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SALT LAKE CITY — Fans of Weird Al Yankovic signed a petition in hopes that he'll perform at Super Bowl XLIX.
Usually rumors like these dissipate as quickly as they begin. However, Ed Ball, the man who began the petition for Weird Al, means business. Initially, the petition made on Change.org began after Ball eavesdropped on a group's conversation at a bar. The group was discussing upcoming plans to attend the Super Bowl, and one person in the group asked who the halftime performer was going to be this year.
This sparked more conversation in the group as Ball continued eavesdropping. Suggestions like Iggy Azalea, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez came up. Ball disagreed with these options and decided to do something about it, according to Change.org.
After arriving home drunk, Ball went online and began the petition. He included reasons he believed Weird Al would be a great option for the Super Bowl, "The theatrics alone would be hilarious and a welcoming change, and draw a wider audience of fans that typically would not tune into the championship game or halftime show."
Ball also said the artists Weird Al sang about could come on the show, which would bring more variety to the stage with all the more entertainment for viewers.
Ball received a much bigger response than he anticipated. Before the first day of the petition came to an end, 40,000 people had signed to give their support for the proposal, according to the Huffington Post.
After receiving 20,000 signatures, Ball posted to the site saying, "20K+!!!! Holy guacamole!!! Thank you for the overflowing support and bringing this idea to the national spotlight."
He went on to say that he didn't support the idea of getting excessively drunk nor did he advise posting while drunk. He also included that he would enjoy seeing Weird Al at the Super Bowl while sober.
Commenters gave input on the website backing up their reasons for signing the petition. "Weird Al is overdue for his Super Bowl moment! He's on fire now — with a #1 album debut, so let's give him the honor he deserves!" said Shannon Knipfer.
"This would be a Super Bowl halftime show that I would actually sit down and watch," Travis Crowe said.
There are now 58,164 signatures accounted for. There is still a need for 16,836 signatures to reach the desired goal.
