Why The 'Race Card' Is Played

After months of reports that many of America’s biggest stars had turned down the halftime show slot, news broke that Maroon 5 would be performing at the game on Feb. 3. As fans wrote petitions urging the band not to play in the show, the NFL delayed officially announcing the halftime show lineup for months, waiting until mid-January – weeks before the game – to actually confirm Maroon 5 would be playing. And when the rapper Travis Scott recently announced he would be joining Maroon 5 on the stage, he affirmed that he only agreed to perform if the NFL made a donation to a social justice organization, and yet still received criticism for signing on to the show. More: Petition asks Maroon 5 not to play Super Bowl halftime show to support Kaepernick 2018: Super Bowl LII viewership dips overall, streaming audience sets record Start the day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox Colin Kaepernick at heart of halftime show aversion Months-delayed announcements, a