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How the NFL is leveling the playing field for the Superbowl  February 6, 2026

 

What's up, sunshine? Happy Friday, Fri-yay, we made it to the best day of the week. I'm Coy Wire with another episode of CNN 10. So fresh and so clean, clean.

 

What a week it has been, and we are so grateful to spend part of it with you. Now, let's get to your news. We begin in Milan, where the 2026 Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony gets underway, 8 p.m. local time.

 

Before reaching Olympic HQ, the Olympic torch was carried by Team USA's first-ever honorary coach Snoop Dogg to nearby Monza.

 

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also representing America at the Games, and the surrounding cities are buzzing with important preparations, including avalanche control.

 

After days of heavy snowfall, natural snow can build up in unstable layers on a slope, and if left alone, it can release suddenly a massive avalanche.

 

The workers seen here use smaller explosives to release the snow safely under controlled conditions.

 

Competition is already underway, though, at the Winter Games, with mixed doubles curling and women's ice hockey. I'll be headed to Italy in a few days to cover the Games, and I am taking you with me.

 

So be prepared to get your news, perhaps with a side of pasta.

 

Pop quiz, hot shot.

 

Which NFL stadium has a natural grass field that rolls outside for sunlight?

 

State Farm Stadium, Caesars Superdome, AT&T Stadium, or Lucas Oil Stadium?

 

If you said State Farm Stadium, touchdown! Home turf of the Arizona Cardinals.

 

The Bermuda grass sits on a giant movable tray weighing about 19 million pounds. Moving it in or out takes about 45 to 70 minutes.

 

Super Bowl 60 between the Patriots and the Seahawks is just two days away, and this year's matchup features a detail that may not be quite so obvious to viewers, but it'll be a big deal to a lot of the players.

 

matchup [ˈmætʃʌp] n.【美】体育比赛

 

This year's matchup will be played on live grass, not turf. It's an issue that's long divided the league and the players, but players, they're wanting to have their health and safety in the spotlight. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on why this matters and how the NFL plans to literally level the playing field.

 

turf [tɝf] n. 草皮

level the playing field 创造公平的竞争环境

 

There are 32 NFL teams and 30 stadiums around the country. Half of those stadiums play on grass and half play on turf. And this has become one of the most provocative issues in sports.

 

provocative [prǝˈvɑkǝtɪv] adj. 挑衅的，煽动的

 

92% of these players say they prefer grass. Yeah. So as chief medical officer of the NFL, what do you do with that?

 

I think we have to understand why is that. Number one, it's performance. They want to be able to perform, so I've got to be able to execute the movements that I need to do to do my job and do it well.

 

But secondly, how does my body feel after playing on that? One of the things we're learning from the testing is turf returns energy back to your body differently than natural grass does.

 

The data is a bit mixed on this topic. Data from the 2021-2022 seasons did find grass to result in a lower number of lower extremity injuries. However, the NFL says data from every season since then does not show a significant difference in injuries on grass versus turf.

 

lower extremity 下肢

extremity [ɪkˈstrɛmǝtɪ] n. 手足，四肢

 

But due to different factors like different climates, different stadium designs, and even different operational needs, alternative surfaces have become increasingly necessary.

 

It all started back in 1966, where you had the Astrodome and then AstroTurf, which at that point was basically just like carpet on top of concrete. It's changed a lot over the last several decades, but there's still a lot of concerns about injuries, about toxicity, about whether you can ever make this turf really behave like grass.

 

It gives us that bounce back, that energy return to the body, so what they're feeling when they step on their foot.

 

Nick Pappas is the NFL's field director, and his job is to quantify that grass feel that players want, and then try to level the playing field.

 

quantify [ˈkwɑntǝˌfaɪ] v. 确定…的大小（或数量）

 

So how to do that? First step is to develop a series of standards that all fields will need to meet by 2028.

 

And part of that testing is for things like surface hardness, player impact, and overall traction.

 

We've added two studs, like a cleat on the bottom. It's about twice the weight, falls from the same height, but ultimately gives us a representation that is much like the athlete.

 

stud [stʌd] n. 螺栓;（通常作裝飾的）飾釘，嵌釘

cleat [klit] n. 防滑钉; 防滑（或加固）木条（或铁条）

representation [ˌrɛprɪzɛnˈtеʃǝn] n. 表现

 

We can test all of our stadiums with these devices and actually quantify the amount of traction available at any given time. Rotational traction, so twisting of the cleat, and translational traction, so a sliding of the cleat.

 

Essentially putting a cleat into the ground or testing rotation and movement.

 

And these tests are applied at 60 individual points all over the field. While no two fields will ever be exactly the same, the hope is they might at least start to feel that way to the players.

 

Do you think that we're going to get to that point where you look at 30 NFL stadiums, and they basically all have a uniform surface? I do.

