It is the biggest week on the North American sporting calendar as the Super Bowl prepares to invade everyone's televisions Sunday as the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers in what is a matchup that requires none of the storyline creating that the media sometimes has to go through during Super Bowl "media week." This one is 1004556547 per cent real. Two brothers as head coaches? Check. One of the greatest receivers of all time in Randy Moss saying he is better than Jerry Rice days before playing a Super Bowl for the Niners? Check. Two weeks worth of Ray Lewis quotes? Check. Two very good football teams who have hard hitting defenses? Check. This game is going to be a classic and for that reason Ruttig's Rants: Rapid Fire Edition makes it's triumphant return.
A huge part of the Super Bowl media day's was the discussion on player safety in the NFL. Yes, it is a great question, and yes it is sometimes interesting to hear what professional players think about the safety and future of what is a very violent sport. But, it has led to some very respectable players saying some very negative things in the media.
Specifically Ravens safety Bernard Pollard, who took the time out from levelling every New England Patriots player to say that he thinks that the NFL will cease to exist with the way the game is headed. He had very good points that you can't take concussions out of a game where coaches and general managers keep looking for the biggest, fastest, and strongest players in each scouting combine, but you have to think Roger Goodell and the NFL's meticulous PR control program would prevent so many players in the league making negative comments about their game during the NFL's premier media week.
How annoying are the "Harbowl" puns that get thrown around each sports show? We get it their last name is Harbaugh and they are brothers. Slightly funny once, never funny again.
On a Canadian note, good job to the NHL for coming back right during the NFL Playoffs. Smart move Bettman, wonder why hockey never catches on in America.
You know which two people are probably glad it is Super Bowl media week: Manti T'eo and Lance Armstrong. Just sayin.
Last media points will go to Randy Moss and Ray Lewis. Randy Moss said that he was the greatest wideout of all time during Niners media day, sparking a reaction from Niners great Jerry Rice, who is considered to be the greatest wide receiver in the history of football. Now many people have wrote off Moss for his comments in the past, but this time he might actually have a point. Randy Moss has put up some crazy statistical seasons despite having a less than stellar quarterback. If you look at the season he had with Tom Brady during the 18-1 Patriots season when Moss and Brady were at their peak, he was as unstoppable as he was even at the peak of his career coming out of college with the Vikings. Now Jerry Rice will always have the numbers on Randy Moss, but when you are catching passes from Steve Young and Joe Montana, you tend to have a distinct advantage as spending most of your prime with Daunte Culpepper. It was a poorly timed quote, but the argument was there if someone who wasn't Randy Moss wanted to run with it.
Now the Ray Lewis media day distraction was a little different as Ray didn't personally choose to make himself a distraction, but the inevitable PED rumors were bound to come to the fold when a player with a torn triceps makes as many tackles as he has during the playoffs, but the intriguing part of this story is the PED he was supposedly using. Deer Antler Velvet Extract. Yes, the antlers your grandpa has in his game room can be used as a performance enhancer to repair muscles in a steroid/HGH like manner. Now if you are going to go to spraying deer antler under your tongue to play football, I think you deserve a pass, but that's me.
Rapid fire thoughts for this Sunday's game: Colin Kapernick will throw an interception at some point of the game. Ray Lewis will break double digits in tackles one more time and will be a force after an extra full weeks rest. Randy Moss will catch a touchdown and retire at the end of the game. Beyonce will be okay, but not spectacular in the no-win job of pleasing hundreds of millions of people's tastes during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The final prediction: The 49ers will win 24-20 off a dominating performance from Vernon Davis at tight end once again in a close Super Bowl that will send of two of the greatest football players from a bygone era in Moss and Lewis. Sunday is going to be a special night, enjoy it everyone.
