The notion of a London Super Bowl has been discussed.

Given the political climate of February 2025, you have to wonder what words National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell will use in explaining NFL owners desire to have a Super Bowl in a place like London, England. In October 2024, Goodell said, “We’ve always traditionally tried to play a Super Bowl in an NFL city that was always sort of a reward for the cities that have NFL franchises, But things change. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that happens one day.” That sort of reward reference is a nod to local and state governments who partner with local franchise ownership to either upgrade or build a new football facility with the average starting point of subsidies of about $600 million. The 2025 Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans after Louisiana taxpayers spent hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate the local stadium. The last two Super Bowls in Las Vegas and Inglewood, California were played in recently opened stadiums. Things would have to change in Washington with politicians for the NFL to place a Super Bowl in London.

The Super Bowl is pure Americana, it is an unofficial holiday but it took an act of Congress to allow the game’s creation. Goodell knows that awarding the Super Bowl to a foreign country is going to cause political and cultural problems. After all, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives and President Lyndon Johnson on November 8^th, 1966 signed the law that created the Super Bowl. The American Football League-National Football League merger was approved by an act of Congress and with that came the Big Game which really wasn’t all that big a deal in 1967. Football really developed in the coal mining region of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia not in the coal mining region of England.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

RANT SPORTS

Free access to the Winter X Games on Roku

The Roku Channel the exclusive U.S. streaming home of the 2025 X Games Aspen gives fans coverage of the games starting today. Fans can stream the action for free by downloading the Roku Channel from the Google Play Store or the app store.

Roku has launched X Games TV FAST channel and will curate a dedicated X Games Zone, a one-stop destination for fans to browse, discover, and stream everything X Games

Besides the Roku coverage the 2025 X Games will get airtime on ABC. ESPN and worldwide on the YouTube.

X Games Aspen will take place Thursday, Jan. 23 through Saturday, Jan. 25 in Aspen, Colo., with some of the world’s best action sports athletes competing in ski and snowboard events.

Superpipe

The SuperPipe stands as the crown jewel of the X Games, showcasing the world’s top snowboarders and skiers as they push the boundaries of what’s possible in a 22-foot halfpipe spanning over 500 feet. Combining raw power with artistic finesse, athletes deliver gravity-defying runs filled with massive air and intricate spins, flips, and grabs. Judged on five key elements—amplitude, technical difficulty, execution, progression, and variety—each performance rewards innovation, style, and a broad display of skills. Local hero Alex Ferreira, a three-time X Games gold medalist from Aspen, embodies these qualities, captivating fans with his seamless blend of towering airs and technical brilliance. The SuperPipe continually delivers unforgettable moments, redefining the limits of action sports.

Slopestyle

Slopestyle transforms the mountain into a creative playground, challenging athletes to navigate an intricate course of rails, jumps, and features that test every aspect of their abilities. What sets this discipline apart is its emphasis on flow and innovation – competitors must craft runs that not only showcase technical mastery but also demonstrate artistic vision. Red Gerard, whose Olympic gold medal and X Games triumph have marked him as a generational talent, exemplifies the evolution of slopestyle riding. His imaginative approach to course interpretation often reveals possibilities that others haven’t even considered, turning each run into a unique expression of style. The unpredictable nature of slopestyle, combined with ever-evolving course designs, ensures that no two competitions are ever quite the same, keeping both athletes and audiences on the edge of their seats.

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Big Air

Big Air concentrates the thrill of snowsports into a single, massive feat of courage and skill. Athletes launch from a towering ramp, sometimes reaching heights of 80 feet or more, to perform their most technical and impressive maneuvers. The 30-minute jam session format creates an electric atmosphere as riders push each other to new heights, with their two best tricks determining final standings. This combination of high stakes and rapid-fire action makes Big Air one of the most intense spectator experiences at the X Games.

Knuckle Huck

Knuckle Huck has quickly emerged as a fan favorite by celebrating the creative soul of snowsports. Taking place on the rollover of a jump rather than the traditional takeoff, this event showcases athletes’ ability to manipulate their boards and skis in ways that defy convention. The relaxed format encourages riders to experiment with unique tricks and transitions, turning what was once a practice-session playground into a legitimate competitive discipline.

