title: Super Bowl LI

text: Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons, 34–28. Super Bowl LI featured the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, with the Patriots overcoming a 28–3 deficit to emerge victorious. Due to the comeback, some have nicknamed the game the "28–3". The game was also the first and currently only Super Bowl to be decided in overtime.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Patriots' victory was their fifth, moving them into a three-way tie with the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers for the second-most Super Bowl wins. After finishing the regular season with a league-best 14–2 record, New England advanced to their record-setting ninth Super Bowl appearance and their seventh under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Falcons, led by the league's top offense and MVP quarterback Matt Ryan, finished the regular season with an 11–5 record and were seeking their first Super Bowl title in their second appearance.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Atlanta scored three consecutive touchdowns to take a 21–3 halftime lead, which they increased to 28–3 midway through the third quarter. However, the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. In overtime, New England received the kickoff after winning the coin toss and drove down the field to score a touchdown to claim the Super Bowl title. More than 30 team and individual Super Bowl records were broken or matched, including Patriots running back James White's 14 receptions and 20 points scored and Brady's 43 completed passes, 62 pass attempts, and 466 passing yards. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for a record fourth time and was the oldest player to receive the honor at 39; he would surpass both records in Super Bowl LV.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Fox's broadcast of the game averaged around 111.3 million viewers, slightly down from the 111.9 million viewers of the previous year's Super Bowl, while the total number of viewers for all or part of the game hit a record number of 172 million. Average television viewership for the halftime show, headlined by Lady Gaga, was higher at 117.5 million. The game is regarded by several media outlets as the greatest Super Bowl of all time. "NFL.com"s "100 Greatest Games" ranked it ninth, the fourth-highest among Super Bowls.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The NFL selected the sites for Super Bowl 50 and Super Bowl LI at the owners' spring meetings in Boston on May 21, 2013. On October 16, 2012, the NFL announced that Reliant Stadium in Houston, which was renamed NRG Stadium in 2014, was a finalist to host Super Bowl LI. Houston then competed against the runner-up for the site of Super Bowl 50: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The South Florida bid for either Super Bowl partially depended on whether the stadium underwent renovations. However, on May 3, the Florida Legislature refused to approve the funding plan to pay for the renovations, dealing a blow to South Florida's chances. The NFL ultimately selected Houston as the host city of Super Bowl LI.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: This was the second Super Bowl to be held at NRG Stadium, the other being Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, which also featured the New England Patriots against that season's NFC South champion Carolina Panthers. It was also the third time the Super Bowl has been played in Houston, with Super Bowl VIII in 1974 having been held at Rice Stadium. With the Astros baseball team reaching the World Series eight months later, Houston would become just the fourth city to host both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same calendar year, following San Diego (1998), Detroit (2006), and Arlington, Texas (2011).


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Proposition 1, an ordinance which would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in Houston's housing, employment, public accommodations, and city contracting, was rejected by voters (60.97% opposing) during the November 3, 2015 elections. Subsequently, the NFL announced it would not alter plans to have the city host Super Bowl LI. Houston Texans owner Bob McNair donated $10,000 to Campaign for Houston, an organization that opposes the ordinance, which he later rescinded.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: In 2016, New England tied an NFL record, earning 12+ wins for the seventh consecutive season. Even though starting quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games, and All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski was lost to injury in midseason, the Patriots still recorded an NFL-best 14–2 record; their only losses were a shutout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 and a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. They scored 441 points (third in the NFL) while allowing the fewest in the league (250).


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Brady missed the first four games of the year on suspension due to a 2014–15 postseason scandal known as Deflategate. Backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett each started two games in Brady's place leading the team to a 3-1 start in Brady's absence. After his suspension ended, Brady took back command of the offense and went on to earn his 12th Pro Bowl selection, passing for 3,554 yards and 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions, while his 112.2 passer rating ranked second in the NFL. The team's leading receiver was Julian Edelman, who caught 98 passes for 1,106 yards and added 135 more returning punts. Wide receivers Chris Hogan (38 receptions for 680 yards) and Malcolm Mitchell (32 receptions for 401 yards) were also significant receiving threats. Gronkowski caught 25 passes for 540 yards before suffering a season-ending back injury in Week 13. Tight end Martellus Bennett stepped up in his absence, hauling in 55 receptions for 701 yards and a team-leading seven touchdown catches. Running back LeGarrette Blount was the team's top rusher with 1,168 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns. In passing situations, the team relied heavily on running back James White, who caught 60 passes for 551 yards and added another 166 on the ground. Running back Dion Lewis was also a valuable asset to the offense, rushing for 283 yards on offense and catching 17 passes for 94 yards.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Despite trading All-Pro outside linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns in the middle of the season, the Patriots defensive line was led by tackles Trey Flowers, who ranked first on the team with seven quarterback sacks, and Jabaal Sheard, who recorded five sacks of his own. Linebacker Dont'a Hightower earned his first Pro Bowl selection and made the second All-Pro team, compiling 65 tackles and sacks. Linebacker Rob Ninkovich also made a big impact, recording 34 tackles, two forced fumbles, and four sacks. In the secondary, cornerback Malcolm Butler led the team with four interceptions, while Logan Ryan led the team in tackles and intercepted two passes. Safety Devin McCourty ranked second on the team with 83 tackles and notched one interception while earning his third career Pro Bowl selection. The team also had a defensive expert on special teams, Matthew Slater, who made the Pro Bowl for the sixth consecutive year.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: By advancing to play in Super Bowl LI, the Patriots earned their NFL-record ninth Super Bowl appearance, as well as their seventh in the past 16 years under Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots have also participated in the only other Super Bowl to be held at NRG Stadium; they won Super Bowl XXXVIII over the Carolina Panthers by a 32–29 score 13 years earlier. The Patriots entered Super Bowl LI with an overall record of 4–4 in their previous eight Super Bowl appearances, with all four of their wins and two of their four losses coming under the leadership of Belichick and Brady.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: With his appearance in Super Bowl LI, Belichick broke the tie of six Super Bowls as a head coach that he had shared with Don Shula. It was also his record tenth participation in a Super Bowl in any capacity, which overtook the mark of nine that he had shared with Dan Reeves. This was also Brady's seventh Super Bowl appearance, the most appearances by a player in Super Bowl history.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Atlanta Falcons, under second-year head coach Dan Quinn, finished the 2016 season with an 11–5 record, earning them the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. It was a major reversal of declining fortunes for the team, which had failed to qualify to play in the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Falcons were loaded with offensive firepower, leading all NFL teams in scoring with 540 points under the leadership of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Nine-year veteran quarterback Matt Ryan earned the NFL MVP and the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, as well as his fourth career Pro Bowl selection, leading the league in passer rating (117.1). While he ranked only ninth in completions (373), his passing yards (4,944) and touchdowns (38) both ranked second in the NFL. His primary target was receiver Julio Jones, who caught 83 passes for 1,409 yards (second in the NFL) and six touchdowns. But Ryan had plenty of other options, such as newly acquired wide receivers Mohamed Sanu (59 receptions for 653 yards) and Taylor Gabriel (35 receptions for 579 yards and six touchdowns). Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freeman was the team's leading rusher, with 1,078 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 4.8 yards per rush. He was also a superb receiver out of the backfield, catching 54 passes for 462 yards and two more scores. Running back Tevin Coleman was also a major asset on the ground and through the air, with 520 rushing yards, 31 receptions for 421 yards, and 11 total touchdowns. The Falcons also had an excellent special teams unit led by veteran kick returner Eric Weems. His 24 punt returns for 273 yards gave him the sixth highest return average in the NFL (11.4), and he added another 391 yards returning kickoffs. Pro Bowl kicker Matt Bryant led the league in scoring with 158 points while also ranking third in field goal percentage (91.8%). Atlanta's offensive line featured center Alex Mack, who earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Falcons' defensive line was led by defensive ends Adrian Clayborn, who recorded five sacks and a fumble recovery, and long-time veteran Dwight Freeney, who ranks as the NFL's 18th all-time leader in sacks (). Behind them, linebacker Vic Beasley was the team's only Pro Bowl selection on defense, leading the NFL in sacks with ; he also forced six fumbles. Rookie linebacker Deion Jones was also an impact player, leading the team in combined tackles (108) and interceptions (three). The Falcons' secondary featured hard-hitting safety Keanu Neal, who had 106 tackles and forced five fumbles. Safety Ricardo Allen added 90 tackles and two interceptions. But overall, the defense ranked just 27th in the league in points allowed (406).


