Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre said he disagrees with the league's decision to feature Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl halftime show in February, saying he would have chosen a more patriotic performer.
Speaking on his "4th & Favre" podcast Monday, Favre was asked who he would have selected.
"I'd pick someone who — maybe Jason Aldean ... someone who loves this country and that everyone could relate to," Favre said.
Favre, 56, a three-time NFL MVP and supporter of President Donald Trump, mentioned other musicians he would have considered.
"I like George Strait, that's old school," he said. "There are a lot of choices out there."
Favre fondly recalled Whitney Houston's rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991.
"I was blown away," he said. "If you didn't have tears in your eyes watching and listening to that, something's wrong with you.
"I envision a national anthem and a halftime show, they're two different things, that it really grabs you. Those are just two people off the top of my head."
The NFL's choice of Bad Bunny, a Grammy-winning Puerto Rican singer, drew criticism from conservative circles, including Trump, who said he was unfamiliar with the artist.
"I've never heard of him," Trump said in an interview with Newsmax. "I don't know who he is. I don't know why they're doing it. It's crazy.
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous."
Bad Bunny, 31, has previously voiced opposition to Trump and his immigration policies.
The singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, recently held a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico but did not schedule performances in the U.S., citing concerns about possible immigration enforcement actions at Spanish-language concerts.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the controversy at the league's Fall Meeting last month.
"It's carefully thought through," Goodell said. "I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism.
"It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told podcaster Benny Johnson that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be present at Super Bowl LX, which will be played Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
"We'll be all over that place," Noem said. "We're going to enforce the law. So I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless there are law-abiding Americans who love this country."
Discussing the NFL's choice, she added that those responsible for selecting Bad Bunny "won't be able to sleep at night."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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