News of Sting's NBA All-Star Game performance has prompted widespread debate on social media with reaction ranging from confusion to outright anger.
On Thursday morning, organizers of the event, which will be held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Feb. 14, announced that the Grammy-award winning British rocker would be headlining the halftime show.
Sting will headline the @NBAAllStar 2016 halftime show on February 14 in Toronto! Check out https://t.co/hYDlrJKSFF for details.
— Sting (@OfficialSting) January 28, 2016
The announcement was followed by frustration from some social media users who suggested that a Canadian, perhaps even the Raptors' own global ambassador Drake, should have been chosen for the gig.
Can't believe the All Star Game is in Toronto and they going to have Sting performing like Drake or Justin Bieber doesn't exist... Smh
— DaBaddieG (@DaBaddieG) January 28, 2016
I know every time I go down to the playground to shoot some hoops the ballers always got Sting pumpin out da speakers #NBAAll-StarShowProbs
— Dandelion Dollars (@DandelionDollar) January 28, 2016
It is certainly not the first time members of the public have disapproved of the headline acts at Canadian events. When it was announced that Kanye West would be performing at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games last July, thousands of people signed a petition asking organizers to replace him with a Canadian performer.
Mayor John Tory, who mistakenly referred to Kanye as a Canadian last summer ahead of the rapper’s Pan Am performance, was asked to weigh in on the Sting decision on Thursday morning.
“I’ve learned from past painful experiences both not to comment on the nationality of performers … and I’ve also learned not to question the entertainment choices of people who organize these events,” he said.
The mayor added that organizers were likely taking the television audience in to consideration when they chose Sting to be the headliner.
“I’m not consulted on the halftime entertainment,” he said with a laugh.
Former Mayor Rob Ford was not shy in sharing his opinion about the decision.
In a tweet Thursday, Ford wrote, “What were your backup options, Cher and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra?”
Really @Toronto2016? Sting? What were your backup options, Cher and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra? How about some TORONTO talent!
— Rob Ford (@TorontoRobFord) January 28, 2016