title: Super Bowl LI

text: This game marked the Falcons' second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, after having lost Super Bowl XXXIII in January 1999 to the Denver Broncos.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Patriots, with the AFC's #1 seed, began their postseason run by defeating the fourth-seeded Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, 34–16. The next week, in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots defeated the third-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers 36–17.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Falcons, with the NFC's #2 seed, began their postseason run by defeating the third-seeded Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round, 36–20, racking up 422 yards. The next week, in the last NFL game ever played at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons racked up 493 total yards as they defeated the fourth-seeded Green Bay Packers 44–21 to win the NFC Championship.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Falcons elected to wear their red home jerseys with white pants, which meant that the Patriots wore their white road jerseys. The game featured Atlanta's #1 scoring offense versus New England's #1 scoring defense. This was the sixth Super Bowl since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 to feature a #1 scoring offense against a #1 scoring defense, with the team with the #1 scoring defense winning four of the previous five matchups.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Fan-oriented activities during the lead-up to Super Bowl LI were centered around the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green park. Discovery Green hosted Super Bowl Live, a 10-day festival which featured live concerts and other attractions, including projection shows, fireworks shows, and a virtual reality attraction, "Future Flight", in conjunction with NASA. The neighboring George R. Brown Convention Center hosted the annual NFL Experience event, which featured interactive activities and appearances by players. Super Bowl Opening Night, the second edition of the game's revamped media day, was held on January 30, 2017 at nearby Minute Maid Park.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Super Bowl Live was organized by the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, which was led by Honorary Chairman James A. Baker, III, Chairman Ric Campo, and President and CEO Sallie Sargent.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: According to Bloomberg story two most anticipated pre-Super Bowl parties were invite-only 13th annual ESPN party and the "Rolling Stone" party. ESPN party was hosted by Fergie and DJ Khaled and took place in a 65,000-square-foot warehouse in the Houston Arts District. The Rolling Stone party celebrated the magazine 50th anniversary. It took place at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and featured the performance of Big Sean, DJ Cassidy, Nas, Diplo and Busta Rhymes.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Patriots stayed at the JW Marriott Houston and practiced at the University of Houston. The Falcons stayed at the Westin Houston Memorial City and practiced at Rice University.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: In the beginning of February 2017 the NFL and law enforcement announced that tickets to Super Bowl LI would feature heat-sensitive logos to deter counterfeit tickets. On the front of each ticket was a full polymer graphic that was raised and the back featured a true color security label with Houston's skyline and the Super Bowl logo. The final security feature was a graphic on the lower portion of the back of each ticket printed with thermochromic ink. The HTX logo and the NRG Stadium image faded when heat was applied and returned when the heat source was removed.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: In late 2016, Uber had threatened to leave Houston ahead of the Super Bowl LI festivities, insisting various city regulations, including fingerprint background checks of drivers, were too burdensome and prevented drivers from working. Houston officials and Uber reached a compromise in December, which determined that Houston would continue to require a fingerprint check for drivers but eliminate requirements for driver drug testing and physicals through at least February 5.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: In the United States, Super Bowl LI was televised by Fox, as part of a cycle between the three main broadcast television partners of the NFL. The game was carried in Spanish by sister cable network Fox Deportes. Online streams of the game were provided via Fox Sports Go; although normally requiring a television subscription to use, Fox made the service available as a free preview for the Super Bowl. Due to Verizon Communications exclusivity, streaming on smartphones was exclusive to Verizon Wireless subscribers via the NFL Mobile app.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: As with Super Bowl 50, the stadium was equipped for Intel freeD instant replay technology, using an array of 36 5K resolution cameras positioned around the stadium to enable 360-degree views of plays. Fox introduced a new feature utilizing the system known as "Be the Player", which composited the various camera angles into a single view of a play from the point-of-view of a player on the field. Fox constructed a temporary, two-floor studio in Discovery Green, which originated pre-game coverage, and broadcasts of Fox Sports 1 studio programs during the week leading up to the game, such as "Fox Sports Live with Jay and Dan", "The Herd with Colin Cowherd", "", "NASCAR Race Hub", and "UFC Tonight".


title: Super Bowl LI

text: An average of 111.3 million viewers watched Super Bowl LI, marking Super Bowl's second consecutive year of average viewership drop since its all-time average high in 2015. However, viewership steadily increased since the end of halftime when it eventually tallied the first, and so far only, overtime game in Super Bowl history. Fox and NFL stated that 1.72 million viewers utilized its online streams, and by the conclusion of overtime, the broadcast gained 172 million viewers (more than half of the U.S. population of 340 million people that same year). This was the largest overall audience ever tallied by any broadcast in U.S. television history.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Fox set the base rate for a 30-second commercial at $5 million, the same rate CBS charged for Super Bowl 50, leading to advertising revenue of $534 million for the single day event. Snickers announced that it would present a live commercial during the game. Nintendo broadcast an ad showcasing its upcoming Nintendo Switch video game console. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles broadcast three spots for Alfa Romeo, as part of an effort to re-launch the Italian brand in the U.S.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: A spot from longtime advertiser Budweiser garnered controversy before the game for depicting Anheuser-Busch co-founder Adolphus Busch's emigration to the United States from Germany, its broadcast coming on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump signing an executive order that bans travelers from several Muslim nations. Meanwhile, 84 Lumber aired a commercial depicting a mother and daughter journeying from Mexico to the United States, which had been edited following Fox's objection to its depiction of a border wall for sensitivity reasons.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Many films were advertised with "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "Logan", "", "", "The Fate of the Furious" and "Ghost in the Shell". AMC and Netflix advertised their shows, "The Walking Dead" and "Stranger Things", respectively, while Fox-owned National Geographic Channel teased its new historical anthology drama series "Genius" with an ad featuring Albert Einstein and a nod to Lady Gaga's halftime performance.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Fox was able to earn an estimated $20 million by airing four extra commercials due to the additional overtime period. Even without historical precedent, Fox negotiated deals with a handful of advertisers in case overtime were to occur.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Canadian broadcast rights to Super Bowl LI were subject to a still-ongoing legal dispute; although U.S. network affiliates are carried by pay TV providers in the country, Canadian law grants domestic broadcast stations the right to require that these signals be substituted with their own if they are carrying the same program in simulcast with a U.S. station ("simsub"). This policy is intended to help protect Canadian advertising revenue from being lost to viewers watching via U.S. feeds of a program. In 2016, as part of a larger series of regulatory reforms, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) banned the Super Bowl from being substituted under these circumstances, meaning that the telecast on CTV—a simulcast of the U.S. telecast with Canadian advertising inserted, would co-exist with feeds of the game from U.S. network affiliates. The CRTC cited dissatisfaction surrounding the practice from Canadian viewers—particularly the unavailability of the U.S. commercials, which the CRTC cited as being an "integral part" of the game based on this reception, but also other technical problems caused by poorly implemented simsubs (such as reduced quality and missing content due to mistimed transitions back into the U.S. program feed).


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The NFL's Canadian rights holder Bell Media, as well as the league itself, have displayed objections to the policy; Bell felt that the decision devalued its exclusive Canadian rights to the game, and violated Canada's Broadcasting Act, which forbids the "making of regulations singling out a particular program or licensee." On November 2, 2016, Bell was granted the right to challenge the ruling in the Federal Court of Appeal. Bell, the NFL, and government representatives from both Canada and the U.S., have lobbied the CRTC for the rule to be retracted. However, court action on the ruling was not taken in time for the game, meaning that it was in effect for the first time during Super Bowl LI. Bell Media cited the decision, among other factors, as justification for a planned series of layoffs it announced on January 31, 2017.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The simsub prohibition only applied to the game itself, and not pre-game or post-game programming (which was simulcast with Fox and subject to simsub). In an attempt to mitigate the loss of "de facto" exclusivity to the clean U.S. feeds, Bell simulcast the game across CTV Two and TSN in addition to CTV, and organized a sponsored sweepstakes in which viewers could earn entries to win cash and automobile prizes by texting keywords displayed during the Canadian telecast. "Montreal Gazette" media analyst Steve Faguy felt that these promotions were an attempt to offset the loss of viewership by carrying the game across as many of its channels as possible, and providing incentives for viewers to watch the game on CTV instead of Fox. He further noted that Bell still had exclusive rights to stream the game in Canada via CTV's TV Everywhere services, as the CRTC does not regulate web content, and Fox's online stream is only available to U.S. users. Consequently, some Canadian companies (such as Leon's and Pizza Pizza) took advantage of the CRTC decision by buying local advertising time during the game from Fox affiliates distributed in Canada in order to target these viewers, such as KAYU-TV in Spokane (which is widely carried by television providers in the significantly larger markets of Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta).


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Viewership of Super Bowl LI across the three English-language Bell Media properties broadcasting it was down by 39% in comparison to Super Bowl 50, with only 4.47 million viewers. Viewership on the French-language telecast presented by TSN's sister network RDS was in line with that of Super Bowl 50. It is not known how many Canadian viewers watched the game via Fox, as neither Nielsen or Canadian ratings provider Numeris calculate Canadian viewership of American broadcasters.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: In the United States, Westwood One carried the broadcast nationwide, with Kevin Harlan on play-by-play, Boomer Esiason and Mike Holmgren on color commentary, and sideline reports from Tony Boselli and James Lofton. The Westwood One broadcast was simulcast in Canada on TSN Radio. Each team's network flagship station carried the local feed: WBZ-FM for the Patriots (with Bob Socci and Scott Zolak announcing), and WZGC for the Falcons (with Wes Durham and Dave Archer announcing); under the league's contract with Westwood One, no other stations in the teams' usual radio networks were allowed to carry the local broadcast, and unlike in recent years when at least one of the two flagships was a clear-channel station, both the Patriots and Falcons use FM radio stations as their local flagships, limiting listenership to those within the local metropolitan areas or with access to those feeds via Sirius XM satellite radio or TuneIn Premium.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Spanish-language radio rights are held by Entravision as part of a three-year agreement signed in 2015. Erwin Higueros served as the play-by-play announcer.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The United Kingdom's BBC Radio 5 Live produced a commercial-free broadcast, with Darren Fletcher and Rocky Boiman returning.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: During pre-game festivities, the NFL honored members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame that had played college football at historically black colleges and universities. Of the 303 members of the Hall of Fame, 29 were from HBCUs.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Patriots took the field first as the designated away team to Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train". The Falcons took the field second as the designated home team to Trick Daddy's "Let's Go". Both teams' season recaps were presented by Ving Rhames.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Before the game, American country music singer and songwriter Luke Bryan sang the US national anthem. Bryan was the first male performer to sing the national anthem at a Super Bowl since Billy Joel at Super Bowl XLI. Immediately before Bryan sang the national anthem, Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones, who originated the roles of the Schuyler sisters in the Broadway musical "Hamilton", performed "America the Beautiful".


title: Super Bowl LI

text: After the national anthem, former President George H. W. Bush performed the coin toss alongside his wife, Barbara. The Patriots called heads, but the Falcons won the coin toss with tails. The Falcons chose to defer to the second half.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: On September 29, 2016, Lady Gaga, who had performed the national anthem the previous year at Super Bowl 50, confirmed that she would be performing at the Super Bowl LI halftime show on her Instagram account with the message: "It's not an illusion. The rumors are true. This year the SUPER BOWL goes GAGA!" Fox Sports president and executive producer of the show, John Entz, confirmed Gaga's involvement adding "[She] is one of the most electric performers of our generation, and we couldn't be happier with the choice to have her headline the Super Bowl LI Halftime Show... It is going to be an incredible night."


