Photo via Premier Bucket List.com

The NFL season comes to a close Sunday in Minneapolis, as the New England Patriots (15-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (15-3) meet in Super Bowl LII. 

The Patriots will play for their sixth Super Bowl championship with quarterback Tom Brady at the helm and coach Bill Belichick on the sideline. Here's what Belichick, Brady, Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks and Kyle Van Noy had to say about the game.

Best of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, @brandincooks, @KVN_03 and @DannyAmendola at yesterday's media availability: pic.twitter.com/THI5MGgUJG

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 31, 2018

 

Many left the Eagles for dead when quarterback Carson Wentz went down with an injury in Week 14, but in his second tour with the organization, Nick Foles stepped in and kept the offense going.

While Eagles fans are paying big bucks to get into the game, season-ticket holder Chris Romanelli got a big surprise this week. His dedication to the team shows with his reaction.

Since #Eagles season ticket member Chris Romanelli is such a devoted fan, we surprised him with a pair of #SBLII tickets, donated by the NFL.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/DKMYJk2rqW

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 30, 2018

 

It'll be a brisk walk for fans on game day, with a projected high of 8 degrees. Many of those covering the event - even some familiar with the local weather - have adjusted this week.

Foles a case study against sports specialization 

Photo via New York Times/Melissa Foles

Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times details Nick Foles' high school athletic career and love of multiple sports, including Ultimate Frisbee.

Ben Faulkner, Foles' basketball coach at Westlake (Texas) High School, marveled at his pregame warm-up. Foles would shoot 30-footers flat-footed, and zipped passes that his teammates had trouble handling. Faulkner said the only thing that kept Foles from being a Division I basketball player, maybe even a pro, was that he was never able to make it his top priority.

Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor can testify to Foles' frisbee prowess.

“You’ve got to see him in Ultimate Frisbee,” Agholor said. “We do a little conditioning in Ultimate Frisbee in the off-season. This dude’s got hands, got routes. Stupid athletic.”

Female participation numbers up

Photo via New York Times/Jacob Ford

Last year was a big one for females in football, including in Texas, where K-Lani Nava (above) from the Strawn School became the first to score in a state championship game.

Brtini de la Cretaz of the New York Times discusses the uptick in female participation, including a study from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, which says of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football, 596,000 — or 10.9 percent — are female.

“We can thank a constellation of cultural forces for women’s involvement in football today, from Title IX to the women’s movement, to strong female athletes who have persisted in pursuing their athletic dreams despite a lack of broader cultural support,” said Dr. Palmer-Mehta, a professor of communication at Oakland University.

Numerous girls teams competed for national titles at last week's NFL FLAG championships at the Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida, including the Tucson Tuff Cardinals, who won the 13-14 girls crown.

NFL FLAG - a partnership between the NFL and USA Football - lets kids sport the uniform and logo of an NFL team. Program participation increased 45 percent in the past five years, to more than 409,000 in 2017.

What's the best Super Bowl ever?

Photo via NFL.com

Elliott Harrison of NFL.com, with the help of analyst Gil Brandt, has a photo essay that ranks all 51 Super Bowls, from bottom to top. It's a great trip through time as you make your way down the list. 

See how your personal rankings stack up with theirs here.