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In a previous chapter of my life, I worked as a sports journalist – specifically, I was the sports editor at The Canadian Press. It seemed like a dream job at the time. I had always loved sports – like most Canadians, I spent my childhood Saturday nights on the living room floor watching Hockey Night in Canada. With CP, I attended the Stanley Cup finals and NHL all-star games, Grey Cups and the Olympics, among other big events. But I never made it to a Super Bowl – and even if I had, the spectacle of the event would have been far more interesting to me than the actual game.
That’s why I’ll be watching the big game Sunday. I’m fascinated by the human-interest story unfolding around 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady. (I’m still not sure if I’ll be cheering for or against him.) But just as interesting for me will be the half-time show – featuring Canadian singer The Weeknd – and the amazing young poet Amanda Gorman is reciting a new poem.
The Super Bowl is one of those rare sports events (I’d suggest the Olympics are another) that attract a huge number of viewers who aren’t normally sports fans. So for your weekend reading pleasure, I’ve rounded up some stories about the half-time show, sports data and even avocados – because you can’t really watch the Super Bowl without guac and chips.
And just in case you’re doing everything possible to avoid the big game this weekend, check out the stories on The Dig and Lupin – two of my favourite new shows on Netflix. You can also listen to our new podcasts Don’t Call Me Resilient and The Weekly – click on the articles below to learn more.
Have a great Weeknd (see what I did there?) and we’ll be back in your Inbox on Monday.
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Scott White
CEO | Editor-in-Chief
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Have a "Super" weekend
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Kathleen M. Alley, Mississippi State University; Mukoma Wa Ngugi, Cornell University; Wendy R. Williams, Arizona State University
The rise in the popularity of Amanda Gorman, the nation's first National Youth Poet Laureate, represents a prime opportunity for educators to use spoken word poetry in the classroom.
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Helen Pridmore, University of Regina
Falsetto male pop and opera artists fascinate us with their high voices, but it's also intriguing to know anyone can find a falsetto sound.
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Alvaro Jarrin, College of the Holy Cross
Over the past year, the singer has carefully constructed a visage that has made him nearly unrecognizable.
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Jacqueline Warwick, Dalhousie University; Steven Baur, Dalhousie University
The falsetto virtuosity of the Weeknd, headliner of this year's Super Bowl halftime show, contrasts with popular ShantyTok singalongs. How do these both reflect masculinity in 2021?
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Kathleen Rodenburg, University of Guelph; Ann Pegoraro, University of Guelph; Lianne Foti, University of Guelph
Public health officials and politicians have access to the same data on COVID-19 cases, deaths and transmission, but might arrive at different conclusions.
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Joshua D. Pitts, Kennesaw State University
For nearly 50 years, teams have administered the controversial Wonderlic test to measure cognitive ability. Two researchers decided to study its effectiveness as an evaluation tool.
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Felesia Stukes, Johnson C. Smith University
Pro sports teams use big data to win big. It's time for colleges to get students in on the action, a computer science professor argues.
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Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University
If it weren't for historical and biological happenstance, few would be eating avocados today.
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Emma Bielecki, King's College London
A french classic has had a thoroughly modern update, meditating on themes of class, race and colonialism.
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Roberta Gilchrist, University of Reading
The Digs' archaeologists are closer to reality than the intrepid Indiana Jones, and that's refreshing.
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Weekend Podcasts
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Scholar Cheryl Thompson discusses racist stereotypes, including the words used by comedians like Dave Chappelle, pictured here, in Toronto, in 2018.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill
Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation
In this episode of Don't Call Me Resilient, host Vinita Srivastava and scholar Cheryl Thompson dive into the meaning of the n-word and the 150 years of racism embedded in it.
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An artist’s illustration of the aeroshell containing NASA’s Perseverance rover guiding itself towards the surface of Mars.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus what protesters in Belarus want to happen next. Episode 1 of The Conversation's new weekly podcast.
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