My Oscar Score - 8 for 24

Well if I were a MLBer I'd be a super-star batting .333.

I suppose this is how much I actually care anymore.  I saw exactly TWO of the winning films in the theater, Brave and Skyfall.


For the record:

2012 - 11 for 24
2010 - 13 for 24
2009 - 8 for 9 (I didn't pick the entire field)

Oscar Preditions

My Picks are double starred

BEST MOTION PICTURE

**Argo

Amour

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Misérables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

Ang Lee, Life of P i

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

** David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Michael Haneke, Amour

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

** Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Denzel Washington, Flight

Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables

Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

** Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Alan Arkin, Argo

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

** Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook

Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams, The Master

** Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Sally Field, Lincoln

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

** Brave

Frankenweenie

ParaNorman

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Amour, Michael Haneke

Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino

Flight, John Gatins

Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

** Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

** Argo, Chris Terrio

Beasts of the Southern Wild, Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin

Life of Pi, David Magee

Lincoln, Tony Kushner

Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

A Royal Affair (Denmark)

** Amour (Austria)

No (Chile)

War Witch (Canada)

Kontiki (Norway)

ORIGINAL SCORE

Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli

** Argo, Alexandre Desplat

Life of Pi, Mychael Danna

Lincoln, John Williams

Skyfall, Thomas Newman

ORIGINAL SONG

Before My Time, J. Ralph; Chasing Ice

Everybody Needs a Best Friend,Walter Murphy and Seth McFarlane; Ted

Pi’s Lullaby, Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri; Life of Pi

Skyfall, Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth; Skyfall

** Suddenly, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boulil; Les Misérables

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

Anna Karenina

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

** Les Misérables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

Anna Karenina, Seamus McGarvey

Django Unchained, Robert Richardson

Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda

** Lincoln, Janusz Kaminski

Skyfall, Roger Deakins

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran

** Les Misérables, Paco Delgado

Lincoln, Joanna Johnston

Mirror Mirror, Eiko Ishioka

Snow White and the Huntsman, Colleen Atwood

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

5 Broken Cameras

The Gatekeepers

** How to Survive a Plague

The Invisible War

Searching for Sugar Man

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Inocente

Kings Point

** Mondays at Racine

Open Heart

Redemption

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

** Argo

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

Hitchcock

** The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Les Misérables

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Adam and Dog

Fresh Guacamole

Head Over Heels

** Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"

Paperman

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM

Asad

** Buzkashi Boys

Curfew

Death of a Shadow

Henry

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

** Argo

Django Unchained

Life of Pi

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

Argo

** Les Misérables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Skyfall

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Life of Pi

** Marvel’s The Avengers

Prometheus

Snow White and the Huntsman

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/24/3248397/oscar-ballot.html#storylink=cpy

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 34 - Niners 31 FINAL

And that's it - the Ravens hold 'em in the Red Zone, QBK can't pull off the magical come back and the Baltimore Ravens are the Superbowl Champions for the 2nd time.  Ray Lewis goes out with a ring.

Flacco is my MVP - 22-33 274 Yards, 3 TDs, 0 Ints.

The Niners finally lose a Superbowl.  I'm not disappointed, I really didn't care who won, I just wanted a good and interesting game, and that definitely happened.

Of course the Ravens make it interesting with taking the Safety for the free kick running more time off the clock.  Not a bad call though.  Don't even give the Niners enough time for a hail mary.

Final Superbowl Commercials

Samsung - Paul Rudd & Seth Rogan.  Yeah.  Sure.  Too Long.

Network Promo - That show with Ben Linus from Lost.  Not my thing.

Back to the game.  Final thoughts coming up.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 34 - Niners 29 2:00 4th

The Niners have never led per Jim Nantz, which is a rarity for them in a Superbowl.  Now they have about 4 minutes to a championship.  Do they have it or will Ray Lewis and the Ravens go out on top.

Frank Gore picks up 7 on first down, willing his way to a couple of extra yards.  QBK scrambles for the first down, stopping the clock at 3:40 on their own 36.

Vernon Davis has the ball go off his fingers, he had six and he knew it.

QBK comes right back with a 24 yard pass and catch.  He's over 300 yards now.

Gore with a long run down to the 7.  The Niners could get in before the 2 minute warning.  Which would probably be a mistake giving Flacco too much time to come back.

1st and Goal 2:39 remaining.
2nd and Goal from the 5.

Two Minute Warning

Superbowl Commercials Part 20

Tide - Miracle Stain - very cute.  Not earth shattering though.

