NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl headliner, commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, reaffirming a decision to put the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist on the league’s biggest stage that drew criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and some of his supporters.
Goodell addressed the Bad Bunny controversy in his press conference after the annual fall owners meeting. It’s the first time he’s commented on the move, announced in late September, which has garnered worldwide attention, including a spike in Bad Bunny music streams and backlash.
“It’s carefully thought out,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever picked an artist that didn’t get any kind of response or criticism. That’s pretty hard to do with hundreds of millions of people watching.”
Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, 31, he has been vocal in his opposition to Trump and his policies. He decided to live in Puerto Rico for 31 days, avoiding stops in the US mainland, citing concerns about mass deportations of Latinos.
He performs in Spanish and is expected to perform at the Super Bowl.
“We’re confident it’s going to be a great show,” Goodell said, acknowledging that there could be more talent with Bad Bunny. “He understands the platform he’s on and I think it’s going to be an exciting and unifying moment.”
The San Francisco 49ers will host the Super Bowl on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It’s unclear whether Trump plans to attend, although personally attending major sporting events has become a significant part of his second term in the White House.
In a brief interview with conservative news network Newsmax, he said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.
“I don’t know who he is,” Trump said. “I don’t know why they do it. It’s kind of crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to take the entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Goodell defended the decision Wednesday, explaining that it was made because of Bad Bunny’s massive popularity.
“He is one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we’re trying to achieve. It’s an important milestone for us. It’s an important element of entertainment value.”
The tush push ban has been filed … for now
Echoing what senior vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said Tuesday, Goodell said there hasn’t been much discussion about the quarterback since a spring effort to ban him narrowly failed.
Vincent said the main concern is how difficult it is to execute a maneuver that the Philadelphia Eagles do so often with success. It was not on the official agenda for this meeting, although the owners received an update on penalties and other football matters.
“It’s something we’ll continue to monitor at all stages, just like every other aspect of the game,” Goodell said. “We don’t have any suggestions on how to update it. I wouldn’t be surprised if something changes. But it’s not something we’re really focused on during the season.”
More from Roger Goodell at the NFL owners meeting
When asked about replay reviews and length, Goodell said playing time actually decreased in the first seven weeks compared to last season, despite an increase in snaps after the so-called dynamic start was adjusted.
“It’s pretty amazing when you add the number of starters,” Goodell said. “You’re going to get more fouls. You’re going to get different sets of fouls. You’re going to have a little (more) playing time.”
Goodell said he had breakfast with interim Players Association executive director David White before one of the league’s games this season, but said he expects any talk of moving to an 18-game regular season and other collective bargaining negotiations to wait until the union chooses its long-term leader.
The current CBA is valid for 2031 league years. White told The Associated Press last month that an 18-game season was not inevitable.
“There’s going to be a lot more to the negotiations than just 18-and-2 (exhibition games),” Goodell said. “There are a lot of issues that we’re going to raise and I’m sure the players will, and that’s how it should be. This is collective bargaining. They’re going to need time to make sure they’re ready, ready to negotiate (and) have their priorities, and then we can start negotiations.”
Goodell said Super Bowl sites for the 2028 and 29 seasons are in the works and he expects to announce them next year.
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