Seattle’s smothering defense preventing New England from ever getting on track in the game at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., was more appreciated by serious football fans than casual watchers. But the controversy surrounding the event with halftime performer Bad Bunny likely stoked additional interest.
Bad Bunny’s halftime show averaged 128.2 million viewers, higher than the game overall. The performance aired after the second quarter, when the game was still close and hit a peak of 137.8 million viewers.
The NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny riled up right-wing commentators who objected to having an artist singing only in Spanish performing at the premier U.S. sporting event of the year. Bad Bunny has also been outspoken over the Trump administration’s aggressive tactics in removing undocumented immigrants. He skipped the mainland U.S. on his last tour, citing fears that his fans would be targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Right-wing activist group Turning Point USA presented an alternative halftime show on YouTube, which topped 6 million viewers, a surprisingly high number considering details of the program were not revealed until days before game day. A concert featuring Kid Rock and several lesser-known country artists did not get a strong critical reception on social media.
But the audience size showed that a hot musical act could attract a significant chunk of the audience already gathered to watch the game.
“More bands should go head to head with the halftime show and not in a political way,” said one rival network executive not authorized to comment publicly. “It would be a good stunt for HBO Max or some other company that’s not an NFL rights holder.”
Nielsen’s improvement to its measurement of viewing through internet connections and set-top boxes — which boosted NFL TV ratings throughout the season, also likely helped the Super Bowl LX number. The additional data was incorporated into TV ratings starting in September.
Another 3.3 million watched the Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo. NBC did not release data for viewing on its Peacock, saying only that it was the biggest day ever for the streaming platform.
NBC sold out the commercial time for the game at an average price of $8 million for a 30-second spot, with some going for $10 million. USA Today’s annual “Ad Meter” panel chose Budweiser’s “American Icons” as its favorite commercial on the telecast.
Cardi B was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. But exactly what she did during that show turned into a perplexing question for two major prediction markets.
At least one Kalshi trader filed a complaint with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over how the prediction market handled Sunday’s appearance by the Grammy-winning rapper. The result of a similar event contract on Polymarket also drew the ire of some users on that platform.
Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the results of future events. The markets are comprised of typically yes-or-no questions called event contracts, with the prices connected to what traders are willing to pay, which theoretically indicates the perceived probability of an event occurring.
The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1, reflecting a 0% to 100% chance of what traders think could happen.
More than $47.3mn (€39.69mn) was wagered on Kalshi’s market for: “Who will perform at the Big Game?” A Polymarket contract had more than $10mn (€8.39mn) in volume.
Cameo appearance
Cardi B joined singers Karol G and Young Miko and actors Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal on a starry front porch during the halftime spectacle. She danced to the music, but it was unclear whether she was singing along during the show, which included performances by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.
Due to “ambiguity over whether or not Cardi B’s attendance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show constituted a qualifying ‘performance,’” Kalshi cited one of its rules in settling the market at the last price before trading was paused: $0.74 for No holders and $0.26 for Yes holders. The platform returned all the money to its users.
Polymarket’s contract was resolved as Cardi B had performed, but the Yes was disputed. A final decision on the contract is expected to be announced on Wednesday.
In the CFTC complaint — first reported by the Event Horizon newsletter and posted by Front Office Sports — the trader alleges that Kalshi violated the Commodity Exchange Act with how it resolved the Cardi B contract. The trader — a Yes holder — is seeking $3,700 (€3,104).
Spike in Super Bowl trading
The Super Bowl capped a big NFL season for prediction markets.
Kalshi reported a daily record high of more than $1bn (€839mn) in total trading volume on the day of the game, an increase of more than 2,700% compared to last year’s Super Bowl.
The season-long total for all Super Bowl winner futures was $828.6mn (€695.32mn) up more than 2,000% from last year.
The increased activity on Sunday caused some deposit issues. Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara posted on X on Monday that the “traffic spike was way bigger than our most optimistic forecasts”.
She said the platform had reimbursed processing fees on the affected deposits and added credits to users who experienced delays.
Robinhood Markets highlighted the strength of its prediction markets when it announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full 2025 on Tuesday.
“I think we are just at the beginning of a prediction market super cycle that could drive trillions in annual volume over time,” CEO Vlad Tenev said during an earnings call.
“This year is going to be a big year. The Olympics are going on right now. The World Cup is coming in the summer.”
New England Patriots receiver Mack Hollins has arrived to NFL games in some pretty interesting outfits.
His Fred Flintstone and Animal (from the Muppets) costumes worn during past pregame tunnel walks leap to mind.
None of that, however, quite compares to the look he sported before Super Bowl LX. Hollins entered Levi’s Stadium on Sunday wearing a maroon prisoner’s jumpsuit, shackles on his wrists and ankles, and a plastic mask covering his face from the nose down, similar to the one worn by Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs.”
The back of Hollins’ shirt read “Range 13.” According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, that’s a reference to a special set of cells at a Florence, Colo., Supermax federal prison reserved for prisoners who need the tightest security.
Also, Hollins wears jersey No. 13, so it could be a reference to that as well. The front of his shirt featured the prisoner number “P-131311” and that could possibly mean … something?
Speaking of football jerseys, Hollins also was carrying one from Walsh Jesuit High School bearing the number 84. That one is actually easily explained — it’s the high school jersey (or, presumably, a replica of it) once worn by Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. Hollins went on to wear the jersey during warmups before Sunday’s game.
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins wears coach Mike Vrabel’s high school jersey while warming up before Super Bowl LX.
(Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)
One other thing to note about Hollins’ attire for his stadium entrance and during warmups — he wasn’t wearing shoes. That might have been the least surprising aspect of Hollins’ pregame looks since he has been known to wear shoes only when absolutely necessary.
