LIII, Kap and Maroon 5

AROUNDTHE BLOCK

I learned today…

SUPER BOWL LIII EDITION

I learned today that there’s a controversy surrounding the halftime show of Super Bowl LIII (full disclosure: I don’t know what LIII stands for…I dropped out of Roman Numerals III in my semester abroad at the Sapienza University of Rome before we got to the ‘Ls').

Now, just to be clear, I watch NFL football whenever I can. And, watching the game on Super Bowl Sunday is “must-see” TV for me, even when the Super Bowl doesn’t involve my favorite team, the 49er’s. So that means I’ve watched a number of games in the last several years with no rooting interest. (I can’t say exactly how many years because I can’t do the math – LIII-XLVII=???!!!).

But I’ve never been a big fan of the overwrought, over-produced, over-loud halftime show (Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” notwithstanding).

So, when my sister-in-law, Alysa, mentioned that there’s a controversy this year I decided to look into it. And, I went to my go-to source for football news, The Atlantic.

Yes, Alysa, there is a controversy.

According to The Atlantic:

“The issue of race has indeed put the 2019 halftime show—and the game around it—in a strange spot. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 decision to begin kneeling during the national anthem at the beginning of games, a gesture against institutional racism, set off a domino line that’s still falling today. Kaepernick spurred a protest movement among players, which drew an intense backlash that Donald Trump gleefully stoked. The situation has built to the point where even the most milquetoast entertainer will have a tough time navigating halftime.

“Into this maelstrom comes the supposed diversion of the halftime show. Rihanna, Jay-Z, and other stars have spoken publicly about declining the 2019 gig out of allegiance to Kaepernick’s cause. And the comedian Amy Schumer said she turned down a Super Bowl commercial because of the athlete. Still, after a reportedly difficult search, a willing headliner was found: Maroon 5, the Los Angeles septet that’s released airy-voiced diet-pop-rock smashes since 2002.”

Now that I was up-to-speed on the controversy I realized that there were other things I had to learn today: who (or what) is Maroon 5? And why, if it's a septet, they're called Maroon 5? (And, yes doubters out there, I do know who Rihanna, Jay-Z and Amy Schumer are).

So, I also learned today that Maroon 5 is (according the The Atlantic…my go-to source for popular music) “a suitably bland choice for the Super Bowl stage, in line with the smiley mass appeal of the previous performers Coldplay and Bruno Mars…” And, is fronted by Adam Levine, who I know, of course, as one of the judges on The Voice (courtesy of my wife, Sharon – wow, two family shout-outs in one post!). Maroon 5 will be backed by Travis Scott and Outkast rapper Big Boi (I have no idea who they are but I don’t think they’re judges on The Voice. And I still haven't learned why there are seven people in Maroon 5).

But what of the controversy?

Well, there is a ‘Boycott the Super Bowl Half-Time Show’ drive to pressure performers to back out of the event in support of Kaepernick and his  #TakeAKnee movement to protest racial injustices.

As The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber writes (my go-to source for boycotts):

“But a boycott drive is a boycott drive: The point, for Kaepernick’s supporters, is that no one should sing. And so, a petition with 112,000 signatures and counting calls for Maroon 5 to drop out of the Super Bowl, and some celebrities, such as Schumer, have echoed the message. The band’s keyboardist, PJ Morton, told People that they thought carefully about whether to play, and decided they could toe the line: ‘We can support being against police brutality against black and brown people and be in support of being able to peacefully protest and still do our jobs. We just want to have a good time and entertain people while understanding the important issues that are at hand.’” 

To no one’s surprise, earlier this week the ever-courageous NFL said the band would skip the traditional pregame press conference, a likely attempt to sidestep tough questions.

Given my earlier comments on the half-time show, I would gladly sign a petition to ban the show. It’s simply another NFL money grubbing excess (are you listening, Pepsi?). 

I fully support Kaepernick and his cause and am appalled by the fact that he has been blackballed by the NFL. Blackballed despite NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s disingenuous statement this week to the contrary, “I’ve said it many times—privately, publicly—that our clubs are the ones that make decisions on players that they want to have on their roster…I think if a team decides that Colin Kaepernick or any other player can help their team win, that’s what they’ll do. They want to win, and they make those decisions individually in the best interest of their club.”

I think there's a word for Goodell's carefully crafted,  corporate statement: BULLSHIT! 

In the words of Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, "Goodell’s job is to provide legal boilerplate in situations such as this and not give Kaepernick’s attorneys any more ammunition in their collusion case against the league."  (I know what you're thinking, "why doesn't this guy just read Sports Illustrated?")

But just as I support Kaepernick, or anyone’s right to peacefully protest injustice, I also support Maroon 5’s, Travis Scott’s and Bit Boi’s right to perform. 

Maroon 5's PJ Morton: “I think there are plenty of people — a lot of the players, to be honest — who support Kap and also do their job for the NFL. I think we’re doing the same thing. 

I agree.