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Pats-Eagles Super Bowl Caps Off Year Of Controversy For NFL

Published February 2, 2018 at 10:00 AM CST

With guest host Anthony Brooks. 

The Super Bowl matchup between the juggernaut New England Patriots and underdog Philadelphia Eagles kicks off on Sunday. But it’s a down year for the NFL, with news about concussions and political fights prompting boycotts and low ratings.

We’ll go to Minnesota to ask about America’s most popular sport — and whether it will stay that way.

This show airs Friday at 11 a.m. EST.

Guests:

Shira Springer, sports and society reporter at public radio station WBUR in Boston. ( @ShiraSpringer)

Kevin Blackistone, sports columnist at the Washington Post. ( @ProfBlackistone)

Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday. ( @nprscottsimon)

From The Reading List:

WBUR: WBUR Poll: For Head Injuries, Football Fans Support Regulation, But Haven’t Changed Viewing Habits — “On average, based on numbers released by the NFL, there’s close to one concussion per game during the regular season. Numbers may be higher because players are still reluctant to self-report potential concussion symptoms.”

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, center left, tosses a microphone after addressing a crowd during an NFL football Super Bowl send-off rally, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass., as free safety Devin McCourty, left, tight end Rob Gronkowski, center right, and wide receiver Danny Amendola, right, look on. The Patriots are to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, Sunday, Feb. 4, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, center left, tosses a microphone after addressing a crowd during an NFL football Super Bowl send-off rally, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass., as free safety Devin McCourty, left, tight end Rob Gronkowski, center right, and wide receiver Danny Amendola, right, look on. The Patriots are to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, Sunday, Feb. 4, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)