Yesterday, LinkedIn reached out to me, along with other members, with an invitation to share my thoughts on the Super Bowl Game. My response was straightforward: I chose not to watch the game because I felt the event did not adequately express patriotism or highlight the greatness of our country. The reactions I received were unexpectedly severe. Some responses were harsh and even accusatory; one individual labeled me a racist for not supporting an event featuring Puerto Rican performers, while a woman stated she was glad not to be in any of my classes.
Amid the criticism, one woman posed a fair question: Had I even watched the half-time show? In response, I did watch it and was genuinely impressed. The performance was outstanding, with exceptional music, talented performers, and impressive choreography. I enjoyed it thoroughly and even plan to take my extended family—many of whom are Hispanic—to a similar performance in the future. Despite this, my core belief was reinforced: while the show itself was excellent, it was not appropriate for the Super Bowl venue.
Concerns About Venue and Representation
As I reflected on the show, I could not help but think of the more than 58,000 heroes who died in Vietnam, as well as the countless men and women who have served in all our nation’s conflicts. I wondered what they would think of our premier sports event focusing almost exclusively on one ethnicity, with no English spoken throughout the performance. In my view, the event seemed to stem from a limited set of special interests. While many of these interests are honorable and appropriate, their prominence at the Super Bowl came at the expense of broader, more widely held perspectives.
I imagine there must have been intense competition among special interest groups for leadership in the half-time show. From my perspective, the Super Bowl should be an event where all Americans—regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or affiliations—come together with a single purpose: to honor America and what it stands for. My criticism is not directed at the special interests themselves, but rather at the inappropriateness of featuring any non-mainstream special interests, not conducted in English at what should be a non-partisan, ethnically balanced event that celebrates the unity and diversity that make our country exceptional
Reflections on the NFL’s Role and Decision-Making
I am still trying to determine whether the NFL was inattentive during the event selection process, acted on its own biases, or was overly influenced by the most persuasive special interests. In my opinion, the NFL would benefit from engaging and listening to a truly representative cross-section of our country when selecting and vetting participants and sponsors for such significant events. One might have thought that the previous controversy surrounding Dylan Mulvaney and the Bud Light commercials would have prompted the NFL to be more attentive to the views and sentiments of the American public.
A Final Thought
My criticism is not directed at anyone’s specific interest. Rather, I believe that no single special interest—yours, mine, or anyone else’s—should take center stage at the Super Bowl, unless it is clearly patriotic and truly representative of the diverse cross-section of the American people.