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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made an impassioned defense of the decision to choose Bad Bunny to perform the halftime show at this season's Super Bowl.
The Puerto Rican artist will take center stage during the NFL's flagship game in San Francisco in February, a decision which has sparked backlash from the likes of Donald Trump.
MAGA commentators hit out at the decision to hand the honor to the Puerto Rican, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who recently refused to tour in the US over concerns that his shows would be targeted by ICE agents.
But Goodell insists the NFL are happy with the call, which was made with the help of Jay Z's Roc Nation company.
'He's one of the leading and most popular in the world. That's what we try to achieve,' he said at the NFL's league meetings in New York on Wednesday.
'It's an important stage for us, an important element to the entertainment value. It's carefully thought through. I think it's going to be an exciting and a united moment.'
'I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. It's pretty hard to do when you literally have millions of people who are watching.
Roger Goodell has made an impassioned defense of Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl
The decision to select the Puerto Rican sparked backlash from the likes of Donald Trump
'But we're confident it's going to be a great show. He understands the platform that he's on. The show will evolve from here. I'm not saying there won't be additional talent but that's always the way it works.'
House Speaker Mike Johnson, for one, called for Grammy Award-winning country singer Lee Greenwood to perform his 1984 hit, ‘God Bless The USA,’ while other conservatives have named country legend George Strait as a good choice for Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara.
Some critics went so far as to launch a petition demanding Strait replace Bad Bunny, whom they criticized for his gender-bending on-stage antics.
‘The Super Bowl halftime show should unite our country, honor American culture, and remain family-friendly, not be turned into a political stunt,’ read the petition.
‘Bad Bunny represents none of these values; his drag performances and style are the opposite of what families expect on football’s biggest stage.
‘Again, George Strait embodies unity, tradition, and the timeless American music that truly deserves the 2026 Super Bowl spotlight.’
The petition names the NFL, Goodell and Roc Nation as the key ‘decision makers’ on the halftime show.
Roc Nation, the brand famously launched by rapper Jay-Z, has produced the Super Bowl halftime show since the 2019 season and is primarily responsible for choosing the performers.
In fact, Roc Nation added Bad Bunny to the Super Bowl lineup in February of 2022 behind headliners Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, although that decision garnered much less criticism.