“Everyone should be barefoot,” Hollins told NBC Sports in 2023. “You don’t see people walking around in mittens.”
He added: “Shoes are definitely dirtier than feet. Because I wash my feet all the time. When’s the last time you washed the bottom of your shoe?”
So, yeah, Hollins is a pretty quirky guy. According to Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports, Hollins does not eat vegetables, avoids drinking water (his preference is watermelon juice) and prefers to eat with his hands rather than use utensils.
“He’s probably No. 1 on the unique list,” Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs said of Hollins during Super Bowl week. “He’s actually taught me a lot. Alternative medicines, things he does, things he eats, how he moves on the daily. He is definitely one of my different teammates.’”
New England Patriots receiver Mack Hollins catches a pass as Seattle Seahawks’ Riq Woolen defends during Super Bowl LX on Sunday in Santa Clara.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
In eight NFL seasons, Hollins played for the Philadelphia Eagles (winning a Super Bowl ring following his rookie season in 2017), Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills before signing with the Patriots last offseason.
Hollins was the Patriots’ leading receiver during their 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX. He had four catches for 78 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Drake Maye in the fourth quarter.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton went public at Sunday’s Super BowlCredit: NBCThe pair were seen together at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CaliforniaCredit: xLewis and Kim in the box with Tyler The Creator and Kendall Jenner holding hands with Hailey BieberCredit: Supplied
The 41-year-old Ferrari-driving F1 star was seen turning to Kim and saying: “I don’t take just any girl to my mum. I mean you’re going to meet some day. She is very excited to see you.”
Bashful Kim, 45, grinned and replied: “OK,” before turning her attention back to the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the New England Patriots 29-13.
Despite knowing they would be seen, the pair went to some lengths to keep their arrival quiet.
The Sun understands that, having travelled to the stadium in the same car, Kim and Lewis entered it within seconds of one another.
Kim and Lewis’s relationship is intense but they are both keen to keep moving forwards
A source
Over the past few days, Lewis has tried to throw fans off the scent of their fledgling romance.
On Sunday he shared a video on Instagram of him running in London and appeared to try to show it was filmed in real time, captioning it 06.26am.
In fact, he was in the US with Kim.
Lewis’s fans have rounded on his romance and cited the “Kardashian Curse”, which is said to negatively affect men who date the famous reality TV sisters.
Following Lewis’s most recent Instagram post, one fan wrote: “Focus on yourself, King. Kim will ruin your season.”
Another added: “Ferrari and Kardashian curse is a recipe for disaster.”
Lewis has been in LA, spending time with Kim and her family
A source
A source said: “Kim and Lewis know there is a huge amount of interest in them and he’s aware of the backlash online. His social media accounts have been flooded with comments from his followers about the Kardashian curse and, to be honest, it’s boring him and he’s not interested.
“They had wanted to try to keep things as low-key as possible — and hard-launching at the Super Bowl made sense.
“There, they could be seen together but not be approached.
“Fans who were questioning their relationship before now have it laid out in front of them. Kim and Lewis are very happy and are just navigating this together.”
Although they have never been romantically linked before, Kim and Lewis have been friends for more than a decade.
The Sun understands their friendship started to evolve into romance at the end of last year.
Lewis told Kim during the game that he was ready to introduce her to his mumCredit: InstagramLewis with his mum Carmen LarbalestierCredit: Paul Edwards
We first revealed the pair were dating on February 2 — with the pair spending a lavish evening together in the Cotswolds on January 31.
They stayed at the £1,000-a-night Estelle Manor, where they enjoyed a couple’s massage and dinner in a private room.
‘Like military operation’
The following day they travelled to London and holed up in a £7,000-a-night suite in the Rosewood Hotel near Covent Garden.
Insiders said the couple were driven straight into the five-star hotel’s underground car park to avoid being seen by snappers.
From there, on the Monday Kim readied her £100million jet to fly them to Paris where she was opening another NikeSkims pop-up at the 10 Rue de Turenne gallery.
Kim absolutely loves spending time in Paris and wanted Lewis to go with her
A source
The couple booked into the five-star Le Bristol hotel — where Kim usually stays in the Paris suite, which costs £21,000 a night.
A source said: “Kim absolutely loves spending time in Paris and wanted Lewis to go with her.
“Her work is so important to her but it’s all things she can slot around spending time with Lewis.
“They are both used to travelling all over the world while working so doing it together means they can spend proper time with each other. They kept things super low-key in Paris and spent most of their time together in their room and ordered food there.”
Those close to Kim and Lewis said they were keen to keep their dates under wraps and had pulled out all the stops to avoid being pictured together.
A source added: “Kim and Lewis have been using side entrances at hotels, or are using hotels which have underground car parks. They’ll then use lifts straight to their room.
Lewis is a massive fan of Nineties culture and fashion — and Kim was clearly going all out to impress
A source
“It’s like a military operation moving them from place to place but Kim has her two bodyguards and Lewis has his close protection officer on hand to help things run smoothly.”
Insiders said Kim was keen to impress Lewis, and even channelled his love of the Nineties with her hairstyle at the Super Bowl.
Her long-time hairdresser Chris Appleton shared a photograph of her “Super Bowl bangs” on Instagram ahead of the game.
He previously created the style on her for the 2023 Council of Fashion Designers of America awards and said it was inspired by “Nineties Pammy” — Pamela Anderson.
A second source added: “Lewis is a massive fan of Nineties culture and fashion — and Kim was clearly going all out to impress.”
The Sun understands Lewis will be leaving the US in the coming days as his Ferrari team starts preparations for the F1 season, which gets under way with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8.
