Photo Credit: Paolo Aldrighetti
The New York Times issues an apology following an NFL player’s harsh comment on Bad Bunny in its anonymous survey of players ahead of the big game.
The Athletic, now the sports-focused subsidiary of The New York Times, issued an apology after an NFL player ragged on Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance ahead of the big game.
As part of its Super Bowl coverage, the publication conducted an anonymous survey of NFL players and their thoughts on Bad Bunny’s position as this year’s halftime headliner. The survey found that 58.6% of players supported the decision, while 41.4% were unenthusiastic.
But one anonymous player’s criticism apparently went too far, and The Athletic ultimately edited the piece to remove his quote from the story while issuing an apology. “I think there are better examples of character and morality than Bad Bunny,” the now-scrubbed quote read.
After the quote was nixed, the Athletic added an editor’s note explaining that the quote did not meet the publication’s standards. They also added clarification that the Puerto Rican Bad Bunny is in fact an American citizen; Puerto Rico is a United States territory.
“This story has been updated to clarify that Bad Bunny is an American citizen. In addition, a quote from a player was deleted from this story because it did not meet the standards of The Athletic,” the statement reads.
The Athletic’s survey also illustrated that many players, if given the option for any halftime show performer, alive or dead, would choose the late Michael Jackson. Jackson famously headlined the halftime show in 1993, and it was the most-watched halftime show in history until recently.
But neither Bad Bunny nor the NFL is too worried about any criticism. Bad Bunny was a force to be reckoned with at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, winning the award for Best Música Urbana Album. He is consistently one of the most-streamed artists in the world, alongside the likes of Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Morgan Wallen.
Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doubled down on his support for Bad Bunny as this year’s headliner, noting the criticism is just part of the business.
“He’s one of the most popular entertainers in the world,” said Goodell. “It’s carefully thought through. I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. […] We’re confident it’s going to be a great show.”
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