Detroiters Launch Petition Against Nickelback Halftime Show, Thousands Sign

November 7, 2011 5:09 PM

(L-R) Musicians Ryan Peake, Chad Kroeger

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UPDATE: Nickelback To Perform At Thanksgiving Halftime After All

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
DETROIT – Detroit has it tough, with falling home prices, high unemployment, struggling manufacturing, and crime so rampant in the downtown city bus drivers say they’re “scared for their lives.”

Now comes another blow: Nickelback.

The formulaic, faux rock n’ roll band is scheduled to perform the halftime show for the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, one of the most anticipated home games of the season.

But fans aren’t taking it lying down, with more than 43,000 people signing a petition at change.org that asks show producers to reconsider their choice.

“Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?!” the petition says. “Does anyone even like Nickelback? Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during halftime to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions?

“This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs.”

University of Michigan student Dennis Guttman started the petition. Why?

“It’s because they suck,” he told news website MLive. “I’m sure they’re great people, but I can’t stand their music. If people want to see them perform, go buy a ticket to their concert.”

Petition signer Eric Ransom summed it up this way, “Haven’t the good people of Detroit been through enough?”

Guttman, and others, have noted that The Motor City, home of Stevie Wonder, Eminem, Kid Rock and Bob Seger, birthplace of Motown, is not the place for a Nickelback stadium show — especially during the premier game of its football team’s best season in memory.

Robert Jones, who describes himself as a “lifelong Lions’ fan” wrote on the website supporting the petition, “Nickelbacks’ music doesn’t even reflect a musical genre that has ever been popular in the city. It is not rock and roll, its a nasty hybrid of the worst manufactured music on the planet.”

In case the petition is successful, Ann-Arbor based musician Mayer Hawthorne announced his candidacy on RollingStone.com, saying he’s willing and able to step in.

“See ‘ya Thanksgiving Day,” Hawthorne says in the video, urging fans to support him on Facebook and Twitter. “Go Lions!”

Detroiters Launch Petition Against Nickelback Halftime Show, Thousands Sign

steve

Nickleback reminds me of cheez whiz – processed, fattening, no taste and smells bad when it gets old.

BUT… as far as the Half Time Show – you have to hit a low point sometime, it can only get better from there, too bad it happened to detroit.
YoTownSucks

“Haven’t the good people of Detroit been through enough”… seriously? Most of the good people of Detroit moved away years ago. The rest live behind burglar bars and count the hours until daylight. My message for you bunch of idiots is the same thing you people have been saying for years – if you don’t like it, turn the channel. Don’t go to the game. Nobody gives a *&#( what you think.
Rocky

The fans do have a say in this. They help pay the salary’s of the ball players.
The people of Detroit have benn raped by their Racist, anti American Liberal Democrat Crooks ! They don’t know where to turn.
I never heard of Nickleback except as it being used to name a position in pro-ball.
Why not do this. Split the half-time. Give some of it to Nickleback and some to Tina Turner, The Drifters, The 4 Boxtops, etc.. Detroit and Motown produced many great artists from all aspects of music.
The stupid know it all x & y & z generations just don’t know about them. They were too artistic for today’s snot nosed brats.
The people of Detroit better start defecting from the Democrat Plantation !
Vicki Schiyer Bogucki

NICKELBACK IS AWESOME MUSIC. PEOPLE IN DETROIT DON’T KNOW WHAT GOOD MUSIC SOUNDS LIKE. YOU ARE GOING TO COMPARE EMINEM TO NICKELBACK? I AM FROM CHICAGO (GO BEARS) AND WE KNOW GOOD MUSIC.
http://intobolivian.com/2011/11/08/now-this-is-how-a-protest-is-supposed-to-work/ Now This Is How A Protest Is Supposed To Work « into BOLIVIAN

