Super Bowl halftime show 2012 - Cee Lo Green and LMFAO set to appear on-stage?

R&B artist Cee Lo Green and the group LMFAO are rumored to be the other musicians to perform with Madonna at the Super Bowl haltime show 2012. Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. are practically confirmed that they will be on-stage at Lucas Oil Stadium when the halftime show airs Sunday. Will Cee Lo and LMFAO be there as well?
Madonna is believed to sing Music with LMFAO and Like A Prayer with Cee Lo Green if they appear at the biggest entertainment event in the country. For weeks speculations have gone into overdrive about who will sing with the pop queen in Indianapolis. Last year's Super Bowl halftime show entertainer, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, told Billboard last week that he is excited to see his band LMFAO at the 2012 game. Is this a sign there is a good chance the viewing audience of over 100 million people will see them?

Cee Lo Green has been mentioned as part of the halftime show at the Super Bowl, but not to the extent that Minaj and M.I.A. have.
Songs that Madonna is expected to sing are her new one, Give Me All Your Luvin,' Vogue, Like a Prayer, Music, Ray of Light and Holiday.
The 2012 Super Bowl airs in Portland, Ore. on Sunday, February 5th at 3:30 p.m., PT on NBC, KGW channel 8.
Source: GossipOnThis.com

Madonna trails teaser of Super Bowl highlight Gimme All Your Luvin' showing just a snippet of her video in American Idol break

As well as the dulcet tones of St Louis natives, the American Idol faithful were treated to a sneak preview of Madonna's new music video for Give Me All Your Luvin, the song she'll debut for her Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday.
Produced by Martin Solveig, the track also features rappers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., who both appear briefly in the clip.
The action starts with the 53-year-old covered up in a mac and pushing a pram as she walks into a nightmarish looking surburban street that would be right at home in a Tim Burton movie.

From there on in, it gets stranger, and cheerleaders surrounding the megastar start to lay their jackets on the floor as she steps across them, in a an odd parody of the famous story of Sir Walter Raleigh's cloak being laid before Elizabeth I.
Madonna is hugely excited about the landmark perforamce, the singer even brought out some salsa dancing at a press conference on Thursday when she was asked to comment on Giants team member Victor Cruz's unique postgame celebrations.
'This is a Midwesterner girl's dream to be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show,' she told the assembled throng in Indianapolis.

She dedicates the show to her father: 'I was raised in the Midwest, and he is the personification of Midwestern values, he gave me the work ethic that I have, so if I am a hardworking girl who never stops it's because of him.'
'Also, I am sure of all the things I have ever done in my life this will be the thing he is most excited about,' she added.
And she said of the show: 'The envelope I'm pushing is just for a spectacular show, which I think will entertain all age groups and hopefully will be a feast for the eyes and the ears.

The doyenne of the conical bra added: 'Great attention to detail has been paid to my wardrobe, there will be no wardrobe malfunction.'
Madonna is expected to sing four songs, including her hit Vogue as well as her latest single Give Me All Your Luvin in a stage show that includes acrobats from Cirque du Soleil.
Sir Elton John reopened his feud with Madonna by suggesting she will not be singing live during the half time show at America's biggest sporting event.
After his recent spat with the Queen on Pop at a film awards ceremony, the 64-year-old star was asked what advice he had for the her when she appears during the half time show at this Sunday’s Super Bowl.
'Make sure you lip-synch good' he said mischievously of the star who is meticulous about singing live, even throughout the most energetic routines.

Divas rule Super Bowl 2012: Madonna, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., CeCe Winans, and Natalie Grant

Millions of football fans across the globe eagerly await The Indianapolis Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots vs. Giants, on Sunday, February 5. But they're not the only ones waiting on pins and needles. Pop music fans are also in for a treat.
It's just hit the grapevine that Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and M.I.A. will rock this year's NFL Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show. It promises to be a diva-studded concert, and to include a performance of Madonna's newest single, “Gimme All Your Luvin,” which releases February 3.
Despite Madonna's veteran status on the music scene, she confessed to being somewhat rattled about the Super Bowl.
"I want to do everything really well," she explained to The Wall Street Journal. "I kept saying to my manager, 'I don't want to do the Super Bowl unless I can really give it my all, and really focus all my attention on it.' And he said, 'Don't worry! There won't be any problems. You'll be able to concentrate just on the Super Bowl.' Now of course my movie is coming out during the Super Bowl so it's a little bit nerve-racking."
Indeed, The Material Girl is exceptionally busy this spring. Madonna's new film, “W.E.,” is a work of historical fiction and forbidden love. Set to release February 3, it interweaves the real-life royal romance and historical scandal of Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, with the modern fictional tale of a wistful young woman trapped in an abusive relationship.

Nicki Minaj poses for photographers. Credit: Christopher Macsurak.

