If you know anything about Mallz (hey, I’m a rapper. I’m allowed to type in third person), you know I’m a big sports fan. And while my UNC Tarheels aren’t having their usual dominant season, my San Francisco 49ers have nearly returned to their glory years under head coach, Jim Harbaugh.
Now, before I go into why my Niners will be hoisting the Lombardi trophy for their sixth Super Bowl, let me tell you how it’s been for me for the past decade. The 49ers haven’t been to the Super Bowl since we were all waiting for Nas to drop Illmatic and I’m fairly certain that a lot of players on that roster were rocking footie pajamas back then. Prior to last year’s heartbreaking loss to the Giants in the Conference Championship, my team hasn’t even sniffed the playoffs since the 33-3 Divisional playoff loss to the eventual NFL Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We’ve been through several head coaches: Dennis Erickson (perhaps the ABSOLUTE WORST decision in the history of ever), Mike Nolan, and Mike Singletary; several quarterbacks: Tim Rattay, Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill and JT O’Sullivan (really??). Not to mention, we have been a doormat for the NFL, posting a losing record each year since that loss to the Bucs (with the exception of 2009…we were .500. Womp womp). So needless to say, times has been hard.
But that’s all in the past. We’re talking about the present, dammit! Now, if all you do is watch ESPN, you’ll probably be under the impression that the Ravens HAVE to win the Super Bowl. I mean, c’mon, they have the good Reverend Ray Lewis crying after every down…
…each player on that squad has some sort of heart-wrenching or inspiringly triumphant story (they even have a homeless man, playing safety…
…and apparently, Ray Lewis getting his first NFL sack against Jim Harbaugh is supposed to mean something.
Here’s what does mean something. During the regular season, the 49ers were number two in points allowed at 17.1, number four in passing yards as well as rushing yards allowed. The Ravens hovered around the middle of the pack in each of those categories. We have shut down some pretty prolific offenses (albeit, after giving up quite a bit of points) with gut-check style wins over New England and Atlanta. And what’s that old adage? Oh yeah, “defense wins championships”.
Regardless of how you feel about the Alex Smith benching, our offense (I say ‘our’ as if I’m on payroll, right?) is much more dynamic with Colin Kaepernick. Granted, Smith is VERY mobile, but Kaepernick has track star speed AND a rocket arm, which is actually pretty accurate (*cough cough* Michael Vick *cough*). We’ve all seen and heard how difficult the read-option running game is but when you have one of the most consistent (and underrated) backs in the league, Frank Gore, it becomes that much more of a weapon. Gore has been the one pillar of excellence during our darker years, averaging at least 4.2 yards per game in each of his eight seasons. The 49ers have one of the biggest and best offensive lines in the league, lead by guard, Mike Iupati. And <The Rock> FINALLY </The Rock>, we have a credible passing game with credible receivers. Mario Manningham is still hurt but Michael Crabtree is quickly turning into a top tier wideout. He finished 8th and 9th in receptions and yards, respectively in the NFC with nine touchdowns. Then there’s Vernon Davis, who has proven to be a huge mismatch for any team – faster than a LB, stronger than a DB and is one helluva run blocker (thank you Mike Singletary…
Oh, and there’s this fella you may have heard of by the name of Randy “Straight Cash, Homie” Moss.
I’ve never been one to predict scores, but even putting my nearly 27-year fandom to the side, I’m confident that the San Francisco 49ers will complete their “Quest For Six” Super Bowl wins in the Harbaugh Bowl. Hopefully Jim will reintroduce us to the Harbaugh Handshake…
…but probably not, that would make family dinner awkward.
