Battle of Brothers - Super Bowl Preview

The 2 weeks that have gone by since the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers vanquished their opponents have felt like 2 millenia. But the time has finally come for America's biggest sporting show by far.

A scene I much rather forget from last year's Super Bowl

Sorry, Sidney Crosby, Sergio Romo and LeBron James but when it comes to getting the whole nation to watch its grand final, the NFL has got all the answers and secret recipes. The Super Bowl is by far the one game every American wants to know the result of - or at least get involved in.

The getting-together-to-watch-the-game tradition is a bit like dressing up for the cricket or singing at football - it has become an American pastime, and one that has spread around the world now, even attracting New Zealanders and Australians to take the Monday off during the summer just to watch the Super Bowl - often for Kiwis it is just to make the most of the week Waitangi Day falls on, thus making it a 3 day working week.

And with every Super Bowl there are always themes, background stories, prologues, whatever you like to call it. Last year, when the Patriots took on the Giants, it was all about revenge, history and rekindling the long rivalry between Boston and New York when it comes to sport.

This year, for the first time, we can talk about two brothers taking each other on for America's biggest prize - and Harbaugh Senior must surely be the proudest father in America right now as sons, James (Jim) and John, are about to hog the sidelines in the Big Easy's beloved Superdome and hopefully yell their teams to victory.

It looks like Thanksgiving 2013 for the Harbaughs probably won't be an awkward affair as both brothers have great camaraderie. Nevertheless, the competitive nature of both will ensure that even with blood ties flowing between the coaches, this could possibly the feistiest Super Bowl yet.

Baltimore and San Francisco have two of the NFL's most powerful and toughest defences - is that a surprise given the similarity in genetics and thinking of their respective coaches? Baltimore does have Ray Lewis of course, one of the most inspirational and passionate men to ever play the game. The big 52 may have had his troubles in the past but time has been very kind to him and this year, he is probably the darling of the media who are hoping to write the story of his fairytale ending.

But of course, it's not just Ray Lewis that's the star of this Ravens defence - Terrell Suggs has become the engine of this ferocious D and having come back from a serious injury earlier last year, his form has been stunning. He along with Minnesota's bombastic running back, Adrian Peterson are the comeback kings in this year's NFL.

Can San Francisco match Baltimore's defence? They certainly have the personnel in the Smiths (Aldous and Justin) and Isaac Sopoaga - possible relation to the Highlanders rugby player, Lima. They are slightly exposed to the big plays as we saw in that game against the Atlanta Falcons - something that Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin can take advantage of - but once they settle, opposition quarterbacks start breaking down.

In terms of the offence, both are very balanced and have big wide-receivers who are capable of the big play - Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin for the Ravens and Randy Moss and Michael Crabtree for the 49ers. And their running games are very good.

The key could be at quarterback. The 49ers potentially have an edge here in Colin Kaepernick who despite only just taking over as the franchise quarterback, has shown class and calibre beyond his years. While Alex Smith was not a bad quarterback, Kaepernick just has more talent - and he is certainly a far bigger threat with ball in hand. If Kaepernick can get over the nerves and express himself, this could be the difference between the two sides.

Kaepernick's rise reminds me of the rise of Tom Brady. I am sure the former Nevada quarterback would like to emulate Brady's story - going from deputy at the start of the season to Super Bowl winner. And you wouldn't bet against a first Super Bowl win being the catalyst for many more in the Harbaugh era.

My tip for the score?

Let me just say that the 49ers are 5-0 in Super Bowls and have pedigree in America's big game. But this could be the closest yet. I don't think this will be a high scoring game but for those who love big hits and defences, this will be a beauty.

So final score - San Francisco 17-14 Baltimore

Stay tuned for my pick of the Super Bowl ads later!

A return to Montana-Young days for the 49ers beckons.