Watch CBS News

Harbaugh Brothers: Focus Less On 'Harbowl' & More On Super Bowl Players

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—One of the biggest Super Bowl storylines will be brother versus brother. Ravens coach John Harbaugh and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh will face each other in Super Bowl XLVII.

Stan Saunders has more on how the brothers are reacting to their super matchup.

This upcoming super match almost happened last year, but both the 49ers and Ravens lost heartbreakers in their respective conference championships.

This year it's an absolutely, positively, totally different story.

As Jim Harbaugh walked across the field after beating Atlanta in the NFC title game, his brother John Harbaugh was able to watch on the big screen during pregame warm-up in Foxborough, Mass.

"Hey Jim, congratulations. You did it," he said. "You're a great coach. Love you."

Moments later, in a postgame press conference, Jim returned the love.

"Go Ravens!" Jim Harbaugh said before the Ravens defeated the Patriots in the AFC Championship.

A historic matchup now sets brother against brother. But older brother John says don't get too carried away.

"Is it really going to be written about? It's not exactly like Churchhill and Roosevelt or anything. It's pretty cool. That's as far as it goes," John Harbaugh said.

John Harbaugh and the Ravens did win that first matchup with Jim Harbaugh's 49ers on Thanksgiving 2011.

The brothers agree that all of their childhood stories have been told, and the media should focus on the players—not them.

"Every moment that you're talking about myself or John that's less time that the players are going to be talked about," Jim Harbaugh said.

"It's about the players. It's the guys out there on the field who are actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood," John Harbaugh said. "It's about those guys. The more we focus on those guys I think the better it is for everybody."

John Harbaugh, the older brother by one year, and his Ravens won the first matchup 16-6. We shall see if the Ravens make it two in a row in the Harbowl.

You can catch the Super Bowl on WJZ. We will bring you complete coverage leading up to the showdown between the Ravens and the 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 3.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.