“I think we’re firmly split down the middle between those of us who know absolutely nothing about football and those of us who know almost absolutely nothing about football.”
These words were uttered by Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland during the band’s press conference in preparation for its halftime performance at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara on Sunday (via Yahoo Sports).
All in all, the press conference didn’t suck. The British music group was engaging (and pretty funny).
Though, that comment really disturbs this one football purist.
More than that, it offends someone that hails from an area of the world that is known for great musicians — musicians that might know a touchdown from a field goal.
When it was first announced that Coldplay was going to be performing with Beyonce at halftime of Super Bowl 50, this one scribe was taken aback.
This isn’t because I view Coldplay in a bad light. In reality, I am indifferent. It’s a group that won’t force me to turn the radio station. It’s also a group I won’t go spend $100 dollars on to see live.
Rather, it was all about who the NFL could have picked to perform at the halftime show — a venue that remains the single greatest honor for musicians the world over.
This is the Bay Area. The home of Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, Journey and so many more — some of who were integral parts of the counter-culture movement that defined a long gone era.
Haight-Ashbury. Southern Marin. Berkeley. These all represented ground zero for a generation of music that defined a nation. A generation of music that remains the greatest in the minds of countless millions.
Even looking at more modern titans of the music industry: Green Day, Huey Lewis & the News, Too Short and E-40 all hail from the Bay Area.
In a sign that the NFL is completely out of touch with what us (the consumers) want, it decided to employ a British rock group to perform in favor of some of the greatest musicians of all-time — musicians with direct ties to the area actually hosting the Super Bowl.
Who in the world wouldn’t want to hear Metallica perform the national anthem with Neil Young joining Green Day on stage at halftime?
Heck, if the NFL needed to go away from the Bay Area roots in music, there were a ton of better options.
A certain British musician by the name of Adele probably would have dominated the stage in a way Coldplay likely won’t be able to.
In reality, this was a missed opportunity of epic proportions. It’s also the latest in a long line of failures from the NFL when it comes to capitalizing on the music industry.
That’s my unfiltered take.