Tomorrow, testing begins across all the F1 giants in Bahrain, with Ferrari yet to confirm which of their drivers will be taking part.
Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny and Lady GagaCredit: InstagramLady Gaga wows the crowds at the showCredit: ReutersBad Bunny dances on truck during stunning gigCredit: AFP
The US president blasted it for “not representing America” after the Puerto Rican became the first Super Bowl singer to perform his entire set in Spanish.
Branding the gig “terrible” and “one of the worst ever”, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying. And the dancing is disgusting.”
Boxer Jake Paul weighed in too, writing on X: “Turn off this half-time. A fake American citizen performing, who publicly hates America. I cannot support that.”
After an online backlash, Jake claimed that he was reacting to Bunny criticising America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) in his recent Grammys acceptance speech.
Jake added later: “Bunny is fake [because] of his values and criticism of our great country.”
The 13-minute set saw Lady Gaga join Bunny as they performed his track Baile Inolvidable before launching into a salsa-inspired version of her hit Die With A Smile.
Bunny brought out fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martin to sing Lo Que Le Paso a Hawaii.
The stadium’s big screen lit up with the phrase: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
The show also featured Cardi B, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal.
During his gig, Bunny said one line in English, telling viewers: “God bless America.”
At the end of it, he held a football on which was printed, in English: “Together, We Are America.”
Celebrities flooded social media with messages of support.
Ben Stiller wrote: “Incredible half-time show, Bad Bunny.”
Kacey Musgraves added: “Well, that made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done.”
Kerry Washington wrote: “What. A. Show. That performance was the epitome of love. And a wise man once said, ‘The only thing more powerful than hate is LOVE’.”
STEFON Diggs was spotted with a stunning model friend on the Super Bowl field as his girlfriend Cardi B was missing from the action after their suspected split.
Instagram model Pree – who is reportedly a longtime close companion of the New England Patriots’ wide receiver – was busy posting from her perch at the Super Bowl before Stefon‘s big loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
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Cardi B had disappeared from Stefon Diggs’ side for the biggest game of his life as he tried, and was unsuccessful, to help bring home the Super Bowl trophy against the Seattle SeahawksCredit: GettyCardi was noticeably silent in support of Stefon leading up to and during the biggest game of his careerCredit: Instagram/iamcardibStefon’s long time close associate, Instagram model, Pree, however was on the field at Levi Stadium, as she came out to support the NFL star, just hours before the big gameCredit: Instagram/iam___pree
In a video obtained by blogger Tasha K, Pree can be seen on the Levi Stadium field hours before the game on Sunday.
Stefon, the father of six kids with six different women, was seen standing just yards away in the brief video.
Last night, Pree shared pics from her prime seat watching the game.
She also reposted an official Patriots post about Stefon.
Cardi fueled the flames with her strange interview behavior as well.
When asked by an ESPN reporter if she had a message for Stefon ahead of the matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Cardi simply said, “Good luck,” before turning on her heels and walking away.
Until last night, the WAP rapper had been riding hard for the NFL star on her social media, and cheering along with Pats fans both pre- and post-big games.
As The U.S. Sun exclusively reported, she even dropped over a million dollars on preparations to give Stefon a big celebration this weekend.
“She’s incredibly excited and fully locked in,” a source familiar with the plans said. “This isn’t just about attending the game — it’s about showing up for her man in the biggest way possible and celebrating with everyone they love.”
Cardi and Stefon welcomed their first child together, a baby boy, in November.
STEFON’S LEGAL TROUBLES
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots wide receiver is currently facing a felony charge of strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of assault following an alleged incident last December.
Stefon has denied the accusations through his attorney, David Meier.
While the arraignment was originally slated for January, it was pushed back to allow Stefon to participate in the postseason.
Stefon is now scheduled to appear at the Dedham District Court in Massachusetts this Friday, February 13, 2026, at 9:00 am, where he is expected to enter a formal plea.
During this hearing, the judge will determine the conditions of his release, which may include bail, travel restrictions, or a no-contact order.
The allegations stem from a December 16 police report filed by a woman employed as Stefon’s personal chef.
According to Dedham police, the woman was initially “emotional and hesitant” to identify him due to his high public profile.
Court documents allege that Stefon entered her unlocked bedroom and confronted her over a financial dispute regarding unpaid wages.
The situation reportedly escalated, with Stefon allegedly striking her across the face and attempting to choke her with the crook of his elbow when she tried to push him away.
Pree was busy posting from her perch at the Super Bowl as she cheered on her longtime companionCredit: Instagram/iam___preePree posted this photo of Stefon over the weekendCredit: Getty
Were you ready for some non-football consumerism? Ready or not, the Super Bowl’s annual blitz of commercials landed before and during the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots defense-first matchup, with some ads served up in advance while others were unveiled for the first time during the game. As in previous years, there were serious clunkers (looking at you Bud Light rolling keg ad), but also a few that transcended their buy-more mission (may you live forever, Melissa McCarthy). Other trends we noticed: celebrities double dipping to appear in more than one Super Bowl commercial (three if you’re Sofía Vergara), lots of borderline-gross humor (exploding heads, singing clumps of shaved body hair, singing toilets and plenty of ads trying to convince America that artificial intelligence tools aren’t a waste of time and energy).
While many of this year’s ads promoted AI and the usual rah-rah-America nods to patriotism, one trend we noticed was that the longer versions for some of the best Super Bowl ads, found online, were even better than the condensed cuts that made it to broadcast. What if next year, we make the Super Bowl three quarters and the commercial breaks 15 minutes long? Any takers?
While we wait for that brilliant idea to make it to the NFL’s offices, here are the big game ads we loved the most and a few that fumbled the ball — big time.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show.