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Lady Gaga opened the halftime show with a combination of "God Bless America" and "This Land Is Your Land". Her performance also included some of her biggest hit songs, such as "Poker Face", "Born This Way", "Million Reasons", and "Bad Romance" and was accompanied by a swarm of 300 LED-equipped Intel drones forming an American flag in the sky in a pre-recorded segment.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Mohamed Sanu stated the long length of the halftime show played a part in Atlanta ultimately losing the game. Teams on average are off the field for fifteen minutes during halftime, but Super Bowl halftimes are considerably longer. Unlike the Falcons it appears Bill Belichick actually incorporated the length of the show into the team's practices. Sanu's argument was discounted by the fact that Atlanta marched the ball downfield and scored a touchdown right out of halftime.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The first quarter of Super Bowl LI was a scoreless defensive match with each team punting twice. The longest play from scrimmage was a 37-yard carry by Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, which did not lead to any points, though it would be the longest run of the game for either team.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: On the first play of the second quarter, New England's quarterback Tom Brady completed a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman on the Falcons 33-yard line. But on the next play, linebacker Deion Jones stripped the ball from running back LeGarrette Blount; the fumble was recovered by defensive back Robert Alford on the 29-yard line. On the next two plays, Matt Ryan completed passes to Julio Jones for gains of 19 and 23 yards. Freeman ran the ball on the next three plays, covering the remaining 29 yards to the end zone, with the last carry being a 5-yard touchdown run that put Atlanta on the board with a 7–0 lead.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: New England failed to get a first down on the series following the Freeman score, and the Falcons moved the ball 62 yards in five plays. Ryan started the drive with a 24-yard completion to Taylor Gabriel, then completed a pass to Jones for an 18-yard gain. On 3rd-and-9, he threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper, giving the Falcons a 14–0 lead. It was the largest deficit Brady had ever faced in his seven Super Bowl appearances, and it would soon grow larger.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: New England responded with a drive to the Falcons' 23, aided by three defensive holding penalties against the Atlanta defense, each one giving them a first down on a third down play. However, on 3rd-and-6, Brady threw a pass that was intercepted by Alford and returned 82 yards for a touchdown, increasing Atlanta's lead to 21–0. It was the first time in his career that Brady had thrown a Pick Six in his 33 postseason games, and Alford's 82-yard return was the second longest interception return in Super Bowl history.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Getting the ball back with 2:20 left in the second quarter, Brady completed a 15-yard pass to Martellus Bennett, and then a short pass to running back James White, who took off for a 28-yard gain. The drive stalled at the Falcons 20-yard line, but Stephen Gostkowski successfully made a field goal with two seconds left on the clock to send the teams into their locker rooms with the score 21–3.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: New England had an early third quarter scoring opportunity when Edelman returned a punt 26 yards to the Patriots' 47-yard line, but they could not gain a first down on the drive. Following the Patriots' punt, the Falcons started their drive on their own 15-yard line; Ryan completed two long passes to wide receiver Taylor Gabriel for gains of 17 and 35 yards to bring the ball to the New England 28-yard line. Four plays later, Ryan finished the 85-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Tevin Coleman, giving the Falcons a 28–3 lead with 8:31 left in the quarter.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: On the next series, Brady led the Patriots 75 yards in 13 plays for an answering touchdown, completing five of seven passes for 43 yards, the longest a 17-yard completion to Danny Amendola on 4th-and-3 from the New England 46-yard line. Brady, not known for running the ball, also ran for a 15-yard gain (the longest rushing play by the Patriots that day) on 3rd-and-8 from the Atlanta 35-yard line. Three subsequent carries by Blount moved the ball 15 yards to the 5-yard line, and then Brady threw the ball to White for a touchdown. Gostkowski missed the extra point, the ball hitting the goalpost, leaving the score 28–9.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: New England then attempted an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by Falcons linebacker LaRoy Reynolds, and a penalty against Gostkowski for touching the ball before it went ten yards gave Atlanta even better field position. Ryan completed a 9-yard pass to Hooper to the Patriots 32-yard-line, but on the next play, a holding penalty on Atlanta tackle Jake Matthews pushed the team back ten yards. Then, after an incompletion, Trey Flowers and Kyle Van Noy shared a sack on Ryan that forced the Falcons to punt on the first play of the fourth quarter.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Matt Bosher's 42-yard punt pinned the Patriots back on their own 13-yard line. Brady led the next drive down the field, completing three passes to wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell for 40 yards and one to Bennett for 25 to bring the ball to the Falcons 7-yard line. However, Brady was sacked twice by defensive tackle Grady Jarrett over the next three plays. The Patriots had to settle for a field goal – Gostkowski's 33-yard attempt was good. This cut their deficit to 28–12, with less than 10 minutes left in the game. Atlanta had used two of their three time outs on defense and equipment malfunction.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: On the third play of Atlanta's ensuing drive, Freeman missed his blocking assignment on a New England blitz that allowed linebacker Dont'a Hightower to sack Ryan as he was winding up for a pass, resulting in a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Alan Branch on the Falcons 25-yard line. It was Ryan's first turnover in two months. New England soon cashed in their scoring opportunity, with Brady throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to Amendola. White then took a direct snap in for a two-point conversion to make the score 28–20 in favor of Atlanta with 5:56 left on the clock.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: On the first play of Atlanta's next possession, Freeman caught a short pass from Ryan and ran it for a 39-yard gain, the longest play of the game for either team. Then on 2nd-and-9 from the Patriots 49-yard line, Ryan threw a deep pass to Jones, who made an acrobatic catch at the right sideline for a 27-yard gain, giving the Falcons a first down on the Patriots 22-yard line with 4:40 left on the clock and a chance for a late-game two-score lead that would have clinched the game. On the next play, Freeman ran for a 1-yard loss on a tackle by Devin McCourty. Atlanta tried to pass the ball on second down, but Flowers sacked Ryan for a 12-yard loss on the Patriots 35-yard line. Ryan then completed a 9-yard pass to Mohamed Sanu on 3rd-and-23 to get back into field goal range, but this was nullified by an offensive holding penalty on Matthews. Now out of field goal range and faced with 3rd-and-33 from the New England 45-yard line, Ryan threw an incomplete pass, and the team was forced to punt the ball to New England.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Bosher's 36-yard kick gave the Patriots the ball on their own 9-yard line with 3:30 left on the clock and two of their timeouts left. After two incompletions, Brady picked up a first down with a 16-yard pass to Chris Hogan. After an 11-yard pass to Mitchell, Brady threw a pass that was nearly intercepted by Alford. Instead, he batted the ball in the air, and it fell into the arms of Edelman, who made a diving catch as it bounced off Alford's shoe. Edelman just barely managed to get his hands under the ball before it hit the ground, securing the football for what would be ruled as a 23-yard pass completion. Atlanta challenged the on-field ruling, but referee Carl Cheffers announced that the call stood, and Atlanta was charged with their final timeout.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Brady's next pass to Amendola gained 20 yards to the Falcons' 21-yard line as the clock ran down below the two-minute warning. Two more passes to White gained 20 yards and gave New England a first down at the 1-yard line. With 58 seconds left, White scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and Brady completed a two-point conversion pass to Amendola, tying the score at 28 points apiece, thereby coming back from a 25-point deficit.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: With the hopes of winning their first championship on the line, Atlanta started their drive deep in their own end with just under a minute and no timeouts. The Falcons failed to get in range to score a possible game-winning field goal and punted, with the Patriots fair catching the ball at their own 35-yard line. The Patriots considered attempting a fair catch kick, which would be the first ever attempted in a Super Bowl. Instead, New England attempted a fake quarterback kneel running play for Dion Lewis, who gained several yards but failed to score. This ended the fourth quarter and forced the game into overtime, the first ever Super Bowl to go to overtime, and the first NFL title game to do so since the 1958 meeting between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Patriots won the coin toss to start overtime, and elected to receive the ball. Starting at their 25-yard line after a touchback, Brady completed passes to White, Amendola, and Hogan for gains of 6, 14, and 18 yards, respectively. Then, after White was dropped for a 3-yard loss, Brady completed a 15-yard pass to Edelman to the Falcons' 25-yard line. White then took a lateral throw from Brady to the 15-yard line.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Brady's pass to Bennett in the end zone fell incomplete, but Falcons linebacker De'Vondre Campbell was called for pass interference, giving the Patriots first-and-goal from the Falcons' 2-yard line. On first down, Brady threw another incomplete pass to Bennett that was deflected and nearly intercepted by Vic Beasley. On second down, White took a pitch and ran the ball right. He was hit by Falcons defenders at the 1-yard line but managed to stretch forward and get the ball across the goal line before his knee hit the ground, scoring the winning touchdown.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The Patriots won the game 34–28 for their fifth Super Bowl title after trailing by 25 points. It also marked the first time in NFL postseason history that a team leading by 17 points or more at the start of the fourth quarter went on to lose the game. Previously, dating back to 1940, teams leading by 17 or more points after three quarters in playoff games were 133–0 in such situations.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Super Bowl LI had more than 30 records either broken or tied by the time it was finished. Brady completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, while also rushing for 15 yards. His completions, attempts, and passing yards were all single-game Super Bowl records. Brady ultimately became the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl in which he threw a ball that was intercepted for a touchdown. He also set the career Super Bowl records for games played (7), completions (207), attempts (309), yards (2,071), and touchdown passes (15). James White caught a Super Bowl record 14 passes for 110 yards, rushed for 29 yards, and tied a Super Bowl record with three touchdowns. He also set the record for most points scored with 20. After the game, Brady said he felt White deserved the MVP award more than he did. Brady planned to give White the vehicle that has traditionally been awarded to Super Bowl MVPs (he'd given the truck he received after Super Bowl XLIX to Malcolm Butler) but found out after the game that there was no vehicle to give to White because the sponsor had decided to end its practice of donating one. Edelman caught five passes for 87 yards and returned three punts for 39 yards. Amendola recorded eight receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown. Flowers recorded six tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Patriots overall gained an NFL postseason record 37 first downs in the game.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: For Atlanta, Ryan completed 17 of 23 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Freeman was the top rusher of the game with 11 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 46 yards. Jones was Atlanta's leading receiver with four receptions for 87 yards. Robert Alford had 11 tackles (9 solo), an interception returned for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery. Grady Jarrett had five tackles and tied a Super Bowl record with three sacks.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Atlanta became the first team in Super Bowl history to return an interception for a touchdown and lose the game. Prior to Super Bowl LI, teams returning an interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl had been a perfect 12–0. New England had two turnovers for the game, while Atlanta only turned the ball over once. This made New England the fifth team to win a Super Bowl despite losing the turnover battle, joining the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowls XIV and XL, and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: The game set the record for the largest deficit overcome to win the Super Bowl (the previous record was ten points, set by the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII and matched by the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV and by the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX); it is the third-largest comeback win in NFL playoff history, behind The Comeback (32-point deficit; Buffalo Bills trailed 35–3 and won 41–38) and the between the Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2013–14 NFL playoffs (28-point deficit; Colts trailed 38–10 and won, 45–44). In addition to being the largest Super Bowl comeback, the game set the record for the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history, as no team had previously won a playoff game after trailing by 17 or more points entering the final quarter; the Patriots were trailing by 19 points at the start of the fourth quarter by a score of 28–9. The Patriots won their fifth franchise championship, all under the leadership of starting quarterback Tom Brady, the most by a single quarterback. Brady won his fourth Super Bowl MVP, the most such awards by a single player in history. This game represented the largest comeback in the history of the New England Patriots' regular season or post-season games, and Tom Brady's NFL career.


