Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! While many bask in the afterglow of last weekend’s history making Grammy Awards, the lights along the Las Vegas Strip and heat lamps along the Las Vegas buffets begin to burn brighter, as the NFL brings Super Bowl LVIII (58 for non-Romans and/or any children left behind). It is an exciting time of year, in which national attention, fanfare and financial expenditures are at their peak—paralleled only maybe by a Presidential election.

This year, the parallels are in greater relief as the Super Bowl contenders and presumptive Presidential candidates are the same as they were four years ago, both sides have been desperately vying for an endorsement from Taylor Swift and most Americans are deciding who they want to win based on who they least want to lose.

With this Super Bowl being the first to take place in Las Vegas since the Raiders relocated to the humble desert town and legal sports wagering in the mainstream, I suspect this year’s event will be filled with things that a few wish they could remember and many wish they could forget. (Hey that’s catchy – maybe I’ll adopt that as my new tagline here…)

• • Not the Super Bowl, but a type of football championship nonetheless – New York/New Jersey was awarded the distinction of hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium. Meanwhile, Newark, New Jersey was awarded the distinction of hosting first-time visitors who think that they’re on their way to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
     
  • Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba announced the launch of a media production company named, “Lady Spitfire” – which sounds like a hybrid of the titular nanny in a 1993 Robin Williams film and a character in “Bridgerton.” 
     
  • The NBA forges a multiyear sponsorship deal with global air carrier, Emirates. As part of the arrangement, NBA referees’ uniforms will be branded for the first time with an Emirates patch. Probably not going to see referees sporting BetMGM, FanDuel or DraftKings patches any time soon, though.