It will be Bad Bunny’s second Super Bowl halftime show performance after he made a guest appearance with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown,” Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — said in a statement, noting that “this is for my people, my culture and our history.”
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which has partnered with the NFL on halftime shows since 2019, will again produce the show.
Most Super Bowl halftime shows include special guest artists, but no one has been officially confirmed by Roc Nation or the NFL.
On Sunday, the Seahawks and Patriots will play in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.
After the Seahawks defeated the Rams in the NFC championship game, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked during a postgame broadcast about being an “afterthought” behind the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West.
“We did not care,” Macdonald proclaimed, making public an attitude players adopted throughout Macdonald’s two seasons.
The Seahawks reflect their second-year coach, safety Julian Love said, by keeping an intense but “matter-of-fact” approach.
“He tries to keep the main thing, the main thing,” Love said. “He doesn’t like to make … grandeur out of everything.
“Like, he’ll say, ‘Who do we play next, and what time do we play?” And then we’ll all say in a team meeting, constantly, just like every meeting, ‘We don’t care!’ That mindset and his quote … that’s just how he’s been all year, all the past two years and that shows who we are as a team now.”
The Seahawks won their last seven regular-season games and finished 14-3 to capture the top seed in the NFC. After a first-round bye, they routed the 49ers and beat the Rams to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015, when they lost to the Patriots and fell short of repeating as champions.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, cast aside by the Minnesota Vikings after he led them to a 14-win season in 2024, played well throughout the season and spectacularly in the playoffs.
Running back Kenneth Walker III leads the rushing attack, and George Holani has stepped into a complementary role that Zach Charbonnet filled before suffering a knee injury in the divisional round against the 49ers.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs with the ball during a win over the Rams in the NFC championship on Jan. 25.
(Ben VanHouten / Associated Press)
Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was voted the NFL offensive player of the year after catching 119 passes, 10 for touchdowns. Darnold also relies on receiver Cooper Kupp, the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year and Super Bowl LVI most valuable player when he played for the Rams, and the electric Rashid Shaheed, along with tight end A.J. Barner.
Linebacker Ernest Jones, linemen Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy and DeMarcus Lawrence, cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Nick Emmanwori are among the standouts for the Seahawks “Dark Side” defense that gave up a league-best 17.2 points per game in the regular season.
Jason Myers is the kicker, All-Pro Michael Dickson the punter and Shaheed the dynamic kick returner.
Like the Seahawks, the Patriots and their fans were similarly inspired by a speech receiver Stefon Diggs made before a preseason game, when he proclaimed “We all we got. We all we need.”
After finishing 4-13 last season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired first-year coach Jerod Mayo and hired Mike Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion who coached the Tennessee Titans for six seasons.
“We were intentional about making sure that when the players returned there was a program in place that they could look at, that they could believe in, that they wanted to be a part of and that they wanted to protect,” Vrabel said. “That’s what we set out to do.”
Vrabel, the NFL coach of the year, led the Patriots to a 14-3 record and their first AFC East title since 2019. The Patriots then defeated the Chargers and the Houston Texans before beating the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2018 season, when they defeated the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Quarterback Drake Maye is a dual threat who became an MVP finalist while leading an offense that averaged 28.8 points a game.
Diggs is Maye’s top target — he eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving for the seventh time — and tight end Hunter Henry plays a prominent role. Receivers Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and Demario Douglas and tight end Austin Hooper also have made plays.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs runs with the ball against the New York Jets on Dec. 28.
(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
Running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 13 rushing touchdowns during the regular season.
Defensive lineman Milton Williams, linebackers K’Lavon Chaisson and Robert Spillane, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and safety Jaylinn Hawkins are among the key players for a defense that gave up 18.8 points a game during the regular season — the league’s fourth-best mark. Sack leader Harold Landry III is questionable because of a knee issue.
Andy Borregales is the kicker, Bryce Baringer the punter, and Marcus Jones is a second-team All-Pro punt returner.
President Trump told the New York Post that music artist Bad Bunny was a “terrible choice” to headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show and that the NFL’s selection of the Puerto Rican singer and rapper sows “hatred.”
Department of Homeland Security adviser Corey Lewandowski suggested that Bad Bunny loathes the U.S. “It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime game,” he told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said on Monday that Bad Bunny disseminates “anti-American propaganda.”
The upshot: Bad Bunny (aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is an enemy of the state. An outsider who doesn’t possess American values. A Super Bowl wrecker.
Bad Bunny took home multiple trophies from the 68th Grammy Awards last weekend in Los Angeles, including for album of the year. Very American, sir.
(Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for the Recording Academy)
Heated debate around who is worthy to perform the halftime show is an American tradition (Prince, yes. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, no). But now, unsurprisingly, politics are part of that debate, so the mere fact that Bad Bunny is brown and Latino and sings in Spanish is seen by some as an affront to the right. Clearly the “Woke Bowl” is disrespecting the tough-on-immigration president, and in Español, no less.
But Bad Bunny is an American citizen, as are most people born in Puerto Rico after 1898, thanks to the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917. Bad Bunny, born in 1994, made the deadline with 96 years to spare. If the fear is that foreigners are coming here to take our jobs and ruin beloved American traditions, there are plenty of nonnative artists to grouse about.
For decades, outsiders have foisted their foreign music upon us at the Super Bowl between commercials for Doritos and Budweiser.
The United Kingdom’s Phil Collins played the 2000 Super Bowl XXXIV Halftime Show, as did Enrique Iglesias, who is from Spain. The Irishmen of U2 stole jobs away from Americans when they played the 2002 Super Bowl. The following year it was sneaky Canadian Shania Twain and a sus character from England referred to only as Sting.