title: Super Bowl LI

text: Super Bowl LI became the first Super Bowl in history in which the winning team had never held the lead at any point during regulation time, and it also became the first Super Bowl in history in which the winning team did not score on a PAT kick, as the Patriots missed their only PAT attempt during the game, which occurred following their first touchdown, opted for two-point conversions after each of their next two touchdowns, and did not have to attempt the extra point after their game-winning touchdown in overtime.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: The MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a surface-to-surface missile manufactured by the U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin. It has a range of up to , with solid propellant, and is high and in diameter. The ATACMS can be fired from the tracked M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), and the wheeled M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). An ATACMS launch container has a lid patterned with six circles like a standard MLRS rocket lid, but contains only one missile – the identical pattern makes it more challenging for enemy intelligence to single it out as a high-value target.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: The concept of a conventional tactical ballistic missile was made possible by the doctrinal shift of the late Cold War, which rejected the indispensability of an early nuclear strike on the Warsaw Pact forces in the event the Cold War went hot. The AirLand Battle and doctrines, which were emerging in late 1970s and early 1980s, necessitated a conventional-armed (hence much more accurate) missile to strike enemy reserves, so the US Army Missile Command sponsored the Simplified Inertial Guidance Demonstrator (SIG-D) program. Within this program, Ling-Temco-Vought developed a solid-fuel analog of the MGM-52 Lance designated T-22, with a new RLG-based inertial guidance package which demonstrated unprecedented accuracy. In 1978, DARPA started the Assault Breaker technology demonstration program to attack armor formations with many mobile hard targets at standoff ranges. It utilized the T-22 missile and also the Patriot-based Martin Marietta T-16 missile with cluster warheads.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: Development of the missile now known as ATACMS started in 1980, when the U.S. Air Force decided to replace Lance with a similar nuclear- (but also chemical- or biological-) tipped solid-fuel missile dubbed the Corps Support Weapon System (CSWS). Concerned that two branches were developing too many similar missiles with different warheads, the Department of Defense merged the program with U.S. Army's Assault Breaker in 1981, and with USAF's Conventional Standoff Weapon (CSW) in 1982–1983. The new missile system, designated Joint Tactical Missile System (JTACMS), soon encountered USAF resistance to the idea of an air-launched ballistic missile. As a result, the following year the Air Force ended its participation in the non-cruise missile portion of the program, leading to the missile being re-designated as the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: In March 1986, Ling-Temco-Vought won the contract for the missile design. The system was assigned the MGM-140 designation. The first test launch came two years later, thanks to earlier experience of the company with previous programs.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: The first use of the ATACMS in combat was during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, in which a total 32 of the missiles were fired from the M270 MLRS. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, more than 450 missiles were fired. As of early 2015, over 560 ATACMS missiles had been fired in combat.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: In 2007, the U.S. Army terminated the ATACMS program due to cost, ending the ability to replenish stocks. To sustain the remaining inventory, the ATACMS Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) was launched, which refurbishes or replaces propulsion and navigation systems, replaces cluster munition warheads with the unitary blast fragmentation warhead, and adds a proximity fuze option to obtain area effects; deliveries were projected to start in 2018. The ATACMS SLEP is a bridging initiative to provide time to complete analysis and development of a successor capability to the aging ATACMS stockpile, which could be ready around 2022.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: In January 2015, Lockheed Martin received a contract to develop and test new hardware for Block I ATACMS missiles to eliminate the risk of unexploded ordnance by 2016. The first modernized Tactical Missile System (TACMS) was delivered on 28 September 2016 with updated guidance electronics and added capability to defeat area targets using a unitary warhead, without leaving behind unexploded ordnance. Lockheed was awarded a production contract for launch assemblies as part of the SLEP on 2 August 2017. In 2021, Lockheed Martin was contracted to upgrade existing M39 munitions to the M57 variant with a WDU-18/B warhead from the Harpoon missile by 2024.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: A plan announced in October 2016 to add an existing seeker to enable the ATACMS to strike moving targets on land and at sea was terminated in December 2020 to pursue other missile efforts.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: There was speculation in August 2022 that ATACMS (among a number of possibilities) was used by Ukraine for attacks on Crimean airbases that month. On 24 August, Undersecretary of Defense For Policy, Colin Kahl said: "It's our assessment that they don't currently require ATACMS to service targets that are directly relevant to the current fight. You know, we'll obviously continue to have conversations with the Ukrainians about their needs, but it's our judgment at the moment that we should be focusing on GMLRS, not ATACMS."


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: In March 2016, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon announced they would offer a missile to meet the U.S. Army's Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) requirement to replace the ATACMS. The missile will use advanced propulsion to fly faster and farther (originally out to ) while also being thinner and sleeker, increasing loadout to two per pod, doubling the number that can be carried by M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS launchers. Lockheed and Raytheon were to test-fire their submissions for the renamed Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program in 2019, with the selected weapon planned to achieve Initial Operational Capability in 2023; the initial PrSM will only be able to hit stationary targets on land, but later versions will track moving targets on land and sea. With the United States withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in August 2019, it was announced the range of the PrSM would be increased beyond the '499 km' limitation previously placed upon it by the treaty.


