Super Bowl Halftime Show: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Deliver on Their Promises

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers scored big with Super Bowl fans. (AP Images)

Some may consider it an upset, but in the battle of Super Bowl Toms, Petty upstaged Brady – at least through one half.

While Tom Brady was in the locker room licking his wounds from a rough first half against the Giants, Tom Petty took the stage with the Heartbreakers and rocked out to a four-song set that featured some of his biggest hits – “American Girl”, “I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin’” and “Running Down a Dream”.

On a heart-shaped stage, the veteran rockers got the University of Phoenix Stadium crowd on its feet during the Super Bowl XLII halftime show on Sunday. Shooting stars accompanied “Free Fallin’” and Super Bowl bettors who wagered on “Running Down a Dream” to close the set collected on their bets.

Petty’s performance was the highlight of a star-studded Super Bowl entertainment card that also featured a pre-game performance by Alicia Keys and a rendition of the national anthem by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.

As for the game, the unbeaten New England Patriots hold a slim 7-3 lead over the upset-minded Giants. New England leads despite the fact Brady hasn’t thrown a touchdown, has been sacked three times and has fumbled once.

Get your prop bets in for the second half.