Then came bad hombre after bad hombre from the UK: Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Coldplay. And don’t even get me started on Shakira, gyrating her Colombian self into 2020’s Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, or the following year, the Weeknd using his sweet voice to distract from the fact he’s Canadian.
Remember all the anti-immigrant furor around those aforementioned performances? Of course not — because there was none. And this year, if the delicately reunited U.K. duo Oasis was to pull things together for 2026 and play the Super Bowl, it most certainly wouldn’t inspire the same kind of vitriol.
The right remembers that Bad Bunny criticized the Trump administration for its handling of Puerto Rico’s hurricane recovery, and that that he has spoken out against ICE’s inhumane treatment of immigrants. But calling Bad Bunny a dissenter is too direct, too Stalinist. It’s better to cast doubt upon the singer’s loyalty to America via thinly veiled racist rhetoric.
Turning Point USA, the right-wing group founded by Charlie Kirk and helmed by his wife, Erika Kirk, following his assassination, has organized its own counter-concert called the “All-American Halftime Show”. It will star rap-rocker Kid Rock and country artists Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett. The show is counter-programmed to compete with the Super Bowl halftime show, airing on X and conservative networks such as TBN and OAN around the same time as Bad Bunny’s set.
When the “alternative” show’s lineup was announced this week, Kid Rock took a jab at Bad Bunny in a statement: “He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
Kid Rock isn’t known to wear dresses on stage, as Bad Bunny has done, but it’s unclear which songs of his he’ll play in the name of “loving America.”
Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet said the show will reflect conservative values such as “faith, family, and freedom,” so Kid Rock likely won’t perform his 2001 track “Cool, Daddy Cool,” where he sings “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ‘em underage see / Some say that’s statutory, but I say it’s mandatory.” It’s also unlikely he’ll bust out his 2007 song “Lowlife (Living the Highlife)”: “I make Black music for the white man / Keep cocaine upon my nightstand.”
One thing is certain: He’ll continue to sing Trump’s praises, in English.
Sunday, the NBC play-by-play announcer will be baptized by fire.
Not only will Tirico call the Super Bowl for the first time, but he will stay on the Levi’s Stadium field after the game to remotely host Sunday night’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.
From football’s mountaintop to the majestic peaks of Northern Italy, it’s an unprecedented double play in the broadcasting business.
“We’ll keep the Super Bowl celebration threaded into the Olympic show — confetti, family moments, that sort of thing,” said Tirico, 59, who worked both events four years ago but didn’t call that Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, instead hosting the pregame show.
“What I learned from Super Bowl LVI is that it’s possible to do this without cheating either job.”
Maybe so, but it requires the extraordinary organization and preparation for which Tirico is famous within the network. Each year, he distributes to colleagues a color-coded calendar — a different color for every sport he’s covering that day — and the patchwork on every page looks like the Partridge family bus.
“Mike is the world’s best multitasker,” said Rob Hyland, coordinating producer of “Sunday Night Football.”
“This is in his DNA. It’s how he’s wired.”
Even for Tirico, however, the task is ambitious. The day after calling the Rams’ divisional playoff game at Chicago, he boarded a flight for Italy to check out the NBC studios in Milan. It was all part of getting comfortable with the setup.
On Super Bowl Sunday, hours before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots take the field, Tirico will be up at 4:30 on the West Coast to watch Lindsey Vonn in the women’s downhill. He then will try to get back to sleep to prepare for his long day of football, knowing he will be running on adrenaline deep into the night. At halftime, he’ll carve out a few minutes to get up to speed on what’s happening in Italy.
On Monday, he and others from NBC will fly to Milan, with Tirico beginning his in-studio Olympics coverage Tuesday.
Tirico is just the 13th play-by-play announcer to call a national Super Bowl broadcast. He said Sunday will be like being back at Syracuse and taking three final exams in one day. He figures he will graze his way through the day but doesn’t plan to sit down for a meal, per se.
“They always say you should be slightly hungry when you take a test,” he said. “I subscribe to that theory on game day.”
Whereas preparation for the Super Bowl begins the moment the participating teams are determined, Tirico said his work on the Olympics has been years in the making.
“You want to be prepared but not over-prepared,” he said, referring to both events. “You want to know the important things you can get to during the game.”
The key is to use the information judiciously without overloading the audience with facts and statistics.
“With all that detail and information as granular as he can get, he never loses sight of what’s important for a mass audience,” Hyland said. “Mike is a unicorn. He’s one of one.”
As for Hyland, he’s one and done. After the Super Bowl, he will head home to Connecticut and become part of said audience.
“I’ll be playing the role of dad back on my couch in Southport with our six-month-old baby boy,” he said. “I’ll be watching the Olympics as a fan.”
In a sense, Tirico is a fan, too. There’s still a kernel of disbelief that this is his job.
“This is the thing that happens after you stop dreaming,” he said. “Because your dreams never let you get this far.”
The adage that records are made to be broken definitely applies to the TV ratings for the Super Bowl.
For three straight years, the game deciding the champion for the NFL season has set new viewing records, including last year’s Philadelphia Eagles crushing victory over the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 that scored an average audience of 127.7 million viewers on Fox.
Both the 2024 and 2025 games had the benefit of the pop culture sizzle generated by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s romance with pop superstar Taylor Swift, bringing in more casual fans.
This season, the Chiefs won’t be in the game for the first time in three years as NBC will have the Seattle Seahawks facing off Sunday against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, not the match-up experts predicted for this year.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t set another ratings record.
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift celebrate the Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship on Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
“I believe it can,” said Lee Berke, president of LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media, noting the lift the NFL ratings have seen this season as viewing information from set-top devices and internet connected televisions in 45 million households are now included in Nielsen’s audience measurement.
