RAVENS SEE THE LIGHT
It was eye-catching.
It was thrilling.
It was, for a time, a championship game that went dark.
In a Super Bowl that had it all — a fast start by one team; Beyoncé’s memorable halftime show; a furious second-half rally; and, yes, an unprecedented power failure — John Harbaugh and his Baltimore Ravens emerged Sunday night as the 10th team to win pro football’s world championship in New Orleans, holding off younger brother Jim Harbaugh and the feisty 49ers in a 34-31 win in Super Bowl XLVII.
The victory did not come easily.
Inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Ravens took a 28-6 lead, thanks in large part to quarterback Joe Flacco and two touchdowns from New Orleans native Jacoby Jones.
But after a power failure left half of the Superdome in the dark, bringing on a 34-minute delay, the 49ers came to life.
San Francisco roared to within two points in the fourth quarter, but failed tie the score as the Baltimore defense made a late stand on its own end of the field.
It was the second Super Bowl win for the Ravens, who sent their legendary linebacker, Ray Lewis, into retirement with another ring.
It was also a sweet homecoming for safety Ed Reed, the St. Rose native who momentarily left the game with an injury, but returned to the field to celebrate his first title.
It was, for better and worse, a championship game unlike any other.