With Super Bowl XLVII approaching, the story lines continue to come out of the woodwork during media week, as if there weren’t enough already. This will be the first Super Bowl with brothers as head coaches on opposing sidelines. John Harbaugh, Head Coach of the Ravens, coaching against younger brother Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers, in what many journalists have dubbed ” The Harbaugh Bowl”. The two brothers will face off in what looks to be a very competitive game between two offenses that have been explosive so far throughout the playoffs.
And then there’s Ray Lewis. The 17 year veteran announced earlier during the postseason that he would be riding this season out as his last in the NFL, wanting to spend more time with his family and his oldest son who will be attending the University of Miami on a football scholarship. The Ravens have rallied behind their emotional leader and are playing inspired football, coming off two huge wins over the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. Lewis, who is considered by many to be the best linebacker to play the game, was injured earlier this year with torn triceps, an injury that most experts thought would keep him on the sideline for the remainder of the season. Needless to say Lewis was able to return just in time to motivate his team for a playoff run, and winning his second Super Bowl would be the picture perfect way to end his excellent NFL career. A career that is in jeopardy of being tarnished by reports that surfaced this week during Super Bowl media week. New reports claim to have recordings of conversations between Ray Lewis and a known supplier of performance enhancing drugs. Lewis allegedly purchased deer antler spray, used for its extreme healing effects, in an attempt to come back from his torn triceps much faster than normal. This is one storyline the the Ravens could have done without as they prepare for one of the biggest games in franchise history.
On the other side of the ball, theres another storyline that has NFL fans across the country talking. The emergence of second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took over for Alex Smith in the middle of this season after Smith, at the time a bonafide starter and team leader, suffered a concussion. Kaepernick never looked back. He has changed the identify of the offense for better with his blazing speed and the ability to run the football along with his pinpoint accuracy. He has also become quite the leader and is beloved by all of the veterans on the team for his handwork and humble personality.
Whatever side your on, Sundays game promises to be worth the watch, as the two electric football teams face off in New Orleans. Will it be the start of the Kaepernick Era in San Francisco, or the perfect end to a career in Baltimore for Ray Lewis? Either way its going to be very interesting.