This past Sunday, nearly every family in the United States sat down to watch Super Bowl XLVII, an almost holiday like event for America.

Two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, faced off to in order to prove which team was the champion of the NFL this season. Both endured adversity along the way, yet strived to overcome hardships and become the two best teams of the NFL.

Early on, the Baltimore Ravens took the lead with a touchdown. Another touchdown allowed Baltimore to take comfortable control over the game. By halftime, the score remained 21-6. Hopes of the 49ers organizing and coming back after halftime were crushed with Jacoby Jones, a receiver and kick returner for the Ravens, returning a kick 109 yards for a Baltimore touchdown. The outcome seemed sealed.

In any sports game, there have been bad calls, mistakes by the referees, technical difficulties, and choices that have single handedly decided the direction a game can go. In the Super Bowl there was more than a few. It started off with the lights on one side of the field shutting off. The lights were off for 34 minutes, giving the 49ers a chance to rekindle and reorganize.

Some may say the lights going off was an advantage for the Ravens just as much as the 49ers, but looking at the performances, the game had clearly changed. The Ravens momentum had deflated with the long waiting time, and the 49ers were on a verge of a comeback.

Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback, threw outstandingly and with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, the 49ers were down 34-29, but they had the ball. They made it near the end zone, but with a stop from the Ravens defense it was soon fourth down, the 49ers last chance. Kaepernick threw a high ball for the receiver to run and catch quickly, but the defender made contact with the receiver, and the ball fell to the ground. The 49ers fans looked eagerly for the penalty, but no flag was dropped. The Ravens got the ball back, wasted some time, and were deemed victorious.

Yet again, a bad call was made. I am a Ravens fan myself, but when such a play is overseen, the game has been tainted. The defender was clearly holding the receiver, even in the replays it was evident, but the injustice remains a part of history.

Some may argue that it was too late in the game for the referees to make such a call, it would be too risky. This side of the argument is also understandable, with the Ravens so close to a win, it would be a crime to rob them of a Super Bowl for a little contact.

Was the game unfair? Should the 49ers have won? It’s too late to tell. Even if the call was made, the 49ers scoring is indefinite. In my opinion the injustice of the lights going off and the bad call cross each other out.

The Ravens played with more quality from beginning to end, and deserve the great honor of a Super Bowl victory. For the 49ers, well, there’s always next year. #