The Material Review
Issue 159: The Big Game Edition
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.
Pure Magic: The Oral History of Prince’s Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show
“As the heavens opened up and rain poured down, the Purple One ran through a handful of covers and some of his own songs, delivering an iconic set on the biggest stage possible and only expanding his legend” [The Ringer]
Here’s Why Companies Can’t Say ‘Super Bowl’ in Their Super Bowl Ads
[TIME]
Firm behind horrific Super Bowl merch blasted for its ‘pathetic’ explanation to Patriots and Seahawks fans
Unpacking Forty Years of Fandom For a Losing Team
Last Man Running
A Brief History of ‘What Time Is the Super Bowl?’
“The story behind “‘The most legendary act of SEO trolling ever’” [The Atlantic]
59 Super Bowl Rings, 59 Stories
“Big and small, lost and found, each ring has a unique tale to tell” [ESPN]
The Hardest Job in Football
“For millions of football fans watching at home every Sunday, it seems as though NFL games make a seamless transition from the gridiron to the television screen. But spend a weekend with a network production crew, and you’ll discover what it really takes to turn the on-field action into televised entertainment—intense preparation, frantic effort, brilliant improvisation, and an artistic genius named ‘Fish.’” [The Atlantic]
What’s a losing team’s ‘Super Bowl Champion’ merch worth?
[Yahoo!]
I Was a Super Bowl Concession Worker
“What it’s like making less than $13 an hour to serve $13 beers at one of the biggest games on Earth.” [Slate]

































I'm a sucker for vintage Bears gear. 85' Bears and Ditka we're elite! Very cool post here.
Maybe you’ll do a similar post for the Tonys.