title: MGM-140 ATACMS

text: In June 2020, the Army had begun testing a new multi-mode seeker — an upgrade for the Precision Strike Missile — even though the missile would not enter service until 2023. The upgraded seeker is expected to be part of a major program improvement planned for 2025. In July 2021, the U.S. announced that Australia had become a partner in the PrSM Program with the Australian Army, signing a memorandum of understanding for Increment 2 of the program with the US Army's Defense Exports and Cooperation and had contributed . The United Kingdom also announced its intentions to field the PrSM starting in 2024 as part of an upgrade to the British Army’s M270 MLRS.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Megan Anna Rapinoe (; born July 5, 1985) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger and captains OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), as well as the United States national team. Winner of the Ballon d'Or Féminin and named The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019, Rapinoe won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and she played for the team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup where the U.S. finished in second place. Rapinoe co-captained the national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan from 2018 to 2020, with the team earning the Bronze medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and MagicJack in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), as well as Olympique Lyon in France's Division 1 Féminine.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe is internationally known for her crafty style of play on the field and her activism off it. Her precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil resulted in an equalizer and eventual win for the Americans after a penalty shootout. The last-minute goal received ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year. During the 2012 London Olympics, she scored three goals and tallied a team-high four assists to lead the United States to a gold medal. She is the first player, male or female, to score a at the Olympic Games, having done so twice. She won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe is an advocate for numerous LGBTQIA+ organizations, including the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally. In 2013, she received the Board of Directors Award from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. She is sponsored by Nike, Procter & Gamble, BodyArmor, Hulu, LUNA Bar, Samsung, and DJO Global, and has appeared in promotional pieces for Nike and clothing company Wildfang.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe was included in "Time" magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. In July 2022, Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe grew up in Redding, California, with her parents, Jim and Denise, and five siblings, including her fraternal twin Rachael Rapinoe. Denise and Jim raised seven children together, not all their own. Denise has a son and daughter, Michael and Jenny, from a previous marriage; then came older brother Brian and then the twins five years later. Jim and her grandfather Jack both served in the Army. She has Italian (from her paternal grandfather) and Irish ancestry. She idolized her older brother Brian and started playing soccer at age three after watching him play the sport, but he started using drugs when the girls were in second grade. When she was ten and he was fifteen, he was put in juvenile detention, and was thereafter in and out of various prisons including Pelican Bay State Prison. Brian has since made a determined effort to avoid drugs after seeing his younger sister's success in international soccer. For Rachael and Megan, soccer was a means to get away from the drug abuse that is widespread in rural California.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe spent most of her youth playing with teams coached by her father until high school. Instead of playing soccer at Foothill High School, Rapinoe played for the Elk Grove Pride club team, located south of Sacramento. She competed in track as a freshman and sophomore; competed in basketball as a freshman, sophomore, and senior; and was on the honor roll every semester of high school. Rapinoe was named "Parade" and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American as a junior and senior. She was named to McDonald's All-American Girls High School Soccer West Team in 2004. Rapinoe played for the under-14 Northern California state Olympic Development Program (ODP) team in 1999, as well as the regional ODP team in 2002.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: From 2002 to 2005, Rapinoe played for Elk Grove Pride in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) along with her sister, Rachael, and future national teammate, Stephanie Cox. She and her family commuted two-and-a-half hours from her hometown to play with the team. During the US Youth Soccer National Championships, she scored an equalizer goal in the 18th minute to tie the game 1–1 against the Peachtree City Lazers. Elk Grove United finished second at the nationals after the Lazers scored a game-winning goal in the second half.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe and her sister attended the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon. The Rapinoe twins almost committed to Santa Clara University before choosing to play for the Portland Pilots on full scholarships. Rapinoe played in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in 2004, where the United States finished third. The result was that she did not play college soccer in that year.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In 2005, as a freshman, Rapinoe helped the Pilots to an undefeated season and the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. During the College Cup quarterfinal against Notre Dame, she scored twice and served one assist, helping the Pilots win 3–1 and advance in the College Cup. During the College Cup final against UCLA, she scored one goal and served an assist helping the Pilots win 4–0. She was named NSCAA First Team All-American and was on the Soccer America First Team Freshman All-America. Rapinoe made the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship All Tournament Team and was the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. She was also named to the All-West Coast Conference First Team and the All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team. Rapinoe played and started all 25 games as an attacking midfielder, scoring 15 goals and adding 13 assists for 43 points – ranking fifth for freshman point totals in the school's history. That year, she also scored seven game-winning goals.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: As a sophomore in 2006, Rapinoe was among the nation's leading scorers with ten goals and two assists in eleven matches. During a match against Washington State University on October 5, she suffered her first season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) injury. Despite her injury, she was one of four Portland players in the program's history, including Christine Sinclair, Tiffeny Milbrett, and Shannon MacMillan, to score 25 goals and 15 assists in two seasons. In 2007, Rapinoe suffered her second season-ending ACL injury two games into the season. She was granted a medical hardship waiver by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) but did not use it.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: After taking her time to recover from her second ACL injury, Rapinoe returned for the 2008 season and was on the starting lineup in all 22 games for the Pilots. She helped the team secure a 20–2 record scoring five goals and serving 13 assists. Her 13 assists ranked first for the Pilots as well as in the West Coast Conference and she was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year. She was also named a Soccer America First-Team All-American and NSCAA Second Team All-American. Although she had one more season of college eligibility remaining due to her NCAA medical hardship waiver, she opted to enter the Women's Professional Soccer Draft instead. Rapinoe's 88-point career, including 30 goals and 28 assists, ranks tenth in the school's history despite her playing only 60 games.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe was selected second overall in the 2009 WPS Draft by the Chicago Red Stars for the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), the highest division of soccer in the United States at the time. She was on the starting lineup in 17 of the 18 games in which she appeared for the Red Stars for a total of 1,375 minutes on the pitch. Rapinoe scored two goals and assisted on three others. In August 2009, she was named to the league's All-Star Team and played in the 2009 WPS All-Star Game against Swedish Damallsvenskan champions Umeå IK. In 2010, she started in 19 of the 20 games in which she appeared for the Red Stars. She scored one goal.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In December 2010, Rapinoe signed with expansion team Philadelphia Independence after the Chicago Red Stars ceased operations. She appeared in four games and scored one goal before being traded to MagicJack (formerly Washington Freedom) while she was in Germany for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. It was reported that the "cash considerations" involved in the transfer were $100,000. The average salary for a female player in the league was $25,000. Rapinoe scored two goals in her eight regular season appearances for MagicJack helping the team finish third in the league standings and secure a spot in the playoffs. During the team's semi-final match against the Boston Breakers on August 17, 2011, Rapinoe scored in the 61st minute solidifying the team's 3–1 win and advancement to the championship final. MagicJack was later defeated 2–0 by the Philadelphia Independence in the final. On October 25, 2011, the WPS voted to terminate the MagicJack franchise, leaving Rapinoe and many other players as free agents for the 2012 season. The league suspended operations in early 2012.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In October 2011, Rapinoe signed with Australian W-League team Sydney FC as a guest player for two games. In her second game against Melbourne Victory, she scored with seven minutes remaining to seal three points for Sydney. The win was the first for Sydney during the 2011–12 season. Sydney FC went on to finish third in the regular season and advanced to the playoffs where they were defeated by Brisbane Roar in penalty kicks.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During the summer of 2012, Rapinoe joined fellow national team members Hope Solo, Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan and Stephanie Cox to play with the Seattle Sounders Women in between camps with the national team as they prepared for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Of the signing, Sounders head coach Michelle French said, "Stemming from her leadership and success at the University of Portland, Megan has continued to evolve and grow into one of the most exciting, unpredictable, creative, and flashy players in the women's game." Rapinoe made two appearances during the regular season with the team, serving two assists. With Rapinoe and her national teammates' presence on the team, the Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500 capacity Starfire Stadium. Average attendance during the 2012 season for the Sounders Women was four times higher than the next closest team.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In January 2013, Rapinoe signed for six months with Olympique Lyonnais, the French side that had previously won six consecutive French league championships and two straight European titles, for a reported €11,000 (or approximately $14,000) a month. Rapinoe played in six regular season matches for the team, scoring two goals primarily playing as a left winger in the squad's 4–3–3 formation.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut during the first leg of the 2012–13 quarterfinal against FC Malmö on March 20. She scored one goal during her 24 minutes on the pitch contributing to Lyon's 5–0 final victory. She later scored a goal and served an assist during Lyon's 6–1 win over FCF Juvisy in the second leg of the semi-finals. Rapinoe became the fifth American woman in history to play in a Champions League final when Lyon faced German side VfL Wolfsburg on May 23. Lyon was defeated 1–0 in the final. Rapinoe concluded her Champions League debut having made five appearances, scoring two goals and serving one assist.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: After returning to Lyon for the 2013–14 season, Rapinoe scored three goals in her eight appearances for the club. During the 2013–14 Champions League, she made four appearances for Lyon and scored one goal during the team's 6–0 defeat of FC Twente. Lyon was eliminated in the Round of 16. In January 2014, it was announced that Rapinoe had ended her time with Lyon earlier than planned and would be returning to the Seattle Reign for the entire 2014 season. She finished her time with Lyon having scored 8 goals in 28 matches in all competitions.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In 2013, Rapinoe joined Seattle Reign FC to which she had been previously allocated in the National Women's Soccer League. Before Rapinoe joined the squad, the team had been struggling to score goals and were in ten games. With the addition of Rapinoe, her national team and former Seattle Sounders Women teammate, Hope Solo, and some lineup changes to the front line, the Reign improved their goal-scoring ability and turned their league record around. During a match against her former team in the WPS, the Chicago Red Stars, Rapinoe played a direct role in all of Seattle's four goals – leading the team to a 4–1 win over Chicago. After scoring two goals and serving one assist during the match, she was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 16 for the 2013 NWSL season. Despite only playing approximately half of the season (12 out of 22 regular season games), Rapinoe was the Reign's leading scorer with five goals.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: After suffering a foot injury during the first home match of the 2014 season on April 14, Rapinoe sat out several games and made her second season appearance on July 3 against Western New York Flash. Her four goals and one assist during the regular season helped the Reign secure the league's regular season title (NWSL Shield) with a record and 54 points – 13 points ahead of the second place team, FC Kansas City. During the team's playoff semi-final match against Washington Spirit, Rapinoe scored a goal helping the Reign win 2–1 and advance to the championship final against FC Kansas City. Despite Rapinoe's goal during the championship final, the Reign was ultimately defeated by Kansas City 2–1.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe returned to the Reign for the 2015 season. During the team's first match against Western New York Flash, she scored her first professional hat trick and served an assist to Jess Fishlock to help the Reign defeat the Flash 5–1. She was subsequently named the league's NWSL Player of the Week for week 1 of the season.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In September 2019, the Reign FC recognized Rapinoe, along with 11 others, as a Reign FC Legend, joining the 36 previous legends.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During the 2021 season, Rapinoe scored six goals in 12 appearances for the club and co-captained the squad with Lauren Barnes. In August 2021, Rapinoe was named NWSL Player of the Month. The Reign finished in second place during the regular season with a record. After advancing to the NWSL Playoffs, they were eliminated by eventual champions Washington Spirit.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe played for the United States under-16 national soccer team in 2002 and traveled with the team to France and Houston, Texas. She also played at the United States Youth Soccer Association International Tournament in Houston in May 2003.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: From 2003 to 2005, Rapinoe played for the United States under-19 team. She made 21 appearances and scored nine goals. Her first camp with the under-19 team occurred in January 2003 in Chula Vista, California. She traveled with the team during a European tour to the Netherlands and Germany in July 2003. She scored her first goal with the team against Mexico on March 1, 2003. Rapinoe played in three matches at the 2004 CONCACAF Under-19 qualifying tournament, scoring three goals. During the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Thailand she scored a team-high three goals, including one in the third place match victory against Brazil.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe trained with the United States women's national soccer team for the first time during the team's 2006 Residency Training Camp in Carson, California. She made her debut for the senior team on July 23, 2006, during a friendly match against Ireland. She scored her first two goals on October 1, 2006, during a friendly match against Taiwan.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Due to two separate ACL injuries, Rapinoe did not play for the senior team in 2007 or 2008 and subsequently missed the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Upon her return to the team in 2009, she led the team in points with five, including two goals and one assist. She was on the starting lineup in six of the seven games in which she played the same year.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During the 2009 Algarve Cup, Rapinoe scored the game-winning goal against Norway leading the team to a 1–0 victory during the team's third group stage match of the tournament. After the U.S. finished at the top of their group, they were defeated during a penalty kick shootout by Sweden in the championship final.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In 2010, Rapinoe started eight of the ten games she played and scored four goals with two assists. Rapinoe scored against Sweden and China and twice against Guatemala at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament, in which she played three games. After the United States finished third at the tournament, they traveled to Italy to vie for a place at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in the UEFA-CONCACAF play-off against Italy. During the team's second match of the series, Rapinoe served the assist for Amy Rodriguez's game-winning goal helping the United States earn a berth to the 2011 World Cup.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe was named to the United States roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. During the team's second group stage match against Colombia, she entered the match during the 50th minute and scored almost immediately to put the United States up 2–0. Rapinoe celebrated her goal by running to the corner to the left of Colombia's goal, picking up an on-field microphone being used for the match's television broadcast, tapping it, and singing Bruce Springsteen's ""Born in the U.S.A."" into it.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During the quarterfinal match against Brazil, Rapinoe came on as a substitute and served the precise cross to Abby Wambach's equalizer goal in the 122nd minute of the game: a goal that holds the record for latest goal ever scored in a World Cup match. Rapinoe would later convert her shot during the penalty shootout to help send the United States to the semi-finals. Rapinoe described her last minute cross against Brazil: "I just took a touch and friggin' smacked it with my left foot. I don't think I've hit a ball like that with my left foot. I got it to the back post and that beast in the air just got a hold of it."


