A Historic Halftime
MAGAs lost their minds on February 8, 2026, as Bad Bunny headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California — becoming the first Latino solo artist to headline the halftime show and the first to perform almost entirely in Spanish.
His powerful 13-minute performance was a beautiful expression of resistance, cultural pride, and Puerto Rican identity, featuring guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
The NFL's Socialist Playbook
The day after Bad Bunny's historic halftime performance, progressive commentator Thom Hartmann published a powerful essay connecting the NFL's internal economics to the broader American economy.
"For capitalism to work in a way that doesn't produce oligarchs and monopolies, it must be regulated. Capitalism, after all, is just a game that people play using money and mutually agreed-upon rules. Just like football."
— Thom Hartmann, The Hartmann Report (Feb. 9, 2026)
The Draft: Redistribution by Design
The NFL's draft system is perhaps the most openly redistributive mechanism in American professional sports. The worst-performing teams get first pick of newly available players, giving every franchise an opportunity to rise through the ranks the following season.
Hartmann argues this is not meritocracy — it's planned redistribution of future resources to maintain league balance. If American public policy worked this way, the millionaire opinion bots at billionaire-owned Fox "News" would spontaneously combust.
Revenue Pooling
"No owner gets richer just because they're in a bigger market... The NFL says, 'Nope, everybody eats.' That's redistribution by design."
Hard Salary Cap
Rich owners can't simply buy championships. Teams that overspend are punished — collective control of capital to prevent oligarchy.
Minimum Spending
NFL teams must spend a minimum percentage of shared revenue on players. Owners can't hoard money; they must reinvest in labor.
100% Union
Every NFL player is protected by the NFL Players Association. Full union representation.
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico Residency: An Economic Revolution
Bad Bunny's 31-show residency "No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí" at El Choli in San Juan ran from July through September 2025. Instead of a global tour, he asked the world to come to him — and they did.
$200M
Direct Economic Impact
600K+
Visitors
3,600+
Jobs Created
Total estimated value including international exposure: $733 million
The Ripple Effect: Beyond the Numbers
Bad Bunny's commitment to uplifting Puerto Rican artists and local businesses created a chain reaction of economic and cultural empowerment:
- 340%increase in sales of vejigante masks in Ponce
- 280%increase in sales of Puerto Rican authors at local bookstores
- 65%average income increase for local salsa, bomba, and plena artists
- 12Mmonthly Spotify listeners for Los Pleneros de la Cresta (up from tens of thousands) after Bad Bunny collaboration
- $5,000/nightearned by local vendor Veronica Lopez selling hand-held fans outside El Choli
Keeping It Accessible
Bad Bunny kept ticket prices between $35-$250 so working families could attend. The first 9 shows were exclusive to Puerto Rico residents. When systems are designed to uplift, everyone benefits.
In His Own Words
"I had a vision about the story, the mood, and the feelings that I want to put on that show. I want people to feel happiness and joy. I want to make people dance. I want to make them feel proud and think that everything is possible."
"The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
— Bad Bunny, Super Bowl LX
The Lesson
Bad Bunny generated $200 million for Puerto Rico not by hoarding wealth, but by redistributing opportunity. The NFL generates billions not by letting the richest owners dominate, but by ensuring competitive balance.
The lesson is the same: fairness isn't the enemy of prosperity. It's the engine.
De Puerto Rico Pa'l Mundo 🇵🇷 ✊🏾
Sources
- Thom Hartmann — "The NFL Is 'Socialist' on Purpose"
- CBS News / Nielsen — Super Bowl LX Viewership Data
- Billboard — Halftime Performance Streaming Impact
- Apple Music / Shazam — Bad Bunny Streaming Metrics
- Forbes / Rolling Stone / CNN — Puerto Rico Economic Impact
- Discover Puerto Rico — Tourism Statistics
- University of Puerto Rico Study — Economic Analysis
