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."

[Charles Martel]

"...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."

Hmmm.

1. "Those responsible for the credits have been sacked."

2. "Those responsible for sacking those responsible for the credits have now been sacked."

etc.

[BushisTheMan]

...bigger and bigger, which translates into longer and longer...

Good observation. And more and more expensive too. I for one am sick that prices on goods are rising to pay off smucks like Janel Jackson and Justin Timberlake.

I would think that there is plenty of great and way less expensive talent out there that would love to make it in the business if given an opportunity.

Why not throw in a prize of singing (for free) at the Super Bowl to some talent show, such as American Idol winner.

And the clients should fire their ad agencies. I'll bet they spent fortunes on ad campaigns for ads that the majority of the people watching hated. Come on Budweiser, AT&t, IBM, Pepsi, etc. Wake up!

[humboldtconservative]

The NFL does not get the revenue from ads during the Super Bowl. The network, CBS, does.

[PhiKapMom]

I liked the donkey commercial -- the one who wanted to become a Clydesdale!

[Psycho_Runner]

Dear NFL,

You folks have sunk to a new low. Obviousely you either knew of the planned exposure or were too stupid to control the content of the halftime show. In either case, the NFL is not worthy to receive my support for the NFL nor will I buy NFL Gear.

The only way I will come back to support the NFL if you do the following:

Bar VIACOM from ever televising or radio broadcast of NFL GAMES for ever. This includes regular and play off games.

Limit the Superbowl halftime to the twelve minute standard.

I don't think you folks know the repercushion from yesterday's halftime show. The cash cow is over for the NFL unless you turn 90 degrees and clean up the NFL.

Please consider my concerns.

[E Rocc]

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)...

Well they both seem to like them young and male.

-Eric

[SamAdams76]

I don't think the NFL is anywhere close to "jumping the shark." It's a brilliantly run league that continues to increase it's fan base (and revenues) year after year. Maybe it can be said that the Super Bowl halftime extravaganza has "jumped the shark." Personally I wouldn't mind seeing it go back to marching bands and cheerleaders but I'm not so naive to think that will actually happen. Most likely future half-time acts will feature more clean-cut performers that are more in the mainstream. Think Matchbox 20 or Brooks & Dunn-type acts.

[N. Theknow]

I agree. Most of the commericials were "bathroom humor". From the soap in the young boys' mouths to the horse and carriage. None were funny, all were offensive.

Everybody thought I was crazy for laughing at the IBM commercial with Muhammad Ali talking to the kid.

When I explained that Ali's affliction lent a whole new meaning to the term "shake up the world" advice he was giving the kid.

[American_Centurion]

There is no way in HE double hockey stick that the NFL, an organization known for it's extremely overbearing, micromanagement of every single solitary aspect of it's Sports enternainment monopoly did not know before hand the content of the halftime show!

It is possible, but I don't think logical that the J. Jak and J. Dimberlake ending was a surprise, but that does not excuse them for the rest of the show!

[Charles Henrickson]

Super Bowl XXXVIII D.

[E Rocc]

The NFL does not get the revenue from ads during the Super Bowl. The network, CBS, does.

The network buys the TV rights from the league based primarily on anticipated advertising revenue.

-Eric

[PhiKapMom]

I thought the Budweiser donkey commercial was cute and funny especially at the end where he was with the Clydsdales pulling the wagon.

[Steve_Seattle]

What did they expect from MTV, the Lawrence Welk Show? It's like inviting George Burns to a party and being shocked that's he's smoking a cigar.

[dmz]

tv has not shown those idiots coming out of the stands for quite a while now, no hypocricy there, just SOP.

[humboldtconservative]

Bye. On behalf of football, see you later. You want to blame the league, when it was the network who was at fault. The ratings are up again this year. CBS bought the rights to broadcast NFL games, which includes a spot in the Super Bowl rotation. Should the league have gone with NBC, even though they weren't willing to pay as much? With the way things work, the NFL doesn't have much of a choice but to do business with broadcast networks. They cannot have a cable channel run more than half of their games. Many more people would not be able to see the games, and they would lose viewership.

Hey, guess what, she wasn't even naked. I would think Richard Hatch naked on Survivor is more offensive than a covered up female breast.

[Charles Henrickson]

Next year's Super Bowl is in Jacksonville. . . .

Jacksonville? Oh-oh!

[cinFLA]

the game was supposed to start at six, Eastern time) not quarter to seven

My paper had it starting at xx.25 at which time the coin toss was held and the game ensued withing a few minutes.

[ex-snook]

"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. "

Picked MTV? If you are really sorry, sack whoever approved them. Otherwise, shove the 'sorry' in your endzone.

[humboldtconservative]

Years in advance. So, they would not benefit from THIS YEARS Super Bowl having good ratings, would they??

[dmz]

Houston would have been the perfect spot for Asleep at the Wheel.