It’s the Super Bowl Press! This week we have an abundance of football stories, our favorite jokes, and what we’re cooking for the big game. But first, Free Press politics editor Mene Ukueberuwa welcomes the arrival of Super Bowl weekend:
This is the weekend when all stories lead to football. Once each year, the mammoth star of the Super Bowl dims all other sports, and swallows pop culture and politics besides.
For all the casual fans tuning in Sunday night, the jerseys might look familiar, but the names have all changed. The New England Patriots have returned to the summit sooner than expected after years at the top under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They’re now led by fresh faces: second-year quarterback Drake Maye and new coach Mike Vrabel, who won three rings as a linebacker during the Pats’ legendary run.
They’ll face the Seattle Seahawks, who have recaptured lost glory with a 14-3 record and a charge through the playoffs. No veterans there either—only a stellar young defensive lineup and Sam Darnold, their new-old QB.
If you happen to be a New York Jets fan, that last line may sting. Gang Green drafted Darnold in 2018, but he sputtered under the MetLife Stadium lights, playing three pitiful seasons in East Rutherford, before bouncing through several teams en route to Seattle. Free Press senior editor Joe Nocera explains why no matter who wins on Sunday, Jets fans will lose.
Fans of another long-suffering New York team will also tune in Sunday, but perhaps in higher spirits. The Buffalo Bills have never won a Super Bowl and have faced one tragedy after another along the way. But somehow their supporters take it all in stride. Carolyn D. Gorman explores what psychology has to say about resilient sports fans—and finds lessons that lead to a happier life.
Aside from New England or Seattle fans, the most anxious Super Bowl viewers will likely be those with more than pride on the line. As many as 70 million Americans are expected to bet on the game, and platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings have become inescapable on phone and TV screens. Heavy users risk their savings and peace of mind. But high school student Raphael Shrier describes how the distraction of betting ruins game day for kids like him.
—Mene Ukueberuwa
Two Drinks with . . . Michael J. Fox |
|
|
|
 |
|
In between chronicling the gripes of disaffected Jets fans, Joe Nocera went to visit Michael J. Fox—who’s back on our screens for the first time in years, playing a Parkinson’s patient in Apple TV’s “Shrinking.” The actor, who was diagnosed with the disease himself at the age of 29 and, through his advocacy, has done so much to help the million Americans who live with it, described how he got the part, and what it was like to see Harrison Ford, who doesn’t have Parkinson’s, play a character who does. | | |
|
The Winter Olympics Is the Best Reality TV Show |
|
|
|
 |
|
With apologies to all the football fans, the Super Bowl is actually not the biggest sporting event in the world this weekend. Or so argues Suzy Weiss, who is locked-in on the Winter Olympics in Italy. Specifically, after watching the dazzling new Netflix docuseries “Glitter & Gold,” she’s very invested in the American couple who are desperate to win the top medal in ice dancing. (You will be too, when you’ve read her column.) She also defends Bad Bunny from the halftime-show haters, and asks: Why was everyone so naked on the Grammys red carpet? | | |
|
While you’re waiting for the big game, catch up on a few great (non-football) pieces we ran this week . . .
