{"id":889913,"date":"2026-02-03T19:12:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T01:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/03\/seahawks-demarcus-lawrence-sends-strong-bad-bunny-message-to-america-amid-ice-super-bowl-controversy\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T19:12:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T01:12:09","slug":"seahawks-demarcus-lawrence-sends-strong-bad-bunny-message-to-america-amid-ice-super-bowl-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/03\/seahawks-demarcus-lawrence-sends-strong-bad-bunny-message-to-america-amid-ice-super-bowl-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Seahawks\u2019 DeMarcus Lawrence Sends Strong Bad Bunny Message to America amid ICE-Super Bowl Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Football <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>DeMarcus Lawrence speaks on the cultural divide behind NFL&#8217;s Halftime show selection.<\/li>\n<li>Bad Bunny\u2019s Grammy remarks collide with active ICE deportation figures.<\/li>\n<li>Roger Goodell ties the booking to NFL\u2019s 2026 roadmap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">The NFL is determined to grow the game of football outside of the United States of America. In 2026, there will be more international games than ever before, and this year, instead of having an English-speaking artist perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, they selected Bad Bunny. While Bad Bunny, a.k.a. Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio, is from Puerto Rico (a part of the U.S.), his songs are predominantly sung in Spanish.<\/p>\n<div data-new-ad=\"false\" id=\"player_stn-player__Dybik\"><svg style=\"height:28px;width:28px\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" viewBox=\"0 0 250 250\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M125.167 229.333C182.698 229.333 229.333 182.698 229.333 125.167C229.333 67.6354 182.698 21 125.167 21C67.6354 21 21 67.6354 21 125.167C21 182.698 67.6354 229.333 125.167 229.333Z\" fill=\"#0A7DFA\" stroke=\"#CCE4FF\" stroke-width=\"20.8333\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" \/><path d=\"M107.007 125.083V100.625L128.19 112.855L149.371 125.083L128.189 137.312L107.007 149.541V125.083Z\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"28.2429\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" \/><\/svg><\/p>\n<div data-content=\"Watch What\u2019s Trending Now!\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M7.14967 0.291147C4.4248 0.931139 2.0749 2.76815 0.87496 5.22146C0.21249 6.5607 0 7.48514 0 9.04956C0 10.3533 0 10.377 0.287487 10.377C0.449979 10.377 0.762465 10.1873 1.03745 9.92659C1.46243 9.51178 1.49993 9.41696 1.62492 8.38587C1.98741 5.35183 4.06231 2.86297 7.02467 1.95039C7.79964 1.71335 8.17462 1.66595 9.56206 1.66595C10.9245 1.66595 11.312 1.71335 11.9619 1.93853C14.3368 2.74445 16.1743 4.4748 17.0367 6.73848C17.2617 7.36662 17.3117 7.72217 17.3117 9.07327C17.3117 10.4481 17.2742 10.7799 17.0242 11.4436C16.1743 13.6717 14.2493 15.485 11.9869 16.1961C11.1995 16.4332 10.8245 16.4806 9.43706 16.4806C8.06213 16.4806 7.68714 16.4332 6.99968 16.1961C5.37475 15.651 3.89982 14.5843 2.99986 13.3162L2.48739 12.5814L3.96232 11.1829L5.43725 9.78437L7.06217 11.3251C7.96213 12.1666 8.77459 12.8658 8.87459 12.8658C8.97458 12.8658 10.112 11.8703 11.3995 10.6495L13.7494 8.42142V9.16808V9.90289H14.5618H15.3743L15.3493 7.9118L15.3118 5.93256L13.1494 5.89701L10.987 5.8733L11.0245 6.60811L11.062 7.35477L11.787 7.41403L12.4994 7.47328L10.7245 9.16808L8.93709 10.851L7.24966 9.25104C6.32471 8.37401 5.51225 7.65106 5.43725 7.65106C5.23726 7.65106 0.624971 12.0836 0.624971 12.2732C0.624971 12.5932 1.44993 14.0154 2.0624 14.7502C3.16235 16.0776 4.78728 17.1324 6.62469 17.725C7.24966 17.9265 7.83714 17.9976 9.12458 18.045C10.5995 18.1043 10.962 18.0806 11.8745 17.8554C15.2243 17.0258 17.9117 14.5013 18.7491 11.3725C19.0616 10.2229 19.0866 8.24365 18.7991 7.02292C18.3867 5.22146 17.1242 3.30148 15.5493 2.05705C14.6743 1.3578 12.8869 0.516329 11.737 0.25559C10.6245 -0.00514603 8.34961 0.0185566 7.14967 0.291147Z\" fill=\"var(--es-primary-700)\" \/><\/svg><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Watch