SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In a similar vein as the halftime show growing into a larger production and cultural phenomenon year over year, each Super Bowl venue tries to outdo its predecessors with a signature — and typically outlandish — game day menu items.

At Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, that is hands-down the “LX Burger.” There is very little resembling a hamburger in the “LX,” a braised veal shank with a blue cheese sauce consisting of a Mire Poix demi-glace and Point Reyes blue fondue, served on a house-baked brioche bun.

The price is a staggering $180, with a recommended serving for four. By comparison, that price tag could also secure 18 hot dogs at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. But Bob Riley and his fellow Seahawks friend from Orange County plunked one down hours before kickoff on Sunday, he proclaimed with a smile, “We don’t care!”

The behemoth attracted onlookers and more picture requests than the various super fans roaming the concourse from either team.

“Oh my gosh, you got one of those?” inquired a Patriots fan from Texas.

After taking down about two-thirds of the “burger,” Bob and friend headed off — perhaps to wash it down with a $36 double tequila sunrise or $22.50 premium draft beer.

They left the rest to some curious Seahawks and Patriots fans who found a common zeal in finishing off the lamb shank.

–A smattering of players from both teams began to take the field about two hours before kickoff, under a blazing blue sky with a “real feel” temperature of 75 degrees. The forecast is for clouds to roll in and for the game-time temperature to be in the mid-60s.

Patriots rookie kicker Andy Borregales was among the first players out on the field. He was extremely accurate working the hash marks back from 35 to 50 yards without pads on.

Kicking into a slight breeze toward the north end zone, Borregales didn’t miss until tugging one left from 60 yards from the left hash. He then nailed a kick from 61 yards off the right hash.

Borregales then moved to midfield to attempt a pair of 60-yarders from between the hashes. The first missed right while the second came up just short of the crossbar.

On the other side of the field, Seahawks linemen went through pre-game blocking drills while the receiving group caught passes.

About 45 minutes later, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold took the field in uniform. He worked through light throws from 20 yards and in towards Seattle’s end zone on the south end. After dealing with an oblique injury throughout Seattle’s playoff run, Darnold practiced in full leading up to Super Bowl LX.

The Patriots were the first team to take the field in full uniform, just over an hour before kickoff.

The Seahawks joined three minutes later, greeted to a loud applause and chants of “Sea-Hawks!.” … There is a noticeably larger contingent of Seahawks fans in attendance, aided by the shorter travel distance and with Alaska, American and United airlines adding more direct flights from Seattle to the Bay Area leading up to the game

–Derek Harper, Field Level Media

Bennett Stirtz scored a career-high 36 points and Tavion Banks added 13 as Iowa defeated visiting Northwestern 76-70 on Sunday in Iowa City, Iowa, to extend its winning streak to six games.

Iowa (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten) eclipsed last season’s total for overall and conference victories behind a plus-12 rebounding margin and a 16-point edge in points in the paint.

After leading by as many as 14 points after halftime, the Hawkeyes saw the Wildcats draw within three on Nick Martinelli’s jumper with nine minutes left to cap a 7-0 run.

Iowa limited Northwestern to four field goals the rest of the way.

Stirtz, who has scored at least 20 points in each game during the streak, consistently had the answer. He swished a stepback 3-pointer to push the advantage to nine points with 3:38 remaining, while his layup put the Hawkeyes up five with 1:40 to go.

The Wildcats (10-14, 2-11) cut the deficit to 74-70 on a Martinelli trey with 29 seconds left but Cooper Koch got open for a breakaway dunk off the ensuing inbounds pass.

Northwestern entered Sunday averaging 8.2 turnovers per game this season, fewest in NCAA Division I. The Wildcats had eight giveaways in the first half and 10 for the game

Martinelli paced Northwestern with 21 points. Freshman Jake West added a career-best 18 of 7-of-8 shooting, including a fast-break dunk over Alvaro Folgueiras, who stands seven inches taller. Tre Singleton chipped in 10 points for the Wildcats before fouling out.

Martinelli, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, and reserves Angelo Ciaravino and Arrinten Page each were whistled for three fouls in the first half.

Iowa took advantage, hitting 17 of 22 free throws en route to taking a 39-35 lead into halftime.

Stirtz shined in the closing minutes. His driving layup with 3:40 left in the first half ended a field goal drought of 3:53 and started a stretch in which he scored 10 successive Iowa points in less than two minutes.

Stirtz influenced the game even when he didn’t score, as Jayden Reid was called for a technical foul for trash-talking Stirtz after knocking the ball away on a layup attempt.

Banks grabbed a game-high seven rebounds while Ciaravino led Northwestern with five boards.

Iowa stretched its home winning streak against Northwestern to 11 games.

–Field Level Media

MILAN, Italy — Ilia Malinin lifted the United States above Japan to the top of the podium of the figure skating team event at the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday, where home team Italy captured bronze.

With the U.S. and Japan tied going into the men’s free skate, the 21-year-old Malinin was not at his best but was still good enough to lead the U.S. to a second successive Olympic team title.

Malinin had been expected to perform seven quads in his free skate but ended up attempting only five, and even those were not flawless as he stumbled out of his quad Lutz. He turned two planned quads – including the quad Axel – into triples.

But he salvaged his program with a huge quad toeloop followed up by a quad Salchow, both in combinations.

His score of 200.03 was almost 40 points less than his season’s best but still good enough to defeat Japan’s Shun Sato, who went after Malinin but was unable to match his rival’s technical ability.

The U.S. finished with 69 points, one more than Japan, while Italy took bronze with 60 points.

JAPAN FIGHT BACK

Japan came into the final day of the team competition trailing the U.S. by five points but their gold medal hopes were given new life with stunning performances from Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara in the pairs and Kaori Sakamoto in the women’s free skate — leaving them tied with the U.S heading into the final men’s free skate.

The Japanese pairs world champions opened with a triple twist lift and Miura was left punching the air in delight as the duo closed their program with Kihara lifting her above him into their final pose — a performance that earned them a season-best 155.55 from the judges.

“We were trying to aim for about 145 or a little bit higher, and when we saw that it was 155, there was so much joy… we were overwhelmed with emotions,” a teary-eyed Miura told reporters following the rousing performance which left Japan trailing the U.S. by just two points with two segments to go.

Japan pulled into a tie with the U.S. when Sakamoto delivered a spellbinding performance that earned her top place in the women’s free skate with 148.62 points.

American Amber Glenn had to settle for third behind Sakamoto and Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova after she endured two botched landings at the start of her routine – a result which wiped out the United States’ lead heading into men’s free skate.

“I just physically didn’t feel great,” Glenn said.

“My legs were feeling heavy, I was tired. I just didn’t feel my best.”

U.S. hopes of defending their gold medal from Beijing then rested on the shoulders of self-described “Quad God” Malinin, who made up for his disappointing short program on Saturday by winning the point America needed to top the podium.

Malinin remains the runaway favorite to win gold in the individual event at his first Olympic Games.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media