A silent Super Bowl: The fight for a more deaf-friendly game

Historically, the NFL’s treatment of its ASL performers at the Super Bowl has been uneven. From Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, the first year of ASL performers at the Super Bowl, through last year, the NFL and networks responsible for broadcasting the game have either shown the performers for brief glimpses on TV or inside the stadium, or failed to acknowledge them entirely.

“While I appreciate the fact that the NFL has included an ASL performer at their games for the last 20 years, at every Super Bowl we never know how much coverage on TV will be shown of the ASL performer, so it has been a rocky ride,” said John Maucere, who signed the national anthem at last year’s Super Bowl.

The deaf-viewer experience at the Super Bowl, however, has shown signs of improvement since the NFL partnered with the National Association for the Deaf in 2010. The Super Bowl has long been closed captioned, as required by law, but prior to NAD’s involvement, around 90 percent of the commercials were not, explained Howard Rosenblum, NAD’s CEO.

“At that time, we contacted the NFL and informed them about doing something to get the commercials captioned,” Rosenblum said through an ASL interpreter. “They didn’t even realize the extent of the problem.”

In 2011, the NFL and FOX made the Super Bowl fully-captioned for the first time in the game’s history. And since then, Rosenblum said that “without fail” the NFL has been “a wonderful partner in the process” of improving the viewing experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing fans.

“It’s really important when people watch the opening ceremonies with the music and the anthem that they think of everyone,” Rosenblum said. “…I think that helps set the tone, because so many people are watching the game that it’s a perfect opportunity to remind people of the diversity among us.”

Public outcry from the deaf community has also compelled significant changes from the networks. Last year, CBS had a dedicated camera on Maucere, so viewers could go online and watch his performance in its entirety. FOX, which is broadcasting Sunday’s game, will also have a dedicated camera on this year’s performer, Amber Zion, allowing viewers to stream her rendition of the national anthem and “America The Beautiful” on their computers and iPads, FOX Sports spokesman Lou D’Ermilio told America Tonight. Much like the network does for its deaf viewers who watch “American Idol,” D’Ermilio said that FOX is also making the Super Bowl Pregame Show rundown available for the hearing-impaired.

And sometimes change just requires a single person caring enough. Maucere knew his performance of the anthem last year likely wouldn’t make it into the broadcast, but he desperately wanted his dying father to glimpse him on TV. Maucere, who’s spent his career entertaining and fighting for the rights of deaf audiences, wanted this to be the performance of his life.

Moments before the show, Maucere and NAD officials made their case to the NFL that Maucere should be closer to Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson during their respective songs. They stressed how important it was for the ASL performer not to be separated away from the megastars, but to share in their limelight.

With his better positioning, Maucere says he was shown during the broadcast. And by the end of the anthem, Maucere had stolen the show. His performance – and mannerisms – grabbed the attention of a worldwide audience. The “sexiest deaf guy,” as Playgirl once called Maucere, was even followed by celebrity website TMZ, which joked about how “Super Bowl sign language guy” had an insurance policy for his hands. 

Now, Maucere is something of a coach for Zion, helping her prepare for this year’s performance and pushing for more face time.

“We need to make sure it becomes a guarantee that the ASL performance will be showcased on television,” he said in an email. “Even though the network showed some shots of me performing last year, it is still not enough. I am hoping that this year the coverage will be better.”

The days following his performance would be bittersweet for Maucere. The day after the Super Bowl, his father passed away. Maucere is grateful that his dad managed to see him – however briefly – reach the pinnacle of his career as a deaf entertainer, and sign the national anthem at one of the most-watched television events in history.

“I am grateful he got to see me perform at the Super Bowl,” Maucere said. “I remember the energy of the stadium was incredible, and I embraced every moment.”