As the playoffs wind down I often ponder various Super Bowl matchups. My hope is always that I can factor the Minnesota Vikings into those matchups. Seeing as the Vikings haven't ventured into a Super Bowl in 35 years those hopes are usually dashed before they start. With my passion for football history and absent the Vikings my thoughts usually take on a spin from the past.
The matchup that immediately sparks some intrigue is Baltimore-San Francisco. Harbaugh Bowl! I can't even think of any other head coaching brothers. Let alone head coaching brothers that have made it this far. A Baltimore-San Francisco Super Bowl intrigues me more from an historical perspective. Despite what the NFL wants you to believe this Baltimore Ravens franchise is the old Cleveland Browns franchise. Despite holding the paper history and the name, the current Cleveland Browns are an expansion team. The Browns of Jim Brown and Otto Graham are the Ravens of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The Browns and 49ers are two of the three teams to join the NFL when the All-America Football Conference folded after the 1949 season. The third team to join the NFL was the Baltimore Colts. The current Colts that play their home games in Indianapolis just happen to be hosting the Super Bowl this year. The Colts used to play in Baltimore where the old Browns now play as the Ravens. Oh my, the historical connections just won't end.
The Giants have obvious Super Bowl ties to both New England and Baltimore. They were destroyed by the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. Going further back the Giants and the old Browns had a terrific rivalry from the late '50s to the early '60s. Giants linebacker Sam Huff and Browns runningback Jim Brown were the epitome of those violent games. The Giants upset the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. An instant classic that I'm sure the Patriots remember well. Giants-Patriots is also intriguing because of Bill Belichick. His impact on both franchises is huge. Under Bill Parcells, Belichick was the architect of the great defenses that won two Super Bowls. He built the Patriots into the model franchise of this generation.
The one matchup that is exciting more for what may be than for what has been is the 49ers-Patriots. With Belichick and Jim Harbaugh coaching their respective teams, the Patriots and 49ers could become a classic Super Bowl rivalry much like the Steelers and Cowboys of the '70s. What Harbaugh has done in one year is remarkable. What Belichick has done his entire career is incredible. These two are probably the best coaches in the NFL today. The only historical link between these two teams that I can come up with are the transactions that moved Jim Plunkett and Russ Francis from the Patriots to the 49ers in the late '70s. That's pretty weak.
Fortunately the Super Bowl matchup isn't decided by my idle thoughts. Its decided on the field. I hope for excellent games tomorrow and a matchup in two weeks that's historical.
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