NEW ORLEANS — It should come as no surprise, with all the talk about the Harbaugh family this week, that the final walkthroughs for both the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers were full of family activities. That included Ravens running back Ray Rice getting in some quality time with his young daughter Rayven, an appropriate name given that it combines both her father's name and the team he plays for.
Both teams practiced at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to get a feel for what game conditions will look like, but informal was the word of the day. John Harbaugh's Ravens bussed in about 600 team family members for their 15-minute go-round, which, according to CSN Baltimore, "more resembled a pep rally and backyard social than a serious walkthrough the day before a game."
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Harbaugh, who took the field with daughter Alison, said that the feeling was totally appropriate. He and brother Jim, coaching the 49ers, cut their teeth on the game based on the football acumen of father Jack, a longtime coach.
“That has been the whole story line of the whole week,” Harbaugh said. “In a sense that's how we did it growing up, when we were kids. We grew up around dad's teams.
"Most of the time in the NFL it's not that way. Most of the time there is the separation of families and it's considered to be a distraction. I just think the opposite. For me, it's a distraction when people are more worried about their families not being allowed to be a part of it. When the families are included, the kids get to the know the players, and I think guys have a better sense of well being. I think this is a good example of it right here.''
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Per the Saturday pool report written by Brian Allee-Walsh, Ravens players were footloose and fancy-free. Cameras, video cameras and cell phones worked overtime capturing the big picture for posterity," Allee-Walsh wrote. "Running back Ray Rice playfully tackled his mother, Janet, on the sideline. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin went through his paces wearing an Orioles cap. Guard Marshal Yanda sported a video camera attached to the top of his Ravens' cap."
It was only at the end of "practice" when things got serious: Safety Ed Reed led the team through a few conditioning drills, and the party was over.
To conclude, Harbaugh said that his team will be on point before and after the Ravens' Saturday evening team meeting.
"That will be us being us. We have great Saturday night meetings. I think the message we deliver will tie together the season, it will tie together where we've been and we'll also make a statement about where we're going in this 60-minute football game.''
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