“It’s definitely showing up and bumping up ratings throughout the year for the NFL,” Berke said.
A recent report from the Video Advertising Bureau found that the new measurement from Nielsen has boosted ratings for prime time NFL games in the mid-to-high single digit percentages.
Other changes to Nielsen’s measurement in recent years have given the Super Bowl a boost. While surpassing 100 million was once a reasonable goal, the numbers started climbing above that threshold since out-of-home viewing was added in 2021.
History is on the side of a robust audience number this year. The last time the Patriots faced the Seahawks in 2015, the NBC telecast set a viewership record at the time of 114.4 million. Fans watching Sunday can expect to see clips of Malcolm Butler’s interception at the goal line that helped give Tom Brady’s Patriots the win that year.
But NBC doesn’t need a record audience number for the Super Bowl to be a financial success. A robust TV advertising marketplace helped the network sell out the game at a record average of $8 million per 30-second spot, with some going for $10 million.
NBC has also sold spots that will air only on its Peacock streaming platform. The network pulled in the range of $3 million a spot, significantly above the $2 million Fox took in for ads last year when the game was streamed on its Tubi service.
This year NBC was able to use Super Bowl LX to drive ad sales for its coverage of the Winter Olympic Games in Milan that begin Friday and run through Feb. 22, (which is also sold out). The network also has the NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Feb. 14, which is why Mike Cavanaugh, co-chief executive of NBCU parent Comcast, recently described February as “the most consequential month in live sports history.”
In 2022, NBC’s combination of both the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl, accounted for $1.5 billion in revenue according to Comcast’s earnings report, a number the company will likely surpass this year. The company isn’t commenting on revenue but has said it expects to set a record for Super Bowl ad revenue.
Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising sales and partnerships for NBCUniversal, said 70% of the companies in the Super Bowl are also running commercials in the Olympics.
In previous decades, a Super Bowl commercial was an event in itself with the reveal happening on the telecast. But Marshall noted that, as part of a larger marketing effort, advertising campaigns are now introduced with teasers ahead of the telecast and many get a full preview online.
This year, NBCU was able to offer the Olympics to help marketers connect with more consumers.
“We told advertisers ‘you’re going to spend eight figures (on producing a commercial) — extend the reach of that,” Marshall said.
Technology companies make up the largest share of advertisers. Several AI companies, including Anthropic and Genspark, will be first-time Super Bowl ad buyers. Viewers will also see returning entries from Google, Meta, Wix and Amazon, which will air a spot for its Alexa device.
While there are the usual array of snack food and soft drink companies that will appearin the commercial breaks, viewers will also see a spurt in pharmaceutical ads. Marshall said the category has increased its presence on NFL games. The Super Bowl spots will focus on a message of “wellness,” rather than straight ahead product spots with disclaimers listing unpleasant drug side effects.
Marshall said NBCU does not expect the announced alternative halftime show presented by Turning Point USA to have an impact on the ratings. A concert featuring Kid Rock and lesser known country artists Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, will stream on YouTube, X, Rumble and several right-wing TV channels.
The concert promoted by the right-wing group founded by the late Charlie Kirk and now run by his widow Erika is in response to conservatives outraged over the NFL’s selection of Grammy-winning music superstar Bad Bunny, who sings primarily in Spanish, as the halftime act. (President Trump called the decision “terrible” and is skipping the game.)
But the league has not wavered for a moment amid the blowback, as it seeks to expand its global reach by having the most streamed artist in the world on the stage of its marquee event.
The only effective counter-programming gimmick against the Super Bowl halftime show came in 1992. Fox, still an upstart network, ran a live edition of its sketch comedy show “In Living Color” against the halftime of the CBS telecast of Super Bowl XXVI, which featured ice skaters Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano.
The pronounced dip in viewership prompted the NFL to sign Michael Jackson as the halftime act in 1993. The game saw a significant ratings boost and the league has booked contemporary music acts for the game ever since.
SANTA CLARA — Drake Maye did not wait long to earn a spot on the NFL’s grandest stage.
In only his second season, the New England Patriots’ quarterback led his team to the Super Bowl.
Now Maye, 23, will try to join four other second-year quarterbacks who won Super Bowl titles.
“I’m not too great at my history,” Maye said when asked if he knew the other second-year winners. “I know there’s been some young ones.”
Kurt Warner of the Rams, Tom Brady of the Patriots, Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks won titles in their second seasons.
Maye correctly identified the player he called “Big Ben.” Apprised that Brady, who won six of his seven Super Bowl titles with the Patriots, also was part of the group, Maye quipped, “Brady, he wasn’t a bad one either.”
On Sunday, Maye will lead the Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
It’s a “full-circle” moment, said Maye, who attended Super Bowl Bowl L at Levi’s Stadium with his father in 2016.
The Patriots are seeking their first title since the 2018 season, when they defeated the Rams in Super Bowl LII in Atlanta.
“The thing that makes it so special for me, at such a young age, is to cherish such a moment,” Maye said.
Maye has been nursing a right shoulder injury but he said he would be “just fine” for Sunday when the Patriots go against the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense.
Maye is in the Super Bowl after making a huge leap from his rookie season.
The Patriots selected the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Maye out of North Carolina with the third pick in the 2024 draft. Under first-year coach Jerod Mayo, Maye passed for 15 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions, and rushed for 421 yards and two touchdowns for a team that finished 4-13.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye speaks during a news conference on Monday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Mayo after the season and replaced him with Mike Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the team as a player and coached the Tennessee Titans to three playoff appearances in six seasons from 2018 to 2023.
Vrabel brought back Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for three Patriots Super Bowl championship teams, and Maye flourished.
