Just like coaches and players, we've been studying film in preparation for the Super Bowl. For example, what is the signature Baltimore movie? Is it Barry Levinson's 1982 classic "Diner"? Or perhaps an offering from John Waters? And how would it stack up cinematically against the definitive San Francisco film? And what film might that be? "Vertigo"? One from the Dirty Harry collection? "Basic Instinct"?

And how about TV? Let's get ready for the showdown between "The Wire" and "Full House" as well as other key off-field matchups to help forecast the Ravens-49ers Super Bowl:

Super Bowl: 'The Wire' V. 'Full House' And Key Baltimore-San Francisco Matchups Slideshow

 

The Wire v. Full House

Baltimore wins the TV competition in a landslide. In addition to "The Wire," it also offers "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "In Treatment." San Francisco has a wider range -- "Suddenly Susan," "Monk," "Nash Bridges" and "Streets Of San Francisco" -- but that's not enough.

 

Diner v. The Maltese Falcon

"Diner" wins serious points for having a story angle involving the Baltimore Colts. But "The Maltese Falcon" has Bogart and the San Francisco fog, and wins this category with the classic closing line: "The stuff that dreams are made of." Isn't that what the Super Bowl is all about?

 

Dungeness Crab v. Blue Crab

No need to go negative here, as they say in politics, because both dungeness crab (San Francisco) and blue crab (Baltimore) are worthy and tasty menu selections. So what's the tiebreaker? Baltimore for Old Bay seasoning. Remember the fuss about the secret ingredient in "Kung Fu Panda"? Old Bay is often the answer in real kitchens.

 

Anchor Steam vs. Natty Boh

Based on personal experience, the guess here is that San Francisco's Anchor Steam would win a blind taste test rather easily. But in either case, if the beer is cold and plentiful, there are no real losers.

 

H.L. Mencken vs. Herb Caen

This is the battle of the cities' defining newspaper columnists, and it's a doozy. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun gets the slight nod for being the more widely quoted. Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle won a Pulitzer for his "contribution as a voice and conscience of his city," which should indicate how tight this category is.

 

Joe DiMaggio vs. Babe Ruth

This is the battle of Yankee legends from each city. DiMaggio (San Francisco) is engrained in pop culture for being Marilyn Monroe's husband and immortalized in the lyrics of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." Ruth (Baltimore) wins it as he remains one of the world's most recognizable athletes 65 years after his death.

 

I Left My Heart In San Francisco
vs. The Star Spangled Banner

Just about everyone knows "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" as Tony Bennett's calling card, and who doesn't like Tony Bennett? The national anthem doesn't mention Baltimore specifically but it was written about a battle there from the War of 1812. Baltimore wins this because every sporting event starts with "The Star Spangled Banner."

 

Bugs Bunny vs. Baywatch Icon

The voice of Bugs Bunny was Mel Blanc, who was from San Francisco. David Hasselhoff was born in Baltimore. Both are recognized around the globe. But Blanc wins for his range, as he also did the voices for other Warner Bros. characters including Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn and Yosemite Sam.

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