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Following the match against Brazil, Rapinoe was named ESPN's Next Level Player of the Week for completing 5 of 10 crosses while the rest of the team was 0 for 18. She served an assist in the semi-final against France in which the United States won 3–1. During the dramatic final match against Japan in front of 48,817 spectators at sold-out Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt and a record-breaking international television audience, Rapinoe served her third assist of the tournament to Alex Morgan who scored the game-opening goal in the 69th minute. The United States tied Japan 2–2 during regular and overtime leading to their second penalty kick shootout of the tournament. They were defeated 3–1 in penalties and concluded the tournament with a silver medal. Rapinoe's tournament record included one goal and three assists. She played in all six games for the United States.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe helped lead the United States to a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. During the team's second group stage match against Colombia, she scored the game-winning goal in the 33rd minute in what became a 3–0 win for the Americans. After the U.S. defeated North Korea 1–0 in their final group stage match, they faced New Zealand in the quarterfinals and won 2–0.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During a dramatic semi-final match against Canada at Old Trafford, Rapinoe scored two game-equalizing goals in the 54th and 70th minutes. Her first goal was  — a corner kick that goes untouched by another player into the net. She is the first and so far only player, male or female, to score an Olimpico at the Olympic Games. The


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: U.S. defeated Canada 4–3 with a stoppage time goal in the 123rd minute by Alex Morgan. With her two goals, Rapinoe is one of only five players, including Wei Haiying, Cristiane, Angela Hucles and Christine Sinclair, to have scored two goals during an Olympic semi-final.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: The United States team clinched the gold medal after defeating Japan 2–1 at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,203 spectators — the largest crowd ever for a women's Olympic soccer game. Rapinoe assisted on Carli Lloyd's second goal of the final in the 53rd minute. She ended the tournament with three goals and a team-high of four assists (tied with Alex Morgan). Widely regarded as one of the top players of the Olympics, Rapinoe was named to numerous 'Team of the Tournament' lists including those selected by the BBC and All White Kit.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: At the 2013 Algarve Cup in Portugal, Rapinoe was named the Player of the Tournament, despite playing in only two of the four matches in which the United States competed. She was injured in practice and did not play during the final as the team defeated Germany to win the 2013 Algarve Cup.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During a friendly match against South Korea on June 20, 2013, Rapinoe served a corner kick that ended up being the assist for Abby Wambach's record-breaking 159th international goal. Wambach's goal broke the world record for most international goals scored by a male or female. During a friendly match against New Zealand at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, Rapinoe scored the game-opening goal on a direct free kick (her 23rd international goal) to help the U.S. win 4–1 and was named Player of the Match.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In April 2015, Rapinoe was named to the roster for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada coached by national team head coach Jill Ellis. During the team's first group stage match against Australia, she scored the game opening goal in the 12th minute. She also scored a second goal in the 78th minute. With an additional goal scored by teammate Christen Press in the 61st minute, the United States won 3–1.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: During training for a Victory Tour match to celebrate the team's World Cup win in late 2015, Rapinoe tore her anterior cruciate ligament. The national team game that she was training for was later cancelled due to poor field conditions.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe was named to the United States' 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup roster in May 2019; it was her third World Cup appearance. In a 13–0 win over Thailand during the group stage of the tournament, she contributed a goal. The United States advanced to the knockout stage, where they faced Spain. Rapinoe scored twice in a 2–1 victory that sent the U.S. to a quarterfinal matchup against the host country, France. In the fifth minute, Rapinoe scored on a free kick to give the United States an early lead. She later added a second goal, and the U.S. held on to earn a semi-final berth. Rapinoe was named Player of the Match by FIFA for her performances in the round of 16 and quarterfinals.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Because of an injured hamstring, Rapinoe was forced to sit out of the United States' semi-final victory over England, but she recovered in time to start in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. During the final on July 7 in front of a sold-out crowd of 57,900 fans at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Rapinoe scored her 50th international goal on a penalty kick in the 61st minute. After a second goal by teammate Rose Lavelle, the United States defeated the Netherlands 2–0 to clinch its second consecutive World Cup championship. At age 34, Rapinoe was the oldest woman to score in a World Cup final and was named Player of the Match. She was awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the tournament with six goals, having played fewer minutes than her teammate Alex Morgan and England's Ellen White, who also recorded six goals. Rapinoe also earned the Golden Ball award as the best player at the tournament.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: On August 5, 2021, she scored twice (including a second Olympic Olimpico) in a 4–3 win over Australia in the bronze medal match of the 2020 Summer Olympics.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In February 2022, U.S. women's national team coach, Vlatko Andonovski, announced that Rapinoe would not be included on the national team roster for the SheBelieves Cup.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe has stated that she knew that she was a lesbian by her first year in college. She publicly came out in the July 2012 edition of "Out" magazine, stating that she had been in a relationship with Australian soccer player Sarah Walsh since 2009. After approximately five years together, Rapinoe and Walsh ended their relationship in 2013. Rapinoe later dated Sub Pop recording artist Sera Cahoone. Rapinoe and Cahoone announced their engagement in August 2015. In January 2017, Rapinoe stated that their wedding plans were on hold. On July 20, 2017, Rapinoe and basketball player Sue Bird of Seattle Storm confirmed that they had been dating since late 2016. In 2018, Bird and Rapinoe became the first same-sex couple on the cover of ESPN's "The Body Issue". The couple announced their engagement on October 30, 2020.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Speaking in an interview with Terry Gross on "Fresh Air", Rapinoe discussed how her older brother, who was the first to inspire her to play soccer, had suffered with drug abuse. He has also spent periods of time in jail, including solitary confinement. Rapinoe explained that during his incarceration, her brother became involved with white supremacist groups within prison.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe garnered national attention for kneeling during the national anthem at an international match in September 2016 in solidarity with NFL Colin Kaepernick. Following the match, she stated:


