The Super Bowl returns to Los Angeles for the first time in 29 years. Sunday’s game between the Bengals and Rams will be held at SoFi Stadium, the NFL’s shiniest new showcase.
Everything about the stadium is first-rate. It’s the biggest and most expensive stadium in the country, if not the world. As Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "It’s iconic." It is also located in Inglewood, a predominantly Black, Latino and Hispanic neighborhood that is one of the poorest in LA County. When the Rams and Chargers play at SoFi during the regular season, Inglewood residents deal with an influx of 70,000 visitors per game—a number that will swell to 100,000 for the Super Bowl, effectively doubling the population of Inglewood. Many agree SoFi offers an incredible experience for football fans, but how have the people of Inglewood been impacted by their new neighbor? And, as more than one Inglewood resident asked, would you want to live next to it?
We dive into some answers in the latest SI Weekly podcast. Later in the show …
Why Brian Flores spoke out now
It’s been clear for a while that Black coaching candidates haven’t been given the same opportunities as their white peers. That fact was underscored when former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the league and three of its teams for alleged racist hiring practices. GQ staff writer Tyler Tynes joins us to discuss why Flores felt compelled to stand up and speak out when few people have, what can be done about the league’s clearly flawed interview process and where Flores and the NFL go from here.
Remembering my friend, Chris Wesseling
Chris Wesseling was a co-host on the NFL Network’s wildly popular Around the NFL podcast, a show with a deeply loyal following in America and internationally. He was also my friend. Tragically, Wess passed away two days before last year’s Super Bowl after a protracted fight with cancer. He was just 46. Chris was survived by his wife, Lakisha, and their son Lincoln, who was not yet a year old when Wess died. On the anniversary of his passing, I’m joined by Lakisha, Wess’s ATN co-hosts—Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal—as well as my wife and NFL Network broadcaster Colleen Wolfe, to remember Wess and celebrate his life.
