I agree that he shouldn't have been booed. However, I wonder how much brain power was used in deciding to bring him in. Was it a favour for someone in management for his/her daughter? I'm pretty anyone with a partial brain would have known this wouldn't go over too well with a football crowd.
Was the Grey Cup even more of a prominent event this year, not only because of the 100th, but also because of the hockey strike?
Good question, but I think more or less because it was in Toronto with the Argo's in the finals. There are always good crowds for the Grey Cup, but since the centre of the universe is Toronto, it's a little more important this year.
Edmonton, when warm, is still the best place to have the cup. They sold out in 2010 in 1 week, attendance was 63,317. BTO did the half time. The year before that in Calgary, Blue Rodeo did the half-time. The Big 'O' in Montreal had 66,300+ for their Grey Cup in 2008.
The 6.1 million viewers I don't believe is a record, but pretty close. Oddly, if the Grey Cup is in Montreal, ratings are down....
Actually, it is my opinion that is was a no-brainer to have Bieber there. Like it or not, the guy has one of the (if not the most) popular song for the last month or so. So, the guy is a legitimate star right now. It is not like he is somebody who has potential that nobody has ever heard of or somebody who may have been a star 20-30 years ago. Plus, he is supposedly from that area. You, me, and other football fans may not see his appeal, but that is not the point. The reason the CFL wanted him there is to appeal to the next generation. The league's goal was obviously to get tomorrow's fan to tune in any means possible, hope they give the CFL a shot, and hope they will be season ticket holders in the future.
Honestly if it weren't for that article saying that there was booing, I would not have even noticed it.
Bieber and the other entertainers were to me all fine. A couple songs at the most, and they were done. Certainly no worse than what home teams would normally use for halftime entertainment during the regular season.
Actually, the worst part of the broadcast by far was the Coach's Corner segment Paul LaPolice. All of those bits were disasters. It looked like he was high atop the stadium because nobody wanted to be near him. Of course that is not true, but that is what it looked like. Plus whenever he tried to explain something, he just mumbled something that did not seem to match what he was diagramming. There was one time where the replay was continuing and arrows were being drawn, yet LaPolice had stopped talking 10 seconds ago. Another time, he was trying to point some significant play. However, that play happened 2 quarters ago. Worse part of all this is that LaPolice probably has the whole quarter to rehearse these 30 second segments, yet he still failed miserably at them. Maybe he will be better with practice, but for the Grey Cup, the guy simply should not have been on by himself. TSN should have used Duane Forde or anybody to help him out. Actually, I don't know why TSN did not use Forde at all. Black is not so great, but Forde is a very good color commentator.
The reason we spend the Grey Cup thread criticizing, rightly or wrongly, the half-time "Entertainment", was because the actually game was terrible. It was essentially over at half time and only one team showed up to play....the Argos. I'm happy for Toronto.
I have no problems with Bieber and Carly Rae, good Canadian kids. But I have a difficult time trying to decide why Burton Cummings' rendition of our National Anthem wasn't vetted before the Game, during rehearsals. Cummings is a National Icon who will have as his lasting legacy the Grey Cup National anthem.
Actually, it is my opinion that is was a no-brainer to have Bieber there. Like it or not, the guy has one of the (if not the most) popular song for the last month or so.
Targeted at an audience that doesn't watch football. And people who watch football don't listen to "The Bieb".
Actually, it is my opinion that is was a no-brainer to have Bieber there. Like it or not, the guy has one of the (if not the most) popular song for the last month or so. So, the guy is a legitimate star right now. It is not like he is somebody who has potential that nobody has ever heard of or somebody who may have been a star 20-30 years ago. Plus, he is supposedly from that area. You, me, and other football fans may not see his appeal, but that is not the point. The reason the CFL wanted him there is to appeal to the next generation. The league's goal was obviously to get tomorrow's fan to tune in any means possible, hope they give the CFL a shot, and hope they will be season ticket holders in the future.
Honestly if it weren't for that article saying that there was booing, I would not have even noticed it.
There are many other Canadian entertainment options that would have been a much better fit that Justin Bieber that would have also been a hit with both the younger and older crowds. Examples include:
Billy Talent Thornley Sam Roberts Finger Eleven Three Days Grace The Trews Alexisonfire Theory of a Deadman Default Hedley
Hell I hate to say this but even Nickelback would have been a better option than Bieber.
Bieber suffered from the fact that he is manufactured talent. Watching him perform, it was blatantly obvious that he was just a puppet on stage who at times couldn't even keep sync with the rest of the performers on stage.
But....whoever produced this "show" should be canned.
Burton Cummings slaughtered Oh Canada
No kidding. Everyone in the stadium sang along for the first two parts (yes, even the one in French), then we collectively went "WTF?!?" and it was quiet as a wake for the rest of it.
There are many other Canadian entertainment options that would have been a much better fit that Justin Bieber that would have also been a hit with both the younger and older crowds. Examples include:
Billy Talent Thornley Sam Roberts Finger Eleven Three Days Grace The Trews Alexisonfire Theory of a Deadman Default Hedley
Well, the other reason was to get as many people watching as possible. Furthermore, the CFL wants to be known as a big-time league than can get "A-List" stars. No offense to those people you named, but the worldwide (or however many countries) tv audience probably have not heard of most of those on the list.
I don't want to get yelled at but I have to ask: What the hell did Burton Cummings sing?
First thing is that he changed the tempo and pitch of the song significantly. You know, that usual "I'm a big shot and I can sign the Anthem the way I want" artistic license thing.
Then, after the second verse, he kinda skipped the third verse and went right to the fourth, only to backtrack to the third right in the middle of it. It was really strange.
There were RCMP standing near him. Why didn't they arrest him?
I know (hope?) the comment was tongue in cheek but, no offense, we have real freedom of expression up here. There is no actual offense for screwing up the anthem or a flag.
I don't want to get yelled at but I have to ask: What the hell did Burton Cummings sing?
He did exactly what almost every "artist" who is asked to sing the national anthem at a Superbowl does: he "made it his own". Granted, he messed with the tune, meter, and words while SB singers usually only do the first two, but it's something that's been annoying for me for years. It's the national freakin' anthem for crying out loud, not some bit of insipid pop trash you are covering for your latest hit single. Sing it as written, and get off the attention-whore stage.
Even more than altering the anthem, the other effect of messing with it is that people who are trying to sing along cannot do so. You're leading the way that others cannot follow.
gave just enough time for the crowd to take over..
Good for them.
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I [think] it was at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles that there was a [wonderful] rendition of our national anthem by a woman who they said was a supermarket cashier. I remember it very well, have always been trying to find a reference to it since then.
By contrast, Roseanne Barr sang the Star Spangled Banner between Padres games 20 years ago, and what a disaster....