Soda Stream - But how does it taste?

Network Promo -

And at this point in the game I can't imagine that there will be any other good commercials.


Mercedes Benz - Willem Dafoe channeling his inner Pacino.  Whatever.

Network Promo - Hawaii 5-0.  Used to watch it, got bored when the Governor who used to be a designing woman turned out  to be a horrible  person.

Network Promo - The Job - Watered down version of The Apprentice?

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 34 Niners 29 4:19 4th

The Ravens seem like they're doing everything they can to run the clock down and finish this game, and the Niners are doing everything they can to thwart that effort.  Including challenging the spot of the ball on a possible 1st down.  Which they win.  Crazy.

Boldin makes a great play on 3rd down though to get another set of downs.  Running more and more time off the clock.  1st and 10 at the Niner 40.

Rice gets a 1st on 1st running for about 12.

Later on 3rd and 7 the Niners jump two players, and Harbaugh throws a fit on the sideline.  Giving the Raven 3rd and 2 with 4:28 to play.

Incomplete on 3rd down though.  So we'll get a 37 yard FG attempt.  Tucker drives it through and the Niners MUST score a TD to win this game.

Superbowl Commercials Part 19

Kia - Babylandia - dorky

PSA Wounded Warriors - We should do more as a country for our fighting soldiers.

NFLEvolution - Again what is it?

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 31 Niners 29 10:04 4th

MvP Balloting is available.  I dunno if I'm going to do it quite yet.  At this point it's going to go to whomever is the winning QB.

Which right now looks to be QBK.  Who's got the Niners inside the 20 with 11 minutes still to go in the 4th.

And scores the TD by himself.

Superbowl Commercials Part 18

Ram Commercal - What in the hell is this commercial about?  Wow, that was a total waste of a couple million dollars.

Network Promo -

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 31 Niners 23 12:57 4th

8 point lead with 13 minutes remaining, can the Ravens hold on or do the Niners have a Superbowl Comeback in them?  Either way, an interesting 4th quarter is coming up.

Superbowl Commercials Part 17

NFL Network - Very amusing.

Network Promo - Craig Ferguson

Honda - BCC

Jack In The Box - And That's How I Met Your Mom.   Super fun.

Audi - BCC

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 Niners 23 15:00 4th

So it's a game.  The Niners can win this if they play virtually perfect football in the 4th quarter.  By that same token, the Ravens can win if they just don't make any more mistakes.

The Ravens need to score a TD here to put the game away, or at least make the comeback that much more difficult.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 Niners 23 3:10 3rd

The Ravens Defense came to play, that's for sure, they hold the Niners to a 39 yard FG attempt which misses, but there's a flag!  Running into the kicker makes it now a 34 yard FG attempt.  Which is good.

As Nantz just said, 17 points in 4:10 after a 34 minute delay.  This is so bizare and wonderful.  Great game.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 Niners 20 4:10 3rd

So now let's see what the Ravens have left.  They need a long clock killing drive here.

3 yards and a pile of dust on 1st and 10 from the 20.

"Stadium personnel are investigating the cause of the power outage".   I'm telling you, it's a conspiracy.  Niner Fans.

And the NINERS get the fumble recovery, momentum has now shifted and the fan who hit the power has achieved his goal.

Superbowl Commercials Part 16

Lincoln - BCC

Speed Stick - Mundane

Becks Sapphire - Singing fish.  That's an interesting way to sell a beer.

Network Promos - the Masters.  Last year watched a bit of the Masters on the computer, and the coverage was way better than TV.

The obligatory Bud Clydesdale commercial - There's been better, but not that many.    Awwww.

Network Promo -

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 Niners 20 4:59 3rd

The Ravens go 3 plays and out, and a bad punt and a good return gives the Niners great field position and the momentum is definitely swining to the Niners.  This COULD be a game.  I don't think so, but it might turn into something a bit more exciting.  I'd love to see a huge comeback.  So far we're getting it.

That was an all around team effort to score 14 unanswered points in something like 2 and a half minutes.

Superbowl Commercials Part 15

Kia Forte Robot GIrl - words cannot describe.

Gildan - So that was different.

Wonderful Pistachios - Gangham Style - Why is this popular?

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 - Niners 13 - 7:20 3rd

And there it is, FINALLY the Niners get into the endzone, with 7:20 remaining in the 3rd.  Good play by Crabtree.

