That bitter taste left in the mouths of Bay Area folk will forever be accompanied by an image of an irate, hatless Jim Harbaugh pleading at an official for a holding call.

Instead, the San Francisco 49ers’ quest for a sixth Super Bowl triumph ultimately ended in a 34-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens on the controversial fourth-down play, which saw plenty of contact between Baltimore’s Jimmy Smith and San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree. 

But in a bizarre game that featured a 34-minute power outage, the theatrics of Super Bowl XLVII hardly disappointed, even if the final score and the manner in which it came did. 

The 49ers slumped to a 28-6 deficit, ripped off 17 consecutive points after the aforementioned power outage and got just close enough for locals to sense that a second victory parade up Market Street in a four-month span was in the cards. In the end, hope was just a cruel mistress. 

While the delay was infuriating for viewers–albeit, surreal–for those who followed it on Twitter, it was, well, hilarious. 

And on the bright side, aside from some hooliganism deep in the Mission, the streets remained relatively solemn, red-eyed revelers notwithstanding, compared to the aftermath of the San Francisco Giants’ World Series triumph. Better yet, just ask this site about the city’s current riot status for a succinct and to-the-point answer.  

Even brighter, after years of mediocrity, the 49ers are set for years of similar runs to this year’s edition. Here's why:

Colin Kaepernick, the 25-year-old second-year phenom out of the University of Nevada, led the 49ers to the Super Bowl with the fewest professional starts than any other quarterback ever, will only presumably get better with more time under his belt. He’s also taken the fast track to local popularity and has the potential to eventually become the face (and the bicep) of the franchise. 

Harbaugh was one upped by older brother John Harbaugh on Sunday, head coach of the Ravens, but in just two years he’s taken the 49ers from the depths of mediocrity to an NFL Championship Game and a Super Bowl. 

The 49ers return the bulk of their defense and have flourishing playmakers like Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and LaMichael James on the offensive side of the ball. 

Next season will also be their last in the historic but woefully dated Candlestick Park before moving into their sparkling new Santa Clara facility in 2014. So again, we ask, who’s got it better than us? (Baltimore fans need not answer) 

We Came, We Ran, We’re Sore 

While we didn’t emerge victorious in the biggest event on Sunday, thousands staggered into Golden Gate Park for the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon/5k and secured a victory for endurance, charity and an early attack on the inevitable gluttony that would transpire during the Super Bowl. 

The run itself took precedent, but the race had an obvious 49ers feel: There were women running in 49ers cheerleader outfits, one man who belted “who’s got it better than us?” to any fellow 49ers-related runners and someone in a Lego Man costume donning a 49ers shirt posted up along the Great Highway. 

Lost the game, won the day. 

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