Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show: Black Eyed Peas, Slash And Usher Share Stage In Dallas

They say you get what you pay for. And if you thought the Black Eyed Peas was among the worst Super Bowl halftime performances you’ve ever seen, then it might lessen the blow to learn that they will not make one red cent for their efforts. In fact, most Super Bowl halftime performers have not been paid to appear.

So why bother to do it at all? According to Forbes, it’s all about exposure.

Slash, former lead guitarist for Guns ‘N Roses, popped into the middle of the Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show and tried to redeem the Black Eyed Peas performance as it was quickly spiraling out of control. Sandwiched between Fergie shakin’ it and an odd display of glowsticks, Slash brought the thunder, playing a solo from Sweet Child Of Mine. His entrance -- rising from the middle of the stage -- was awesome and his guitar solo was just as great.

With axe in hand, Slash looked completely out of place amidst the train wreck that was the halftime show, even shying away from Fergie as she moved in for the kill. And then, just as quickly as it began, it was over and Slash disappeared back into nowhere, likely to never be heard from again.

Hey, do you have a ringing feeling in your ears after that abysmal Super Bowl XLV halftime show by the Black Eyed Peas? ME, TOO! Let’s recap the carnage.

“I Gotta Feeling” kicked off the Black Eyed Peas’ assault on our ears. Lots of people dressed in white jumped up and down as tinny music blared. The audio issues would persist throughout the performance — everything sounded faint, as if FOX had no idea how to televise a halftime show.

I was ready to hate Christina Aguilera’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Super Bowl XLV. The gold standard for singing the national anthem at a Super Bowl and emoting it is Whitney Houston’s performance during Operation Desert Storm, and I wasn’t sure that the big-voiced Aguilera, often prone to over-emoting, could match Houston’s efforts. So I watched what you’ll see on this video with trepidation.

But Aguilera did a very nice job with the singing of song, even if she stretched it out, mostly in terms of pitch. Her “wave,” “free,” and “brave” all spanned a little more than one syllable, and she went low repeatedly to give the anthem a bit more richness. She didn’t milk it nearly as much as she could have, though — she sang it in 1:54, meaning that particular Super Bowl prop bet was a push — and that was a nice relief.

The Green Bay Packers have won the coin toss in Super Bowl XLV. As the visiting team, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the call (the AFC and NFC alternate home team roles each year), and James Farrior called tails, but the coin came up heads.

This means that NFC has now won 14 straight coin flips (but they are just 3-10 in the previous 13 games). In 44 games, the coin has come up heads 24 times, tails 21. The NFC has won the toss a total of 31 times, the AFC 14.

Bill O’Reilly and Barack Obama sat down for a wide-ranging interview ahead of Super Bowl XLV, talking everything from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to his knowledge of football and thoughts on the game. The interview was more tame than expected, though O’Reilly spent much of the time talking over Obama.

O’Reilly started with the news of the moment: the Egyptian protests. Obama said the United States is powerless in the situation, and cannot dictate a change in leadership.

In his sitdown with Bill O’Reilly on FOX just moments ago, President Obama touched on a number of controversial issues, but there was one question of more immediate relevance. Forget the politics; who is the president picking in the Super Bowl?

After talking about the situation in Egypt and President Hosni Mobarak, the looming threat of the Muslim Brotherhood, the health care debate, and his policies on the economy, President Obama finally got down to the brass tacks. And now we know, Obama is taking... Well, actually, he didn’t pick a winner for Super Bowl XLV.

It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl pregame without musical guests. With four hours to burn before Super Bowl XLV kicks off, FOX is going all-out, bringing in a wide-array of guests to fill space as they count down to game time. The pregame show on FOX is more a Hollywood event than your typical pregame show, right down to the red carpet show hosted by Michael Strahan.

Country music star Keith Urban is set to perform, playing a quick set during the pregame show. Maroon 5 will take the stage prior to the game, as well, with FOX there to broadcast a mini-concert. And, of course, Christina Aguilera will have the final musical performance before the game kicks off, singing the national anthem at Cowboys Stadium.

More: Super Bowl 2012 coverage.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to join the FOX pregame show ahead of Super Bowl XLV, sitting down with Bill O’Reilly shortly before the game gets underway. FOX describes the interview as a no-spin zone, with Obama and O’Reilly engaging in candid conversation. It wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without a bit of politics mixed in.

Gearing up for Super Bowl XLV? What better way to get ready for the big game than to watch puppies duke it out on the gridiron in Puppy Bowl VII. Nothing gets a party amped-up for the Super Bowl like watching cute and cuddly puppies chase a ball around and engage in an adorable game of football.

This time around, the Puppy Bowl has gone high-tech, introducing a Puppy Cam, giving viewers a first-hand look at all the action through the eyes of the players themselves. The Water Bowl Cam is, of course, back again this year, putting fans right in the middle of the action as our four-legged friends stay hydrated during the big game.

With Super Bowl XLV not set to get underway until 6:29 p.m. kickoff, there’s a full day of time to kill for the major networks. And kill it they will, with a day full Super Bowl Sunday of pregame action, analysis, guest spots and so much more. Fox, the official broadcasting partner of the Super Bowl, has a full lineup to get you ready for the Super Bowl as they break down the matchups and other Super Bowl storylines.

The primary channel for the Super Bowl is Fox, so here is Fox’s full slate, beginning a solid six hours before the game itself.