This year’s Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will surely be a heated rivalry. But, for many there appears to be much more at stake than the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Neither the Patriots from the royal blue state of Massachusetts or the Seahawks from the solidly blue state of Washington have a single Republican Senator. In the State of Massachusetts, the House is held by the Democrats 9-0. In Washington State, the House Delegation is 8 Democrats and 2 Republicans. This years ticker tape parade will surely be in a blue state.
The Seattle Seahawks are owned by the Paul Allen Trust. Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft. When Paul Allen passed away in 2018 his younger sister Jody Allen became the managing partner of the Seahawks. Although Allen has donated to both sides of the aisle, she is considered a Democratic-leaning donor. In addition, the quarterback of the Seahawks, Sam Darnold, does not publicly associate with any political party. Darnold uses his platform to support children fighting cancer.
The majority owner of the New England Patriots is Robert Kraft. Kraft has been a lifelong Democrat although he has recently voiced frustration with the “progressive” wing of the Democratic Party, citing they “preach hate” rather than building bridges. Kraft describes Trump as a “social friend” and not a political ally, but he donated $1 million dollars to Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Kraft has also criticized many of Trump’s “divisive” comments.
Drake Maye, the quarterback for the Pats has been unfairly targeted in an online spam campaign accusing Maye of refusing to wear an LGBTQ rainbow armband with a fake quote that it betrays his faith. In fact, the NFL does not require any players to wear such armbands.
But the real politics behind this year’s Super Bowl LX is the selection of Bad Bunny on center stage during the Halftime Show, which President Trump called “absolutely ridiculous.” Pre-game reports indicate that “Bad Bunny” plans to wear a dress during the halftime show to support the LGBTQ+ community and to honor Puerto Rican queer icons and drag traditions.
Bad Bunny will be performing the halftime show in Spanish with critics arguing that the Super Bowl is a symbol of American patriotism and the halftime show should be in English. But, Bad Bunny is a United States resident, living in Puerto Rico. Other artists such as U2, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Enrique Iglesias, and more have been the featured artist during many past Super Bowls, and were not residents of the United States.
Green Day, known for their outspoken progressive activism and past criticism of Donald Trump, will open the halftime festivities.
In response, Trump allies have rolled out a competing halftime show with a lily white cast featuring artists Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. Sponsored by Turning Point USA and dubbed the “All American Halftime Show,” it will stream on YouTube, X, Rumble and others. Turning Point USA is the conservative non-profit organization founded by Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgomery dedicated to mobilizing young people in American politics with right-leaning principles.
Then there is the topic of immigration. At last week’s Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny fiercely criticized U.S. immigration policies, calling out “ICE” and stating that immigrants are “humans” and “Americans,” not “animals” or “aliens.” He dedicated his awards to those leaving their homes to pursue their dreams.
Never before in history has the Super Bowl been as front and center in the political divide. Advocates have urged the NFL to keep ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) out of the stadium. Earlier this month the NFL and local officials in Santa Clara, California issued a statement that there are no planned immigration enforcement actions for the 2026 game despite previous suggestions by Homeland Security that the Super Bowl would not be a “safe haven” for those in the country illegally.
The politics of the prediction markets are also at play. Halftime show rumors place an 85% probability that Lady Gaga will appear alongside Bad Bunny during the halftime performance. Other rumors include Cardi B, whose boyfriend, Stefon Diggs, plays for the New England Patriots and she will be at the game. Other potential guests rumored to join Bad Bunny on stage include Jennifer Lopez or Shakira.
Seattle is a 4.5 favorite, and the over-under is 45.5 points. The Seahawks enter with a higher scoring offense (29.2 points per game) compared to the New England Patriots (27.2 points per game). Seattle also has a dominant defense only allowing 16.4 points per game, while the Patriots allow an average of only 18.8 points per game. For the season, the Seattle Seahawks had a 16-3 won-lost record, and the New England Patriots had a 17-3 won-lost record.
The “Super Bowl indicator” suggests that a win by the Seattle Seahawks, from the NFC would be better for the S&P 500, and stock market rather than a win by the New England Patriots who are from the AFC Conference. But, that stat is not really a good barometer. From 2004-2024 the market has also had significant gains during years in which an AFC team won the Super Bowl.
For me — Go Seahawks!
Only a small audience it was a flop in my opinion