Rihanna holding a NFL football. [Cover Photo Via Hot 107.9]
Week three in the NFL did not disappoint but did leave some fans shaking their heads in disbelief. There were close calls, game shockers, questionable calls, injuries, and ranking shifts.
Fans saw Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen arguing with their teammates and coordinators. The Denver Broncos came from behind to beat the San Francisco 49ers 11-10 in a game where the two teams combined for 17 punts. Two 49ers’ starters suffered injuries, with left tackle Trent Williams, who could miss four to six weeks due to a high right ankle sprain, and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who could miss eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee. New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones suffered a severe high ankle in the Patriots' 37-26 home game loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Cooper Rush, who is filling in for Dak Prescott, led the Dallas Cowboys to a 23-16 win over the New York Giants. In the final offensive play of the Cowboys-Giants game, Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee ending his season and there are questions if this will be the end of his career with the Giants. Shepard was returning from a torn Achilles that kept him out for all but seven games last season.
While the teams battle on the field and focus on getting to the Super Bowl, the NFL is getting ready for its 2023 Super Bowl Halftime show which will take place in State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Nine-time Grammy winner and recording artist Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl. It will be Rihanna’s first performance since 2018 when she performed at the Grammy Awards. Although she has not performed or released music, Rihanna has been busy with her other business ventures and recently gave birth to her first child. Rihanna has been in the spotlight since 2005 and has worked with stars such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, A$ap Rocky, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, and Kendrick Lamar. She has a large following, as both fans and celebrity reactions have been positive to the announcement of her scheduling to perform during the Super Bowl Halftime show.
The halftime show will have a new primary sponsor. The NFL announced, "We are proud to welcome Apple Music to the NFL family as our new partner for the iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show," said Nana-Yaw Asamoah, SVP of Partner Strategy for the NFL. " Apple Music will replace longtime sponsor PepsiCo. The show will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers and Hamish Hamilton as director. Rapper Jay-Z and his entertainment company won three Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category for the 2022 Super Bowl 56 Half-Time Show featuring artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
In 2019, the NFL and rapper Jay-Z and Roc Nation entered a long-term partnership. Roc Nation would enhance live game experiences and help highlight the league’s social justice efforts through the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. According to the NFL’s 2019 press release “A core component of the partnership will be to amplify the Inspire Change platform priority areas identified by NFL Players, including Education and Economic Advancement, Improving Police-Community Relations, and Criminal Justice Reform.” This agreement came after off-the-field protests, kneeling during the national anthem at games, fans boycotting games, and recording artists refusing to perform at the Super Bowl because they felt the NFL did not address racial injustices within the league or support the efforts against racial injustice and police brutality. Through the Inspire Change initiative, there have been positive changes within the NFL, as the league continues to work on community partnerships.
For the weeks ahead, we will watch and wait to see which two teams make it to the Super Bowl and look forward to a halftime show to remember. If the results of week three are a sign, NFL fans are in for a rollercoaster ride. Going into week four, there is a lot of uncertainty and expectations.
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