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The Business Of Being Bruno Mars; Super Bowl Moments: Hits And Misses; Hotels Unfinished As Athletes Arrive In Sochi; Christie E-mail Attacks Accuser; Coaches From "Tykes" TV Show Suspended

Aired February 03, 2014 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bottom of the hour. You are watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Bruno Mars is on a roll. Superstar performance last night the Super Bowl halftime show, he is hot on iTunes, especially this morning. Three songs in the iTunes top 100 and picked up a Grammy just last month. CNN's Christine Romans has more on the newest superstar to rock the music biz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The real Super Bowl winner, Bruno Mars. He took the biggest stage in music in front of more than 100 million viewers and saved an otherwise dull game. So who is this Super Bowl sensation? Born Peter Hernandez to a musical family in Hawaii, he started as the world's youngest Elvis impersonator.

He struggled as a performer and was dropped from Motown Records then changed his business plan and began writing and producing songs for other artists. His big break came in 2010 doing vocals for two songs he helped write, "Nothing On You" and "Billionaire." His debut album was a success.

And landed "Mars" two number two hits. Album number two reached number one and the accompanying tour brought in $46 million so far. All together "Mars" has sold 115 million singles worldwide. Landed five number one singles faster than any male singer since Elvis. The 28-year-old was Billboard's artist of the year last year.

He landed his second Grammy, this one for best pop vocal album of the year on Orthodox Juke Box. Outside the studio, he has invested in Chromatik, a startup that makes digital sheet music and electronic cigarette maker, Enjoy, which he uses to kick the habit. The business of being Bruno Mars is indeed super. Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Can't help but be bop along here. Let's talk Bruno Mars and other hits and misses of Super Bowl XLVIII. Joining me now are Peter Shankman, a branding consultant, Rachel Nichols, host of CNN's "UNGUARDED" and Robert Tuchman, a sports marketer. Guys, welcome to all of you. Peter Shankman, Bruno Mars has come a long way from the Elvis impersonating of his youth, yes? PETER SHANKMAN, BRANDING CONSULTANT: I tweeted out the group looked like the group from the enchantment of back to the future. They did a phenomenal job. The Super Bowl really needed this. They have not had a good halftime show in a long time. Of course, this was the 10-year anniversary of Nickel Gate. So they really needed something to come up and really shocked at the next level. You're right. It saved the Super Bowl.

BALDWIN: I have to say though it was awesome seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm a huge fan. I enjoyed Anthony Keatis. I know there have been mixed reviews. Rachel Nichols, are with me on that?

RACHEL NICHOLS, HOST, CNN'S "UNGUARDED": Come on, Beyonce last year didn't do it for you.

<14:35:14>

Prince singing Purple Rain in the rain a few years, there were some decent Super Bowl halftime show in the last decade, but this was a good one.

BALDWIN: OK, Rachel, let me start -- let me continue with you because we have to talk about this fur monstrosity that was the Joe Namath coat thing. Two different Twitter handles, I checked today. Is that what got in the way of the coin toss? What was up with that?

NICHOLS: I think look, Joe is 70 years old. So he went to flip the coin before either team called heads or tails, which is a problem because if it hits the ground and it shows whether it's heads or tails, makes it easier to know whether you should pick heads or tails. Jump in and get to the coin before it hit the ground and do it all over again. It gives us more time to endure Joe Namath's coat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's so great.

NICHOLS: You have to remember. This is the kind of coat that hopefully is not the same coat that he was wearing in the late 60s. Maybe it was. It was --

BALDWIN: It was a nod.

NICHOLS: He was wearing in the late 60s when he was famous player. There were a lot of people watching who let's just say weren't around at that time. For them this was a new experience to see Broadway Joe. For the older set it was a nice trip down memory lane.

BALDWIN: OK, Robert, let's talk about the hit ads. We were talking about this Friday. Let's watch two commercials that scored starting with, I love this one, the Radioshack poking fun at itself. Watch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 80s called. They want their store back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: You know, Mary Lou Retton, Chuckie, Elf. I feel like nostalgia really won people over.

ROBERT TUCHMAN, SPORTS MARKETER, GOVIVA: I loved it. That was my favorite commercial of the entire Super Bowl. I mean, any time you get Hulk Hogan, I thought I saw kid in play back there. That was the theme of the Super Bowl, but by far also my favorite commercial.

BALDWIN: But then also you had and this is another warm and fuzzy category. Budweiser with the puppy love ad and I thought it was interesting just watching this year. First of all, I really wasn't wowed by a lot of the ads. Let me just throw that out there, but Peter, I saw less, you know, suggestive, sexy ads and more nostalgic and sweeter ads.

SHANKMAN: Yes, Go Daddy, really took the cake with that where they actually created an ad that focussed on making money as opposed to a sexy one. One of the things no one notice is Danica Patrick was actually wearing a muscle suit in the ad about the spray tan. Another interesting thing is the Twitter and Vine and realtime marketing really took the cake here with those responding to the Vine about Tide gets it out. It turns out they were tweeting with mittens.

BALDWIN: They got all for free. They were talking on national TV. The final question though, to you, Robert, because listen, it wasn't much of a game. Rachel is there. She knows. Let's say post Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars, what if you were one of companies who had their ad in the fourth quarter. Are they out of luck all that money?

TUCHMAN: Absolutely. What I have been told is it's tough. It's $4.5 million.

BALDWIN: For 30 seconds.

