Halftime Adjustments

 

Rihanna is the featured performer in Sunday's halftime show. (People)

We're less than 48 hours from Emperor Goodell's 57th Large Contest.

Somewhere around 8 p.m. Sunday night, we'll be sitting in the Presidential Suite taking in the game* when Rihanna will saunter to midfield. There's no confirmation that she will need an umbrella-ella-ella.

*Assuming Sean actually sits with us to watch the game. That is not a certainty.

Personally, this is one halftime show that I didn't really have a reaction to when it was announced. I'm not concerned either way. I'm sure the few of us who will congregate here on Sunday night will stretch our legs, talk, and mildly keep an eye on the TV.

With the arrival of the Big Bowl brings talk of the best and worst ever and among those is the halftime show. The thing is there are two weeks between the conference championships and the Super Big Game so there is a lot of time for nonsense like lists.

And, yeah, I've seen a few lists.

Spoiler alert: when it comes to the purple-shrouded one in Game number XLI, I remain completely unimpressed. Yes, 16 years later, I still don't think Prince's performance is the gold standard. 

To be honest, at this point, I don't know who was the best.

But I'll tell you I was bored with Prince on a night that I fell asleep during the game.

"Well, Paul McCartney MUST be your favorite then," you say. Indeed, Paul's show in 2005 was pretty great but it was also safe, featuring "Drive My Car", "Get Back," "Live and Let Die," and "Hey Jude." So, sure, it's not really spectacular but it's also a Beatle. "Hey Jude" is smart because of the singalong factor and "Live and Let Die" allows for pyrotechnics. All great songs, of course.

I'd put U2 pretty high up also. Look, I'm hardly their biggest fan but they hit the right notes in the first Super night following Sep 11, 2001. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were a band that I wondered about. I wasn't sure they'd fit the halftime game vibe but they were actually great.

For us classic rock fans, the era of those acts came to an end with The Who in 2010. They were ... fine.

Since then we've had one "spectacular" after another. Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Katy Perry, etc. Most have left me rather empty. A few were rather dreadful and a couple were entertaining (Lady Gaga for sure). Some even baffled me (The Weeknd).

I'll just say "Maroon 5" and add nothing. Just leave that right there.

So I suppose what I'm saying is that while Up With People won't be appearing (they did "The Power of Love" as part of a medley at Super XX, I just look for Rihanna to entertain us.

The days of the halftime marching band are over.

Thus, in short: don't stink, I guess.

Let's face it. I'm not the demographic for the halftime show. Simply my age alone takes me out of the conversation. More importantly, I'm actually a football fan who cares about -- GASP! -- the game!

So, yeah. We'll likely talk among ourselves at halftime on Sunday night.