AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo
Twitter users were not too happy with Imagine Dragons' halftime performance.
- Alabama and Clemson played a thrilling first half of football in the College Football Playoff championship.
- At halftime, Imagine Dragons performed, and was quickly roasted by viewers as they waited to get back to the game.
The first half of the College Football Playoff championship between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers was a highly entertaining affair.
The game started with a bang, with an opening eight minutes that featured four touchdowns and some thrilling big plays by both teams as they battled to move to 15-0 on the season and claim the title of best team in all of college football.
When the dust settled on the first half, Clemson held a surprising 31-16 lead, with Alabama set to receive the second half kickoff in need of something special to turn the game around.
But before the second half began, the halftime show featured the band Imagine Dragons playing their song "Natural," which ESPN had used in their college football promos throughout the 2018 season.
The band was quickly roasted to a crisp by Twitter users unimpressed with the performance.
Admittedly, Imagine Dragons was in a tough spot. The band has become somewhat ubiquitous in the world of sports presentation, their sound inescapable for fans following a full Saturday's worth of college football action.
Further, the halftime shows are little more than extended advertising spots for brands - after the performance, Rece Davis threw the broadcast to a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming "Captain Marvel" film. It's not exactly a fertile ground for an inspired artistic performance or fan experience.
Still, it's pretty clear that this is not what viewers are looking for in a halftime show, and becomes even more frustrating when you realize that while Imagine Dragons was on stage, a perfectly capable marching band performance was taking place on the field.
Maybe next year.
- More College Football Playoff championship:
Clemson receiver who broke out during the playoff semifinal almost quit football in high school
My future children will frequently hear me refer to this dark time in American history as the Trump/Imagine Dragons era
- ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ᴊᴀᴍᴇs (@_Matt_James_) January 8, 2019When Imagine Dragons come on pic.twitter.com/71PTZkliLy
- Tyler R. Tynes (@TylerRickyTynes) January 8, 2019imagine dragons the notre dame of rock bands
- rob harvilla (@harvilla) January 8, 2019I have imagined the dragons and I remain disappointed in the product of my imagination
- Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) January 8, 2019imagine dragons makes music for that kid in the supreme headband courtside at the warriors game
- martin rickman (@martinrickman) January 8, 2019the the all22 of the band, the content we really want pic.twitter.com/E0FopJsN5v
- betz (@alltwentytwo) January 8, 2019