BTS The Week Before Super Bowl

…Because it’s the best thing I’ve seen all week. The couple went on “Wag Talk” and talked about each other’s games and they both gave just the right amount of competitiveness and praise to one another. It’s kind of a shot of serotonin, straight to the dome. 

Tennis fans that couldn’t get enough of “Heated Rivalry,” this one’s for you. Edward Schmit penned a new novel about an openly gay pro tennis player during the US Open. And don’t call it a coming out story! Because it’s not. 

Japanese volleyball player Yuji Nishida hit someone with his serve and did a face-first sliding dogeza, aka a profound apology in Japanese culture. It’s kind of unbelievable, and it also begs the question: How does he apologize when he does something really wrong??

It might be time to panic about the WNBA CBA. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike et al. traveled to NYC (though Phee and KP were absent because they had travel issues), for a three-hour long call with the league and it was allegedly totally fruitless. Do I smell a strike? 

It’s official: Lindsey Vonn is one of the bravest people in sports. She announced she’d be still competing in the Olympics despite rupturing (yes, rupturing) her ACL last week. Now let’s all get in a circle and recite an incantation and say a prayer and all the things. 

“Go Off” is a special edition of our daily newsletter, featuring my thoughts, takes, and general vibes, presented to OffBall readers every Wednesday. 

Three days into Super Bowl week in San Francisco (and Santa Clara), and it’s already felt like we’ve lived 100 lives. 

We had the distinct honor (along with hundreds of other media members) of attending the opening night festivities and getting a cultural vibe check from both Patriots and Seahawks players. Talking to professional athletes is particularly touching and enriching because, whereas talking heads are busy pontificating about how these two teams are surprise participants in this game, the players always believed it was possible. Plus, they all had great taste in movies. Also, music. 

Plus, I got to interview my good friend Jay Harbaugh about how Tim Robinson brings him good luck. 

If you haven’t been to the week leading up to the Super Bowl, you may not be aware just how much it dwarfs, nay owns, other leagues’ biggest event. In the 10 years since the last Super Bowl in Santa Clara (hashtag 2016 trend), the NFL has garnered billions of dollars in revenue and valuations. 

If you haven’t been to Radio Row, which is where we are posted up all week, think about a high school cafeteria with a lot more people and gigantic sets. High-energy huddles of people, laughing, running around, shaking hands, recording each other for TikTok or the like. Also, there are gigantic, and I mean gigantic, branded sets and activations. Like, every brand is here in some way.  

The vibes are good, I can’t lie. I do have notes about the food and water situation, but you know what, I’ll drink water when I die! If you’re trying to make connections in sports media, it’s the place to be. 

And while this was all going down, just across the street, the Pro Bowl was happening. CeeDee, Shedeur, Jalen, and Joey B — all the stars were out. 

And if you find yourself (for living or fun or otherwise) in the Bay Area this week, go check out some of the activations our friends at SPORT BEACH have goin’ on. We could do a five-mile run together in the morning tomorrow (except I won’t be there).  

We get lots of stories pitched, and most of the time, they are really lovely pitches. But sometimes a brand tells a story in such a uniquely creative way that it really stands out, and it’s an easy sell. Not that I am being paid for this, because I am not. But I can also be bought, just to be clear. 

Basically, as part of a social experiment put on by Heineken, a guy in New York City named Zac (no last name) put up a flyer for his friend, Joe (no last name), calling any and all persons to come and watch a Champions League game with his sad and lonely Aussie expat friend. The flyer just said, “Have a beer with me.” 

I see flyers like this often in my neighborhood in NYC, and I often wonder how they pan out. Right now, there’s one all over that says, “I’m Alex. Let me help you move.” Or “is your name Josh? Come to this meet-up.” But now I know, people really show up for this stuff. 

And to be clear, I don’t tell this story to cape for a brand for no reason, you probably know that isn’t my brand. I tell this story because Heineken sought the answer to an important question (can fans still become friends without the internet?), and it was a resounding success. It’s a story of community, the power of sports, fandom, and culture.