Billy Cundiff's field goal debacle that sent the Ravens home instead of to the Super Bowl.
Now, against all odds, we have made it back to football's biggest stage. And yes, I say we because I mean it. People ask why I curse at the TV and why anyone would even care about watching other people play sports. The answer is that being a fan truly feels like being a part of the team.
So, when Alicia Keys sings the national anthem this Sunday, everyone tuned in to the most popular TV program of the year will witness my favorite thing about being from Baltimore. As soon as she gets to "O! say does that..." anyone who's ever donned a Ray Lewis jersey or Orioles hat will shout out the "O" in unison.
The tradition that started at Orioles games has transformed into a symbol for all Baltimore sports. Finally, together we'll sit down on the couch and hope that our team brings home that famous trophy once again.
– By Jake Max
jmmax@emory.edu
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