On Sunday 7th February, the NFL’s very best will go head-to-head for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I am of course talking about Super Bowl LV, where the Kansas City Chiefs face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 55th edition of the Super Bowl being the first ever to be played at the home ground of one…
History made: The first all-Black officiating team in the NFL
Monday Night Football on the 24th November saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against the Los Angeles Rams. However, it was not the play of the teams that night that will forever go down in NFL history. For the first time in the National Football League’s history, an all-Black officiating crew worked a game….
Ways forward: an analysis of the Rooney rule
The Rooney Rule was first introduced in the NFL in 2003 and was named after the late Dan Rooney, the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and chairman of the league’s diversity committee. It requires teams to interview at least one BAME candidate for head coaching roles, with the aim of engendering better representation at…
Is there a place for political activism in sport?
The allure of sports for most fans stems from a desire for escapism, an opportunity to get away from the stresses of everyday life and become immersed in supporting their favourite team. As a result, it certainly seems the consensus that the majority of dedicated sports viewers do not watch the events for the political…
The new Formula One 2021 regulations don’t work
The long-awaited regulation changes for the Formula 1 2021 season were unveiled by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) during a press conference on 31 October. The changes were presented by FIA President Jean Todt and Ross Brawn, the senior figure behind the new regulations. Currently the Motorsport and Technical Director of the Formula One…
Concrete meets… UEA Pirates American Football
The only encounter I’ve had with American Football was two years ago, when I went to film a match at Colney Lane on a freezing day. Since then, I have been following their results and keeping up to date with how they perform as a team. In reality, I still don’t know the rules and…
Tom Gymer: NFL players have the right to protest
There has been controversy in the USA over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. The players argue that it is a form of protest against some of the problems in America today such as the police’s treatment of ethnic minorities. Others, such as President Trump, argue that it is insulting to the US, to…
Concussion controversy in Six Nations
When I refer to a C-word in sport, many people assume I mean “cheat”, understandably given the prevalence of doping, fixing and tampering in many arenas of the sporting world. However, there is now a word even more taboo than cheat – “concussion”. This year’s Six Nations has thrown the issue firmly into the spotlight,…
Super Bowl epitomises England’s NFL adoration
Callum Hansey on the growth of American Football in the UK.
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