The Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers is tied as one of the two highest-rated Super Bowls. Last year’s Super Bowl XLVI won by the New York Giants over the New England Patriots also attracted 111 million viewers. Super Bowl XLVII brought in 108 million viewers. Pictured above is Packers WR James Jones with the Lombardi Trophy. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers are still tops – well, at least they are among three other teams that have the distinction of playing in the most watched events in television history.

The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, which tied Super Bowl XLVI featuring the New York Giants and New England Patriots for the highest number of viewers for a single television event – 111 million.

Sunday night’s Super Bowl XLVII won by the Baltimore Ravens over the San Francisco 49ers rang up 108 million viewers. Not bad, but those numbers place that event third place overall.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco poses with the game MVP trophy.
Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

While football viewership declined overall this season, I don’t think National Football League officials are too concerned. This was the fourth year that the Super Bowl game has crested the 100 million threshold. What’s more concerning is that NFL officials have publicly declared that the game is seeing fewer stadium sellouts because the television experience has improved so greatly. With the decline in total television viewership, does that signal a lessening of the league’s stranglehold on overall popularity? Those will be interesting numbers to follow in the coming years.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A wide view of Baltimore Ravens celebrate as the defeat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

It was a tale of two halves was this Super Bowl XLVII.

The Baltimore Ravens came out and dominated both sides of the ball in the first half, but an unexpected power outage and 30-minute delay in the game mysteriously infused the San Francisco 49ers with a jolt of power that seemed to sap the Ravens and energize the Niners.

In the end, it was the Ravens who came away with a 34-31 win that could have gone either way with a break here, a catch there.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) checks the game clock in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Flacco, the Ravens’ QB who has been red-hot throughout these Playoffs, was named the game’s MVP (though I thought it should have been Jacoby Jones), Ray Lewis went out in style and Ed Reed played another lights-out game that was enough to keep the Niners’ offense off-balance for most of the night.

Joe Flacco, in his trophy presentation interview, said, “We don’t make it easy. That’s way City of Baltimore is, that’s the way we are.”

“Baltimore!” Lewis exclaimed with the Lombardi Trophy in hand. “When God is for you, who can be against you,” he added. Then before he finished, Lewis shouted,  ”Baltimore, Baltimore … we’re coming home, baby!”

It might be considered one of the best Super Bowls of all time, not only because of the uniqueness of the power outage, but because of the comeback and the storylines of the Harbaughs, retirements and much more.

It concludes an incredible 2012 season that saw the rise of the pistol offense, rookie quarterbacks who led teams to the playoffs, the firing of a ton of veteran coaches and the ever-evolving pace of the game. Couple that with the continuing challenges the league faces with player safety and its impact on the game and you’ve got intriguing storylines that will continue well into the future.

Now it’s on to the player combine, free agency, the Draft, minicamps and training camp.

The 2013 season can’t start soon enough.

But in the meantime, it’s time to shout, “Play Ball!”

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) throws a touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones (not pictured) during the second quarter under pressure from San Francisco 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald (91) in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been an entertaining first half of play with the Baltimore Ravens leading the listless San Francisco 49ers 21-6 after 30 minutes of play.

As we await the halftime performance of Beyonce, there are a couple of things that stand out to me: The Ravens defense has done an incredible job of containing Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco is playing for the money.

We haven’t seen nor heard much from Ray Lewis in this game, but overall, the Ravens defense seems to be holding the Niners at bay and that has been the difference in this one.

The Niners will have to hold the Ravens down in the opening drive of the second half to have a chance to get back into this one.

Stay tuned …

Feb 2, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NFL former player Kurt Warner unveils a new ad featuring New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker (83) and New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) during the got milk? press conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The instantaneous gratification that has come about because of the Internet has destroyed the spontaneousness and surprise of many things, including the results of the Olympics and Super Bowl ads.

If you haven’t noticed or you’ve been living in a cave or you’re like me and you just choose to ignore it –  all of the ads that will be running during Super Bowl XLVII have been posted across the Internet for God-knows-how-long.

In other words, they’ve been available for viewing to the entire world for some time now.

If you haven’t already done so and want to take a peek, check them out here.

If you’re like me, just wait until the game starts, break out the chips and the beer and take them all in. And tell your in-laws sitting next to you to keep it down during the commercials – you’re watching!

Jan 12, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is pursued by Green Bay Packers linebacker Erik Walden (93) on a 56-yard touchdown run in the NFC divisional round playoff game at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Packers fans know all too well why Colin Kaepernick is the newest, most exciting player on the NFL scene and the reason he’s made it to the Super Bowl. He ripped apart the Packers defense in the Divisional round of the Playoffs and then did just enough damage against the Falcons to help the San Francisco 49ers win the NFC Championship.

It’s the uncertainty that Kaepernick brings to the game. Defenses have not had enough time to figure out exactly how to contain this guy and the pistol offense. While his legs scare the heck out of defensive coordinators, it’s his arm that can really do damage if defenses pen him in. If the defensive backfield lets the Niner receivers get open, Kaepernick will find them.

While defenses will catch up with this offense by plugging in the right defensive players in the right spots, it has not happened yet – just ask Dom Capers. It won’t happen in Sunday’s Super Bowl either.

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) during the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Patriots 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

I think Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco will show his pedestrian side against the hard-charging 49ers pass rush, while Kaepernick gets enough attempts to throw the Ravens’ defense into a spin.

In the end, it will be the Niners’ combination of run and pass that will be the difference and it will be Kaepernick’s smarts and physical abilities that will outshine Flacco.

The Ravens keep it close, but the Niners have at least one more big play in their bag of tricks than does Baltimore.

Niners 26 Ravens 23