Ryan Cornelius
One of my earliest sports memories was watching Troy Aikman walk out onto the field at Superbowl XXVII in Pasedena, Calif.
It was one more earliest memories because I can remember being so upset that I only got to eat my chips and cheese dip an hour before the game and I had to go to bed at 8 p.m. I think my parents may have extended it that day in order for me to watch the first Cowboy possession.
I remember laying in bed absolutely crushed that my parents wouldn’t allow me to watch America’s team. I wasn’t even a Cowboy fan, but come on, it was the Super Bowl.
What I have come to realize 16 years later, is that it wasn’t the game I missed, it was the halftime show.
After watching all of the Michael Jackson coverage and reading some new jokes, unfortunately becoming amused at some, I decided to go online and see for myself exactly what this man was capable of.
When I watched his halftime performance, I was just astounded. I mean I thought ‘N Sync had moves. I was dead wrong. Michael Jackson was a one man show that captivated millions around the world.
Nowadays, the Super Bowl halftime show has become a remix of who’s popular at the time. Thinking back in the last 16 years I can only remember one that is even in Jackson’s league and that would have been U2 in the 2001 Super Bowl after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In 2003, the world was subjected to Steven Tyler’s antics on stage with Justin Timberlake and ‘N Sync. The 2003 performance just goes to show, that one band or one act can’t captivate like Jackson did. It took Aerosmith, ‘N Sync, Brittany Spears (who looked really good in 2003), Mary J. Blige and Missouri rapper Nelly to get the crowd going. Note there were only 67,000 people in attendance in 2003, while there was 98,000 in attendance in 1993.
What’s even more impression is the message. With thousands of children with him he shared a message of understanding a peace. He wasn’t telling us to walk a certain way or talk a certain way, it was about black and white and all other races coming together.
Jackson should be remembered by his music, performance and influence, and not by his shortcomings or Hollywood rumors.