What\u2019s Trending Now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">This has caused quite the stir in the NFL fanbase, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nfl\/seattle-seahawks\/?utm_medium=website&#038;utm_source=website_internal&#038;utm_campaign=web_link_2\" target=\"_self\">Seattle Seahawks<\/a> DE\u00a0<strong>DeMarcus Lawrence\u00a0<\/strong>backs the NFL\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">\u201cWe have so many cultures and ethnic backgrounds in America; I think it\u2019s time to start embracing all of them,\u201d Lawrence said. \u201cThat\u2019s what really makes America great.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-align=\"center\" id=\"node-twitter-embed-blockquote-3\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Seahawks DE DeMarcus Lawrence was asked about Bad Bunny\u2019s halftime show and the importance to Spanish speaking people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have so many cultures and ethnic backgrounds in America, I think it\u2019s time to start embracing all of them \u2026 that\u2019s what really makes America great.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7dTrTMjbgx\">pic.twitter.com\/7dTrTMjbgx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoeJHoyt\/status\/2018530649460941269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">Part of the reason the NFL is setting its sights abroad is to bring a larger NFL presence to Latin Americans, which was a big reason they selected Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show. There\u2019s a largely untapped potential fanbase south of the border, and the league is trying to spread its reach as far as possible.<\/p>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">This decision did not come without controversy, though. With ICE raiding people\u2019s doorsteps and deporting hundreds, if not more, people a day, the choice to have someone not from the continental US (even though he\u2019s still a US citizen) has not been met with overwhelming support from NFL fans.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-draft-board\/\" aria-label=\"Go to NFL Draft Board\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Football Bad Bunny Makes His Feelings Clear on ICE<\/h2>\n<figure data-is-eligible-for-image-margin=\"false\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Football\" id=\"img-tag-node-img-loader-0\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bad-Bunny.webp?width=600\" fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Football article-image\" ><\/p><figcaption>\n<p>Imago<\/p>\n<p><span tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><svg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" style=\"margin-right:10px\"><g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_410_56530)\"><path d=\"M7.0013 12.8334C10.223 12.8334 12.8346 10.2217 12.8346 7.00008C12.8346 3.77842 10.223 1.16675 7.0013 1.16675C3.77964 1.16675 1.16797 3.77842 1.16797 7.00008C1.16797 10.2217 3.77964 12.8334 7.0013 12.8334Z\" stroke=\"white\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" \/><path d=\"M7 9.33333V7\" stroke=\"white\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" \/><path d=\"M7 4.66675H7.00667\" stroke=\"white\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" \/><\/g><defs><clipPath id=\"clip0_410_56530\"><rect width=\"14\" height=\"14\" fill=\"white\" \/><\/clipPath><\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=essentiallysports.com\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">Just days before he was set to take center stage at the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny was at the Grammys, where he won three awards. During his first acceptance speech, Bad Bunny made his feelings about ICE clear.<\/p>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">\u201cBefore I say thanks to God, I\u2019m going to say, ICE out,\u201d Bad Bunny said on Sunday night. \u201cWe are not savages. We\u2019re not animals. We\u2019re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans. I know it\u2019s tough not to hate these days. And I was thinking, sometimes we get contaminated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">Just a day later, while <strong>Roger Goodell\u00a0<\/strong>was giving his annual state of the league address before the Super Bowl, he was asked about Bad Bunny\u2019s statement at the Grammys.