I know what some of you may be thinking: here’s just another racist white boy with a vendetta against the bunny, but I promise I have good reasons as to why Bad Bunny was not my pick for the Super Bowl halftime show.

When the rumors started to fly about who would perform, one of the most prominent and popular names mentioned was Metallica. As a fan of all things ear-splitting, guitar-driven and fast, I hoped that this would be the year that the kings of thrash metal would finally break onto that stage. I have nothing against Bad Bunny, I just really wanted Metallica. This is an open and shut case of “hate the game, not the player.”

The Super Bowl halftime show is a spectacle that has helped fuel the popularity of football. It gives viewers a change of pace from the rough-and-tumble action. Fans watching at home get a chance to pop the second round of wings into the oven or go use the bathroom. Those who got dragged to a party get to watch a popular artist perform for free. Fans at the game get the value of a concert and the season finale of football in one ticket.

The show slowly gained popularity since its debut in 1967 and it’s only been within the last 30 years that culturally significant performances such as Michael Jackson, Prince and Dr. Dre and Friends have since aired. This year’s selection is Puerto Rican rapper/singer Bad Bunny, who hosts for the first time after previously being a special guest during Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s show in 2020.

There has been a lot of talk about it recently including  the political standpoint that Bad Bunny does not represent America and thus, is a poor choice. Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren claimed on her show “He’s not an American artist” by accident before being quickly corrected by guest speaker Krystal Ball. Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican, and many people do not realize that Puerto Rico is a territory of the US and has been since 1898. That makes Bad Bunny an American.

Perhaps most notably, Turning Point USA announced an ‘All American Halftime Show’ as a counter-event. It is rumored to feature Creed or Lee Greenwood– choices as ridiculous as calling Bad Bunny ‘un American’.

In response to the backlash, Bad Bunny has mostly brushed it off, stating in an episode of Saturday Night Live, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!” referencing complaints about him singing in Spanish. He’s clearly excited to do it and I am still excited for him, but I wanted Metallica.

I consider myself one of those people who think that older music is better. This isn’t true across the board but I primarily pick artists like Metallica, Van Halen or Kiss over artists like Bad Bunny. The NFL’s choice to target more recent acts stems from the fact that rock and metal rarely take one of the biggest stages in the world. Heck, even if the NFL did want Metallica, there’s a chance that they’d refuse anyway.

Drummer Lars Ulrich stated that he’d be interested in performing but guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield previously said that they may not fit the expectations because Metallica prioritizes performance over atmosphere, which the NFL heavily values.

Metallica has been accused in the past of selling out, most notably in their departure from the thrash metal genre during the alt-rock explosion in the 1990s and the highly covered Napster copyright case that they were a part of. The band has been portrayed as money-hungry which could put a damper on a potential halftime show anytime in the future.

I am not entirely upset about the Bad Bunny selection; he’s an able performer and I will probably watch his show just like I have watched many in the past. I just hope, for the sake of my personal taste, that Metallica gets to perform eventually.