Unlike Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl Is Going All-In To Celebrate America

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Bad Bunny is getting ready to perform the halftime show at the Super Bowl — arguably one of the country’s most American events — but the Puerto Rican singer doesn’t seem too fond of his roots.

Bad Bunny notably didn’t stand for “God Bless the USA” at a Yankees game last fall and refused to tour in the United States this year after he said he didn’t want ICE raiding his concert venues. The global superstar has been critical of President Donald Trump, while the Trump administration has made it clear there is a lack of excitement from their end for Bad Bunny’s performance.

Despite that, it seems there will be enough patriotism to go around at Super Bowl LX as both teams honor America’s 250th anniversary. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will face off with red, white, and blue patches that read “USA 250” on the front of their jerseys when the teams take the field on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The NFL unveiled the uniforms on Thursday. The USA 250 patch will be on the right side of the Patriots jersey with the Super Bowl LX logo on the left.

The Seahawks will have the celebratory sign under the Super Bowl patch on the right side of the jersey across from an anniversary patch honoring Seattle’s 50th season in the league.

Despite being the designated “away” team, the Seahawks will don their home navy uniforms. The Patriots will wear white.

The teams’ jerseys aren’t the only place the United States will be honored during America’s biggest football game. “America 250” will be stenciled on the sidelines of Levi’s Stadium for the big game, just as the NFL has done each week since Week 18 of the season.

The game balls and the ceremonial coins used during the pre-game toss and overtime (if necessary) will also have America 250 logos. Per the NFL, the coins will be auctioned off for charity on the NFL Auction platform.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says football represents America.

“The NFL is proud to participate in celebrating America’s 250th anniversary,” said Goodell. “The story of the NFL reflects the story of America, and the American spirit of resilience, innovation and teamwork has helped football grow into a cultural pastime that unites us all. We are excited to honor our country’s history and celebrate our collective future.”

Last fall, Goodell said he would not reconsider his choice of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show even amid significant backlash, saying it was “carefully thought through,” the Associated Press reported.

President Donald Trump called the decision “absolutely ridiculous.”

Goodell defended his choice, referring to Bad Bunny as “one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world.”

“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,” the NFL commissioner added.

America’s military will have a featured role in this year’s Super Bowl. The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy are conducting a joint flyover during the pregame as part of the 250th celebrations. The formation will feature two Air Force B-1 Lancers from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and two F-15C Eagles from Fresno Air National Guard Base, California, alongside a pair of Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets and two F-35C Lightning IIs, from Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs said the flyover is a symbol of the nation’s journey and independence.

The service members who are participating in the flyover will be on hand for community events in Santa Clara leading up to game day. Fans can view displays of aircraft, watch search and rescue demonstrations, and see backseat flights on the F/A-18F with community leaders.

The star-spangled-themed Super Bowl is another example of how the NFL has celebrated milestones in American history.

In 1976, the NFL celebrated America’s 200th anniversary with special helmet decals and jersey patches.

The Seahawks and Patriots square off Sunday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. E.T.



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