The sting of not being in Miami hasn't worn off for many Ravens fans and seeing the scene on TV isn't helping things.
After a 14-2 regular season, followed by an early playoff exit, nobody's blaming you if you've tuned out.
Still, it's the Super Bowl and the vast majority of you will still be watching.
So who should you root for? About 60 percent of you say the Chiefs.
Here are some guidelines to help those who haven't decided, or are still on the fence, to pick:
Reasons to Root for the Chiefs
You want to see Terrell Suggs win another ring.
Terrell Suggs is the Ravens' all-time sacks leader and probably on the team's Mount Rushmore of players (though Lamar Jackson could soon force someone off). He has one ring with the Ravens and can get a second as a late-season rental by the Chiefs after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. For Ravens fans who want to see Suggs in the Hall of Fame (of which I would assume there is many), being ranked eighth all-time on the career sacks list probably does the job, but a second Super Bowl title would just about cement his bid.
Andy Reid is an excellent coach who deserves a Super Bowl.
Head Coach John Harbaugh will probably be pulling for one of his mentors, Andy Reid. Reid is probably the most accomplished coach in the NFL who hasn't won the big one. In 14 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and seven with the Chiefs, he is seventh in career wins and been to just one Super Bowl, which the Eagles lost to the Patriots in 2005. He has been the NFL Coach of the Year three times. Including his years as an assistant coach, Reid has been to the playoffs 19 times.
The Chiefs haven't won a Super Bowl in a long, long time.
The Chiefs lost in the very first Super Bowl in January of 1967. They won Super Bowl IV. They haven't been back since – 50 years. That's a very long time for one of the league's most historic franchises and its rabid fanbase.
Reasons to Root for the 49ers
You really loved Kyle Juszczyk.
The former Ravens fullback left in 2017 after four seasons in Baltimore for a big payday in San Francisco. He has become an integral part of the 49ers' offense and been named to the Pro Bowl four years in a row. I'm sure some Ravens fans will find themselves yelling, "Juuuuuice!" at their TV screen Sunday evening.
You love a team that runs the ball (like the Ravens).
The Chiefs are going to air it out with Patrick Mahomes. But if you appreciate a team that pounds the rock, then the 49ers are for you. Only the Ravens (596 attempts) ran more than the 49ers (498) this season, and the 49ers had the second-most rushing yards behind Baltimore too. Former Ravens running back/returner Raheem Mostert exploded in the NFC championship game and will be a featured prong of the 49ers' attack in the Super Bowl.
You want the 49ers to get their sixth Super Bowl.
The 49ers have won five Super Bowls in six appearances. Their only loss was to the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII seven years ago. One more Lombardi Trophy for San Francisco would tie them with two of the Ravens' biggest rivals – the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots – for the most all-time. So if you want to keep the "only team to beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl" bragging rights and see rival fan bases have more company on the block, then pull for San Francisco.
Could Go Either Way
You want to say you beat the champ, or you want to feel like it maybe wasn't your year.
If the 49ers win, Ravens fans can point to Baltimore's Week 13 win in rainy M&T Bank Stadium as proof that the Ravens could have been the Super Bowl champs this year. It's always good to know you beat the best. On the flip side, perhaps it would help ease the pain if the Chiefs, who beat the Ravens in Week 3, win because it shows that it was just their year.
What's the bigger Super Bowl hangover?
Is it harder to defend a Super Bowl title or more difficult to come back from a crushing defeat? The history on both isn't good. Whichever you think is harder is what you should root for Kansas City to get considering it appears they will be one of the Ravens' main rivals over the next several years at least. With Mahomes, the Chiefs have beaten the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens in both meetings, making them the only team to top Jackson twice.
