Madonna at the Super Bowl?

It’s unconfirmed, but sbnation.com (that’s Super Bowl Nation, FYI) is reporting that Madonna will be the halftime entertainment at Lucas Oil Stadium for the big game in February. A spokesperson for the NFL declined to comment on the report.

My initial reaction: It’s the worst celeb news in Indy since Donald Trump was (mercifully, temporarily) named pace car driver for the Indy 500.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, the halftime singer isn’t terribly important. Most of us—those who can’t afford the mortgage-payment-sized ticket prices—will be using the halftime show as an opportunity to stretch legs and refresh our salsa bowls at home anyway.

But, still, why bother with Madonna? Haven’t we learned from the Timberlake/Jackson fiasco?

The way I see it, we either end up with a muted, PG Madonna (and who wants that?) or an inappropriate-for-family-viewing Madonna (and, at the risk of repeating, who wants that?).

I’m not saying that we need a flash-in-the-pan like Justin Bieber (please, no).  And Madonna clearly has earned her spot as a music icon–unlike, say, 1997’s inclusion of the lame Blues Brothers half-knock off with Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, and James Belushi. And if the report is correct, kudos, for avoiding the obvious Mellencamp choice. (Yes, I like Mellencamp, but sometimes he seems to get trotted out like Australia brings out Crocodile Dundee)

So is there a better option than Madonna?

Do you have any ideas?