When Jim and John Harbaugh coached against each other last season, it was the first time in NFL history that two brothers faced off as head coaches. And a lot of media attention was given to that storyline.
Jim and John Harbaugh will coach against each other once again, this time in the Super Bowl, after San Francisco beat Atlanta and Baltimore defeated New England in the NFL’s conference championship games. And if you thought the Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh story was given a lot of ink for a regular-season game last season, just wait for this two-week lead up to the Super Bowl.
Baltimore, led by John Harbaugh, beat New England 28-13 in the AFC championship game. Jim Harbaugh led the 49ers to a 28-24 win over Atlanta for the NFC title earlier in the day.
While that angle will get a ton of a attention, it’s deserved. It is an amazing story that not only did two of the 32 people in the world who coach NFL teams grow up in the same household, they’re now both at the top of their profession and will lead their teams into the season’s ultimate game.
CBS showed John Harbaugh sending a congratulatory message for his brother Jim after the 49ers beat the Falcons while John was on the field for warmups before the AFC game.
After the game, John Harbaugh was already deflecting attention from the brothers storyline.
“I guarantee it’ll be these guys going against their guys,” John Harbaugh said when asked by CBS about facing his brother. “Two great football teams squaring off. I can’t wait.”
The first Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh meeting was a 16-6 Ravens win for John. It was at Baltimore on Thanksgiving, so perhaps not too much can be taken from that first matchup between the brothers.
The game will probably be especially tough on Harbaugh’s parents, who should be celebrating their sons making their first Super Bowl as head coaches, but realize that obviously one of their sons is going to lose the championship game. Jack Harbaugh, a longtime coach himself, told the San Jose Mercury News that he and his wife would watch the game at their home in Mequon, Wis. and he wouldn’t worry about the possible Super Bowl matchup between his sons.
“I’m going to paraphrase my wife: ‘We’re going to take it one week at a time, one game at a time,'” Jack Harbaugh told the Mercury News.
It will be an unusual couple weeks for the entire Harbaugh family. We may never see two brothers coach opposing teams in the Super Bowl again – unless the Harbaughs bring their teams back and have HarBowl II someday.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
