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    Trying to Find the Signal in the Noise of Hall of Fame Voting

    Isaac Bruce was a central cog in the St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. For 16 seasons, Bruce was a consistent vertical threat at wide receiver, and he ranks in the N.F.L.’s top 15 for career receptions (13th), receiving yards (fifth) and touchdown catches (12th). He was the leading receiver in a Super […] More

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    A Super Bowl With a Latino Flair in Miami

    There are few Latino players, and viewership among Latinos, while rising, pales in comparison with that of other groups. But with the Super Bowl in the Miami area for the first time in 10 years, organizers have made a concerted effort to give the spectacle a Latino flair it has lacked. Most prominently, this is […] More

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    Why the 49ers Coach Wears that Red Trucker Hat on the Sidelines

    Maybe you’ve noticed the red trucker hat that Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, has been wearing on the sidelines. Twitter certainly has. “Kyle Shanahan’s hat might as well say ‘I Vape,’” one user tweeted in November. Another wrote that the retro snapback, with its mesh back, flat brim and tiny […] More

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    Super Bowl Prediction: Why the 49ers Will Beat the Chiefs

    MIAMI — Narratives can push into the absurd in the N.F.L. playoffs, when many fans and journalists, no matter how passionate they claim to be, are often seeing teams for the first time that season. It’s a situation that leads to things like this Super Bowl being conveyed by some as a cut-and-dried case of […] More

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    Why the 49ers Play Hide-and-Seek Before Every Snap

    MIAMI — The San Francisco 49ers relied on the N.F.L.’s best tight end, its highest-paid fullback and a cadre of productive receivers to reach the Super Bowl. But while other teams might strive to get those players into the end zone by any means possible, San Francisco has adopted the opposite strategy. The 49ers rarely […] More

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    The Super Bowl Is Problematic. Why Can’t We Look Away?

    AUSTIN CONSIDINE Friends: I know what I’m doing Sunday. I know what you’re doing Sunday. As full-time culture journalists, to ignore the Super Bowl would be a gross dereliction of duty. That’s because the Super Bowl isn’t just a game. It’s the halftime show; it’s the ads; it’s the chips and guac. It is sport […] More