NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele said Friday that the problem with Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl LX halftime game has nothing to do with him being from Puerto Rico.
Steele said on “Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner that her problem was that Bad Bunny had led “with hate” since he was announced as the music headliner for the game.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Bad Bunny speaks onstage at the Super Bowl LX Pregame & Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Press Conference at Moscone Center West on February 5, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
“I will also point out this one thing,” Steele said. “This isn’t about someone who isn’t American and it’s Bad Bunny, but it’s not about that. U2, they’re from Ireland, they gave a great performance right after 9/11 20-something years ago. This is about leading with hate as an artist, and that’s what Bad Bunny has done from day one.
“When he says, ‘I don’t want to speak your language, you have four months to learn it,’ are you kidding me? That would never be acceptable in their country. So that’s the disturbing (thing). Not that he’s from Puerto Rico. That he says he hates us, he doesn’t want to take our money, but now he’s doing it.”
Bad Bunny made it known that American fans should learn to speak English before his performance. He tried to walk back the remark Thursday during his interview with Apple Music ahead of the show.
NFL LEGEND BLASTERS LEAGUE FOR SELECTING BAD BUNNY AS HALFTIME PERFORMER: ‘ALL FOR MONEY’
Bad Bunny will receive the award for Album of the Year at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, airing live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. (Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images)
Steele praised Turning Point USA for offering fans an alternative halftime show for those who might not like Bad Bunny’s music or politics. She added that she knows why the NFL is going with Bad Bunny from a business perspective.
“I love that there’s an alternative,” Steele said. “That’s what America is all about and I give TPUSA a lot of credit for doing that. I think it was needed more than ever. However, I think more people will probably go ahead and watch the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny, if for no other reason, because a lot of times people hate to watch just to see how bad he gets. Unfortunately, he made it very clear. He doesn’t like you singing in English for four months. learn the language.’ And I think that’s the part, along with the hate and talk of ICE, etc., that upsets so many people.
Bad Bunny accepts the award for Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
“But what we have to remember is that this is a business decision. Two years ago, there were only two other NFL games played in other countries. Last season, three, and in 2025, five games. All the commissioner cares about right now is growing the game, and they want to be in more countries. They don’t care what the players who were interviewed say about what they say, what the global fans do.”