The Niners did everything that they needed to do on that drive, 80 yards for the score.  They need a lot more of that for the rest of this game if they are going to be close.

Superbowl Commercials Part 14

Axe Astronaut - I don't like Axe.  I think it's silly.  I liked this commercial.  Quite a bit.

Mio Sport - Tracey Morgan doing the umpteenth knock off of Patton.  Ho Hum

NFLEvoltion - Another hunh?

Network Promo - Dave and Andrew Luck.  Amusing.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 - Niners 6. 7:57 3rd

Some signs of life from the Niners on this possession, but they need a score here and now.  QBK has the most rushing yards of any Niner.  That isn't a good thing.

Crabtree drops a sure six.  That would have been a game-changed.  Alas.  Then again he had a Raven hand in his face.

Randy Moss is in this game.  Did you even realize that?

Time out 7:57 remaining.

Superbowl Commercials Repeat Part 1

and the repeats have begun

Subway
Bud Light Stevie Wonder 2

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 - Niners 6 10:26 3rd

Back to some football, and the Niners on a 3rd and 13 do nothing.  The Ravens get the ball back after not touching it for 85 minutes of real time per CBS and promptly get another first down.

Simms says the players can handle a situation like this one, and yes, I'm sure they can.  I don't think that the Niners will be able to come back though.

That said, the Ravens do nothing after that first down and the Niners get it back with 10:26 remaining.

Almost all back

And we're going to actually play the rest of the second half.  Yeay.  34 minutes of delay.

No lights still

It's a C-O-N-Spiracy I tells ya.  Some Niner fan decided they needed to do something to stop the Ravens momentum - what better than to screw with the lights.  You know one time I turned off the lights in Temple during the high holidays services.  I don't remember going back.

Highlights.  Nifty.  Stuff we watched live.  CBS must be loving this, ad revenue should be flooding through their coffers.

The last time something of this caliber happened in a big championship that I can remember is the 1989 World Series, and that was an Act of God.

Power is still out

15 minutes to recycle the lights per Jim Brown.  Shannon Sharpe says the Ravens are surging, well duh.

Shannon looks sharp as usual, his suit is well tailored and awesome.  Coach Cowher, not so much.  Dude, it's the SUPERBOWL, dress like it.

Superbowl Commercials - Part 13

Subway - February - Oh yeay, cheap footlongs.  My favorite.

Bud Light - Stevie Wonder is back.  Is that Beyonce?  Supersititous.  Didn't beer commercials used to be better/

NFLEvolution - What is it?

Looks like the power is a back.  Or is it?  Nope.  Wow.

Power's Out

Well, now there's a first, half of the power is out in the stadium.  More commercials.

Superbowl Commercials Part 12

Iron Man 3 - Yeay!  Gold Iron Man

Century 21 - Stupid

Blackberry - Stupid

E-Trade - I still hate these ads.  The original kid is a teenager now.

Network Promos - Blue Bloods is still on the air?  Who watches it?

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 - Niners 6. 13:28 3rd

They just showed Desmond Howard's MVP making moment from Brett Favre's only big game win sixteen years ago.  Whoa, that was 16 years ago.  I feel old.  Again.

So speaking of MVP, so far, my vote is for Flacco.  13/20 192 yards, 3 tds, 0 int.

And that was his line at the HALF.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 28 - Niners 6 14:49 3rd

We're underway with the second half, Jones returns it for a TD and a Superbowl Record.  I said it was over a quarter and a half ago, but it's really over now.  The Ravens should move into conservative mode and just run the clock down.

The only way this game gets competitive is if the Niners start airing it out and score pretty much immediately.

HALFTIME

I don't typically watch the Halftime Show, so I'll see you back here when the 2nd half starts.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 21 - Niners 6. Halftime

2 time outs, 57 seconds to play.  2 time outs.  1st and 10 Ravens 17.

1st down - gain of 8 over the middle.  Clock runs
2nd down - no gain run  Time out with 21 seconds left
3rd down - no gain, time out.  6 seconds left.  Field Goal time.

I guess there is always some consideration when David Akers tries a field goal.  This is setting up to either be a blowout in the 2nd half or a great comeback.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 21 - Niners 3. 1:12 2nd

The Niners doing the 2 minute drill look old.  They get lucky with a Roughing the Passer penalty that puts them in a good sport on the field at the Ravens 45 with 1:15 to play and all 3 time outs.

1st down incomplete.
2nd down - NICE catch by Walker puts them in business, 1st and 10 on the Ravens 15.  Time out.

