Though it's still just a rumor, Sports Illustrated is reporting that it's likely that the Who will perform at Super Bowl XLIV, which will be held in Miami on February 7, 2010. The classic British rock band — which consists of guitarist Pete Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey, the only two members who are still alive — would be playing their first show in North America in two years and would continue the recent tradition of featuring older legends during the most-watched television broadcast of the year. The past few years have included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.
Some would say that these acts are a great coup for the NFL and the networks who broadcast the big game (the honor this year goes to CBS), but it seems like they may be in a bit of a rut. Plus, they're going to run out of classic bands pretty soon (assuming they don't want to dip into any one well a second time). Unless they can convince Led Zeppelin to do it (and odds are against that), there aren't many left who could qualify.
Which is why the producers of the Super Bowl halftime show should switch up their approach. The Who are excellent (it's hard to argue with the band that brought the world "Baba O'Riley"), but the halftime show could use some new blood. But they also need a storyline and an opportunity.
That's why Kanye West should play the Super Bowl halftime show.
Think about it: He's one of the biggest young stars in music. He's got a parade of TV-friendly hits. He could invited any number of artists out on stage with him. His performances are visually interesting. Plus, it would be a fitting end to his current storyline. America loves a good comeback, and what better place to re-emerge in the public eye than at a distinctly American event like the Super Bowl? West could even invite Taylor Swift along to interrupt his performance, just to bring it full circle and completely bury the "Kanye West Interrupts" meme forever.
So get on it, NFL. Tell Townshend and Daltrey that they'll have to wait until next year, because this year belongs to Mr. West. And if Kanye says no, you're still in Miami, which is full of artists who can reflect the spirit of the city and the event better than the Who. Rick Ross and Jennifer Lopez are probably both available.
What do you think? Who should perform at the Super Bowl in 2010? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
A few weeks ago, New Jersey's favorite son Bruce Springsteen played a series of shows at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, marking the final concerts that would be hosted at the venue (which is being torn down in favor of a brand new football stadium that will open next year). Now it turns out that New Jersey's other favorite sons (favorite nephews?) will be the first band to play the new stadium next spring. The band announced today that their shows on April 26 and 27 would be the first events hosted by the new park. The two dates will wrap up the group's tour for their new album Circle, which hits stores next month.
Bon Jovi is a great and appropriate choice to open the new stadium, which cost $1.6 billion to construct. Interestingly, the naming rights to the new stadium are still up in the air, and rather than just sell it off to the highest bidder, they should really name it something Jersey-centric. (There's nothing more boring than naming a building after a corporate entity, is there?) And even if they don't want to name the new football venue "Slippery When Wet Stadium" or "Darkness On The Edge Of Town Field," frontman Jon Bon Jovi should really place a bid himself. Who wouldn't want to hop in the car to see the Jets play the Dolphins at "Livin' on a Prayer Park"?
But here's the best option: Bon Jovi and Springsteen should pool some money and make a formal bid for the naming rights. Obviously they'd have to combine two things to represent each party, so perhaps we can look forward to "Born to Runaway Stadium," "Blaze of Glory Days Pavillion" or "Wanted Dead or Alive in the U.S.A. Field." (That last one is a mouthful.) Or maybe they just simplify it and call it "Springsteen Bon Jovi Park." Come on, guys — help us avoid the inevitable "Pepsi Field" or "Verizon Park."
He wasn't on the field during the final play of the game (which saw Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown scamper into the endzone for a touchdown), but superstar singer Marc Anthony certainly gave his team a boost last night at Miami's Landshark Stadium. The Dolphins beat the New York Jets 31-27 following a star-studded "orange carpet" that welcomed Anthony (who is part owner of the team) and his wife Jennifer Lopez (or was it Lola?). The event also welcomed Gloria Estefan (another minority owner), former Dolphins coach Don Shula and supermodel Naomi Campbell. Last night's game opened with Anthony's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," which no doubt inspired the Dolphins (who are hobbled by an injury to their quarterback Chad Pennington) to overcome one of the strongest defenses in football.