[...] [CBS] DETROIT – Detroit has it tough, with falling home prices, high unemployment, struggling manufacturing, and crime so rampant in the downtown city bus drivers say they’re “scared for their lives.” Now comes another blow: Nickelback. The formulaic, faux rock n’ roll band is scheduled to perform the halftime show for the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, one of the most anticipated home games of the season. But fans aren’t taking it lying down, with more than 43,000 people signing a petition at change.org that asks show producers to reconsider their choice. “Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?!” the petition says. “Does anyone even like Nickelback? Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during halftime to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions? “This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs.” University of Michigan student Dennis Guttman started the petition. Why? “It’s because they suck,” he told news website MLive. “I’m sure they’re great people, but I can’t stand their music. If people want to see them perform, go buy a ticket to their concert.” Petition signer Eric Ransom summed it up this way, “Haven’t the good people of Detroit been through enough?” [...]
http://www.peachpundit.com/2011/11/09/morning-reads-for-wednesday-november-9th/ Morning Reads for Wednesday, November 9th — Peach Pundit

[...] few that I like… – Thousands of people have signed a petition to keep Nickelback, the world’s worst band, from performing at halftime in Detroit on [...]
http://www.christandpopculture.com/asides/what-memes-mean-nickelback-and-the-psychology-of-punching-bags/ What Memes Mean: Nickelback and the Psychology of Punching Bags | Christ and Pop Culture

[...] Nickelback is set to play the halftime show at Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Lion’s game, but a number of the city’s residents are not too happy about it. They’ve set up an online petition in the hope that it will get Nickelback removed from the [...]
http://www.tbseblog.com/2011/11/09/proud-to-be-american-the-city-of-detroit/ Proud to be American – The City of Detroit | The Best Stuff Ever.

[...] you haven’t yet, join in and sign the petition. Why you ask? Because this affects you! Nickelback playing on your surround sound will sound like [...]
http://www.tbseblog.com/2011/11/10/hot-ds-sotd-mayer-hawthorne-the-walk/ Hot D’s SotD – Mayer Hawthorne – The Walk | The Best Stuff Ever.

[...] a listen, don’t forget to sign the petition against Nickelback so we can hear Mayer Hawthorne on Thanksgiving [...]
Kelley

Steve.. Umm did you read the article? It was started by a UofM student.. Ann Arbor.. No bus drivers there worried about their lives last time I checked.

On that note, Detroit the city itself is struggling, Who says that the people arent worried about fixing the problems and trying to make changes? Everyone contributes in their own way. The UofM students have it wrong, its not because Nickelback sucks, they just arent from Detroit. I myself really like Eminem, but understand how he just wouldnt make a good half time show, Motown was done in 2009, Kid Rock in 2010, plus did this year’s opening game halftime show. But the bottom line is…

Lets support a local artist, because in turn they help bring positive light to the city. It may be a really messed up time, but at least 43,000 people from one city still love it when it is! That goes for the LIons too.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/11/nickelback-to-perform-at-thanksgiving-halftime-after-all/ Nickelback To Perform At Thanksgiving Halftime After All « CBS Detroit

[...] The selection of the Canadian rockers, which was unconfirmed until Thursday, made thousands of Lions fans furious, saying the halftime show should have a Detroit flavor. An anti-Nickelback petition drive online netted over 50,000 supporters. [...]
Mike

Why don’t they just say what they mean, that Nickelback is too WHITE for Detroit. They also eschew political and social commentary, hence the media war against them. Reminds me of back when it was fashionable to hate The Who because they did a recruiting commercial for the USAF.
POA

This is BS..Nickelback is a great band. Would you have said the same things about the Beetles playing at a halftime event. I’m watching that program because they are playing. You can’t please everybody, so just deal with it. Support your team and shut up already.
http://www.metalguitarist.org/forum/general-music-discussion/38535-why-do-we-hate-nickelback-9.html#post500192 Why do we hate Nickelback??? – Page 9

[...] [...]
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/22/nickelback-stars-in-online-video-responding-to-lions-halftime-show-backlash/ Nickelback Stars In Online Video Responding To Lions Halftime Show Backlash « CBS Detroit

[...] the recent public relations debacle and internet petition, the comedy video website, Funny or Die has put together this video starring the [...]
carly

Enjoy the show!! Nickleback rocks & they are Canadian!! whohooo!! I’ll be watching on TV! :)
http://www.kirkbozeman.com/?p=1288 What Memes Mean: Nickelback and the Psychology of Punching Bags | Kirk's blog

[...] Nickelback is set to play the halftime show at Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Lion’s game, but a number of the city’s residents are not too happy about it. They’ve set up an online petition in the hope that it will get Nickelback removed from the [...]
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