In addition to the new movie, Madonna's new album, “MDNA,” will be released in March, and her first fragrance, “Truth or Dare,” will follow in the spring. So no one can say Madonna is taking 2012 lying down.
Notwithstanding the heavy dose of estrogen, there will be a few dudes in the mix at Super Bowl halftime. Rumor has it that Cee Lo Green of “The Voice” will be getting in the mix too.
According to The Insider he has been secretly rehearsing with Madonna in New York City. Plus, Will.i.am revealed to Rolling Stone that his group, LMFAO, will also grace the halftime stage, so it's going to get crowded up there.
Sheepdogs Don't Like Madonna
Despite the impending Super Bowl sex appeal, not everyone is happy about having Madonna play halftime. Ewan Currie from the Canadian rock group the Sheepdogs told radio show, Tim & Sid, that this year's halftime concert should feature bands like the Roots, Black Keys, or even Prince, but definitely not Madonna, stating that The Material Girl is too old.
"Forget Madonna, you know?" Currie quipped. "I remember in '98 when she came out with that album 'Ray of Light.' She was old back then and like it's 2012 now. That was 14 years ago."
Insulting banter from the peanut gallery aside, Madonna (who is 54 years young and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon) will follow an impressive roster of recent Super Bowl acts, including The Black Eyed Peas, The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and U2.
The 13th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, February 3
In stark contrast to the carnal forecast of the halftime show, the Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration promises to be a spectacularly spiritual evening, taking place on Friday, February 3 at Clowes Memorial Hall.
Hosted by Rev. Run, and CeCe Winans, American Idol star Fantasia will headline singing a special duet with her mother Diane Barrino. Other performers include Natalie Grant, Hezekiah Walker and “Players Choice” Wess Morgan, plus the award winning Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir.
The NFL Choir will add a special element of fun to the Gospel Celebration. The choir is made up of notable stars, including Ray Lewis (Ravens), Marcus Price (retired, Cowboys), David Tyree (Ravens) and Tim Brown (retired, Raiders), among others. Choir director and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Donnie McClurkin said that it is an honor to helm such an athletic and spiritual ensemble.
"I was brought in several years ago as a gospel artist,” McClurkin explained to HuffPost Black Voices, “and then we formulated something called the NFL Gospel Choir, and from that point on it has taken off."
Regarding the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, sportscaster James Brown made the statement that there is a “... Biblical expression that one may plant a seed, another may water it, but God gives the increase. This is only going to continue to grow.”
When and Where to Watch Super Bowl XLVI
The Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots vs. Giants will air on Sunday, February 5, 2012, 5:00 PM CST. For national television listings, please visit www.TVGuide.com.
Pre-show covereage begins streaming live at www.NFL.com, February 1-3, starting at 12 p.m. EST. Tune in to Dave Dameshek & Co. for NFL player interviews, celebrity sightings, and more. 

Super Bowl 2012 halftime show presents Madonna opportunity to reconnect

This year's Super Bowl halftime show will be Madonna's first ever — but she's a fan known by probably all ages of NFL fans. With a new album forthcoming, a new movie out this week and younger rivals challenging her pop stardom, this could be Madonna's chance to restate her relevance.

While the in-game entertainment at Super Bowl 2012 will be a rematch, the half-time show will be all new.
Madonna, the 53-year-old singer and superstar will headline her first Super Bowl halftime show, along with expected appearances be Cee Lo Green, LMFAO, Nikki Minaj and others.
But for Madonna, the Super Bowl performance will mark a bit of a comeback — and a marketing opportunity. Madonna makes her directorial debut with W.E., out this week, looking at the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
Music Critic Tim Riley, who wrote a book about Madonna, said her performance has grown stale for some fans, so the halftime show will be her chance to make her case that she's as relevant as ever, thanks to the NBC executives who booked her for what is expected to be among the most-watched moments of television this year.
"That's mad, mad, made exposure," he said. "You can imagine Madonna's younger rivals, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, even yesterday's girl, Britney Spears, taking that stage to make a thoroughly contemporary statements."
Riley said Madonna will use her appearance to push her music, including her new single, Give Me All Your Luvin, performed with Minaj and coming from her upcoming new album.
Riley said she's also rumored to be including favorites Vogue and Holiday on her set list.
"With the right tough, she could just upstage her own puzzle of a persona," Riley said. "Much like Elvis in his 1968 Christmas special, the material girl maintains enough charisma to make everybody else seem like a footnote to her royal curls."

