This topic first surfaced way back in week 17's Sunday Night Football game on NBC and became far more evident a week later when NBC covered the Wild Card playoff round. The suits at NBC had decided that, instead of promoting the fact that they would be broadcasting the Super Bowl this season, instead gave us a series of commercials about Bruce Springsteen's halftime performance. Now, I'll admit that Springsteen is a little before my time, but I've been surprised by how sportswriters and football people are swooning over "The Boss." I know he's a big rock star and all, but the NFL has had big names perform at halftime before, so what's so special about this one?
I suppose the biggest question that's bugging me is: will Springsteen bring more viewers to the game than it normally would have? I mean, I heard recently that of the top 17 rated television programs of all time, 17 were Super Bowls, so what difference does it make what the halftime show is? If you're not going to watch the game for the game's sake (or for the commercials as many non-football fans do), then are you really going to tune in for a three-song halftime performance? I guess because I'm a football fan and would be watching the game no matter who performed (I usually don't even bother watching halftime shows anyway; I even missed the "Wardrobe Malfunction" because of this, but that's what youtube is for), I don't see how this act could change someone's viewing mind.
And what if the game's a blowout in the first half? Are people that lose interest in the game going to tune back in for the halftime show? The way everyone's been gushing about Springsteen, this wouldn't surprise me, and this is hard to understand. Most halftime shows are only mediocre: the sound's usually bad, they rush a bunch of idiot fans down to the field to act like they're having a great time, and it's over in 12 minutes or less. That's three songs (or two if Springsteen stops in the middle for one of his long personal stories that he evidently is famous for at concerts). And anyone trying to tell me that this isn't a sell out by The Boss is kidding themselves. He's apparently got a new CD out/coming out, and you know at least one of the three songs he plays will be from that. Is this really so appealing that non-watchers will tune in???
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4 comments:
There is nothing special about this year's halftime show. The Boss is not a bigger star than they've had before.
However, I would say that other halftime acts have been overblown before too, like Paul McCartney at Super Bowl 39 and the Rolling Stones at Super Bowl 40. So yeah, the halftime show is being overblown, but I don't think that's anything new.
I remember those being hyped as well, but I don't remember them having quite the universal impact that Springsteen is having. Maybe this is because many of the writers I read and hear on a daily basis are of the generation that grew up or were in their twenties at the height of The Boss's popularity, but the hype definitely seems more pronounced that those previous occasions. It sounds like these guys are talking like they're legitimate fans of Springsteen as opposed to just reporting on the event.
Springsteen would make me stick around until half time in case of a blow out. If you've ever seen him live, then it's a given.
I think some of this has to do with the fact that, unlike the Stones or McCartney, he's an American icon. Also, there's the fact that Springsteen's fan base are notorious for their devotion to the man. That's not to say that Stones fans or even McCartney fans aren't loyal, but Springsteen fans hold him up to a level uncommon among rock stars.
I've certainly come to see that Springsteen is held in remarkably high esteem by his fans. I can understand that a big Springsteen fan might sit through a terrible game if it meant getting to see him, even if just for three songs. But aren't most Springsteen fans the type that would be watching the game already? Do we really need the media blitz to promote this performance? I've just never seen anything like this with previous performers. Even ESPN is using Springsteen music in all of their Super Bowl coverage. Is it the fact that he's American where the Stones and McCartney are not?
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