According to the The New York Post and other media outlets, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform at the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa on February 1, 2009.

The NFL has been courting Springsteen for years, and his original manager, back in the ’70s, always dreamed of him playing the Super Bowl. The official confirmation hasn’t come yet, though the news is being reported all over the country on TV, radio, and in newspapers. 

Recent years have seen Super Bowl Performances by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (this year), Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince and, in the most memorable and emotionally powerful Super Bowl set ever, U2.  A halftime blast from the Boss and the E Street Band could likely be just as memorable. Springsteen is currently playing select football stadiums in the U.S., with shows lasting as long as three hours. 

Potential set list songs are already being tossed out by fans, including “Born to Run” (but of course) and “No Surrender.”  Of course, for many, a Springsteen Super Bowl performance could well be bigger than the game.