Puerto Rico stops for 13 minutes to applaud history and bask in Bad Bunny's glow

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Super Bowl lasted all of 13 minutes for many Puerto Ricans in San Juan and beyond.

People turned their backs to TV screens as food, music and chatter filled the first half of the game until a hush fell across the island. The halftime show was starting.

This was Puerto Rico’s moment, a spotlight on a collective son who quit bagging groceries a decade ago and became the world’s most streamed artist on Spotify last year. Since then, Bad Bunny has used his platform to applaud immigrants, sing about Puerto Rico’s identity and turmoil and denounce U.S. immigration policies.

“He appeared at the right moment in the history of Latin America,” said Marielys Rojas, 39, who is originally from Venezuela but has lived the last 22 years in Puerto Rico.

She was among the hundreds who gathered by a grassy knoll near a beach in Puerto Rico’s capital to watch the halftime show on a huge screen as waves crashed behind them and the sounds of coquís, an endemic frog, filled the salty air.

Amarilys Reyes, 55, arrived at the seaside watch party with her 22-year-old daughter.

She had never watched a Super Bowl and didn’t know who was playing, but it didn’t matter. Like many others, she was only there for Bad Bunny.

“It’s the biggest show of his life,” Reyes said.

Energy, nerves and excitement had been building across Puerto Rico ever since the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio would headline the Super Bowl XL Halftime Show.

Watch parties were quickly organized across the U.S. mainland and the island. Some dubbed it “Super Bori Sunday,” a shortened nod to “Boricua,” which refers to someone with Puerto Rican ancestry, while others referred to it “The Benito Bowl: Morcilla, Sancocho, Mofongo, Reggaetón and a little bit of Football.”

One woman wrote on social media that she would watch the halftime show with her 87-year-old mother in Puerto Rico so they could dance together, while another person posted that they had prepared a PowerPoint presentation for their American friends dubbed “Bad Bunny 101.”

Creativity flowed as Feb. 8 approached: One bar in Puerto Rico posted a promo featuring the quarterbacks from the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots sitting on the iconic white plastic lawn chairs that grace the cover of Bad Bunny’s newest album.

Even the Teletubbies got in on the excitement, shaking their colorful rumps to Bad Bunny ’s “Baile Inolvidable” a day before the show.

Wonder Woman also lent her support, with Lynda Carter noting on social media that she was a “huge fan” of Bad Bunny, whom she noted was an American citizen: “Make no mistake.”

But criticism of the first all-Spanish NFL halftime show spiked as the first half ended.

Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer who has property in Puerto Rico and has posted about life on the island, wrote on X: “Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that.”

Puerto Ricans quickly responded.

“Don’t you live where he’s from?” wrote one person while many others noted that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.

Luke Lavanway, a 35-year-old who lives in New York but was vacationing in Puerto Rico to escape the ongoing cold snap, said he had no problem with a halftime show in Spanish.

“That’s part of us,” he said. “That’s what makes us great, and we should just enjoy it.”

The crowd that had gathered for the halftime show began streaming out of the watch party as soon as the second half started, smiling as they reflected on what they had just witnessed.

“I thought it was phenomenal that Bad Bunny brought all Latinos together in one place and represented them all equally,” said Carlos Ayala, 36, of San Juan. “It’s an important moment for Latino culture.”

He also thought it fantastic that Ricky Martin sang Bad Bunny’s, “Lo que le pasó a Hawaii,” which laments gentrification in Puerto Rico, a worsening issue for many on an island with a more than 40% poverty rate.

“Transmitting that message is extremely important in these times,” he said, adding that he also appreciated the light posts and exploding transformers featured during the show, a nod to Puerto Rico’s chronic outages “so the world can see what we live through.”

Among those beaming after the show was Juliana Santiago, 35, who said her heart swelled with pride on Sunday night.

She said Bad Bunny proved that “you can accomplish things, that the American dream truly is real.”

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Fans in San Juan, Puerto Rico, watch Bad Bunny's performance on television during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Fans in San Juan, Puerto Rico, watch Bad Bunny's performance on television during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Fans in San Juan, Puerto Rico, watch Bad Bunny's performance on television during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Fans in San Juan, Puerto Rico, watch Bad Bunny's performance on television during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Drake Maye was a dependable and steadying force for the New England Patriots this season. The second-year quarterback never got the chance to be that when his team needed him most in the Super Bowl.

Maye was the NFL’s most accurate passer during the regular season and finished second in MVP voting, but he was hounded by the Seahawks' “Dark Side” defense throughout. He threw two touchdown passes, but was sacked six times, had two interceptions and lost a fumble that led to a TD by Seattle in New England's 29-13 loss on Sunday.

Maye finished 27 of 43 for 295 yards and there were few highlights before he and the Patriots finally found some traction in the third quarter. Left tackle Will Campbell gave up two of the sacks on Maye as the Seahawks sent several blitzes to his side of the line.

Trailing 19-0 after his fumble set up a touchdown pass by Sam Darnold, Maye finally got some time to operate in the pocket and threw a 35-yard TD pass to Mack Hollins.

It brought some life to the Patriots' sideline.

But it was short-lived.

Maye’s pass intended for Kyle Williams was picked off by Julian Love. The Seahawks added Jason Myers’ fifth field goal on their ensuing drive.

Down 22-7, New England’s fate was basically sealed when Maye was picked off by Uchenna Nwosu, who returned it 45 yards for a score.

The Patriots, who came in averaging 18 points per game in the playoffs, was held to 331 total yards.

New England was denied a seventh Lombardi Trophy, which would have broken a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history. It was a thudding end to a Cinderella-like season for the Patriots, who finished the regular season 14-3 in coach Mike Vrabel’s first season — which came off back-to-back 4-13 finishes.

The Patriots fell into a 12-0 halftime hole and punted on eight of their first nine drives. It would have been seven straight, but the final one of the first half was a one-play kneel down.

The 51 total yards gained by the Patriots were the fewest in a first half in the last 35 super Bowls.

It also marked the fifth Super Bowl without a touchdown in the first half. Maye also became first player to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 against the New York Giants.

One of the reasons Seattle’s defense was so effective was it did a great job of keeping New England’s offense in long yardage situations on third down. The Patriots had to negotiate third downs of 9, 15, 17, 7 and 12 yards in the first half. They were only 2 of 7 on conversions in the first half.

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This story has been corrected to show Maye was sacked six times instead of seven.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates with members of his team after a touchdown during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) makes a catch during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) escapes pressure from Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) causing a fumble during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) forces a fumble against New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) at the NFL Super Bowl 60 game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, February 8, 2026. (Adam Hunger/AP Content Services for the NFL)