Talk to me boy ...
No disrespect I don't mean no harm
Talk to me boy ...
I can't wait to have you in my arms
Talk to me boy ...
They're marching up the steps, to a platform in the middle of the stage.
Hurry up 'cause you're taking too long
Talk to me boy ...
Better have you naked by the end of this song.
21 years of age had come five months early.
It was like I had one level of puberty to reach before I could really become a man. Kinda like how Goku had to go into the hyperbolic time chamber so he could be prepared to fight Vegeta. Anyway, here I was, a junior in college, fresh off pledging the frat ('06) and feeling like life was finally made. So there I was, sitting in my apartment in Centennial Court on Langston University's campus with my best buddies, ready to watch the Super Bowl. I remember we got a few chicks to make us some Rotel, we had our Tahitian Treat 24-pack on ice and chips on chips on chips for days. The Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots were about to do battle in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas, and we were ready.
See. I remember pulling for the Carolina Panthers heavy in this game. I remember rooting really hard for Steve Smith and DeShaun Foster. When Steve Smith caught that touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme in the first half, I just had a feeling that they would win. Of course, Sir Thomas Brady was earning the name of Sir Thomas Brady in this game, and those two passing touchdowns certainly helped the cause. Carolina was down 4 at the half, and I was hungry. Let me grab some of this Rotel real quick, get some of this drink and I'll be straight …
"YO ED, JANET JACKSON'S ABOUT TO PERFORM THE HALFTIME SHOW"
See … the allure that Beyonce has on this current generation can be similarly compared to how the previous generation felt about Janet Jackson. Janet, fresh off the Velvet Rope tour (one of the sultriest tours of all time), The Nutty Professor and of course just being fine as hell, was running things in these streets. She commanded not only respect, but the eyeballs of every young boy and man when she hit the television screen. So yes, I sat there with my goons and watched the halftime show, just thinking about all the things I would do to h … ummm, yeah.
Then nipple-gate happened.
Here are just some of the quotes from my band of hooligans in my apartment on the fateful night:
"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN"
"DID I JUST SEE WHAT I JUST SAW??????"
"CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SHOW A REPLAY OF THIS? COME ON CBS! DO IT!"
"F*CK! GOT DAMN! HOLY SH*T! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Three things quickly:
ONE: Could you imagine if DVR existed 10 years ago? People would still have Super Bowl XXXVIII on their saved list.
TWO: I also remember three or four of us running up to our 32" tube television right up to the screen, like our eyes would become magnifying glasses and we'd be able to see the glorious nipple.
THREE: I have no idea what happened in the third quarter of the game.
People lost their minds on that day, as it was a glorious day indeed, even if it wasn't Janet Jackson's fault at all and it was totally Justin Timberlake's fault. (Hey Justin, I know you're reading this so don't trip, we're cool. *daps*) I'd suggest giving ESPN's profile on how and why everything happened a read today. Because 10 years ago, I hit my final stage of puberty. Amen.
I'm curious to know though, how did YOU ALL respond when you saw what you saw on your television? Let us know in the comments sections and we'll see who has the best story.
Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”
