Are You Ready for Some Bad Entertainment?

Are You Ready for Some Bad Entertainment?

So last night marked the opening of another football season with the game between New England and Oakland. As a huge football fan, I’ve been waiting for this moment all summer long and looked forward to the unveiling of the 2004 Championship banner for my favorite team.

However, as I watched the television coverage of the pre-game festivities, I was again perplexed at how the NFL seems to continually put together bad entertainment events that have little to do with football or its fans. Does anyone else feel this way?

Do you think the NFL ever actually asks its fans (namely men) who they would like to see perform during its major events? For example, while some of last night’s bands made sense from the standpoint of being relevant to the primary football audience of men (i.e. Green Day, the Stones, Ozzy, etc.), I am constantly befuddled when the NFL trots out lip-syncing pop stars on cheesy motorized footballs to “entertain” us. And, while Santana may be a great guitar player, what does an eight year old song have to do with anything? Hello…is anyone listening (or watching)?

I completely understand that football has a national audience comprised of a broad demographic, and that we’re really talking about Hollywood “entertainment”, but who at the NFL really thinks these shows are good? I can’t remember any pre-game or halftime show that made me want to “stay tuned”. My message to the NFL: it’s time to try a new play from the marketing/event playbook.

Let me know what you think. For now, I’ll just be happy that the Patriots won their first game. Go Pats!