Oops Ravens 21 - Niners 3. 1:45 2nd

Um....I thought they were kicking.  My bad.  HOLY CRAP that was the play of the game so far by Jacoby Jones.  And the nail is in the coffin.  The 2nd half will only be interesting if the Niners can have a magical comeback.

Superbowl Commercials Part 11

Taco Bell Old Folks - Wrong, just wrong.  In many ways.  Didn't even like the Spanish version of one of my favorite songs of 2012.

Sketchers - Yeah, sure.  And now my daughter wants some.

Moment of the year - Of course it would involve one of these two teams.

Network Promos - I was going to watch Elementary, but then remembered that yet another version of Sherlock Holmes really didn't interest me that much.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 14 - Niners 3 - 1:58 2nd.

The Ravens go 3 and out, and should have been running the clock out, now they give the Niners almost the full 2 minutes.  I wonder if that will come back to bite them in the arse.

Superbowl Commercials Part 10

Coke - I saw this last week, I voted for the show-girls

Subway - 15 years of Jared - really?  I'm old.

Network Promo - I've actually watched the Amazing Race upon occasion, still don't like reality shows.

Superbowl XLVII Ravens 14 - Niners 3 - 2:31 2nd

On 1st and 10 from inside their own 10, they frickken run the ball?  WTF Niners?
Then Again, 2nd and 10 QBK is almost intercepted again.  They need a play on third down.
Which they don't get, running a draw.  Obviously they were concerned about throwing a pick-six which would seal their doom.

More commercials.

Superbowl Commercials Part 9

VW - Silly but fun.

Network Promo - What was that "Golden Boy" - hmmm...

NFLEvolution - Of course the young lady who is the best at Football is from SLC Utah, where I'll be going in a couple of weeks.  Well, flying into anyway.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 14 - Niners 3. 3:05 2nd.

The FIRST weird play of the game, and the first miscue for the Ravens is a fake field goal which doesn't get the first.  They're feeling it, big time.

The Niners defense might just be fired up enough to bring it back now.  We'll have to see if they can run the 2 minute drill with perfection.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 14, Niners 3 - 6:55 2nd

Flacco's Stats - 10-13, 119 yards, 2 tds

QBK - 4 - 6, 72 yards.

INTERCEPTED, and a big fight.  This game is over, I'm calling it now for the Ravens.  Nantz just said that this is the first time a 49er QB has EVER been intercepted in a Superbowl.  Considering the other two SF QBs to play in the big game are in the HOF, that doesn't bode well for QBK.

Superbowl Commericals Part 8

Star Trek Into Darkness - I marked out.

Milk with the Rock- VERY cute

Hyundai - Cute

Network Promos  The ONLY time I've ever watched Survivor was the final episode of the first season.  Despite the fact that my wife actually knows Jeff Probst.  Sort of.

Superbowl Commercials Part 7

Is that Shia LeBeef?  Bud Light?  Stevie Wonder?  OK then.

GO Daddy - Again I despise the business practices and personality of the owner of GoDaddy, so I will never use them as long as he continues to hunt Elephants.

Network Promos - I watch a lot of those shows.  What's up with that?

Superbowl XLVII Ravens 14 Niners 3 - 7:10 Second

Ravens with the ball after the fumble, 5 yards on first down.  Double tight end set usually means run, and it is, right up the middle, for almost a first.    Grinding, grinding, grinding, wow what a catch by Dixon on the Niners 29 yard line.  Rice down to the 22.

The Ravens are looking methodical right now, and the Niners are looking a bit flummoxed.  If the Ravens get a TD here, the game might be over.  Next play, a great catch and added distance for a personal foul.  First and Goal, Ravens on the 4.

So far, Niners 3 penalties for 14 yards.
Baltimore - nada

The Ravens are looking like an NFC team playing in the AFC, they have always reminded me as such.  Oh and TD Baltimore.

Superbowl Commercials Part 6

Doritos Princesses - Again cute, but not very professional

Calvin Klein - And that was pretty, err....yeah.  Not sexy.

Cars.com - Wolf - one note joke.

Network Promo - Never watched NCIS, won't start now.

Superbowl XLVII Ravens 7 Niners 3 - 11:53 Second

And there they are - Jack and Jackie Harbaugh shown in the stands.  I wonder if they're actually rooting for a team.  Nice to say that no matter what happens one of their kids will be a Superbowl Champion Coach at the end of the day.

