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The less said about last night’s game, the better? After a season that exceeded almost everyone’s expectations, the Patriots lost Super Bowl 60 to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 29-13. Drake Maye and the Pats’ offense struggled to get anything going against Seattle’s relentless defense. “I’d like to go back to the beginning and redo it,” Maye said after the game, adding that the tough loss will be motivation for next year.
“The biggest thing about life is you’re going to have times like this, and it’s how you bounce back,” said the 23-year-old, who got emotional at times during the post-game press conference as he reflected on the loss and the season as a whole.
In between the action, Bad Bunny’s much-anticipated halftime show was a festive homage to Puerto Rico — with nearly as many celebrity cameos as Dunkin’s “Good Will Hunting” parody commercial. (You can watch the performance in full here.)
Now, to the news:
Meanwhile back in Foxborough: Just over four months from the start of the World Cup, town officials in Foxborough are threatening to withhold a necessary entertainment license for matches at Gillette Stadium — unless they get their money first. During a meeting last week, Foxborough Select Board Chair Bill Yukna said they’ve requested $7.7 million to pay for local security costs, and they want it all upfront before they grant the license. “This event is not Foxborough’s event,” Yukna said. “This is a national — international — event, and it’s not up to the town of Foxborough to support or pay for any of this.”
- The backstory: Foxborough officials say they need the money to pay for police details and other security-related expenses, like a new utility vehicle, ahead of the seven games at Gillette. Massachusetts is eligible for more than $46 million in federal funds to help local communities pay for costs associated with the World Cup. Foxborough has applied for that money. But Yukna said during the meeting that it’s “likely” they won’t get the full $7.7 million grant they requested — and that the money won’t arrive until later. They’re not OK with that. “It’s reimbursement, and we’re not in a position to put forward $7.8 million [sic] upfront and hope to be reimbursed,” Foxborough town manager Paige Duncan said.
- Who would pay? It’s a little unclear. Yukna said the town has talked to the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium, about the issue. (According to MassLive, the town was originally under the impression the Krafts would cover these costs.) Julie Duffy, a spokesperson for FIFA World Cup Boston 2026, said they’re now working with FIFA, the stadium and the town to reach an agreement. And a spokesperson for Gov. Maura Healey told The Boston Globe her administration is “committed to ensuring that municipalities, especially Foxborough, have the support they need to make this a successful event through state, federal, and private funds.”
- What’s next: Foxborough has set a March 16 deadline to settle the issue. “Our chiefs are the ones responsible for the security and safety of the facilities,” Yukna said. “Their needs need to be met, or this cannot be an event that moves forward.
In other local news: The Pentagon is cutting ties with Harvard University, as the Trump administration’s ongoing standoff with the university continues. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who attended the Harvard Kennedy School, said Friday that the university is “woke” and “no longer meets the needs” of the department.
- Starting this fall, the Pentagon will discontinue the training, fellowship and certificate programs it offers to military members at Harvard — though personnel currently attending classes there will be able to finish. Hegseth said similar programs at other Ivy League schools will be evaluated in coming weeks.
On the T: The Green Line has resumed normal service this morning after a trolley derailed yesterday afternoon at Park Street and ripped up a bit of the platform. Service between Park Street and Government Center was suspended until late last night due inspections and repairs, according to the MBTA.
P.S.— The sports continue tonight at TD Garden. Boston University takes on Boston College in the men’s Beanpot final in what’s also the 300th “Battle of Comm. Ave.” between the two hockey teams. It’ll be televised on NESN and ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Foxborough Select Board Chair Bill Yukna’s last name. We regret the error.
