Ravens, 49ers practice on same field

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NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers took the unusual step of working out on the same field Thursday in advance of their meeting in Sunday's Super Bowl.

After Baltimore players said they would rather hold their practice session on grass instead of the artificial surface at Tulane University, the NFL agreed to let them go through their workout Thursday at the New Orleans Saints' headquarters in suburban Metairie.

That is also the location being used by the 49ers as they prepare for Sunday's NFL title game.

A temporary barrier was built at the Saints' facility to create separate practice fields and the teams' two sessions overlapped by about 10 minutes.

Baltimore players dressed at Tulane and went through a 30-minute walkthrough workout, then boarded five buses for the 8-mile trip to the Saints' headquarters.

"It was a very normal, late-season Thursday practice," Baltimore Coach John Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh's brother Jim, coach of the 49ers, said he saw no problems with the two teams working out at the same location.

"Just cooperating spirits," he said.

A similar incident took place nine years ago in Houston when heavy rains forced the abandonment of one of the practice facilities and both New England and Carolina wound up going through workouts at the same site.

The Harbaugh brothers will take part in another unusual Super Bowl happening Friday when they hold a joint news conference.

Super Bowl head coaches normally hold separate news conferences on the Friday before the game in their final meeting with the media prior to the contest.