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Front Page Talking Points

FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 28, 2013

Super Bowl sidelights: Brother vs. brother, Alicia Keys, New Orleans pride, Psy, Beyonce

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1.gifFind any Super Bowl preview story that looks interesting and summarize what you learn.

2.gifRead a report from New Orleans that's not directly about the teams or Sunday's game. Do any details make you wish you were there – or glad you're not?

3.gifNow look for a report on the economic impact or other business angle, such as the ads.

The pro football season's last game has a NFL first this year – the Super Bowl's opposing coaches are brothers. Next Sunday's game at the Superdome in New Orleans is between Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers and John-Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens. (Their dad is a retired college football coach.) It's also the first Super Bowl for both starting quarterbacks -- Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers and Joe Flacco of the Ravens.

The game obviously is a big deal for New Orleans, even though it has hosted nine Super Bowls since 1970. This is the first there since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region in 2005. About 100,000 people are expected to visit for events related to the game. Economists at the University of New Orleans predict a regional impact of roughly $434 million.

Fans and even non-fans can enjoy more than on-field action during Sunday' night's CBS broadcast. Alicia Keyes sings he national anthem up front, while Destiny's Child and Beyonce perform during halftime. Clever, amusing, memorable ads will make their debut and spark social media buzz. Doritos will air an amateur-made spot that won its Crash the Super Bowl online contest, in which the public voted for five finalists. Taco Bell has an 87-year-old man in a "Viva Youth" commercial. Post-game talk also is sure to be about a first-time Super Bowl advertiser -- Wonderful Pistachios of Los Angeles, which has an ad featuring Psy, the South Korean rapper whose "Gangnam Style" video has more than 1.2 billion YouTube views.

Big brother says: "We had a few dreams, we had a few fights, we had a few arguments." – Ravens Coach John Harbaugh, 50, on his brother Jim, 49

Superdome manager says: "There is a tremendous sense of pride to showcase our city for people who may have not been here since Katrina." – Doug Thornton

Ad exec says: "The Super Bowl is a cultural phenomenon – it's a social event that people want to be part of. The Super Bowl is one of the last bastions in the world where everyone can feel that they are participating." – Carisa Bianchi, president of Los Angeles' largest agency

Front Page Talking Points is written by Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024

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Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.