“Give a lot of credit to the people around me,” Maye said. “Coaches, players, new teammates, another year with people I did play with, and just finding confidence in myself.”
Maye completed a league-high and franchise-record 72% of his passes, 31 for touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He also rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Patriots to a 14-3 record and the AFC East title.
Maye is a finalist for NFL most valuable player and for offensive player of the year.
“It all starts with talent,” Vrabel said of Maye, adding, “He plays the position athletically, and that allows him to be accurate with the football, whether that’s in the pocket or extending plays. He … continues to build and develop as a leader, so his success and his performance is a large part of why we’re here.”
Receiver Kayshon Boutte concurred.
“It’s pretty much as simple as that,” he said.
The 2020 season that Cam Newton played for the Patriots provided “useful” material for designing an offense that took advantage of Maye’s mobility, McDaniels said. Maye’s ability to learn quickly and not repeat mistakes has helped him thrive.
“We’ve added a lot this year,” McDaniels said, “and I still think we’re just scratching the surface of where this is going.”
Receiver Stefon Diggs is Maye’s favorite target. The 11th-year pro caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns.
“To be that young and be that mature and be able to play at a high level is something I always wanted as a young player,” Diggs said. “He’s cool with all his teammates. … If you play football, you know. He has that quarterback mindset, that quarterback energy.
“Yeah, he’s cool.”
Tight end Hunter Henry said Maye embodies consistency as a person and a player.
“He’s got a routine, he works really hard, he wants to be great,” said Henry, a 10th-year pro. “He’s never really satisfied. He just wants to continue to improve.”
Maye helped lead the Patriots to playoff victories over the Chargers and the Houston Texans before defeating the Denver Broncos, 10-7, in the AFC championship game.
Containing Maye in the pocket will be a challenge, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said.
“Man, he can flat out run,” Jones said. “Can’t sleep on his speed. … When he gets out of the pocket, he’s running, running, running, and he just throws one.”
Patriots defensive lineman Milton Williams played last season for the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Maye and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, he said, are similarly selfless.
“They never take any credit for anything they did even though they’re both special players,” Williams said. “It’s all about the team with those guys, and guys respect that and guys go out there and play hard for ‘em knowing they’re capable of taking games over and winning games in big moments.”
Maye appears ready for the moment. He is not thinking about age or experience going into the biggest game of his life.
“It’s winning the game,” he said, “and enjoying the time with my teammates.”
Super Bow LX is set for Sunday in Santa Clara, and don’t be surprised if someone who played high school football in the Southland on the Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots makes a big play or even becomes the game MVP.
In fact, if you want to make a hunch bet in Las Vegas, former Narbonne linebacker Uchenna Nwosu of the Seahawks might be someone to consider. He’s the only athlete from the City Section competing, and two former Super Bowl MVPs were John Elway from Granada Hills and Malcolm Smith from Taft.
Nwosu has quite a story. He never started at Narbonne until his senior year. He was a junior varsity player focused on basketball.
His football coach, Manuel Douglas, remembers a meeting with Nwosu, who wanted to give up the sport.
“Coach, I’m not going to make it in football,” Nwosu told him.
“What are you an idiot?” Douglas said. “You’re 6-2 and too small for basketball.”
Douglas said, “He always had the grades. He just had to wait his turn. He had a moment he was going to quit and I wasn’t going to let him.”
Nwosu started 14 games his senior year in 2013, became the captain at USC and was a second-round draft pick of the Chargers.
“Perseverance,” is the word Douglas used to describe how Nwosu finds himself starting in the Super Bowl.
“He’s had to work from the beginning,” Douglas said. “People have their moments when they falter, but he never gave up.”
Among the other Southland high school graduates:
In 2017, USC quarterback Sam Darnold visits his former teammates at San Clemente High.
(Los Angeles Times)
Sam Darnold, quarterback, San Clemente: The hero of the Seahawks’ offense and the first former USC quarterback to play in a Super Bowl has been a legend in San Clemente for years.
Said San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz: “Sam has continued to be the same Sam he was in high school. He is the leader of the locker room where he sets the example and makes everyone around him better. He is a man of few words and lets his actions do the talking. He is the ultra competitor and when he steps onto the field or basketball court, he was there to win.”
Former St. Monica receiver Kyle Williams now plays for the Patriots.
(St. Monica Yearbook)
Kyle Williams, receiver, St. Monica: The Patriots took a chance on a 5-foot-10 receiver, making him a third-round pick from Washington State.
Said St. Monica coach Thomas Barnes: “He is living and walking proof that a kid from St. Monica Prep can make it all the way to the big time. You don’t have to go to one of the big name schools, go to St. Monica and become the big name.”
Former St. John Bosco running back George Holani in 2023 for Boise State. He plays for the Seahawks.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
George Holani, running back, St. John Bosco: A backup running back for the Seahawks who’s filled in for the injured Zach Charbonnet, Holani twice ran for more than 1,000 yards at St. John Bosco before starring at Boise State.
Said coach Jason Negro: “I’m not surprised one bit in George’s journey from Bosco to the Super Bowl. He took the lessons he learned here and the ones that were instilled in him by his family and continued to climb the professional sports ladder.
“George is one of the most humble and hard-working individuals I’ve ever encountered in my career. He’s built on loyalty and culture, which is why he took the path from Bosco to Boise State.
“He trusted the process and understood he needed to be rooted in who he was to get to his ultimate destination, which is playing in the biggest game in the world.”
Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) attempts to evade a tackle by Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai (48) in 2024.
(Greg M. Cooper / Associated Press)
Jahlani Tavai, linebacker, Mira Costa: Just looking at the family history of the Tavai family in the South Bay means there will be plenty of people cheering for him and the Patriots. There are six brothers, all of whom played football.
