By Mark Pszonak
As with most Super Bowl halftime shows, Kendrick Lamar’s performance on Sunday night has drawn plenty of criticism. Some of that came via SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, who wasn’t bashful with his opinion:
https://twitter.com/rhettlashlee/status/1888764132008292370
Overall, the response has generally gone as follows. Most people 30+ years of age hated it, while most under 30 loved it. Coach Lashlee is 41 so he fits the mold. However, to call it the “worst halftime show ever” is an example of people having short-term memories. Just focusing on the halftime shows since 2000, there have been plenty that were either bad, awkward and already long forgotten.
· 2000; Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton & Phil Collins (Atlanta)
· 2003; Shania Twain & No Doubt (San Diego)
· 2010; The Who (Miami)
More Sports News
· 2011; The Black Eyed Peas (Arlington)
· 2014; Bruno Mars (East Rutherford)
· 2016; Coldplay (Santa Clara)
· 2019; Maroon 5 (Atlanta)
· 2021; The Weekend (Tampa)
· 2024; Usher (Las Vegas)
No halftime show will ever make everyone completely happy, especially in the world of social media. But there have been plenty that drew serious critique. Kendrick Lamar’s will be lumped into that group for eternity.
Now onto the 2026 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, where in most likelihood a stale, tame and non-disruptive performer will be selected to appease the older masses.
