Harbaugh Bowl

After 17 weeks of regular season games, and 3 weeks of postseason action, it's finally Super Bowl week. One of the most popular days leading up to the big game is today, media day. In light of that, I have decided to take a few minutes to discuss the most talked about storyline (other than Ray Lewis).

This Super Bowl has taken on multiple new nicknames in the past week. Harbaugh Bowl, Harbowl, Bro Bowl, and Super Bro have been a few being thrown around. Once the Baltimore Ravens pulled off the upset against the New England Patriots to join the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, America was ready to embrace the story. Brothers John and Jim Harbaugh will square off as head coaches in the Super Bowl. It's remarkable that two brothers are even head coaches in the NFL, let alone coaching in the biggest game. Although it is surprising that two brothers are in the Super Bowl, it is not surprising that either one of them made it here. In my opinion, the Harbaugh's are two of the NFL's best coaches, both in the top 5. Yes, neither one has won a Super Bowl yet, but they have only been coaching for a few years. John Harbaugh has been the Ravens head coach for 5 seasons. During that time he has won at least 1 playoff game EVERY year, making the AFC Championship game 3 times. Jim Harbaugh has only been the head coach of the 49ers for 2 seasons. All he has done is win 76 percent of his games, and make it to 2 NFC Championship games. If I were starting a NFL franchise and had the ability to pick one coach for the next decade, Jim would be my first choice, followed by John. I base this decision on their age, John (50) and Jim (49), recent success, and coaching styles.

To get their teams to the Super Bowl, both coaches made controversial decisions. Jim decided to make a change at the quarterback position by inserting Colin Kaepernick for Alex Smith. At the time, I questioned the move. Although it is hard to question it now, I still feel Alex Smith got a raw deal. Since Harbaugh arrived, Smith was 19-5-1 as a starter. Not only did Smith win, but he was playing extremely well. Smith led the NFL with a 70% completion percentage, and was third in the league with a 104.1 quarterback rating. However, Jim Harbaugh made the right choice. Kaepernick has proven to be the more dynamic and versatile player with his cannon for an arm, and elite speed for a quarterback. Smith was a very good game manager, Kaepernick is a game changer. Jim's decision has proved most valuable in the playoffs. Kaepernick had a historic performance versus Green Bay in their first playoff game, and led the 49ers to a victory at Atlanta after trailing 17-0. The 49ers trailing 17-0 with Smith at QB would not have won that game. Jim Harbaugh's decision has been validated, and will always be remembered if the 49ers can win one more game.

John Harbaugh's decision was made within his coaching staff, and has proved to be just as successful. On December 10th, John fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, and promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell to the position. Caldwell, the former Indianapolis head coach, has had an big impact on the Ravens offense. Since the change, quarterback Joe Flacco has thrown 12 touchdowns and only one interception. For someone who has been labeled as inconsistent throughout his career, Flacco has been the complete opposite under Caldwell. Besides the on the field impact, the change of coordinators appears to have sent a wake-up call to the rest of the Ravens organization. The Ravens look different, and are playing their best at the right time.

Super Bowl XLVII is going to be exciting to watch for many reasons, but seeing Jim versus John on the biggest stage is the main one for me. I find their family story to be fascinating. Both John and Jim were groomed to be coaches at an early age by their father, Jack. Jack taught them how to watch film, and taught them everything they know about the game. Jim and John took different paths to become NFL coaches, but the root of their success is evident. The fact that both coaches still send their father game films every week so how much football means to that family. Jack breaks down both films, and still gives his sons coaching advice. I can only imagine how tough it will be for Jack and the rest of the family to watch on Sunday. They can root for both teams to play well, but only one can win. With that being said, Sunday night will be a special moment for the Harbaugh family, no matter who wins.

-Eric Tichelbaut