Said coach Don Morrow: “Jahlani deserves a lot of credit. He was a great athlete coming out of Mira Costa but wasn’t the biggest guy. He was tall and lanky. He really changed his body at Hawaii and got really strong and moved to linebacker.”
Mission Viejo wide receiver Brenden Schooler looks for room to run against Norco in 2015.
(Los Angeles Times)
Brenden Schooler, safety, Mission Viejo: The Patriots once had one of the most famous special teams player in Matthew Slater from Servite. Now Schooler is getting noticed after being signed as a free agent in 2022. He made the Pro Bowl in 2024.
Said defensive coordinator Brett Paton: “Brenden was alway the guy who did extra, first in and last out. Made everyone around him a winner, held his teammates to a higher standard, really good leader. And always came up with the big play when we needed it. In the CIF championship game versus Vista Murrieta, he had the game-changing pick at safety.”
SANTA CLARA — The Rams took care of their first order of business, signing coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead to contract extensions, the team announced Monday.
McVay, 40, and Snead, 55, were entering the final years of their contracts.
McVay, who was hired in 2017, and Snead, who has been the general manager since 2012, had previously been extended after Super Bowl appearances in the 2018 and 2021 seasons. They had offers on the table before this season but did not sign them.
The Rams have made two Super Bowl appearances and have been in the playoffs seven times in McVay’s nine seasons.
The Rams finished 12-5 this season and advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the Seattle Seahawks, who play the New England Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Rams will now turn their attention to possible extensions for receiver Puka Nacua, defensive lineman Kobie Turner, edge rusher Byron Young and offensive lineman Steve Avila.
An exciting yet excruciating playoff loss to the Seahawks doesn’t diminish the Rams’ accomplishments this season. Their ability in coming back to win so many games that appeared lost showcased their resilience time after time, week after week. Thanks for the memories.
Marty Zweben Palos Verdes Estates
When are the Rams and coach Sean McVay going to stop ignoring special teams? Open the checkbook and hire the best special teams coach available. They also need to draft a shutdown corner or two. You don’t need another receiver.
So Bill Plaschke wants to put the blame on the Rams’ loss in the NFC title game solely on Sean McVay? The defense’s atrocious cornerbacks don’t deserve most of the blame? And Plaschke’s blood-boiling need to make the grand statement way before anything is certain doesn’t prove the Plaschke Curse is alive and well? He not only jinxed them once but twice. They lost to Seattle and lost control of the No. 1 seed immediately after the first prediction they’d go to the Super Bowl and then lost again to Seattle after the second. Will someone please take this guy’s laptop away from him until the Rams actually make the Super Bowl!?!?!
Danny Balber Jr. Pasadena
Bill Plaschke in his column blames the decisions made by coach McVay, which have some merit, for the Rams losing in the NFC championship game. Of course, there is no mention of the prediction made by Plaschke the week before about the Rams winning quite confidently and going on to Super Bowl LX. The Rams and McVay never had a real chance being under the Plaschke curse.
Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
I can only hope that if I ever decide to enter a sporting competition, Bill Plaschke predicts I will not win it.
Andrew Sacks Riverside
My dad used to tell me to only watch the end of NBA games, because they are always tied going into the last minute. The NFL is now very much like that, as evidenced by most of this season’s playoff games. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! While I’m bummed about the Rams’ finish, here’s to 2025-26, the best NFL season in recent memory.
The Rams won’t be the only no-shows at the Super Bowl. President Trump will be conspicuous in his absence from the biggest annual, single-day sporting event in the United States.
“It’s just too far away,” Trump told the New York Post. “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”
Or perhaps not so far to his left?
Super Bowl LX will be played Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, part of the San Francisco Bay Area that Trump has so often reviled.
The teams — the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks — hail from deeply entrenched blue states. Massachusetts and Washington have voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1988.
Trump also has expressed disgust over the musical performers at this year’s game: Bad Bunny and Green Day, both unabashed critics of the current administration. Bad Bunny will play the halftime show while Green Day will perform ahead of the kickoff.
“I’m anti-them,” Trump said. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”
Ahead of a tour last fall to promote his most recent album, Bad Bunny (whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) announced he would skip the United States because he was afraid of ICE raids at his concerts. The Puerto Rican superstar — who has nearly 84 million monthly listeners on Spotify — explained why he made an exception for the Super Bowl.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” he said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown. This is for my people, my culture and our history.”
Green Day, an American pop-punk band of almost 40 years, has since Trump’s first term swapped a line in the lyrics of the 2004 hit “American Idiot” from “I’m not part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda.”
Turning Point USA, the conservative non-profit founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced in October that it would stage its own counterprogramming to the Super Bowl and stream it on conservative outlets. The “All American Halftime Show” is billed as “Celebrating Faith, Family, & Freedom.” As of Monday, musical artists had not been announced.
Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl a year ago when he received a muted, mixed reaction of cheers and boos in New Orleans. But this year, the 5½-hour flight from Washington D.C. to the Bay Area apparently is too long for the president, who in January alone has flown to Switzerland, Detroit and Palm Beach.
The NFL has resisted pressure to replace Bad Bunny with a performer more politically palatable to Trump.
“There’s a lot of people right now who don’t like Bad Bunny being in the Super Bowl halftime show,” NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis said at a conference in October. “Well, not everyone has to like everything we do. Bad Bunny is f—ing awesome.”
Not everyone has to like the teams that earned Super Bowl berths and the states they call home, either. And not everyone has to approve of the venue. That includes the President, who made it clear that if he decides to watch, he’ll do so from a distance.