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe has been involved in the women's team's equal pay complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since at least 2016. In March 2019, she, along with 27 of her US Women's soccer teammates filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation accusing it of gender discrimination, hoping to achieve equal pay. In May of the following year a judge dismissed key parts of the lawsuit including the complaint over receiving lower pay than the U.S. men's team but allowed other claims to move to trial.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe has done philanthropic work for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. In 2013, she became an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In September 2017, Rapinoe and U.S. teammate Alex Morgan were part of a group of soccer players who signed up for the "Common Goal" campaign created by Juan Mata of Manchester United. As participants in the campaign, players donate one percent of their individual wages in support of other soccer-related charities. Rapinoe and Morgan were the first two women players to sign on to the campaign.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe has signed endorsement deals with Nike and Samsung. She has appeared in multiple commercials for Nike throughout her career. In 2013, she appeared in advertisements for the clothing company Wildfang and began a partnership with medical device company, DJO Global. In 2016, she appeared in television commercials and print advertisements for Energy Brands' Vitamin Water. The same year, she was featured in a Nike commercial starring Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2019, she was sponsored by Procter & Gamble, BodyArmor, Hulu, LUNA Bar, and VISA. In 2021, she was announced as one of the new faces of Victoria's Secret, and appeared in ads for Subway.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In December 2019, Rapinoe endorsed Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. During the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Rapinoe hosted a panel with frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe was featured on the cover of the March 2013 edition of "Curve". She was profiled on August 6, 2012, edition of "Sports Illustrated", and the July 2012 edition of "Out". The April 11, 2013, edition of "The New York Times" featured an article about her experiences in France, with the national team, and coming out publicly before the 2012 Olympics. In July 2014, she was featured in the ESPN's "The Body Issue". In 2019, she became the first openly gay woman in the annual "Sports Illustrated" Swimsuit Issue. She was featured on multiple covers of "Sports Illustrated", "Marie Claire", and "InStyle" the same year.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe has made appearances on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", "The Today Show", "The Rachel Maddow Show", "Meet the Press", "Good Morning America", and "Jimmy Kimmel Live". In 2012, she appeared in an ESPN feature called "Title IX is Mine: USWNT". She was the focus of a Fox Soccer feature, "Fox Soccer Exclusive: Megan Rapinoe" in November 2012.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In 2016, Rapinoe starred with teammates Hope Solo and Crystal Dunn in a docu-series called "Keeping Score" broadcast by Fullscreen. The episodes follow the athletes as they prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympics and addresses issues such as equal pay and racism. In February 2019, she was featured in Nike's "Dream Crazier" ad with Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Chloe Kim, and other women athletes. The ad appeared during the 2019 Oscars. In 2020, Rapinoe makes a cameo guest appearance on Showtime's "".


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe was featured along with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series starting in "FIFA 16", the first time women players were included in the game. In September 2015, she was ranked by EA Sports as the No. 2 women's player following teammate Carli Lloyd.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Rapinoe and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio. In October of the same year, the team was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House, and the president made note of the Northern California farm that had built a corn maze in the shape of Rapinoe's face.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Following the 2019 Women's World Cup, New York City honored the women's national team with a second ticker tape parade and were introduced by Robin Roberts at City Hall. Rapinoe and her teammates were invited to the national capitol by Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Nancy Pelosi.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In 2020, Rapinoe signed a contract to be the spokeswoman for international luxury fashion brand Loewe.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: On September 4, 2016, during a game in Chicago against the Red Stars, Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand during the anthem to protest racial injustice and minority oppression. She said at the time she planned to continue to kneel. Later that week on September 7, the Washington Spirit uncharacteristically played the national anthem prior to the teams taking the field, indicating that they did not want to "subject our fans and friends to the disrespect we feel such an act would represent". In an additional statement, the Spirit management said "to willingly allow anyone to hijack this tradition that means so much to millions of Americans and so many of our own fans for any cause would effectively be just as disrespectful as doing it ourselves."


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Rapinoe expressed displeasure with this move, saying, "it was incredibly distasteful, four days before one of the worst tragedies in our country, to say I tried to hijack this event." She continued the protest on September 15, 2016, during the national team game against Thailand. U.S. Soccer then issued a statement saying: "Representing your country is a privilege and honor for any player or coach that is associated with U.S. Soccer's National Teams. Therefore, our national anthem has particular significance for U.S. Soccer. In front of national and often global audiences, the playing of our national anthem is an opportunity for our Men's and Women's National Team players and coaches to reflect upon the liberties and freedom we all appreciate in this country. As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the national anthem is played." In addressing the issue, Rapinoe stated in an interview that "using this blanketed patriotism as a defense against what the protest actually is was pretty cowardly", and further stated that she would probably never sing the national anthem again.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In November 2020 Rapinoe published her autobiography, "One Life" () which details her early life, her career highlights and setbacks, her activism for racial and gender equality, and her personal relationships.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: Following the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Rapinoe's hometown of Redding honored her with a parade and named September 10 "Megan Rapinoe Day". She received the Harry Glickman Professional Female Athlete of the Year award at the 60th annual Oregon Sports Awards held on February 12, 2012. On October 25, 2012, she was one of ten female soccer players shortlisted for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award. The same year, she was named a finalist for "Sports Illustrated's" Most Inspiring Performers of 2012. Rapinoe was awarded the board of directors Award by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center on November 10, 2012, for bringing awareness to LGBT people in sports.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In March 2013, Rapinoe was named Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Algarve Cup, which the U.S. won. She tallied a goal and assist in two games played. After scoring two goals and serving one assist during a 4–1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on July 25, 2013, she was named NWSL Player of the Week by the media for Week 16 of the 2013 NWSL season.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In December 2014, Rapinoe was inducted into the Shasta County Sports Hall of Fame along with several other athletes from Shasta County including Ryan O'Callaghan and Ricky Ray. In 2015, she was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. Also in 2015, she was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 1 of the 2015 NWSL season.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: In 2019, Rapinoe won the Golden Boot (the second American to do so after Michelle Akers in 1999) and Golden Ball awards at the Women's World Cup in France. The same year, she was "Sports Illustrated"'s Sportsperson of the Year and was named The Best FIFA Women's Player In 2020, Rapinoe won the Best in Sports Shorty Award.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: On July 1, 2022, the White House announced that Rapinoe would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.


title: Megan Rapinoe

text: On July 7, 2022, Rapinoe was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor given to civilians, by President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House; she was among a group of 17 honorees that included Simone Biles.


title: Colombo crime family

text: The Colombo crime family (, ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was during Lucky Luciano's organization of the American Mafia after the Castellammarese War, following the assassinations of "Joe the Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, that the gang run by Joseph Profaci became recognized as the Profaci crime family.


title: Colombo crime family

text: The family traces its roots to a bootlegging gang formed by Profaci in 1928. Profaci would rule his family without interruption or challenge until the late 1950s. The family has been torn by three internal wars. The first war took place during the late 1950s, when caporegime Joe Gallo revolted against Profaci, but that conflict lost momentum in the early 1960s when Gallo was arrested and Profaci died of cancer. The family was reunited in the early 1960s under Joseph Colombo. In 1971, the second family war began after Gallo's release from prison and the shooting of Colombo. Colombo supporters led by Carmine Persico won the second war after the exiling of the remaining Gallo crew to the Genovese family in 1975. The family would then enjoy over 15 years of peace under Persico and his string of acting bosses.


title: Colombo crime family

text: In 1991, the third and bloodiest war erupted when acting boss Victor Orena tried to seize power from the imprisoned Persico. The family split into factions loyal to Orena and to Persico, and two years of mayhem ensued. It ended in 1993, with 12 members of the family dead and Orena imprisoned, leaving Persico the winner. Left with a family decimated by war, Persico continued to run the family until his death in prison in 2019, but it has never recovered. In the 2000s, the family was further weakened by multiple convictions in federal racketeering cases and numerous members becoming government witnesses. Many law enforcement agencies believe the Colombo crime family to be the weakest of the Five Families of New York City as of 2011.


title: Colombo crime family

text: In September 1921, Joseph Profaci arrived in New York City from Villabate, Sicily, Italy. After struggling in Chicago with his businesses, Profaci moved back to Brooklyn in 1925 and became a well-known olive oil importer. On September 27, Profaci obtained his American citizenship. With his olive-oil-importing business doing well, Profaci made deals with friends from his old town in Sicily, and one of his largest buyers was Tampa mobster Ignazio Italiano.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Profaci controlled a small criminal gang that operated mainly in Brooklyn. The dominant "Cosa Nostra" groups in Brooklyn were led by Frankie Yale, Giuseppe Masseria, Nicolo Schirò and "capo di tutti capi" Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila.


title: Colombo crime family

text: On July 1, 1928, Yale was murdered by Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone's hit-men. Capone murdered Yale because Yale refused to give Capone, a Neapolitan, control over the Unione Siciliana fraternal association. Yale's murder allowed Profaci and his brother in-law Joseph Magliocco to gain territory for their small gang, including territory in Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Red Hook and Carroll Gardens, while the rest of Yale's group went to the Masseria family.