Street Style

Street Style brings urban riding to the mountain, introducing a medaled event in 2025 that bridges the gap between city and slope. The course design mirrors street features, challenging athletes to adapt their technical skills to rails, stairs, and creative obstacles while maintaining the spontaneous energy of street riding. This fresh addition to the X Games lineup represents the growing influence of urban culture on mountain sports, offering a new platform for athletic expression.

Music Performances

Enhancing the competitive atmosphere, X Games Aspen 2025 will feature live music performances each night. The lineup includes renowned artists such as deadmau5, Big Gigantic, TESSLA, Daily Bread, and ILLENIUM, providing entertainment that complements the high-energy sports action.

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Week 18 of the NFL season and there is still some playoff drama

This weekend marks the end of the 2024 NFL regular season and while plenty of teams have made the playoffs there is room for a few more. Despite six teams in both the AFC and the NFC with playoff spots the drama remains in seeding and division champs.

So, starting Saturday and going through late Sunday there are plenty of compelling storylines to follow as we look forward to the postseason. As you might expect the television networks will feature, the key games on Saturday and Sunday with playoff implications.

Saturday ESPN features the AFC North

Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens are in the playoffs but there is plenty of drama to settled by the end of the day. Anyone who follows the AFC North knows that none of the four teams like each other and their records are meaningless.

ESPN/ABC start the day off with the disappointing Cleveland Browns traveling to Charm City to face the Ravens at 4:30 p.m.  Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick will handle the broadcasting chores.

The Browns enter the game with division leading Baltimore with nothing to play for. A Ravens victory and the lockdown the AFC North and the No. 3 seed in the Playoffs. The Bowns enters the game with a 3-13 record with a five-game losing streak. But this is the AFC North, and so Cleveland wants to ruin the Ravens chances at the division title. Superstar defensive end of the Browns Miles Garrett made sure the Ravens knew he was serious.

“I’m not looking into the future,” Garrett told reporters. “The next thing on my mind is recovery, looking at film, how can we improve going to the Ravens, trying to play spoiler for them.”

Meanwhile, 500 miles west of Baltimore in Cincinnati Joe Buck, Troy Aikman will be there for ESPN/ABC for an 8 p.m. broadcast of the Steelers and Bengals. Pittsburgh needs Baltimore to lose to Cleveland so they can win the division. However, Cincinnati can make the playoffs by beating Pittsburgh and having Miami and Denver lose on Sunday.

Sunday the Bucs and the Falcons in the NFC South

Most of the country will see the FOX duo of Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady in Raymond James Stadium for the Buccaneers and the Saints at 1 p.m. Like the Ravens and Browns game on Saturday, if Tampa Bay wins then they capture the NFC South in front of their old QB Mr. Brady. If they lose, they are out of the playoff hunt. Atlanta’s path to the division title rests on a Bucs loss and the Falcons beating Carolina and that is their only shot the postseason. CBS has the Panthers and the Falcons as their primary 1 p.m. game with Ian Eagle and Charles Davis on the call.

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Broncos outside chance to make the playoffs

Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will bring fans the Kansas City and Dever as the 4 p.m. game nationally on CBS./Paramount+ The Broncos need to win and have Miami and Cincinnati both lose or tie. The Broncos came up short the first two times of clinching a playoff spot., first after blowing a 24-13 lead against the Chargers and then by falling to the Bengals with 1:07 left in overtime. Third time could be the charm, if Denver can defeat Kansas City at home.

Minnesota and Detroit in Primetime

It is fitting that the two best teams in the NFC will face off on Sunday Night Football on NBC/Peacock as Detroit and Minnesota vie for the NFC North title. The Lions can’t lose to the Vikings in the regular-season finale, or else they’ll miss out on retaining the NFC North title. More importantly, the No. 1 seed — and the first-round bye and home-field advantage that come with it — will also be up for grabs in Detroit.

Meanwhile, The Vikings will take their NFL-leading nine-game winning streak into Ford Field on Sunday night, looking to lock down the NFC’s No. 1 seed, regain the division throne and avenge an earlier loss to the Lions.

Here are the NFC and AFC Playoff teams going into Saturday

AFC

• No. 1 seed: Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)**
• No. 2 seed: Buffalo Bills (13-3)*
• No. 4 seed: Houston Texans (9-7)*
• Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
• Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

NFC

• No. 2 seed: Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)*
• Los Angeles Rams (10-6)*
• Detroit Lions (14-2)
• Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
• Green Bay Packers (11-5)
• Washington Commanders (11-5)

*division clinched
** division and No. 1 seed clinched