49ers should look up from here; Good-bye, for now

Are you angry the 49ers lost the Super Bowl?

Are you angry the Baltimore Ravens cornerback who was defending Michael Crabtree on fourth-and-goal in the dying minutes of Sunday’s game wasn’t called for holding?

Are you angry neither Greg Roman nor Jim Harbaugh decided to tell Colin Kaepernick to run into the end zone on that final drive?

Fans have every right to be angry with the second or third question. Crabtree being held was a borderline no-call that could have gone either way and the 49ers’ coaching staff started calling plays for Kaepernick as if Alex Smith was playing. They do have no right being angry they actually lost.

Why is that? They didn’t show up for the first 30 minutes. To be particular, the first 30 minutes and 30 seconds of Super Bowl XLVII belonged to the Ravens. After Jacoby Jones returned the second half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, it seemed over. There didn’t appear to be a way that the 49ers could recover.

A reprieve seemingly from God, however, saved their chances. It was literally a sign from above. In this case, the lights went out. The power outage at the Superdome left the Ravens offense off the field for almost 90 minutes, if you included the break from the extended halftime show. Baltimore’s momentum from the Jones’ kickoff return was shot like the power.

This break allowed Harbaugh and his coaching staff extra time – on top of the time they got at the half – to make more adjustments against the Ravens’ defense. The 49ers found holes that were big enough to exploit and came within two points of tying the score and had one final chance to win it, but the final charge was too late.

There’s nothing to be ashamed about here. San Francisco reached the Super Bowl in only its second season under coach Jim Harbaugh, and one year after reaching the NFC Championship. This team will win a Lombardi Trophy someday, but good luck trying to figure out when it will happen. The NFL changes each season. A team that was great this season could be in the Top 10 of the NFL draft the next.

Folks, I’ve written this column since November 2010. It’s sad to say this should be my final one for the Daily Republic. Opportunity appears on the horizon, and I must take that next step. I can’t say what I’ll be doing next quite yet, but I’ve appreciated the readership and replies I’ve received from many of you throughout the past seasons. I have developed some good relationships with a few of you. I won’t stop writing about the 49ers, I’m just changing venues. Send me an e-mail to keep in touch, or follow me on Twitter. I’m not shy and I’m always around Fairfield. If you see me, don’t be afraid to say hi.

And thanks. I’ll see you around.

Reach Peter Fournier at pjf94533@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/p_fournier.