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It's Super Bowl Sunday! My slow cooker has been on seemingly all week in preparation, and after a fortnight of the ridiculous hype and build-up, I'm ready to sit down for a good old-fashioned slugfest between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens this evening.
Knowing what these two teams are all about, this game has a great chance of transcending simple stories like Ray Lewis' swan song, the massive difference in quarterback types on display and the mere fact that the two opposing coaches happen to be brothers. These are two of the toughest teams in football, built in the image of their head coach. They pride themselves on physicality on both sides of the football. In an increasingly finesse league, this Super Bowl has a chance to stand out for a while - particularly if it's a close contest.
This is your open thread for tonight's big game if you're interested in chatting here. Once again, we recommend stopping by Baltimore Beatdown and Niners Nation at some point, as well, to get an up-close look at what the insanity of this game feels like for the fans of the teams involved. Someday, Bills fans. Someday.
Enjoy the game, folks! We'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning as, regardless of tonight's outcome, the NFL's off-season officially begins.