title: Colombo crime family

text: On October 10, 1928, D'Aquila was murdered, resulting in a fight for D'Aquila's territory. To prevent a gang war in Brooklyn, a Mafia meeting was called on December 5, 1928, at the Statler Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. The site was chosen because it was neutral territory outside New York under Porrello crime family control and protection. The main topic was dividing D'Aquila's territory. Attendees representing Brooklyn included Profaci, Magliocco, Vincent Mangano (who reported to D'Aqulia family boss Manfredi Mineo), Joseph Bonanno (who represented Salvatore Maranzano and the Castellammarese Clan), Chicago mobsters Joseph Guinta and Pasquale Lolordo, and Tampa mobster Ignazio Italiano. At the end of the meeting, Profaci received a share of D'Aqulia's Brooklyn territory, with Magliocco as his second-in-command.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Months after the D'Aquila murder, Joe Masseria began a campaign to become "capo di tutti capi" ('boss of bosses') in the United States, demanding tribute from the remaining three Mafia groups in New York City, which included the Reina family, the Castellammarese Clan and the "Profaci family". Castellammarese Clan boss Salvatore Maranzano began his own campaign to become 'boss of bosses', which started the Castellammarese War.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Masseria, along with his ally Alfred Manfredi, the new boss of the D'Aquila family ordered the murder of Gaetano Reina. Masseria believed that Reina was going to support Maranzano in his fight to become the new 'boss of bosses'. On February 26, 1930, Gaetano Reina was murdered and Masseria appointed Joseph Pinzolo as the new boss of the Reina family. During the war Profaci remained neutral, while he secretly supported Maranzano.


title: Colombo crime family

text: The Castellammarese War ended when Charles "Lucky" Luciano, a Masseria lieutenant, betrayed him to Maranzano by setting up the murder of Masseria on April 15, 1931. Maranzano then declared himself the new capo di tutti capi in the United States.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Within a few months, Maranzano and Luciano were plotting to kill each other. On September 10, 1931, Luciano had Maranzano killed. Rather than claim the title of capo di tutti capi, Luciano instead created the Mafia Commission. Now there would be five independent Cosa Nostra families in New York City and twenty one additional families across the United States that were regulated by a supreme Commission in New York. Profaci and Magliocco were confirmed as boss and underboss, respectively, of what was now known as the Profaci crime family.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Joseph Profaci had become a wealthy Mafia boss and was known as "the olive-oil and tomato paste king of America". One of Profaci's most unpopular demands was a $25 monthly tribute from every soldier in his family. In the late 1950s, capo Frank "Frankie Shots" Abbatemarco became a problem for Joe Profaci. Abbatemarco controlled a lucrative policy game that earned him nearly $2.5 million a year with an average of $7,000 a day in Red Hook, Brooklyn. In early 1959, Abbatemarco, with the support of Gallo brothers and the Garfield Boys, began refusing to pay tribute to Profaci.


title: Colombo crime family

text: By late 1959, Abbatemarco's debt had grown to $50,000 and Profaci allegedly ordered Joe Gallo to murder Abbatemarco. However, other versions of the story indicate that Gallo played no part in this murder. In return for Abbatemarco's murder, Profaci allegedly agreed to give the Gallos control over Abbatemarco's policy game.


title: Colombo crime family

text: On November 4, 1959, Frank Abbatemarco walked out of his cousin's bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn and was shot and killed by Joseph Gioielli and another hitman. Profaci then ordered the Gallos to hand over Abbatemaro's son Anthony. The Gallos refused and Profaci refused to give them the policy game. This was the start of the first family war. The Gallo brothers and the Garfield boys (led by Carmine Persico) were aligned against Profaci and his loyalists.


title: Colombo crime family

text: On February 27, 1961, the Gallos kidnapped four of Profaci's top men: underboss Magliocco, Frank Profaci (Joe Profaci's brother), capo Salvatore Musacchia and soldier John Scimone. Profaci himself eluded capture and flew to sanctuary in Florida. While holding the hostages, Larry and Albert Gallo sent Joe Gallo to California. Profaci's consigliere Charles "the Sidge" LoCicero negotiated with the Gallos and all the hostages were released peacefully.


title: Colombo crime family

text: However, Profaci had no intention of honoring this peace agreement. On August 20, 1961, Joseph Profaci ordered the murder of Gallo members Joseph "Joe Jelly" Gioielli and Larry Gallo. Gunmen allegedly murdered Gioielli after inviting him to go deep sea fishing. Gallo survived a strangulation attempt in the Sahara club of East Flatbush by Carmine Persico and Salvatore "Sally" D'Ambrosio after a police officer intervened. The Gallos then began calling Persico ""The Snake"" because he had betrayed them. The war continued, resulting in nine murders and three disappearances.


title: Colombo crime family

text: In late November 1961, Joe Gallo was sentenced to seven to fourteen years in prison for murder. In 1962, Joe Profaci died of cancer, leaving Joe Magliocco, his longtime underboss, as the new boss. The war continued on between the two factions. In 1963, Carmine Persico survived a car bombing and his enforcer Hugh McIntosh was shot in the groin as he attempted to kill Larry Gallo. On May 19, 1963, a Gallo hit team shot Carmine Persico multiple times, but Persico survived.


title: Colombo crime family

text: In 1963, Joseph Bonanno, the head of the Bonanno crime family, made plans to assassinate several rivals on the Mafia Commission—bosses Tommy Lucchese, Carlo Gambino, and Stefano Magaddino, as well as Frank DeSimone. Bonanno sought Magliocco's support, and Magliocco readily agreed. Not only was he bitter from being denied a seat on the Commission, but Bonanno and Profaci had been close allies for over 30 years prior to Profaci's death.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Bonanno's audacious goal was to take over the Commission and make Magliocco his right-hand man. Magliocco was assigned the task of killing Lucchese and Gambino, and gave the contract to one of his top hit men, Joseph Colombo. However, the opportunistic Colombo revealed the plot to its targets. The other bosses quickly realized that Magliocco could not have planned this himself. Knowing how close Bonanno was with Magliocco (and before him, Profaci), as well as their close ties through marriages, the other bosses concluded Bonanno was the real mastermind.


title: Colombo crime family

text: The Commission summoned Bonanno and Magliocco to explain themselves. Fearing for his life, Bonanno went into hiding in Montreal, leaving Magliocco to deal with the Commission. Badly shaken and in failing health, Magliocco confessed his role in the plot. The Commission spared Magliocco's life, but forced him to retire as Profaci family boss and pay a $50,000 fine. As a reward for turning on his boss, Colombo was awarded the Profaci family.


title: Colombo crime family

text: The Commission rewarded Colombo for his loyalty by awarding him the Profaci family, which he renamed the Colombo family. The 41-year-old Colombo was the youngest boss in New York at the time, and the first New York Mafia boss to have been born and raised in the United States.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Having risen to the top of the family at such a young age, Colombo knew that he had a potentially long reign ahead of him and that if he managed to outlive his fellow New York bosses, he could become not only the most powerful boss in New York but the most powerful boss in the whole country as well. Therefore, Colombo set about reshuffling the family's ranks, placing old-time gangsters in greater positions of power than the younger, more ambitious ones who could have potentially posed a threat to his rule. Colombo promoted elderly mobsters Salvatore “Charlie Lemons” Mineo and Benedetto D’Alessandro to underboss and consigliere, respectively. In doing so, Colombo also sought to stabilize the family after enduring such a tumultuous period of conflict. When D’Alessandro later retired in 1969, Colombo promoted Joseph “Joey Yack” Yacovelli to consigliere.


title: Colombo crime family

text: Along with former Gallo crew member Nicholas Bianco and New England family boss Raymond Patriarca, Colombo was also able to finally end the war with the Gallos. As a reward for his loyalty, Bianco was inducted into the Colombo family. In 1968, Gallo crew leader Larry Gallo died of cancer.


title: Colombo crime family

text: As boss, Colombo brought peace and stability to the broken crime family. However, some Cosa Nostra bosses viewed Colombo as Carlo Gambino's "puppet boss" and felt he never deserved the title. Colombo's leadership was never challenged due to his support from Carlo Gambino.


title: Colombo crime family

text: In April 1970, Colombo founded the Italian-American Civil Rights League, dedicated to fighting discrimination against Italian-Americans. Many mobsters disapproved of the League because it brought unwanted public attention to the Cosa Nostra. Colombo ignored their concerns and continued gaining support for his league.


title: Colombo crime family

text: On June 29, 1970, Colombo held the first league rally. In 1971, months before the second demonstration, the other New York bosses ordered their men to stay away from the demonstration and not support Colombo's cause. In a sign that the New York bosses had turned on Colombo, the league's chief organizer, Gambino family capo Joseph DeCicco, resigned, ostensibly due to ill health.


title: Colombo crime family

text: In 1971, Joe Gallo was also released from prison. At the time of his release, Gallo said the 1963 peace agreement did not apply to him because he was in prison when it was negotiated. As a supposedly conciliatory gesture, Colombo invited Gallo to a peace meeting with an offering of $1,000. Gallo refused the invitation, demanding $100,000 to stop the conflict, which Colombo rejected, instigating the Second Colombo War. At that point, Colombo issued a new order to kill Gallo.


title: Colombo crime family

text: On June 28, 1971, Colombo held the second league rally at Columbus Circle in Manhattan. As Colombo prepared to speak, Jerome A. Johnson walked up to Colombo and shot him in the back of the head three times; seconds later, Colombo's bodyguards shot Johnson to death. The shooting did not kill Colombo but left him paralyzed for the last seven years of his life; he died of natural causes on May 22, 1978. Although many in the Colombo family blamed Joe Gallo for the shooting, the police eventually concluded that Johnson was a lone gunman after they had questioned Gallo.