The National Basketball Association has gone country. Yes, those were country music recording artists LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich performing at halftime of last Sunday’s NBA All-Star game in Denver. As headliners.
No, you did not have your television sets on the Daytona 500, because that race had been over for hours. You might have thought you were watching the Great American Race when you saw Rimes and Big & Rich pop up on center stage, but it wasn’t.
They were headliners for the halftime show of one of the top hip-hop events in sports, the NBA All-Star Game. A game where 19 of the 24 participants were African-American. HOOWWWW-DEEEE!!!!
The Sports Eye realizes that Janet Jackson spooked an entire nation with her infamous “clothing malfunction” at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston. The national furor from red state America was rampant and repercussions are still being felt. It is affecting the decisions made by everyone who puts on these halftime galas at the top sporting events.
This year’s Super Bowl halftime show featured a rather tame performance by Paul McCartney (yawn). When the St. Louis Cardinals made it to the World Series this year, the organization trotted out country recording artist Gretchen Wilson and Christian pop singer Amy Grant to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Games 3 and 4 at Busch Stadium. We will not even talk about Ashlee Simpson’s wretched performance at halftime of the Fiesta Bowl.
However, David Stern and the NBA poohbahs took the cake last Sunday by turning the halftime show of a hip-hop league and turning it into an episode of “Hee Haw.” The only thing missing from the show was Grandpa Jones reeling off the after-dinner menu and a special rendition of “Pickin’ and Grinnin'” from Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Karl Malone is kicking himself right now for announcing his retirement two weeks ago.
We’re not taking anything away from the talents of LeeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich, but to put them in the middle of rhythm nation made about as much sense as featuring Eve and Snoop Dog at the Grand Ole Opry. In the words of NBA analyst Bill Walton, the NBA made a HOOOORRRRRIIIIBLE decision.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley was quite outspoken about the lameness of the halftime show, and we frankly agree with Sir Charles on this one. For the NBA to overreact in this matter to what happened more than a year ago is simply ridiculous.
If you don’t want behavior that is perceived as inappropriate, there are many other R&B artists who would have put on wonderful performances without threatening the moral fiber of this country. Outkast was great at last year’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Alicia Keys, Usher and Kanye West put on great performances at the Grammy Awards the previous week.
It is well-documented that the NBA is dealing with an image problem with its fan base, especially in the wake of the ugly riot incident in Michigan in November. However, there are signs of positive things.
Scoring is up around the league and the games are much more entertaining. Young phenom LeBron James is filling buildings around the nation with his spectacular style and team-oriented approach. Good guy Grant Hill has made a miraculous recovery from numerous injuries to become an All-Star once again. International stars continue to add flavor to the mix with five players in the All-Star Game. Steps have been taken to limit alcohol consumption at games.
These are the things that will help bring the fans and players back together. Not some half-baked attempt to appeal to the red states.