 

In the last 10 years, we've seen helmets change dramatically, and that's really improved their safety. I think you're about to see the same thing happen in the surface industry.

 

Each Friday in February,we are going to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting iconic individuals and amazing achievements that helped shape the fabric of this country.

 

Today, we're going to talk about Baseball Hall of Famer and Civil Rights icon, Hammerin' Hank Aaron, who battled racism to become one of the greatest to ever play the game.

 

Henry Louis Hank Aaron was born in 1934, grew up in a deeply segregated Alabama, and played briefly in the Negro Leagues before making his Major League debut with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954.

 

Hank Aaron played 23 seasons in the Major Leagues, setting many records that still stand to this day.

 

Perhaps his most famous achievement came in 1974, when he broke Babe Ruth's home run record with his 715th home run, a feat that would stand for more than three decades.

 

But Aaron's path to the history books was far from easy. He and his family were the target of death threats, racist hate mail, and daily taunts, an ugly reality Aaron never shied away from.

 

taunt [tɔnt] n. 辱骂；嘲笑；奚落

shy away from（因不喜欢、害怕或缺乏自信而）退缩，躲避，畏避

 

Jackie Robinson broke in baseball in 1947, and people resented that very much so. And then along came Henry Aaron, a black player, to break one of the most charitable records in all of sports. Well, people weren't ready to accept that.

 

resent [rɪˈzɛnt] v. 愤慨；怨恨

charitable [ˈtʃærǝtǝbḷ] adj. 备受推崇的; 神圣不可侵犯的

 

So, you know, the time was not ready. The country was not ready. So, you know, I had to accept that.

 

But Mr. Aaron's legacy extends far beyond the field. After retiring from the game, he went on to become an executive with the Atlanta Braves. In 1994, he founded the Chasing the Dream Foundation to help disadvantaged youth, often cited as his proudest achievement.

 

disadvantaged [ˌdɪsǝdˈvæntɪdʒd] adj. 弱勢的

 

Aaron remained a steadfast civil rights advocate until his death in 2021, and never stopped trying to encourage the next generation to break barriers.

 

steadfast [ˈstɛdˌfæst] adj. 坚定的，不动摇的

 

The message that I have for youngsters that is chasing their dream is that never give up in spite of anything. That's always remember that, you know, that you're going to have roads, you're going to have roadblocks.

 

But the most important thing is to keep, just keep striving and keep pulling.

 

pull [pʊl] v. 朝某方向移动

 

And this week, the Braves are honoring the hammer by unveiling a series of Hank Aaron diamonds at public high schools all throughout Atlanta. As part of an investment into baseball and softball programs throughout the city, meant so much to him.

 

diamond [ˈdaɪǝmǝnd] n.【棒】內野；球場

 

Today's story, getting a 10out of 10 comes from our very own Andy Scholz at one of the most popping spots at the Super Bowl. What's up, Andy?

 

What's up, Coy? We're here at the famous Radio Row, where thousands of media members from all around the world come to do their shows, create content and interview all of the athletes and celebrities that get paraded through.

 

All school players from the Himalayas, you know what I'm saying? It's loud, it's crowded.

 

And this year, there's one woman who will be making history in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Meet Brenna Rogers, a broadcast engineer for the Bump and Stacey Show on Seattle Sports 710.

 

I can see a few little like jitter spots, but nothing crazy.

 

jitter [ˈdʒɪtɚ] v.（略微无法控制地）移动，抖动

 

I mix their mics, I EQ them, I add dynamics. I put some compression and limiting on them.

 

Brenna controls the volume, balance and clarity of both the commentators and the loud crowd to make sure the game sounds perfect for listeners.

 

This Sunday, Rogers will become the first woman to engineer a Super Bowl radio play-by-play broadcast. There have been challenges along the way, but that didn't stop Rogers.

 

It's a really hard field to get into for women and add on top of that the STEM aspect, and it's even harder.

 

And so it's like, I got my foot in the door, now I'm going to hold the door open for everyone behind me.

 

Because the Super Bowl history isn't just made on the field, sometimes it's made by those behind the scenes helping us enjoy the moment. And Coy, before I send it back to you, I want to give a big shout out to the Hopewell Middle School Mustangs in Milton, Georgia.

 

All right, superstars. We have two shout outs to kick off this Super Bowl weekend. The first one goes to Coach Garlett at Jackson Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rise up.

 

And look at this. It is Mardi Gras season, and we got a piece of the party right here sent to our studio. Thank you.

 

Shout out to Mr. Spencer at St. Paul's High School in Covington, Louisiana, for this amazing king cake. And we will let you know which member of our CNN 10 team finds the lucky baby.

 

Play that Friday music, Nadir. Go out, spread some kindness this weekend. You never know how or when or who, but you may be the light someone needs.

 

You are more powerful than you know. Have an awesome weekend, everyone. I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.