As we inch closer and closer to Super Bowl weekend, more and more about the controversy surround Bad Bunny as the halftime performer is coming out.
The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell are standing by their decision to tap the Puerto Rican superstar for the Super Bowl halftime show. And it’s not like that decision came out of nowhere (and isn’t backed up by the numbers). Bad Bunny is undoubtedly a musical powerhouse when it comes to global reach and popularity. He boasts 77.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and he made history when he became the first ever artist to capture the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with an all-Spanish language project.
If the NFL wants to try and expand its empire into Latin America… it’s a no-brainer. But even with Bad Bunny making sense from a global outreach perspective… does it make sense for NFL fans? Probably not… and a number of people, both executives and player alike, in the National Football League aren’t exactly on board with the polarizing selection.
This past week, it was revealed that an NFL owner told Roger Goodell that he “should have thought through” the decision more. And The Athletic recently shared that there are a number of NFL players who aren’t happy with the league choosing Bad Bunny. This year, an anonymous survey that is sent out to the football players all across the league asked, “Do you like the NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show?” 58.6% of those surveyed said that they do like the pick, while 41.4% answered that they weren’t fans.
Then some of the players got into the specifics of why they didn’t like the NFL’s call to bring in Bad Bunny:
Offensive player in the NFC: “I don’t even know who Bad Bunny is. I always think it should be an American. I think they’re trying too hard with this international stuff.”
Offensive player in the NFC: ““I do not like it. (I’d prefer) anyone who’s synonymous with football and football culture. I feel like there’s tons of artists out there who are fans of the game.”
AFC player: ““I think there are better examples of character and morality.”
Just to be clear, Bad Bunny is an American… since Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, and people born there are American citizens. They don’t pay taxes and don’t vote, but they can freely move to the United States and then would be allowed to do so. But geography lessons aside, that doesn’t mean the performance will be “pro-America” at all… Bad Bunny has been a voice for all Latinos, and he proved at the Grammys that he is certainly opposed to ICE. I think we can guarantee that some kind of political statement will be made during the halftime performance, one that will certainly be divisive for NFL fans, and aimed at President Trump.
And this is nothing new… we see sports leagues and other entertainment industries, businesses and brands, etc… sell out their loyal fans to try and reach a new type of consumer. Bud Light did it with their Dylan Mulvaney stunt, in recent years NASCAR has been accused of ignoring to their diehard fans in order to appeal to new fans in urban areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and Mexico City. But given the political climate in America right now, the Bad Bunny choice feels EXTRA divisive, and offers no real connection to San Francisco where the Super Bowl is being held. When the Super Bowl was in Miami a few years back, it was co-headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, and included guest appearances by Bad Bunny and J Balvin. There were a few complaints about the Spanish singing, but overall, it didn’t feel divisive or like it was sending a message, it felt cultural and on brand for the city of Miami.
On the flip side, there were a number of players who voiced some concern with the selection, but ultimately thought that Bad Bunny would put on a good show:
Defensive player in the NFC: “I’ve heard his music obviously, but I don’t speak Spanish so I’m not a big fan. But I do think it’s cool to have him, because America is based on diversity. America was built on immigration. So I feel like having him just furthers that American dream. I like it. I like the choice.”
NFC player: ““I think it’s pretty awesome. Some of his music is really good, man. When I was training, I heard it in Florida. I heard his music all the time. And it’s a bop, man.”
It’s certainly an interesting situation for the National Football League… but even with all of the backlash – and now NFL players even coming out and saying it wasn’t the right move – I think Roger Goodell knows that everyone is still going to tune into the “Big Game” on February 8, regardless of who the halftime show consists of.
And if you think people are mad now, just wait until Bad Bunny makes some kind of political statement that infuriates both the President, and many of his top supporters…