Niners come out in the 2nd throwing.  QBK with a 2 passes right out of the time-out - 29 yards and 11 yards.  They're in Baltimore territory at the 40.

Now QBK is looking a bit young but he hands off to James for 8.  3 plays 49 yards.
Gore with another 7 yards.  James FUMBLES and the Ravens Recover

Superbowl Commercials Part 5

Fast and Furious Part 6 or whatever they're calling it.  The Rock, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and a storyline so dumb it's unbelievable.  Also back is Michelle Rodriguez.

Toyota Rav4 - Kaley Cuoco is one of my favorite actresses these days, and this is the first car commercial that I liked.

Network Promos - Robin Sparkles 4 tomorrow - AWESOME.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 7, Niners 3. End of the 1st.

Niners kick off for the first time, and Jones brings it out about 8 yards deep, for a 22 yard return.  Ed Reed has hurt his knee in the same play that Vernon Davis hurt his arm.

This will be the second series for the Ravens, who on first down get a 9 yard gain out of almost nothing.  They don't get the first on 2nd and 1, the Niners defense seems to have woken up.  They do get it on 3rd.

Of course the story of the day is the Harbaugh brothers, the two head-coaches facing off today.  Jim for the Niners, and John for the Ravens.  Haven't seen a shot of their Dad yet, but I'm sure he's there.

On 2nd and 7 Flacco uses his "favorite" pass play according to Simms and the blocking is too good by the Niners.  Incomplete.  3rd and 7 from their own 36.  

Flacco flushed from the pocket, on the run, HEAVES it down the sideline and it's caught for a 31 yard gain.  PLAY of the GAME thus far.  Boldin makes a great play.  1st and 10 from the Niners 34.  

Loss of 3 on First Down.  Incomplete on 2nd down down the field.  Simms says there's illegal contact on the play, no call.  Ravens are perfect on 3rd down so far.  Not anymore.  Sacked by Ray McDonald and Alden Smith.

So both teams have had it twice, and it's 7 - 3, end of the first.

Superbowl Commercials Part 4

The Great and Powerful Oz  I WANT to see this movie, badly.

Coke - Boring

Oreos - You can't make cookies that much fun.

Grammys - I don't care one iota.

Superbowl Commercials Part 3

Pepsi Next - Brandon's Party.  Very lame.

Best Buy - Amy Poehler.  When was the last time you bought anything at Best Buy?  Yeah that's what I thought.

Budweiser Black Crown #2 - still lame.  AND they're using the 2 Broke Girls song.

Speaking of which...promo for them.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 7, 49ers 3 3:58 1st

Niners have the ball 1st and 10 on their own 20, and on 1st down they lose a couple.  QBK with a 19 yard pass to Crabtree in the slot.  SO they're out of the shadow of their own goal posts.

The running game thus far for the Bay Area team is non-existent.  

And of course once I type that Gore goes for 9.  QBK with the keeper for the 1st.  That looked like a college play.  Of course Jim Harbaugh coached Stanford for a few seasons.  QBK with a broken play for another 7 or 8.  Gore picks up the first, and the Niners are almost in the Red Zone.

1st and 10 on the 32, Vernon Davis with the big catch, 1st and goal on the 8.  Vernon Davis is wearing gold shoes.  He must think he's in the Wizard of Oz.  He also hurt his arm.

No gain on 1st down.

2nd down incomplete off the fingers of Crabtree.  Amazing that QBK even got that ball out of his hands.

Sacked by Paul Kruger on 3rd down, the Niners will have to kick a FG.  

Superbowl XLVII Commercials Part 2

Hyundai - I like the kid wrestling the bear.  Not a BBC

Go Daddy - I HATE GoDaddy as a company, I successfully got my employer to stop using them.  I think their commercials are sexist and brutish.  I do like Danica Patrick though.

Doritos Goat  - Silly.  Oh yeah they're

NFLEvolution - PSA

Superbowl Commercials Part 1

Budweiser Black Crown - Lame.

M&Ms Anything for Love - Who's the girl?  Very cute.  I guess if you were  a live M you wouldn't want to be eaten either.

Audi - Prom - Boring Car Commerical (hereafter referred to as a BBC when they come up.)  Best black eye ever.

Superbowl XLVII - Ravens 7, 49ers 0. 10:36 1st.

No commercials yet, Baltimore takes over on their own 48, and immediately they through a screen for 8.  Rice picks up the first with a gain of 4.  Already less than 3 minutes into the game and the Ravens are on the Niner's side of the field.