<\/p>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">\u201cBad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world, and that\u2019s one of the reasons we chose him,\u201d Goodell said. \u201cBut the other reason is he understood the platform he was on and that this platform is to use to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, and to be able to use this moment to do that. I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he\u2019ll have a great performance.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-content=\"Top Stories\" data-eligible=\"true\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M7.14967 0.291147C4.4248 0.931139 2.0749 2.76815 0.87496 5.22146C0.21249 6.5607 0 7.48514 0 9.04956C0 10.3533 0 10.377 0.287487 10.377C0.449979 10.377 0.762465 10.1873 1.03745 9.92659C1.46243 9.51178 1.49993 9.41696 1.62492 8.38587C1.98741 5.35183 4.06231 2.86297 7.02467 1.95039C7.79964 1.71335 8.17462 1.66595 9.56206 1.66595C10.9245 1.66595 11.312 1.71335 11.9619 1.93853C14.3368 2.74445 16.1743 4.4748 17.0367 6.73848C17.2617 7.36662 17.3117 7.72217 17.3117 9.07327C17.3117 10.4481 17.2742 10.7799 17.0242 11.4436C16.1743 13.6717 14.2493 15.485 11.9869 16.1961C11.1995 16.4332 10.8245 16.4806 9.43706 16.4806C8.06213 16.4806 7.68714 16.4332 6.99968 16.1961C5.37475 15.651 3.89982 14.5843 2.99986 13.3162L2.48739 12.5814L3.96232 11.1829L5.43725 9.78437L7.06217 11.3251C7.96213 12.1666 8.77459 12.8658 8.87459 12.8658C8.97458 12.8658 10.112 11.8703 11.3995 10.6495L13.7494 8.42142V9.16808V9.90289H14.5618H15.3743L15.3493 7.9118L15.3118 5.93256L13.1494 5.89701L10.987 5.8733L11.0245 6.60811L11.062 7.35477L11.787 7.41403L12.4994 7.47328L10.7245 9.16808L8.93709 10.851L7.24966 9.25104C6.32471 8.37401 5.51225 7.65106 5.43725 7.65106C5.23726 7.65106 0.624971 12.0836 0.624971 12.2732C0.624971 12.5932 1.44993 14.0154 2.0624 14.7502C3.16235 16.0776 4.78728 17.1324 6.62469 17.725C7.24966 17.9265 7.83714 17.9976 9.12458 18.045C10.5995 18.1043 10.962 18.0806 11.8745 17.8554C15.2243 17.0258 17.9117 14.5013 18.7491 11.3725C19.0616 10.2229 19.0866 8.24365 18.7991 7.02292C18.3867 5.22146 17.1242 3.30148 15.5493 2.05705C14.6743 1.3578 12.8869 0.516329 11.737 0.25559C10.6245 -0.00514603 8.34961 0.0185566 7.14967 0.291147Z\" fill=\"var(--es-primary-700)\" \/><\/svg><\/p>\n<div>\n<h2>Football Top Stories<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-athlete=\"false\">Whether you like the choice to make Bad Bunny the halftime performer or not, you have to admit it\u2019s great for the league. Bad Bunny has a massive fanbase outside of the US, and his performance will help the NFL\u2019s initiative to grow the game outside of the 50 states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-seahawks-demarcus-lawrence-sends-strong-bad-bunny-message-to-america-amid-ice-super-bowl-controversy\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a> Becki Noren<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DeMarcus Lawrence speaks on the cultural divide behind NFL&#8217;s Halftime show selection. Bad Bunny\u2019s Grammy remarks collide with active ICE deportation figures. Roger Goodell ties the booking to NFL\u2019s 2026 roadmap. The NFL is determined to grow the game of football outside of the United States of America. In 2026, there will be more international<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":889914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33860,3790,22313],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-889913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-demarcus","category-football","category-seahawks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=889913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/889914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=889913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=889913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=889913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}