The Super Bowl is already three days old, but certain controversies just won't go away. No, not the Groupon commercials, nor Christina Aguilera's National Anthem debacle, nor the Black Eyed Peas' Star Trek: The Next Generation halftime crapathon. Only one ridiculous controversy soars above all others: A-Rod and PopCorn gate.
During the game, Fox cameras panned over to blonde connoisseur and Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, who was very awkwardly being fed popcorn by girlfriend Cameron Diaz. In some couples hands, such antics could seem "cute"—but A-Rod looks so thoroughly disinterested in the act, that it just has that uncomfortable A-Rod edge to it. In case you missed it on Sunday, here's the funny clip:
But at the end of the day, it was just one chuckle among many during this years' Super Bowl. Except it may not have been so funny to A-Rod: according to the Chicago Sun-Times, A-Rod went "ballistic" over the footage. "He really went ballistic -- thinking the cameraman was out to get them in a paparazzi-like shot…Anyone who knows anything about producing a live sports event, especially something as huge as the Super Bowl, would know that those celebrity shots are purely random," a FOX insider told the Sun-Times. According to the anonymous source, A-Rod demanded he not be shown on TV again for the broadcast.
ESPN feels a little uncomfortable with the anecdote: "But is it really fair that a thinly sourced story out of Chicago about a New York baseball player at a football game in Dallas, should be treated like gospel? A-Rod comes across as a total jerk." At the same time, they do acknowledge who it is we're talking about: "It is A-Rod, so he loses the benefit of the doubt, we know. Did A-Rod go ballistic after being fed popcorn by Diaz at the Super Bowl? It is believable so if it is true that is another plus."
Whether A-Rod had a hissy fit or not, Fox felt prompted to issue an apology to him yesterday: "In no way, shape or form would we ever intend to show a celebrity in any type of negative manner on this or any other of our broadcasts. These shots are purely random and were just used to show the audience all of the unique personalities who were in attendance to watch this great game," said Fox Sports spokesman Dan Bell.
