It's now two days until I arrive in The Big Easy and it's getting harder to sleep each night. It feels like Christmas Eve. I have a huge appetite for all things 49ers right now, hence I'm constantly reading, watching, following, tweeting, podcasting and generally devouring any form of media I can. It's been eighteen years since I've experienced this anticipation and it feels novel again. I like that. I have to admit, in hindsight, I came to take winning for granted in the 80's and 90's. It was easy. It came naturally for the Forty Niners and unfortunately, I came to expect not only winning year after year, but complete domination of the NFC! I was young and naive and I thought it would never end. But alas, it did end. And for the next for ten years I yearned for another winning season. I waited. I sighed. I complained bitterly. I threw away my Terrell Owens jersey. I anxiously sat through losing season after losing season with the rest of the 49er Faithful. It really sucked. I began to wonder if we were ever going to having a winning team again. I began talking about the good ole' days. I knew then it was a sad state affairs. Then Frank Gore arrived. A bright light in an otherwise dismal place. I bought #21's jersey. I guess it was a leap of faith. Patrick Willis came on board shortly thereafter and I began to have hope again. Eventually, I became genuinely excited when Jed York courted and landed Jim Harbaugh for five years. I was pumped for the first time in nearly a decade. The past ten years have been a whirlwind of emotion that I wouldn't change for the world. I have learned to appreciate and respect winning. More importantly, I have finally realized that winning is not only short-lived, but very, very difficult to maintain over the long run. I will arrive in New Orleans Friday night and live moment to moment, hoping and praying that the Forty Niners win their sixth Super Bowl. I will savor every moment on Bourbon Street. I will constantly remind myself that I may never get this opportunity again. I will appreciate the fact that I am going to support my team at my first Super Bowl and that it could very well could be my last. And I'm okay with that, regardless of the outcome. The bucket list just got a little shorter. Go Niners! Follow Rob Thornhill on Ustream throughout Super Bowl weekend: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/superbowlxlvii @ThornhillRob
