Anchorman remains one of my all-time favorite movies, and this scene is one of the best. As cheesy as it is, it sort of sums up how I felt after last night's game.
I had the pleasure and pain of sitting in the press box for the game, marking my first attendance at a Super Bowl. While this wasn't the worst moment in my life, it was a tough one. Sitting there as the Ravens celebrated on the field was brutal. I had planned on getting down to the 49ers locker room if the team had won. When they came up short, all I wanted to do was get a recap post together and get the hell out of the Superdome.
Unfortunately, in the time it took for me to get my work done and my bag packed, I had to sit through several Ravens speeches, including that of Ray Lewis. Hearing him talk about God's will and all that drove me crazy. I believe a higher power might have a few more important things to deal with than whether Ray Lewis gets to go out on top as a champion. And yes, I will ride the bitter bus for a while.
The 49ers will bounce back from this and hopefully be able to use this disappointment as motivation for the future. There is a bright future in San Francisco, as Colin Kaepernick has emerged as this team's franchise quarterback. He had his struggles on Sunday, but his huge second half was a big reason this team climbed back into the game. There will be adjustments to be made, improvements on the roster, and so much more.
We'll be back with plenty of free agency and draft coverage. The 49ers are in a position to do some big things in the 2013 NFL Draft, and the front office has done great work in free agency with the salary cap. There are plenty of reasons for optimism heading forward.
For now, we mourn and begin the process of getting back to the mountain top.