New Orleans

The NFC-champion San Francisco 49ers arrived in town Sunday night a full week ahead of their Feb. 3 matchup with the Ravens, vowing to enjoy the experience but not get caught up in the Super Bowl XLVII hype. "What we've done - and it's been successful so far - our team has been really focused on winning, focused on the unity of the team," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said at a news conference at a downtown Marriott hotel that will serve as the team's headquarters this week. "I think it's the best focus on unity and winning that I've ever seen and been a part of. This week, we tried to make it like a normal week.

Wearing a dark suit and a purple striped tie, an outfit that he said his wife picked out, Ravens coach John Harbaugh met the media for the first time here and set the tone for his team ahead of Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. His message was simple: the Ravens will enjoy all that comes with playing in the Super Bowl but they will be ready to play Sunday. Harbaugh joked with reporters, playfully encouraging them to ask repetitive questions to his younger brother, Jim, the head coach of the 49ers.

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? Everyone, it seems, has fond memories of visiting this delightful city, now so sadly ravaged by Katrina. Share your New Orleans experiences with us for a coming story: Did you catch beads at Mardi Gras? Dance to the Neville Brothers at Tipitina's? Follow a night of Bourbon Street revelry with warm beignets at Cafe du Monde? Send your memories by Tuesday to sun.features @baltsun.com, with "New Orleans" in the subject line. Please include a daytime phone number where you can be reached.

A month after beating the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Ravens thanked the host city Wednesday by taking an ad out in The New Orleans Times-Picayune and donating a gift to the city. Subscribers of The Times-Picayune were greeted Wednesday morning with a thank-you note that read: “Thank you to the citizens of New Orleans, including your outstanding police department, for your warm reception and first-class service to Ravens players, coaches and fans.” It was signed by the world champions, of course.

THE PHYSICAL devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina has painfully revealed the moral devastation of our times that has led to mass looting in New Orleans, assaults on people in shelters, the raping of girls and shots being fired at helicopters that are trying to rescue people. Fear, grief, desperation or despair would be understandable in people whose lives have been devastated by events beyond their control. Regret might be understandable among those who were warned to evacuate before the hurricane hit but who chose to stay.

Before they can get to the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, American track and field athletes will first have to make the grade in New Orleans. That city will be the setting for the 1992 U.S. Track and Field Trials from June 19 to 28.Some 1,300 hopefuls will compete for 120 spaces on the American track and field team; among those expected to participate are world record holders Carl Lewis, Mike Powell, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Evelyn Ashford and Edwin Moses.The...

With the closing of Braznell's Caribbean Kitchen (1623 E. Baltimore St.), Baltimore has lost what -- as far as I know -- was its first sit-down Caribbean restaurant. But the good news is that the two-story space has been renovated and reopened as Sydnee De Mar, with a few Caribbean dishes still on the menu. Mostly, though, the new bistro has a New Orleans flavor, says co-owner Robert Singletary, with dishes like Cajun catfish and seafood ya ya gumbo. Other specialties include Southern fried chicken with honey tomato chutney and collard greens and grilled rockfish Negril over sauteed spinach.