If I’m pissed off about anything you’ve said, it’s that you have, for some bizarre reason refused to say precisely what about this whole thing makes you uneasy and your rational for said uneasiness. I get the feeling you think that Springsteen has some quasi-mystical-supernatural powers which will either disappear or unleash Armageddon if he plays the halftime show.
How is this going to make Springsteen a sellout or even more of a sellout then he already is?
This isn’t the same thing as his music appearing in a commercial, which is something he’s refused to do time and again.
The only other thing that I can think of that you could be uneasy/upset about is that the majority of the people actually at the game wouldn’t be there because Springsteen is playing and because they aren’t true fans this is somehow unfair.
It would just be nice if you’d explain your unease and rational rather then running away and hiding as if it’s some horrific thing which cannot be said or written so that others may see.
I doubt your sincerity, since beginning with your OP you’ve shown no interest in trying to understand, and since you keep putting words in my mouth (like “sellout”).
Nonetheless, here’s the best I can articulate it right now. There are artistic motivations and commercial motivations. In my view, the strictly commercial projects draw attention away from the artistic quality of his other work, ultimately diluting his reputation. Here’s an analogy: did Analyze This II enhance DeNiro’s reputation as an actor? Were his real ‘fans’ pleased with it?
Bruce seems to recognize this problem himself because he always recoils after a period of high-publicity by taking a lot of time off and following with a dark non-commercial album. This has happened several times.
I imagine he might play Glory Days and invest it with some very clever self-conscious irony. That would be perfect.