Harbaugh

The older brother has always blended easily with people. He built his career over a quarter century, meticulous step by meticulous step. He'll probably smile at you, even if he doesn't like your question. The younger brother's talent burned hotter and to this day, so does his demeanor, which sometimes scorches those who dare get in his way. He reached his current position in great, precocious leaps. If he thinks you're an idiot, he'll treat you like one. Yet somehow - in a story too good for anyone to have made it up - John and Jim Harbaugh will face off as peers next Sunday in the Super Bowl, the grandest stage in the game to which they've devoted their lives.

SANTA CLARA -- Jim Harbaugh's preparations for Super Bowl XLVII took an unexpected turn Friday morning when he called into a sports-talk radio show. Not just any show, however. Harbaugh took notes while listening to sage advice from Pro Football Hall of Fame coach John Madden, who hosts a daily segment on KCBS 740-AM. Madden coached the Raiders to their first Super Bowl championship, a 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI in January 1977. Harbaugh will try matching that feat Feb. 3 when his 49ers face the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans.

He described himself merely as a caller from Baltimore, and Jack and Jackie Harbaugh couldn't believe the nerve of his question. Jack and Jackie are parents to John and Jim Harbaugh, who are about to become the first brothers ever to coach against one another in the Super Bowl. And they've always remained fiercely neutral regarding any competition between their boys. So they couldn't believe their ears when this guy from Baltimore asked if it was true that they've always liked Jim better.

John, Jim - or Jack Dan Pompei Chicago Tribune You couldn't go wrong with either Harbaugh. In fact, you probably couldn't go wrong with their father Jack, either, or John and Jim's brother-in-law Tom Crean, the men's basketball coach at Indiana. All Jim has done is make it to the NFL's final four in his first year and the NFL's final two in his second year. He has taken bold gambles, developed quarterbacks and presided over an unpredictable offense. All John has done is make the playoffs in each of his five years as a head coach, and gone 8-4 in the postseason.

The story sounds almost preposterous -- two sons of a lifelong football coach reach the highest level of the profession they inherited from dad and face each other in the biggest game on the planet. But that's exactly what will happen in two weeks when John Harbaugh's Ravens and Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers meet in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens made this fantasy a reality Sunday evening with a deeply satisfying win over the same New England Patriots who sent them home in bitter defeat at the end of last season.

The story sounds almost preposterous — two sons of a lifelong football coach reach the highest level of the profession they inherited from dad and face each other in the biggest game on the planet. But that's exactly what will happen in two weeks when John Harbaugh's Ravens and Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers meet in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens made this fantasy a reality Sunday evening with a deeply satisfying win over the same New England Patriots who sent them home in bitter defeat at the end of last season.

Another Harbaugh Bowl could be looming on football's biggest stage. If John Harbaugh 's Ravens defeat the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, and if Jim Harbaugh 's San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship this weekend, it would set up an unprecedented Super Bowl between the two brothers in New Orleans. The potential matchup would pit John Harbaugh against his younger brother for the second time as NFL coaches. They met previously in the regular season on Nov. 24, 2011 at M&T Bank Stadium in a game won, 16-6, by the Ravens.

Coach John Harbaugh's decision to rest many of his starters before and during Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals might have been a heady move based on the participation numbers at Wednesday's practice. Every player was present and accounted for in practice. That includes the six starters who were deactivated prior to Sunday's contest. Inside linebacker Ray Lewis (torn right triceps), outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (torn right biceps) and wide receiver Anquan Boldin (bruised left shoulder)

The Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck is one of three rookie quarterbacks in the NFL playoffs this season. Historically, the Ravens have played well against teams with first-year passers leading the offense. Rookie quarterbacks are 2-6 - and winless in the playoffs - against the Ravens since John Harbaugh became their coach before the 2008 season. “I can't tell you any secrets, but we've got a little niche going,” defensive tackle Arthur Jones said. “We definitely have something going that you'll see on Sunday.

The coaching fraternity can be a tight one, especially among those on the NFL level. But that didn't prevent former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy from lobbing a volley at Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Dungy, now an analyst on NBC's “Football Night in America,” questioned Harbaugh's decision to pull many of his starters early in Sunday's eventual 23-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Had the Ravens (10-6) won, they might have had a chance to vault from the No. 4 seed to the No. 3 spot and tangle with Cincinnati (10-6)