Super Bowl 2012 Ads: 3 Trends to Watch

When friends invited me to their Super Bowl party in 2010, I didn't think twice about going. The Super Bowl ad campaigns back then were created for TV viewing. And because TV advertising had not been a core part of interactive advertising and marketing, I didn't see the need to work that night. Instead, I enjoyed the game and ads as an ordinary spectator - with my laptop and BlackBerry turned off. A big shift occurred last year. People flocked to YouTube to watch and comment on the TV ads aired during the game. Case in point: Volkswagen's "The Force" ad, which was viewed 15 million times within 24 hours after the game. During the football game, viewers shared observations in a running commentary on Twitter, using hash tags such as #SB45.
So when a Super Bowl party invitation came this year, I regretfully declined. Following the Super Bowl ad campaigns offline and online today is mandatory for anyone in interactive marketing. And that requires keeping one eye on the TV and another eye on social networks and at least one mobile device. (Plus some salty snacks and a cold drink within arm's reach.)
In light of Super Bowl advertising's evolution, here are three trends to watch for this year:
Preview Ads: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Remember banner burnout back in 2002? Ten years later, will Super Bowl TV ads encounter a similar phenomenon well before the pre-game coin toss?
In this game of one-upmanship, Super Bowl advertisers have been previewing their Super Bowl ads on YouTube and Hulu well before the Feb. 5 football match.
Sure, creative ads are getting shared, tweeted, and liked, bringing the engagement brands crave on top of the TV exposure. But are advertisers giving away too much, too soon, making the Super Bowl of advertising an anti-climatic event? Possibly. 

Super Bowl 2012 Predictions

We are just about 48 hours away from Super Bowl Sunday, ladies and gentlemen. After taking some time to consider everything going on with the game to this point, it has come time for us to put the official SB Nation Minnesota prediction out there on the table for everyone to see.
As you no doubt saw earlier on the site here, the New England Patriots sit as a three-point favorite over the New York Football Giants. It has been a while since either of these teams lost a football game, so there really isn't any "momentum" advantage on either side. The Giants haven't lost since December 18, when they fell to the Washington Redskins. Since then, they've won five straight. The Patriots' streak is longer still. . .the last time Bill Belichick's team lost was November 6. In that game, they fell at home, 24-20, to. . .the New York Giants.
Many people are going to be focused on the quarterbacks in this match-up, and with good reason. Both of them put up ridiculous numbers during the 2011 NFL season, with Tom Brady throwing for over 5,000 yards and Eli Manning proving that, indeed, you can't spell "elite" without "Eli." They both have a multitude of weapons to throw to as well. The Giants' receiving trio of Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham has created nightmares for defenses all season long. On the New England side, the most famous ankle in Indianapolis this week belongs to tight end Ron Gronkowski, who will play on Sunday (like he's going to sit out the Super Bowl), but might not be full speed. With the Patriots' offense, however, you never know who Brady's favorite target is going to be. It might be Gronkowski. . .it might be Aaron Hernandez. . .it might be Wes Welker. . .it might be Deion Branch. . .it might even be Danny Woodhead.
Where this game will be won or lost, however, is on the defensive side of the ball. We all know about the Giants' pass rush, led by Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyiora. What's lost in this is that, in their playoff run, the Giants' secondary has been outstanding as well, particularly Corey Webster, who made Michael Crabtree a complete non-factor in the NFC Championship Game. The Patriots' defense was historically bad during the regular season, allowing the second-most most passing yards of any team in NFL history. (The only team worse was this year's Green Bay Packers, who were dispatched by the Giants earlier this post-season.) However, in the post-season, the defense has been markedly better, allowing nearly 100 fewer yards/game than their regular season pace. Vince Wilfork has looked like a man on a mission these past couple of weeks, and the match-up between him and the Giants' interior linemen will be one of the more intriguing ones of the evening. If the Giants can keep Wilfork and company away from Eli Manning, it could be a tough night for the Patriots secondary.
There's really no advantage on the coaching front, either. Yes, Bill Belichick is a genius and all of that, but Tom Coughlin has proven that he's one heck of a coach, too. Considering that the man seems to find himself on the proverbial "hot seat" about half a dozen times every year. . .this season included, prior to the Giants' late-season run. . .all the guy does is get his players motivated, and all they do is win for him. It's going to be a real chess match between these two sideline titans.
So, who do I feel is going to win this one?
The Patriots are the favorites for a reason. While Eli Manning has been great this season, the guy on the other sideline is still Tom Brady. He didn't have his greatest afternoon in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, and he knows that. It's rare for Brady to have two bad games in a row, and the combination of his performance two weeks ago, his team's loss to the Giants in Week 9, and the loss in Super Bowl XLII. . .you didn't think I was going to go the whole article without mentioning that, did you. . .will lead to a supremely motivated Brady on Sunday night in Indy.
Both teams will have their moments in this one on both sides of the ball, and we could be in for a classic contest. But when the confetti is released, I see Bill Belichick handing the Lombardi Trophy to Robert Kraft, and Tom Brady cementing his legacy as one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks.
The Pick: New England Patriots 31, New York Giants 27

