Let’s just address the elephant in the room.
Obviously, the NFL is trying to cater to international audiences – and fans across all political spectrums – by bringing Bad Bunny to the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Among that, they’ll trot out feel-good flag football segments all week—celebrating its Olympic debut and youth growth—but it’ll feel like another box-checking moment amid the chaos.
You’ll see DraftKings/FanDuel spots every break pushing parlays, while PSAs urge ‘responsible gaming’ and mental health breaks. It’s the same league that profits billions from betting partnerships while preaching wellness—classic mixed messages.
And then all of the sudden, there’s a political statement about ICE in Minnesota.
It’s a lot. And it shouldn’t be.
In recent years, following a near PR disaster by blackballing Colin Kaepernick from the NFL following his as respectable as possible National Anthem protest, the NFL decided to hop on the social justice bandwagon.
Some might think it was an effort to regain younger generation viewership, but I want to believe the NFL is actually a good company and not fraudulent and focused on money-making more than anything else.
I just want to say this right now: expect there to be talk about immigration and ICE incidents, like those in Minnesota, during Super Bowl week. The players will probably be asked about it. Bad Bunny will obviously be speaking on it. It’s just going to happen.
Oh, and ICE will actually be conducting immigration enforcement at Super Bowl XL because the first place an undocumented immigrant will be at is the biggest televised event of the year.
Bad Bunny skipped U.S. tour dates over fears of ICE raids, so he’s bringing a massive Latino/global appeal. If the U.S. government was smart, they’d also know this is ultimately going to bring more money to the host city – you know, a U.S. city.
Trump won’t be there, pegging Bad Bunny and opening act Green Day as “hatred” filled artists and claiming the game is “too far.”
“I have the responsibility to make sure everybody who goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave safely. That’s what America’s about,” Noem said. “They suck, and we’ll win,” Noem said of the NFL. “God will bless us, and we’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day. And they won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe.”
Honestly, fans will just want football. The NFL should not get involved, should not post any ads in any regard. Football’s purpose is like that of any level of entertainment, it should provide an escape.
Sure, art and entertainment have a duty to stand on something, but with the severity and intensity of how things are today, fans right now need a place to run from this turmoil.
Football should be the one place we can all agree to disagree—or better yet, forget the disagreements for three hours. In a year of division, lives lost in enforcement ops, and endless culture wars, the NFL isn’t equipped (or shouldn’t try) to lead serious advocacy.
Take their messages with a grain of salt, mute the pre-game noise, and just watch the game. That’s the escape we need right now.
First & Jenn 
Leave a comment