It’s Super Bowl Sunday

If you’re anything like me, by now your head is overflowing with news and analysis on the Super Bowl and you’re just ready for the darn game to happen already. The growing variety of ESPN channels have gone through their yearly broadcasts of “Super Bowl Moments”, on repeat, while Joe Namath has already given his annual address on the state of the NFL. And then you have that growing joke of a press event known as Media Day. The outfits, the questions, seriously are these people for real?

One question directed at butt grabbing Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman, what would he say to strippers? Seriously? Am I missing the connection this question has to the actual game?

Source: Blogspot.com / Sherman

Another one that I took personal enjoyment in hearing was the Joe Maddenesque question to Seattle Seahawks Pete Carroll, “Is this a must-win game?”

No, it’s not actually. We get to do this all over again on Sunday. Really? As a journalist I’m a bit embarrassed, but let’s be honest, some of these people likely snuck in. Or at least I hope so. Now, every sports analyst and writer out there has appeared to give their respective take on who will be victorious come Sunday, but none have really looked at the other side of the equation.

Who has more to lose?

Source Business Insider

On Sunday, the Denver Broncos will be playing in their seventh Super Bowl in franchise history. And if you ask fans, they’d very much like to forget about those first four Super Bowls, which the Broncos lost by an average of around 28 points. But then you had that glistening knight in shining armor, John Elway who led the team to back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1998 and 1999. And then there was the dark age so to speak of lackluster performance, but then again another light (insert tasteful religious joke), Tim Tebow.

While short-lived, Tebow reignited the Broncos organization, even if only for a minute. And then you bring in the golden boy of the NFL, Peyton Manning. The man has broken every record possible he could this season. Heck, during the media day he had Richard Sherman (who was on his “I’m sorry tour”) even singing his praises.

So, you have the Broncos organization looking to improve that Super Bowl record and Peyton looking to cap off what seems to be the perfect season with the ultimate prize. And then you have the defensive powerhouse Seattle Seahawks, making their second Super Bowl appearance in the last 10 years. It’s a completely different team this time around, quarterback and coach. When hired, Pete Carrol said what anyone in his position would; I’m going to bring you all multiple Super Bowls.

Well, now’s your chance.

The Seahawks had the top ranking defense in the league and rightfully so. Against formidable opponents, no other team has given up less yardage or fewer points than the Seahawks. And then you have Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Peyton has been to the Super Bowl three times, this will be Wilson’s first, but don’t for a second think this is an issue. Wilson has proved that while he is younger and less experienced then those quarterbacks he is put up against, he has a focus well beyond his age would suggest. So, Wilson needs to show he can lead his team into glory, the Seahawks defense want to prove they can take down the ultimate offense and Richard Sherman is hoping to give his team something bigger to talk about. A Super Bowl win.

So, again, who has more to lose here?

Come Sunday we’ll see the league’s best offense take on the best defense. The odds in Vegas are heavily in favor of the Broncos, essentially putting the Seahawks in the role of underdog. But in my opinion, this underdog has the best chance out of any previous teams in its position to shock the Broncos and Vegas.

POLL: So now, we ask you the people. Who do you think is winning Super Bowl XLVIII?

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Super Bowl 2013 – Ravens vs 49ers

Get your buffalo chicken dip recipe out, load up on the adult beverages and grab some tissues for Ray Lewis because it’s the Bro Bowl!

I mean, Super Bowl 2013!

Insert every plot line here you can think of because this game has them all. Clearly on top of them all is the fact that for the first time in Super Bowl history, brothers will be coaching against each other. Talk about the ultimate Madden NFL video game battle…oh wait this is real.

Both coaches may share the Harbaugh family name but these are two very different guys. Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers (13-4-1) is a serious guy and can seem quite intense on the sideline, while older brother John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens (13-6) is much more of an extrovert and talkative.

Harbaugh brothers

Then there is the varied NFL background. Older brother John was backup defensive back at Miami of Ohio who had to work his way up the coaching ladder as an NFL assistant before landing as the Ravens head coach in 2008.

On paper, Jim had the more illustrious football playing career as a three-year starting quarterback at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) where he was a Big Ten conference player of the year and a Heisman Trophy finalist. In the NFL Jim played 15 seasons, then post-career went back to college to become the head coach for the University of San Diego and Stanford, before landing the head job with the Niners.

Last time these two coaches met was Thanksgiving 2011, when the Ravens defeated the Niners 16-6 in Baltimore. Both teams have never been defeated at the Super Bowl, with the Niners an impressive record 5-0 and Ravens 1-0 from their sole 2001 appearance.

As a Giants fan I can appreciate the road that the Ravens took, winning the wild card against the Indianapolis Colts, then stunning the Denver Broncos crowd at Mile High Stadium with a 38-35 win, then winning the AFC Championship at Gillette Stadium verse the New England Patriots 28-13. The game was redemption for the Ravens who lost last year’s AFC Championship to the Patriots, and was a well earned win for the team who outscored the Patriots in the second quarter 21-0.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is having his best year yet, with six road playoff victories, a league record, and is the only quarterback to win a postseason game in each of his first five seasons. But previous failed tries at getting the Ravens to that final goal of a Super Bowl have critics questioning if Flacco can finish the job in New Orleans.

As for the Niners, this time last year they were all home watching the big game, having been just one win away (Yea Giants!) from a spot. The team certainly earned their spot this year, winning the NFC West Division in convincing fashion and then beating the visiting Green Bay Packers 45-31, only to then kick the Atlanta Falcons out of their own house 28-24 to take the NFC Championship.

