Bad Bunny didn’t even hit the Super Bowl stage yet, and somehow he was already fumbling the locker room.
According to reports, nearly half of NFL players are not feeling his upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show. That’s right. Before the lights, the dancers, and the inevitable camera cuts to confused celebrities, a solid chunk of the league already have stamped this performance with a big, bold “meh.”
In a survey released by The Athletic on Monday, February 2, 41.4 percent of players said they did not “like” the rapper, 31, being chosen as halftime performer.
“I don’t even know who Bad Bunny is,” an anonymous offensive NFC player said. “I always think it should be an American. I think they’re trying too hard with this international stuff.”
Another anonymous NFC offensive player said he’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.”
“I think there are better examples of character and morality than Bad Bunny,” an AFC offensive player said.
“I’ve heard his music obviously, but I don’t speak Spanish so I’m not a big fan,” an NFC defensive player said. “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.”
One NFC offensive player admitted he had “never listened” to Bad Bunny’s music, but acknowledged it was a smart business decision for the NFL.
“I saw on the year-end data he’s the global leader in music streams; it makes sense wanting to make this a global performance,” the player said. “Good for ratings.”
Another NFC offensive player said “Heck yeah. It’s going to be a good time. The girls like Bad Bunny, so of course, we’re going to like it.”
The split reaction says more about the NFL than it does about Bad Bunny. This is a league trying to market itself globally while some of its players still think the world stops at the end zone. Bad Bunny isn’t just an artist, he’s a global brand. Stadiums sell out, charts breaks and Grammys stack up. The man doesn’t need validation from a defensive tackle in Ohio. Also, Mr. Bunny is from Puerto Rico, so he is an American. No one has ever accused NFL players of being smart.
Meanwhile, the NFL is probably loving this. Controversy equals clicks. Mixed reactions equal engagement and engagement equals money. They didn’t pick Bad Bunny to make everyone comfortable. They picked him to make noise and it’s working!
