Besides the Raiders and Buccaneers dueling on the field, Super Bowl XXXVII brought big celebrity names to entertain viewers before and everywhere in-between the game Sunday.
The Spanish-influenced RadioShack Pre-Game Show brought in Grammy winners Santana, BeyoncZ Knowles and Michelle Branch. Santana and Knowles lit up the stage with a salsa number that was filled with Santana’s infamous guitar wails. The San Diego sun blazed down on Knowles in her Spanish-inspired purple dress as she belted out and shook her stuff across the stage.
Comedian Adam Sandler’s favorite rock band STYX were supposed to perform before the players were announced, but if they did it was not aired. Kid Rock assisted one of his idols, Hank Williams Jr., in singing a special Super Bowl version of “Are you Ready For Some Football.” Though Williams held his own, Kid Rock was a little hard to understand.
Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger graced the television introducing the Raiders and Bucs in true Terminator style. He even used his infamous saying, “I’ll be back.” The narrator made a statement that may hold too true for the Raiders. “In 20 minutes their [Raiders’ and Bucs’] world and yours will change forever.”
To pacify viewers until the AT&T Wireless halftime Show Pepsi-Twist, Trident, and Budweiser gave some of the best commercials. One highly publicized commercial was with Pepsi, where Jack and Kelly Osbourne turned into Donny and Marie Osmond. Also, to top it off the cola company put none other than than than Mrs. Brady, Florence Henderson, in bed with the Prince of Bleeping Darkness.
“Ozzy waking up to Florence Henderson was hilarious,” MSU freshman Talara Soca. “I think that was my favorite commercial of the night.”
The half-time performances started off with Shania Twain singing her hit, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.”
“The Sierra Mist commercial really stood out to me,” MSU senior communication major Tracey Ashley said. “I had never even heard of them until then, and I bet this is going to make them so much money.”
No Doubt strutted the stage with their first big hit “Just a Girl.” Mrs. Rosdale adorned the stage doing push ups in the opening. Former Police singer Sting joned the ska-punkers and sang his hit 80s “S.O.S.”
This year, like so many before, Super Bowl Sunday provided a little something for everyone including football, music and funny commercials.