Statement by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue

SuperBowl.com ^ | Feb. 2, 2004 | NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Statement regarding the Super Bowl halftime show

Statement by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue regarding the Super Bowl halftime show:

"We were extremely disappointed by the MTV-produced halftime show. It was totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given about the content of the show.

"The show was offensive, inappropriate and embarrassing to us and our fans. We will change our policy, our people and our processes for managing the halftime entertainment in the future in order to deal far more effectively with the quality of this aspect of the Super Bowl."

[evets]

"I was shocked... SHOCKED!"

[BookmanTheJanitor]

The NFL is either lying or stupid (or both). They can't believe an MTV production would end up like that? Yeah, right.

[billbears]

Oh come on. Paul and Paul Sr with the AOL and the donkey for the Budweiser commercial were both good

[AntiKev]

Or how about the Orange County Chopper AOL commercials. Granted they were AOL, but that show is amazing. Or the Simpsons Master Card commercial. People just can't take a joke sometimes.

[My2Cents]

Who in hell were they trying to impress anyway?

They were trying to impress the Islamofascists with the benefits of "freedom."

[anniegetyourgun]

Nah, I think they'll just invite the Boy Scouts to present colors with a group of whip & chain leather freaks following behind them carrying the rainbow flag. Or maybe they'll just invite some veterans group to present colors, and let the delegates spit on them as they retire.

[camle]

dont' say they couldn't be more offensive, they can and someday they'll try. the elites seem to think that is they can offend honest folk, then they're superior.

[newgeezer]

They really couldn't be more offensive if they "tried",

Hah. Stay tuned.

which I think at least some involved did.

According to the story on Drudge's site, ...

Top CBS executives approved a musical skit where Janet Jackson would expose her breast during the MTV-produced Super Bowl half-time concert, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The decision to go forward went to the very top of the network," a well-placed source explained from New York.

[kms61]

They absolutely knew. The NFL leaves nothing to chance. They misjudged the reaction is all.

[76834]

If the NFL didn't know, at the very least they were asleep at the wheel. Not good. Go back to a simple marching band. It'll speed up the darn game.

Speaking of "Asleep at the Wheel" that would have been an excellent group for the half time show.
Maybe put in Alan Jackson, George Strait too etc etc.

[76834]

If the NFL didn't know, at the very least they were asleep at the wheel. Not good. Go back to a simple marching band. It'll speed up the darn game.

Speaking of "Asleep at the Wheel" that would have been an excellent group for the half time show.
Maybe put in Alan Jackson, George Strait too etc etc.

[sirshackleton]

Agreed. The Staples office supply mafia guy, the Mastercard Simpsons, the Budweiser commercial with the mule who wants to be a Clydesdale, and the American Chopper/AOL commercials were all pretty good in terms of decency. I didn't think the Chevy one with the kids with the soap in their mouths was all that bad....I'm sure that's happened to most of us at some point :)

[newgeezer]

Dem an day m'f'ck'n bee-yotches (and everyone under 30.)

[billbears]

LOL, I forgot about the Simpsons one. But the Orange County Choppers commercials were the best

[CollegeRepublican]

Yeah, the Hendrix commercial was cute. Too bad I really like Coke better (it did not change my mind).

I liked the commercial were all of the NFL stars were singing "Tomorrow".

[Gritty]

I'm already looking forward to the Halftime Show at the Democrat National Convention!

[CollegeRepublican]

where = were. Spell check can not fix stupidity.

[E Rocc]

Call it a hunch but, I expect future halftime shows will s*ck just the same. Otherwise, they'll lose the target audience.

Correct, though IMO it was the Disney/Up With People type shows of the past that were horrendous and this one wasn't bad (though Kid Rock definitely needs lessons in flag ettiquette). But you're dead on correct about losing the "target audience", because that's what was happening.

Before the 2002 show with Bono, the shows were getting so bad that if one had a game party it was considered lame to leave the station on the "official" show. MTV, pre-contract FOX, and other networks were producing alternative halftime shows, aimed at the target Super Bowl ad demographic and carefully planned to get the viewer back to the game by the second half kickoff. Undoubtedly the advertisers figured this out and were pushing the networks for rate cuts at halftime. At seven figures for thirty seconds, we're talking big money here.

Here's what I see happening. Next year, the network that has the game is going to catch a lot of pressure to produce a squeaky clean halftime show. Yawn. Imagine last year's show with more Sting and Shania (fully dressed) and no Gwen Stefani. Meanwhile, MTV and a couple other networks will put together their own "alternative" shows. Halftime's ratings will plummet, especially among the target groups of the key adviertisers (beer drinkers, premium car buyers, etc). Their ad people will know this. Capitalism 101 = lower ad rates.

The show will go back to close to what it was the last couple years, and perhaps CBN or Disney will do their own "alternative" show.

-Eric

[ErnBatavia]

My take on the Janet thing is that she wanted to prove that she and MJ are not one and the same (ya never see 'em together)...

[N. Theknow]

What do we need halftime shows for anyway. Just show the highlights from the first half, maybe get a few interviews from players/coaches, have a marching band or two, then get on with the game.

The Super Bowl is the ONLY football game that shows the halftime. Every other game, whether it's college professional or AFL they just go to the talking heads for the "I feel, I think, I saw, This is what I think they must do in the second half" commentary.