QRO Champions Cup Halftime Performances
QRO Champions Cup Halftime Performances are traditional performances which take place at halftime of the Quentinian Roofball Organization's Champions Cup, the highest championship game in the league. Halftime performances in the QRO are held during the brief period between dime 5 and dime 6, and are usually musical performances or other minor events like mascot games, however the Champions Cup has a tradition of performances which are unusually ridiculous, meaningless, or disastrously comedic. The tradition originally began as a joke by organizers in the 1956 QRO Champions Cup, and was not repeated in successive years. However, the performance of comedian Bregli Broggs at the 1960 Cup brought back the format of ridiculousness and was massively popular, prompting the league to organize a similarly successful performance of its own for the next year. After the league's support was clear, the event became regular, and was additionally bolstered by a number of unplanned incidents and protests throughout the 1970's and 80's. The halftime performances have continued to present day, and viewership spikes dramatically during the time of the performance. The most recent audience at the 2023 Cup was estimated at over a billion viewers.
Background
The first halftime performance during a QRO Champions Cup was at the 1951 QRO Champions Cup, when the Northern Contradictory University's marching band played a rendition of Liberty in the Noise, and the two teams each chose a fan from the stands to play one on one Roofball. These kinds of events continued on for 5 years, with the first mascot games at the Champions Cup being held in 1954.
In 1956 the halftime ceremonies were entrusted to the league's Department of Maintenance, which in the early days of the league was known for not doing very much, even conjuring up the household Quentinian term "sweeping the seats." The department supervisor, Nebrew Degrass, couldn't come up with any entertainment, and eventually decided to hire himself, giving himself a salary of Ð1.50 ($15). At halftime, he marched out onto the field, onto a stage that had been set up beforehand. This game was in the Chip Area, and so Degrass sat down on a chair, and began smoking some Bawhacka in front of the entire crowd. Eventually television cut the feed, however not before 6 minutes had already passed; after the feed was cut, Degrass continued smoking for the remainder of the 17 minute period. He then walked off the field, and the game continued.
After the incident, media in the United States of Quentin covered it seemingly nonstop, and although most had a comical view of the incident, some Snowland magazines, namely the Snowy Chapel Magazine, criticized the Quentinian Roofball League for the incident, and Degrass was fired 3 months later. The halftime performance was carefully monitored for the next three years, but after the unplanned performance of Bregli Broggs in 1960, public opinion shifted dramatically in favor of the ridiculousness of the event as drama over the comedian's disappearance continued to compel the nation. Due to this shift in public opinion, the commissioner of the league at the time organized a Department of Halftime Performances to be established in secret for the upcoming year. The department organized the 1961 performance in collaboration with Steve Limms and numerous other television executives, and after the public success of the performance mocking the incident with Broggs, the department was brought out of the shadows and authorized to continue running in perpetuity. While the department faced a brief reprimand from the league due to the rogue band brought on for the 1968 performance and had to bring back a game of schoolchildren in response to the lawsuits from such a performance, the entirely natural and unplanned derailment of the performance in 1969 convinced the league office once more that regulating the performances were near impossible.
History
The stadium locations are incorrect, and need editing. Refer to the page List of QRO Stadiums
Year Date Location Performance Sponsor Details 1951 May 6th, 1951 Diamond Field, Rodriguezville NCU Marching Band performs Liberty in the Noise, Pat Markee and Tristina Adams, two fans from the stands, play one-on-one Roofball, with Markee winning. Northern Contradictory University First performance ever 1952 May 4th, 1952 Jacqueline Floral Field, Jameisville Drew Barkley performs Sweet Idiot with United Formal Quentinian Church of Jameisville, Todd Middle School's color guard performs. Barkley Records 1953 May 3rd, 1953 Diamond Field, Rodriguezville Whipdirt Billy performs comedy routine, short game is played between elementary school children. Tuaballoga Bank 1954 May 2nd, 1954 Birchole Arena, Maximum City Mascot game between the Fort McCarthy Liberators mascot team and the Rodriguezville Ravagers mascot team occurs, with Ravagers winning 45-20. Matthew's Fabrics First mascot game in a Champions Cup, started competitiveness in these games 1955 May 1st, 1955 Founder's Stadium, Lindin Race between the Lindin Founders mascot team and the Bakersfieldville Breadbakeesdekline mascot team, Bakersfieldville wins Lipara 1956 May 6th, 1956 Colt's Horshoe Field, Baltimore Nebrew Degrass comes out on stage, sits down and smokes bawhacka for the entire period Quentinian Gazette Began tradition of odd halftime performances, caused criticism initially 1957 May 5th, 1957 Diamond Field, Rodriguezville Horse race Jubhal Brewery 1958 May 4th, 1958 Mane Stadium, Port Clinton Performance by Uptown High School marching band of numerous songs Stance Gym 1959 May 3rd, 1959 A Few Miles High Stadium, Kindikil A group of local businessmen engage in a game of Roofball on the roof of the stadium, and afterwards parachute safely to the ground 1960 Prerecorded footage of comedian Bregli Broggs scooping water from the Liberation City Canal is played on the jumbotron before the comedian appears on the roof of the stadium drinking the supposed canal water. He gives a thumbs-up before disappearing in a pyrotechnics explosion; Broggs, so committed to his supposed death onstage, did not appear to the public again for 16 years, finally being discovered living on the Isle of Southia by a nature documentary crew in 1976. Upon his discovery the declaration for his death which had been issued was revoked, and he was ordered to pay 16 years back-taxes by both the Southian and Quentinian governments. 1961 In reference to the previous year's performance, television executive Steve Limms appears onstage, fakes as if he is going to light a pile of fireworks to his right, and then wags his finger at the camera. He then proceeds to do a short, 17 second jig before sitting down on a stool exhausted. The pyrotechnics were in reference to the many lawsuits brought against his company for the onscreen explosion the year prior. 