Then there is the Niners’ quarterback situation. Second-year player and former backup-quarterback replaced an injured Alex Smith midseason, and then in somewhat a surprising move won the job over Smith altogether.

Smith, who is rumored to be headed to the Browns, has said he will be ready if his team needs him, exhibiting the utmost professionalism with only high praise for Kaepernick. And while Smith did have a role in where the team is, Kaepernick has certainly been a huge factor. Kaepernick set an NFL record for the most rushing yards (181) by a quarterback in a game, in his first playoff game. And his incredibly strong arm and intense running abilities (remind you of someone DC?) are going to be quite dangerous.

Hopefully the Ravens’ defense has been working on their sprints, because they are going to need to be fast to keep up with this Niners offense. But speaking of offense, it’s the Ravens who win in the scoring department, with 90 points in the last three games, while the Niners have 73 points in just the last two.

And lest I forget the other notable storyline to the main event. This will be the last game that Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis will ever play in the NFL. It seems interesting and coincidental that Lewis announces his retirement and we see the team in the Super Bowl for the first time since their 2001 win. Could Lewis ignite the fire further and get his guys to hoist the Lombardi trophy?

Kaepernick will make things quite tricky for the Ravens’ defense, but Lewis and the boys have proven they can be put in different situations and make it through. Flacco is going to have to be on point for this one, but he has been thus far and does not seem to be letting the critics or hype of the game get to him.

My prediction: Ravens take it 29-27.

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The Baltimore Ravens House Light Show

A local Maryland Ravens fan just got done packing all their Christmas lights. Yet, when when the Ravens decided to make the Super Bowl, he decided to make a light show to celebrate their accomplishment. You can see the lights at Red Hill Way, Ellicott City, MD 21043

Baltimore Ravens House Light Show

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Our review of Farmers Fishers Bakers

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I don’t generally start my reviews this way, but I had a great meal at Farmers Fishers Bakers this past week.

The name was inspired by the ‘farm-fresh” menu, fresh caught seafood and a sizable on-premise bakery. Located in the Washington Harbour on the Georgetown Waterfront, the newly redesigned restaurant serves farm-fresh and regionally inspired comfort food. The DC-based GrizForm Design Architects handled the restaurants design, which is striking. Several micro-climates inhabit the space and represent different themes, such as nautical-booths designed to look like a ships cabins, a functioning open pantry Larder with jars upon jars of vegetables, and an alcove with rolling pins lining the walls. There is something interesting wherever you turn your gaze and I really got a kick out of the 5 or so dioramas depicting farm scenes.

Just like their sister restaurant Founding Farmers, the bar program at Farmers Fishers Bakers is something special. My hat’s off to their Chief Mixologist and Beverage Director Jon Arroyo. Through the “Dealer’s Choice” option his highly skilled bartenders are able to hand craft a well-balanced cocktail to perfectly suit your tastes after asking you a few questions about your preferences. They have a great selection of beer with over twenty drafts on an electronic board that change daily. Many of which are craft beers, such as the Epic Hopulent that is on a nitro tap (the type of tap is usually used to pour Guinness) which gives the beer an interesting texture. They even have some tiki styled cocktails and hop-tails (beer based cocktails). Farmers Fishers Bakers is a great spot to do some avant-garde drinking.

The Beer Board with over 20 drafts.

There is something for everyone on their expansive farm-fresh menu. Dishes range from shared plates to full entrees including such items as pizza, tacos, salads, open range meat, seafood, a vegetarian friendly “Meatless Menu”… and even an interesting concept called “Farmhouse Sushi”.

The Farmhouse Sushi is a fusion of Japanese and American cooking techniques, ingredients and recipes. My favorite dish of the night came from the Farmhouse Sushi menu. The dish is called Danny’s Happy Belly consisting of slices of honey ginger glazed pork belly that is placed over a bed of fried cabbage and roasted fennel bulb shavings. The belly was sous-vide for at least 12 hours to slow cook the meat in its own juices. There was a salad of kimchee apples on top of the meat and a dusting of bacon “soil” on the plate. The dish was sweet and salty, rich and addictive. It was a unique and delicious dish that was very American southern and Asian at the same time. I highly recommend you order it on your visit and at $8 it is a great value.

The second item we tried from the sushi menu was the Chesapeake Roll. The maki roll was filled with imperial crab and a hint of old bay. A generous slather of a citrusy lemon caper aioli complimented the flavor of the fresh crab and it was topped with fried leeks that gave it a nice, earthy crunch. Also, a must try.

Next we ordered mussels. There are eight flavors of mussel pots on the menu and we tried the Coconut Green Curry & Pickled Cucumber mussels. The green curry was well made and there was a hint of dill pickle in every bite. It was definitely different than your typical mussel dish, but I was pleasantly surprised. You should only venture into this dish if you are a pickle lover, if not there are plenty of other options if pickles aren’t your bag.

We finished the meal with the Virginia Peanut Butter Mousse. It was amazing! It had chocolate ganache drizzled on a light cloud of peanut butter mousse that sat atop a chunky peanut brittle. It had the perfect amount of saltiness to balance out the sugar.

With its large bar area and 9,500 square feet of space Farmers Fishers Bakers is a great spot to hold an office happy hour or have a nice dinner with your friends and family. The dishes and drinks are interesting and delicious and I am looking forward to many future visits.

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