Friday: Everything you need to know before the big game on Sunday; President Trump calls border security negotiations a waste; and Jackie Robinson’s birthday.
Good morning.
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There’s a lot going on with the Super Bowl, even if you’re not into sports. It’s a quintessential — if fraught — American spectacle.
There are the ads. This year, as The Guardian reported, the marijuana industry is counting CBS’s mere consideration of an ad advocating for the legalization of medical cannabis a win.
There’s the halftime show. Maroon 5, Sunday’s headliner, along with Travis Scott and Big Boi, canceled their pregame news conference, where they almost certainly would have gotten questions about national anthem protests.
For the first time, male dance-style cheerleaders will be on the sideline, making history with the Rams.
And then, of course, there’s the actual football. On that, I’ll defer to my colleague Ben Shpigel (who certainly knows a lot more than the Super Bowl-predicting giraffe in Nashville — although it did pick the Rams):
In their third season since relocating from St. Louis, the Rams will try to deliver Los Angeles its first football championship since 1984. To do so, they must outlast the New England Patriots, who are appearing in their ninth Super Bowl in 18 seasons.
The Rams’ ascent to the N.F.L. elite, from 4-12 in 2016 to consecutive N. F. C. West titles, traces back to their decision in January 2017 to hire as coach Sean McVay, then all of 30 years old. Across the last two seasons, the Rams have scored the most points in the league and are tied for the most wins, with 24.
McVay has optimized quarterback Jared Goff, a former No. 1 pick, while assembling a strong locker-room culture. With a series of bold personnel moves, General Manager Les Snead has built a formidable core around Goff, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and running back Todd Gurley.
This season, the Rams won their first eight games, and 11 of their first 12, before a late slump — consecutive losses in prime-time, at Chicago and to Philadelphia — coerced them into reshaping their offensive identity.