1962 An old lady from Rodriguezville comes out on stage, sits down, and proceeds to read a short children's book. 3 pages in, 7 intoxicated fans run onto the field and throw tomatoes at the old lady, who attempts to produce a firearm to repel the attackers before police intervene. 1963 A short lesson on the Allian language is conducted by Professor Thomas T. Tingleworth, focusing on basic grammar and vocabulary. 1964 A short painting lesson is given by esteemed Allian artist Greghor Bivan. After completing his demonstration piece he announces he is unsatisfied with his work, proceeding to take it off the easel, hold it in his lap, and lick the still-wet canvas before the cameras cut. Bivan later admitted that it was a publicity stunt he had planned without QRO knowledge. 1965 A crocodile is brought out on stage, and cameras roll for 5 minutes before cutting. 1966 A Halloween costume competition is conducted, however the only thing that happens on the broadcast is an unknown stadium official reading the results and describing the costumes of the winners, who were unfortunately not shown to the television audience. 1967 June Bridge, a popular actress, appears and lists her favorite vegetables. 1968 A local jazz band is hired to play, however the band introduces themselves as "Your Grandmother's Ass" and proceeds to play a combination of the ABC's song, Megatridimensional national anthem, and random mixtures of notes, all while the band's lead singer screams and moans obscenities. This lasts nearly 20 seconds before the cameras are cut. 1969 Due in large part to the lawsuits from the previous year, this year's halftime show featured grade-school age students in a short Roofball match. However, the game quickly turned ugly, as the captains of both teams repeatedly scuffled on the sidelines after each try. Eventually, one of the two attempted to bite the other's ear off, a rules violation which led to intervention from security and referees. Eventually the game was called off and 3 participants taken to the hospital 1970 The former mayor of Livjessville gives a demonstration on how to fold the pages of a book so that you can mark your spot. She then attempts to promote stock in her new pharmaceutical company before being rushed off stage 1971 A cow is brought up by a local farmer, and is fed different things to see if it will eat them. After refusing to eat a brand new washing machine, the farmer bows and ends the presentation 1972 A toddler is brought up onstage by his mother, and the stadium watches as he plays with his toys. After successfully giving a toy telephone to his mother to answer, the stadium roars in support. Unfortunately, the toddler then proceeds to throw up onstage, leading to a hasty exit 1973 Various politicians from the Fundamentalist Party appear onstage, fill up multiple mugs with orange juice, apple juice, and vodka (the alcohol being for the chairman of the Economics Committee, who had recently endured an intraparty coup attempt), and sit on stage drinking the assorted liquids. This lasts nearly all of halftime, 14 minutes, and complete silence is maintained the whole time (excepting the slurping noises amplified by the politicans' microphones) 1974 The captain of the Kumar City Shock, Bus Gorranson appears onstage, resting in a folding chair and conducting his halftime stretch routine, all the while feigning ignorance towards the massive audience watching. Gorranson was later criticized for his performance, both as an example of highly unconvincing acting and as a distraction to his team 1975 A gardening expert demonstrates for the audience how to successfully water a plant. After watering the plant and providing it with plenty of sunshine, she says "and that's it!" before sitting down on a stool beside the garden with a smile on her face. After a few minutes the smile begins to fade, and she begins to look down at her hands awkwardly. After being prompted by producers, she begins smiling again, holding her pose in front of the camera for nearly 7 more minutes. 1976 A popular jazz group from one of the swankier clubs in Rodriguezville is introduced onstage, however instead of their instruments the group is holding and attempting to play a variety of different foods, including a baguette instead of a trombone, a banana in the place of the trumpets, and a large slab of meat for a cello with a celery bow. The singer performs a song about proper oral hygiene with a hairbrush microphone while attempting to gargle mouthwash. The end of the performance features two of the male band members making out onstage, marking a significant gay visibility protest 1977 A transaction is conducted between a dog and a librarian. The dog supposedly has possession of a book overdue by 15 months, and the elderly librarian insists he pay the fine. After stage managers come onstage to put money in the dog's paw and pay the fine, the librarian continues working onscreen for 11 minutes. 1978 Professor Branz Burlington of Switzer City College, a nationally recognized character for his radio show The Burlington Business Bit, comes onstage dressed as a clown. After proceeding to teach basic economic theory for a few minutes in his outfit, Burlington hops into a pool of shaving cream. 1979 Following the resolution of comedian Bregli Broggs' legal proceedings regarding his unpaid taxes, a large poster of the comedian appears onstage before it is broken through by an unidentified person. Originally thought by the crowd to be Broggs himself, it is soon revealed to be just a regular man in a suit. The man then proceeds down offstage and into the locker room area, followed by a camera crew. Entering the locker room, the man sits down with the commissioner, the Mayor of Fort McCarthy, and two other men in suits identified as officers of the Office of Tax Enforcement. The group then gives a thumbs up to the camera before eating a cake decorated with the first image taken of the comedian after his discovery in New Southia. 1980 In honor of 30 years of the Champions Cup, a mascots match is organized between the Minersville Miners and the Verisitium Vipers teams. At the direction of the Department of Halftime Performances each of the teams include 2 professional wrestlers, who settle tussles with physical matches of extremely high quality. The game itself is also filled with fouls, including one of the teams putting a player on the shoulders of another player, however there is no referee so nearly everything between the teams is legal. The game ends with a score of 780 to 750. 1981 1982 1983 GTNEC Steve Boissont appears onstage, drinks a cup of coffee (in reference to the Coffee War) and smashes his cup on the ground. 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 Businessman Robbie Coulcourt appears onstage, coughs once, and leaves. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