Dang, on 1st and 10 Flacco with a beautiful pass to Torrey Smith for a 20+ yard game.  1st and 10 on the Niner's 19.

Niners with their best defensive play so far, holding Rice to a yard.  2nd down, Flacco flushed out of the pocket and tosses it away.

Flag down on an incomplete on 3rd and 9, looks like the Niners were offside, so they give the Ravens a second chance on 3rd down, Flacco with the free play almost makes them pay.

Five wide-receivers on 3rd and 4 from the 13.

Touchdown.  Flacco with a beaut right down the middle to Boldin.  I think I had him in Fantasy Football.

First set of commercials.

Superbowl XLVII - 49er 0, Ravens 0. 13:04 1st

49ers start on offense after a touchback and immediately QBK (I'm going to call Kaepernick QBK for the remainder of the game because I'm not typing out his name every time) gets a 20  yard gain and it's called back due to illegal formation.  THAT is not an auspicious debut.  It was a great play though.

No gain on 1st and 15.
Incomplete on 2nd and 15.
A DRAW play on 3rd and 15?  And the Niners have gained -2 yards on Offense.  3 plays and  kick.

Baltimore takes over around mid-field.

Superbowl XLVII Pre-Game

Jason Witten wins the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.  Nice clips and tributes to Payton who passed away in 1999.  Doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but there you go.  At one point I owned a Payton RC

The Sandy Hook kids choir and Jennifer Hudson are singing "America the Beautiful".  Noting beats Ray Charles, but the kids were sure fun.  Not a big fan of Ms. Hudson, but she looks incredible, and I think it's a nice tribute to all those who have lose their lives in senseless tragedies due to gun violence.

Some of the Ravens are getting pretty emotional, they might have the edge in terms of really wanting to win the big game.


Alicia Keys doing the National Anthem.  I've always known there were three other verses of the Star Spangled Banner, I looked them up just a few weeks ago, they are much more powerful than the one verse that we all know and love  Check it out:

O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

I'm not a big fan of Ms. Keys but she did a nice soulful rendition.

The latest HOFers will be out in a minute for the coin flip.  We're now at the point in my personal football watching career that I actually saw the modern inductees play their entire career.   In fact I remember Draft Day for Warren Sapp who dropped because of a weed test. UCLA Alum Ogden had a wonderful career.

2013 inductees;
Larry Allen
Cris Carter
Jonathan Ogden
Warren Sapp

Bill Parcells
Curly Culp
Dave Robinson



Baltimore wins the toss and defers.  Time for Kickoff!

Welcome to the Budget Collector's Live Blogging of Superbowl XLVII

Here come the introductions of the players - usually they do the defense, I wonder if that will hold up.

FYI My official prediction is 49ers 27, Ravens 20.

Superbowl XLVII Live Blogging Returns

I didn't live blog the big game last year because I had company over, and it's rude.  This year however, there should be nothing to stop me, as the wife will be out doing a CPR class, and the daughter is kind of sick with a cold, so either she'll be watching with me or she'll be in the living room watching cartoons.

The Setup:

46" Plasma with good sound.  Tempur-Pedic bed.  Grub will include Vegetarian Chili that I'm going to make later today.  I don't drink alcohol anymore, so if there is a beer involved it will inevitably be non-alcoholic, and that's just sad isn't it?

The current line is the 49ers to win by 3.5 points.  I think that's probably pretty accurate, I think they're probably going to cover the spread.  The over/under is 47.5 points, I'd take the under if I were a betting man.

The game is on CBS this year, remember it switches networks every year, and the announcers are Jim Nantz and Phil Simms.  Simms Rookie Card can be bought on eBay for a couple of bucks, and no that's not really an indication of his career, after all he did win a Superbowl in 1987, and owns a second ring from the 1990 game.  The low price is due to the over production by Topps of the 1980 football set.  You can still find unopened packs of the stuff for less than the price of a current pack of Topps 2012 Football.  There's also no other good rookies in the set.

Simms 1980 Rookie Card.  

I don't really pay attention to the hype over the commercials before the game, I think that's kind of silly when it comes down to brass tacks.  After all, we're discussing advertising, you know, things designed to get you to buy something.  I will, however, be blogging about my opinions on the adverts.  I also downloaded the Star Trek Into Darkness app for my iPhone and will be anxiously awaiting the second quarter so I can scan and unlock whatever the bonus content is.

I'll have much more tomorrow, but I wanted all six of you to not forget about me.

Have fun!