Super Bowl 2012: Giants, Pats on the defensive

At first glance, this Super Bowl is a matchup of dreadful defenses. The New York Giants ranked 27th among the 32 NFL teams in total defense during the regular season. The New England Patriots ranked next-to-last.
But both teams played far better defense during the playoffs to reach this game, and the offenses might not have it quite so easy in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“I don’t think those numbers are accurate representations of these teams,” said Brian Billick, the former coach of the Baltimore Ravens. “Now, these are not upper-echelon defenses, although with a healthy New York Giants team . . . I think we would have seen maybe a top-10 defense. I don’t know that New England is in that category.”
The Patriots, after surrendering 411.1 yards and 21.4 points per game during the regular season, reduced that to 325 yards and 15 points per game during the AFC playoffs. The Giants, after yielding 376.4 yards and 25 points per game during the regular season, tightened things up on defense and allowed 321 yards and 13 points per game during the NFC playoffs.
“I think right now we’re clicking on the offensive side [and] defensive side as well as on special teams,” Giants cornerback Aaron Ross said. “Being a defensive player, early in the year, we weren’t on the same page. We had a few mental mistakes that cost us games. Now in the last month and a half, we’ve been on a hot streak and Coach [Tom] Coughlin has been putting in a great game plan for us and we’ve been executing plays.”
Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said he sensed all along that his defense would improve its play as the season progressed.
“They never stopped listening,” Fewell said of his players. “I knew we weren’t in trouble. They wanted to right it. They wanted to get it right. We had a lot of guys playing that really didn’t have the experience that they needed and didn’t really understand the concepts we were trying to teach and what we were trying to get across with our game plans. But they never shut us out and they kept believing in what we were trying to get done.”
Billick said he thinks the Patriots benefited from playing two opponents without high-powered offenses — the Denver Broncos and the Ravens — during the playoffs. The Broncos ranked 23rd in the NFL in total offense during the regular season and the Ravens were 15th.
“I think New York got healthy and that was a big part of it, and became battle-tested,” Billick said. “That schedule they had in the second half, they’ve been on a playoff win-or-go-home mentality for a while now. Now, you worry about it emotionally wearing your team out. But on the flip side, they’ve been battle-tested. New England, on the other hand, I don’t know that they have. They’ve had an easier course to it. We’ll see if that makes a difference when it comes to this championship game.”
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo said he has told his teammates that the defensive results from the regular season, and even those from the playoffs, no longer have any relevance.
“It’s a one-game season,” Mayo said. “Nothing else matters. None of the stats from the regular season, none of the stats from the postseason, matter. It’s all about Sunday and that’s our focus.”
It was a record-setting season for NFL quarterbacks, and the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Giants’ Eli Manning were among the passers putting up dazzling numbers.
The Patriots, with Brady, were one of the three teams in the NFL playoff field with a top-tier offense during the regular season and a low-ranked defense. The Patriots are the only one of those teams left standing, with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints having lost in the second round of the NFC playoffs. That seemed to indicate that it doesn’t necessarily take dominating defense to reach the Super Bowl in today’s NFL, but it does take some decent defense—especially when it’s played at the right time.
“I think you can go to the playoffs being dominant in one area—running the ball, stopping the run, throwing the ball, whatever it may be,” Billick said. “But to get here, I think you have to have more balance. And I think they [the Patriots and Giants] are more balanced than people give them credit for.”
For much of his career, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has been known as a defensive guru. Now it’s possible that he will win a Super Bowl title with the league’s 31st-ranked defense.
“It’s hard to play defense in the league now,” former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk said. “It’s hard to call defenses. . . . Belichick is great, but I’ll tell you what he’s really great at is playing the game within the rules and taking advantage of those rules…. It’s just a different game. Belichick understands: ‘I’m going to give up a lot of yards. I’m not going to be one of the top defenses. But we can stop people from scoring all the time.’ They’ve been a pretty decent scoring defense.”
Whichever team prevails Sunday will become only the eighth club ever to win a Super Bowl without a top-10 defense. It is a sign of the times in the NFL, and the spotlight Sunday is likely to be on Brady, Manning and the offenses.
“That’s how it goes,” Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty said. “We have a great offense and we have had some down points [on defense]. I think everyone will keep giving our offense the love and the respect because they deserve it. As defensive guys, we’ve got to just go out there and play. We have to do our part in this game. We believe in each other. We play for each other and that’s all that matters to us.”
Indeed, no matter what happened during the regular season, one of these defenses will emerge from Sunday’s game as a Super Bowl-winning defense.
“When you get to this game, it’s not about all of that stuff,” Faulk said. “It’s about winning. It’s not about stats. It’s not about what looks good. All you remember is the winner of this game.”