If the Detroit Lions weren't on a bye week, the story about Nickelback being booked for the Thanksgiving halftime show probably wouldn't have gotten all that much publicity. Because the Lions are off this week and fans don't have much to complain about with the team for a change, their ire has been directed at the decision to feature Nickelback at halftime on Thanksgiving.
Although this news immediately created a stir and drew a lot of criticism, I figured it would be forgotten after a day or two. I was wrong, though.
A petition over Nickelback being selected as the halftime entertainment was launched by Michigan student and Lions fan Dennis Guttman, and when I linked to it yesterday there were only a few thousand signatures. Since then, the petition has received national attention and has gone viral. There are now nearly 35,000 signatures, and the movement to keep Nickelback away from the Lions-Packers game is gaining steam.
At this point, part of me hopes Nickelback actually does perform at halftime just for how entertaining the reaction of the Ford Field crowd would be. Remember when Ashlee Simpson was booed off the stage at the 2005 Orange Bowl? I think the boos would be even louder on Thanksgiving if Nickelback does take the stage.
UPDATE: Nickelback has also been selected to perform at the Grey Cup halftime show. For those of you who don't know, the Grey Cup is the CFL's Super Bowl, so it will be interesting to see if there is any backlash over that decision as well.