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NEW YORK (AP) - With any luck, the National Football League has gotten this year's Super Bowl halftime show controversy out of the way early. Faced with an embarrassing story that the dancers it was seeking as extras for the Rolling Stones performance couldn't be older than 45, the NFL reversed field and opened it up to everyone. Mick Jagger, 62, may now be able to see wrinkles as he looks out over his audience.
It may seem incidental to the main event, but the halftime show has caused plenty of headaches for the NFL, from Janet Jackson's infamous breast-baring to some grumbling from host city Detroit that its musical legacy is being snubbed this year. The booking of rock royalty like the Stones — who turned down the gig several times before agreeing this year — is an indication of its importance.
The Feb. 5 show on ABC is being overseen by NFL executive Charles Coplin. He's a former ABC Sports producer who joined the league's front office in 2001 and took over the entertainment staff immediately after the 2004 unexpected exposure of Jackson's nipple jewelry.
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