Superbowl Halftime - Who Were They?

As per every first Sunday in February, I partake in an annual ritual called the Superbowl party. This year it found my wife and I in Newmarket. The game was pretty good as the winning team threw everything but the kitchen sink at the opponents to defeat them.

But the halftime show was terrible. I have never been so disappointed, but I'm not surprised.

Before I discuss my theory about Superbowl halftime, I am going to go over recent halftime acts BJTPO (before Janet's titty popped out, or 2004) and approximately how long these artists have been performing on the main stage when they got this gig:

• 2003 - Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting (average years: 16)
• 2002 - U2 (26 years)
• 2001 - Aerosmith, N'Sync, Britney Spears, R Kelly, Nelly (average years: 9)
• 2000 - Phil Collins, Joe, Enrique Iglesias, Babyface (average years: 11)
• 1999 - Chaka Khan, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (average years: 13)
• 1998 - TLC, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, The Temptations, Treach (average years: 20)

So let's look at AJTPO, shall we?

• 2005 - Paul McCartney (35 years not including Beatles)
• 2006 - The Rolling Stones (43 years)
• 2007 - Prince (29 years)
• 2008 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (32 years)
• 2009 - Bruce Springsteen (37 years)
• 2010 - The Who (46 years)

Before, it seemed like the NFL was booking their halftime show artists with age ranges that would cater to everyone watching. Halftime was an event not to be missed, but now Post Janet's Titty Popping Out, viewers have been subject to one artist per event, all who have been around for three decades or longer. All of the artists have been making records and performing shows before most of the players on the field were even born. And half the acts aren't even American, and only one is black. This is ridiculous.

Gone are the days where I would look forward to see which performers would be paired together. Some of the greatest performances on the Grammys and at the Superbowl were pairings and duets.

I believe that the NFL is rigging the halftime show to disinterest the Madden video-game generation, not because of Janet Jackson, but to put the emphasis back on the football being played. Since JTPO, I have remembered a lot more of the games that have taken place as opposed to how great the half-time show is. Though maybe not the greatest played games, the Superbowls AJTPO have been very close, with each game being decided in the final quarter:

• Superbowl 44 decided by an interception return with 3:12 remaining
• Superbowl 43 decided by a game winning touchdown with 0:35 remaining
• Superbowl 42 also decided by a game winning touchdown with 0:35 remaining
• Superbowl 41 decided by an interception return with 11:44 remaining
• Superbowl 40 decided by a WR option pass for a touchdown with 8:56 remaining
• Superbowl 39 decided by a field goal with 8:40 remaining

The NFL wants people to remember the game, not halftime. By using Janet Jackson as a scapegoat, the NFL is succeeding in putting the emphasis back on the game.