Anthony's ownership in the Dolphins is part of an initiative by the team to bring in celebrity investors. In addition to Anthony and Estefan, tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams both own a slice of the team. Jimmy Buffet also got himself a stake in the franchise — in fact, the stadium where the Dolphins play is named after Landshark, Buffet's brand of beer. Though they're not necessarily involved in day-to-day operations, Anthony and the other celebrity owners do get consulted and have the ear of the team's management. Anthony and Lopez aren't the first musicians to get into sports franchise ownership, either, as Jay-Z (New Jersey Nets), Usher (Cleveland Cavaliers), Nelly (Charlotte Bobcats) and Jon Bon Jovi (Philadelphia Soul) have all dabbled in that world.
The start of the NFL season is just around the corner (MTV News just had its fantasy football draft last night), but there are still a handful of people not named Brett Favre who want to get in on this season's action. Take Will.I.Am, the Black Eyed Peas leader who wrote a blog post and created a video appealing to Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to grant him a tryout with the team. In the post, Will talks about looking up to his uncle Lynn Cain, who played pro ball for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams in the '80s. "You might ask, 'Why the Miami Dolphins? You're from L.A.," Will wrote on his blog. He explains that L.A. doesn't have a team and that he's been a dolphin all his life. "When I was in the tenth grade, I played football for the Palisades Dolphins," he said. "I was a tailback. My name was Willy Zoom, because I'm fast. Ask Reggie Bush."
In the blog, Will also claims to have beaten former NFL running back Jamal Anderson in a foot race and said he would like to go stride-for-stride with Olympic champion Usain Bolt. He insists that his desire to play football is genuine, and at the end of the video he makes a direct plea to the Dolphins owner for an opportunity. "So Mr. Ross, I'm just asking you: Let me try out. Punt returner. I ain't playing. This ain't no joke. What's the worse that's gonna happen? I don't make the team, or I smoke your defense?" Even if he doesn't get a tryout, he'll still get to be a part of the NFL, as the Black Eyed Peas are performing prior to the season's first official game next Thursday, September 10.
The summer is almost over, which means it will soon be time to figure out how you're going to drop all the weight you gained eating nothing but pulled pork, grilled sausages and gigantic ice cream cones for the past three months. Some famous folk have already gotten a jump on their weight loss, including Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White. White — derogatorily referred to as "LenWhale" by some of the sports blog universe — showed up to training camp a full 30 pounds lighter than he was last year. Radio host Rush Limbaugh — another man not known for his rugged physique — also lost a bunch of much-written-about weight on an experimental new diet. In fact, Limbaugh has shed 90 pounds so far and is looking to drop more.
But how did these two high-profile individuals shed so much fat in the past few months? Limbaugh cites a new diet that combines a low-calorie diet and supplements, while White says the weight evaporated for him when he stopped drinking (especially tequila, his former poison of choice). But MTV News knows better. Since everybody is a fan of Kanye West, it's clear that they've been using "The New Workout Plan," as explained in the song and video from the same name from his debut album in 2006. The most shocking thing? It's strange now to think about Kanye as anything but a super-serious guy who oversees dance performances and puts out heartfelt albums about heartbreak, but when the guy first landed on the scene with a microphone, half the time he was just trying to be goofy.
By Andrew Millard
Here's something you probably didn't know about MTV Newsers: A lot of us are hard-core soccer fans (sorry, Tim Kash — I meant to say "football"!). And every day for the past two weeks, most of our Newsroom TVs have been locked on the UEFA European Football Championships, where between 2:30 and 5 p.m. you'll hear loud, intermittent "UGH!!"s, "ARRGGGHH!!"s and, of course, "GOOOOAAAAAALLLL!!"s from our most faithful footie followers.
Of course, if you happen to be in Austria or Switzerland right now you're also bound to hear this: "DUUUUH, DUH-DUH DUH-DUH-DUUUUUUUUUH!"
