Poll
Who would win a Harbaugh Super Bowl?
Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting.
A Super Harbowl? Not so far-fetched
Looking back over the year, pondering some of the conclusions I've drawn here that generated flurries of emails accusing me of being a few pixels short of a picture, I found this one, from last January:
"Look ahead a couple of years, and you can see … Jim Harbaugh hoisting a Super Bowl trophy after beating the Baltimore Ravens. Now we're talking – that's what we want to see. And that's what Jim Harbaugh wants to see, too – bringing a championship to the NFC 49ers, and even better, doing it by defeating his brother John's AFC team."
I really didn't have a clue, and still don't – no one does in the helmet-to-helmet-crash-test-dummy-injury-addled NFL. But the concept isn't as far-fetched now as it seemed then.
We all know what the 49ers have accomplished this season, and, with a New Orleans loss tonight or a 49ers win Sunday, the team will secure the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Injuries mount, but the team wins with quarterback Alex Smith's improved play, even though he's the third-best Smith on the team, behind Justin and Aldon, and before Reggie.
The NFC, though, is daunting, and not because of what Fox wants to talk about all the time. While Jimmy and Howie and Terry blather on about the Giants and Cowboys, several teams – the Packers, Saints and, yes, 49ers – have better chances of heading to Indianapolis.
But the AFC? What a mess. Patriots, no defense. Houston, no quarterback. Pittsburgh, banged up. Then there are the Harbaugh-led Ravens, who win as long as they give Ray Rice the ball.
I said "a couple of years." Could be sooner.
What to watch
NBA, Lakers at Kings, 7 p.m., CSNCA: They're back and wearing black.
Today's poll
Who would win a Harbaugh Super Bowl?
• 49ers
• Ravens
• Get real. Neither will make it.
Vote above or leave your comments in the comments field; or go to www.sacbee.com/sports
Weekend poll results
How many games will the Kings win this season?
• Fewer than 20: 17%
• 21-25: 21%
• 26-30: 29%
• 30 or more: 33%
Total votes: 310
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