It appears that entertainers, singers, and other acts, are refusing to join rockers Maroon 5 to play for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Not because of anything the band has done, but instead, because national anthem protester Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed.
No act has a beef with the band or its frontman, Adam Levine, The Big Lead reported. Instead many are turning their backs on performing during the halftime show because of the National Football League’s reticence to put former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and anthem protester Colin Kaepernick, back in uniform.
“No one wants to associate themselves with the NFL” because of the NFL’s handling of the Colin Kaepernick’s situation, a source told Us magazine.
Rapper Cardi B, for instance, has openly said she does not want to join the NFL because of its treatment of Kaepernick. A source told the magazine that the rapper is “a no right now.”
Cardi B even gave Kaepernick a shout out at the VMA’s last year.
Pop star Rihanna also reportedly put the kibosh on any Super bowl appearances to show support for Kaepernick.
Billboard magazine also reported that several others, including Adele, Jay-Z, and Pink also showed the NFL the hand over Kaepernick’s plight.
So far, it appears that Maroon 5 will be alone on stage, unable to find a guest star to tread the boards with them.
On the other hand, perhaps it is expecting a bit much for the league to re-sign Kaepernick since he is in the middle of suing the NFL for unfairly keeping him on the sidelines.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.