LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – My Super Bowl pick is the Baltimore
Ravens.
Why?
They've beaten better teams to get to this moment. Their
quarterback (Joe Flacco) has not been throwing the ball to the other team.
Their defense has Hall of Famers. They're willing to use every necessary ounce of
Deer Antler Spray.
Who am I kidding?
I'm going with the Ravens because I'm going with John
Harbaugh, their coach. His story is more compelling, and he's a knowledgeable
college basketball fan who enjoys talking about the game.
Unlike his brother, Jim, the San Francisco coach, John took
the scenic route to become a head coach, making stops at Morehead State and
Indiana. He wasn't a former first-round draft pick or starting NFL quarterback.
You disagree? You like the 49ers?
You're not the only ones. So does Chris Redman, who once
played for the Ravens before finishing his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons.
Ditto for Stefan LeFors.
Brian Brohm made it unanimous. All three former University
of Louisville quarterbacks picked San Francisco Friday after they played in the
Sixth Annual Mascot Bowl.
"My heart is with Baltimore having played for Baltimore,"
said Redman, who played for the Ravens from 2000-2003. "But the 49ers have the
team.
"I don't think the Baltimore defense is quite as good as it
used to be. They're obviously a good team.
I think they're actually a little better on offense than they are on
defense. I just think it's the 49ers' year."
Stefan?
"I'm a Saints fan and the Niners did my Saints wrong," said
LeFors, the head coach at Christian Academy.
"But I'll go ahead and root for the Niners."
Brian?
"The 49ers' defense is one of the best in the league," Brohm
said. "Their offense has speed and they can attack in so many ways that they're
going to be able to put points on the Ravens. It's going to be close. I'll take
them by three."
Quarterback play is the place to begin when discussing any
Super Bowl. Five of the last six Super Bowl MVP awards have been won by the
quarterback. It's not a recent trend. The quarterback has left with the MVP
trophy 25 times in 46 Super Bowls, a list that started with Bart Starr and
includes Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, John Elway, Tom Brady and
the Manning brothers.
In this game, it seems as if all the conversation has been
about 49ers' quarterback Colin Kaepernick, not the Ravens' Flacco, even though the
more experienced Flacco has eight touchdowns without an interception in three
playoff games.
The media has fallen in love with Kaepernick's story as well
as his ability to run the football even better than he throws it. That can
happen when a guy runs for 181 yards against the Green Bay Packers in the eighth
start of his pro career.
Are multi-dimensional quarterbacks like Kaepernick the
future of the NFL?
"It seems like every couple of years a guy comes up and has
a really good year and they talk about it," Redman said. "But at the end of the
day, you have to be able to throw the ball. It obviously helps if you can run.
"I think it's a very good thing for Teddy (Bridgewater) here
in Louisville to have a guy who can run.
But at the end of the day for the long season you've got to be able to
throw the ball."
"I'm a fan," LeFors said. "I remember him when he was at
Nevada, making plays left and right in that ‘Pistol' offense. To see him do it
in the league, he's a threat every play with the ball in his hands. He's got a
strong arm. He's a big-time threat with his legs.
"The way he handles himself after a bad play or bad game,
the way he bounces back has been pretty impressive. It's exciting.
"But like Chris said, the classic drop-back quarterback will
last and that's the guy who is going to stick around health wise. You look at
Michael Vick, you take a beating when you run like RGIII (Robert Griffin, the
Redskins' quarterback who finished the season with knee surgery). You wonder
how long those guys can last playing that style."
I'll give Brian Brohm the final word.
"He's a good player," Brohm said. "Good athlete. He can
throw the ball. He can do it all. He's special. Kind of a new-style quarterback.
You might be seeing a little bit more of those style quarterbacks come around.
"You're still going to have to be able to throw the ball at an
exceptional level to play in the NFL. You've got to have both aspects, but
number one you've got to be able to throw the ball."
Copyright 2013 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
Former U of L quarterbacks Chris Redman, Stefan LeFors and Brian Brohm made their Super Bowl picks.
