Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight, my not-so-secret admirers. Even if this weekend were not Valentine’s Day, the city of Seattle would still undoubtedly be feeling the love and basking in the afterglow of the Seahawks’ dominant Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots. For those unattached to either team, the game—which underwhelmed with many punts and field goals—seemed to be light on the roses and heavy on the thorns. Still, the game was one of the most watched Super Bowls in ever, undoubtedly aided by the historic, controversial (only because it was labeled as such) halftime performance by Bad Bunny. No matter, as Benito eloquently summed it up following a memorable, jubilant performance championing Puerto Rican (and yes, American) culture, “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Or, as I might say: “less stupid, more cupid.” In any event, a brief programming note here that I will be returning in 2 weeks with a full heart, but for now, please enjoy the box of chocolates that is the Spotlight.

• • The Chicago Bears are said to be considering a move to a brand new football stadium in Iowa. In other words, Daaaa Bears may move to a state whose capital is Deeees Moines.
  • The NFL taps Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports to run operations for a new flag football league. Hardly the first time either of them aimed for a flag.
  • Once Upon A Farm, the kids food brand co-founded by actress Jennifer Garner, garners a $724 million valuation in its IPO—or roughly the cost of feeding my two sons.
  • Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo stays busy off the court as he follows up an equity stake in prediction markets company Kalshi and with a partnership with e-commerce delivery company Gopuff. As for a prediction as to where he will play basketball next year? I happen to know of a city with great delivery options…

Welcome back to the Spotlight! Sports and entertainment junkies rejoice, for this weekend not only marks the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina Italy, but there is also a pretty big (dare I say, “super”?) football game on Sunday, as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots square off in Santa Clara, CA in Super Bowl LX. Both events are likely to be star-studded and brimming with fanfare and intrigue. That’s all to say nothing of Sunday’s oxytocin and serotonin-inducing Puppy Bowl. Speaking of dogs, while I am cheering on Team USA in the Olympics, I can’t say I have one in the fight for the Super Bowl. On the one hand, there’s the New England Patriots, who have won championships all too often (except for when they play my New York Giants), on the other hand there are the Seattle Seahawks, who would otherwise be a more sympathetic team but for the fact that a victory will mean that my Washingtonian colleagues will have bragging rights for at least the next year. So, I guess I am just hoping for a good, entertaining game. Some pigs in a blanket wouldn’t be bad either. The wonderful thing about the Super Bowl is that it has something for pretty much everyone. And on one day, nearly the whole country sets aside their differences and gravitates to the game, Super Bowl parties, betting and the high-priced, high-profile commercials. In normal times in which everything is not politicized, you might also include the halftime show in that list, but for some reason, some folks are uncomfortable with a musical performance from a bilingual US Citizen. Perhaps they just don’t like bunnies or at least not the “bad” ones.

Regardless of your motivations for tuning in, both events will certainly be part of the discourse for the foreseeable future. I think we can all agree it would be really bad timing (hypothetically, of course) for a prominent newspaper to shut down its sports newsroom…

• • In light of recent geopolitical tensions, Canadian pop star Tate McRae is in hot water north of the border for appearing in an NBC Sports commercial in support of Team USA if she keeps this up, she might have to start paying for healthcare.
  • Leveraging a multiyear partnership and endorsement deal with farm equipment company Kubota, country music star Blake Shelton drove a tractor to Caesars Palace to announce additional dates for his Las Vegas residency. A creative, yet curious sight in a town less famous for tending, than for betting, the farm.
  • National Women’s Soccer League expansion team, Boston Legacy FC nets a sleeve sponsorship with Hyundai Motor Company, because nothing says “Boston Legacy” like a South Korean car company. After all, who could forget Paul Revere’s midnight ride on his Sonata?!