TUCHMAN: If the game is not within two touchdowns, people turn it off. This one was far beyond two touchdowns. People turn it off and this one was far beyond two touchdowns and I really do feel bad. A lot of those advertisers spent a lot of money and a lot of people turned it off and started talking to people next to them and unfortunately, you know, that's what comes with a blowout.

NICHOLS: But this is the gamble that you take, right, because if it's a close game like it was last year or the past two previous years, the fourth quarter is where you want to be. Everybody is glued to their TVs.

BALDWIN: Robert Tuchman, Peter Shankman, Rachel Nichols, to the three of you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Coming up, the Olympic games begin Friday and Sochi is not ready. Have you heard? Hotels are not finished. Credit cards, can't use them. We'll take you there and explain. You're watching CNN.

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<14:42:40>

BALDWIN: Let's talk Sochi. Opening ceremony for the Olympics this coming Friday, the slopes are groomed, the athletes are there and the tourists are arriving, but things are not exactly going according to planned. The hotels are unfinished. Still covered in scaffolding and credit card machines that don't work and reports of hoards of stray dogs wandering the streets and even biting kids?

Remember, we have been talking a lot about the so-called black widow bombers. Well, now women who are suspected of being terrorists are apparently being told stay inside. They are held under house arrest. CNN's senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson, is in Sochi for us today and has this report on the hotel construction delays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Russians built all of this. The ski lift and the high speed train and this alpine city within just the last seven years, but now four days before the opening of the winter games, it's clear that some of this massive development up in the mountains will not be ready in time for the Olympics.

(voice-over): The Associated Press reports three out of nine hotels reserved for journalists near the Alpine sports venues are not yet ready. Well, even an international hotel operator admits construction is behind schedule.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it was slightly delayed, scheduled for opening last month. It's actually on a short period and a short test (inaudible).

WATSON: The International Olympic Committee insists everything is OK.

THOMAS BACH, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: There are still some issues to be solved. It's always just before the games. They are with contact with the organizing committee and we hope that the situation will be solved in the next couple of days.

WATSON: Russia and the Olympic Committee are gambling that even if you don't build it in time, the people will come. Ivan Watson, CNN, Sochi, Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Again opening ceremony is Friday. Coming up, what did Chris Christie really know about the bridge scandal? He said nothing, but a former aide suggests that is a lie. Have you seen how the governor of New Jersey is responding? The e-mail to supporters is pretty interesting. We will talk about it next.

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<14:48:37> BALDWIN: Strange days for Chris Christie in case your attention was elsewhere. New Jersey's Republican governor found himself posting that the Super Bowl a former top aide suggested that yes, Christie was aware of those murky lane closures and epic traffic as they occurred last September not later as he still contends.

That's no small point, I'm going to come back to that, but remember you have multiple investigations here and charges of political pay back. But have you seen how Chris Christie responded? It's curious because his office sent supporters an e-mail apparently aimed at crippling this accuser's credibility.

Among other things, he alleges that David Wildstein once was accused of deception by a high school social studies teacher and said he sued someone at age 16 over a school board election and it also alleges that he once published a blog under the pseudo name "Wally Edge."

Gloria Borger, let's talk about this. She is our chief political analyst, and you see this e-mail, got a lot of folks saying and actually says little bit more than Chris Christie and maybe his state of mind than it does about David Wildstein who by the way is the former -- by the way is the former, just remind everyone that former Christie appointee who actually issued the order to close those toll lanes. What do you make of those e-mails?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, Chris Christie is clearly trying to destroy David Wildstein's credibility. That's it. This whole case could come down to sort of a he said, he said situation. Chris Christie is clearly not going to leave anything unsaid, even the high school issues.

As a political matter, you have to wonder at what point does it cross the line, right?

<14:50:15>

And at what point does it make Christie look worse than David Wildstein, OK. But at this point, Christie felt the need to let his supporters know that he was going to fight back and take no prisoners and defend his own reputation against somebody he believes and says has no credibility and had what he called a tumultuous past.

BALDWIN: Yes, and then you have as we mentioned these multiple investigations and bridge gate. You know, they also are looking at Christie's handling of Hurricane Sandy relief funds. Good news for the governor. Unlike last year, we know, he's gotten invite to CPAC, which is a pretty big deal for him, right?

BORGER: Yes, look, it's a very big deal for him on the national stage. You know the old adage my enemy is my friend. It's not as if conservatives have suddenly fallen in love with Chris Christie and they are thinking about him more seriously than they were say, six months ago. But what it does mean is that they believe the mainstream media, the so-called liberal media are attacking Chris Christie.

They like the way that he is fighting back. If they are given a choice between whom to defend, would they rather defend Chris Christie or would they rather defend the media. They are going to open their arms to Chris Christie and say come and speak with us. Again, not an endorsement, but just saying if we have to take sides in this, we're with you.

BALDWIN: We pick him. Gloria Borger, thank you very much. Coming up, nearly 50 pockets of heroin, that is what we are told was found in the apartment where Phillip Seymour Hoffman was found dead. But that's not all, a live report is next, but first one foundation is giving hope to children of families affected by HIV and AIDS. Chris Cuomo with today's "Impact Your World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY" (voice-over): This is the face of hope. Faith was born HIV negative even though her mother has the virus. She is the ultimate example of the goal of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, creating an AIDS-free generation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the research. We have the medication. People have to be educated around the world. You have to get rid of the discrimination associated with getting tested.

CUOMO: Celebrity photographer, Nigel Barker saw the success of the foundation's programs when he visited Tanzania. Even in a nomadic tribe steeped in culture and tradition and reluctant to change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I spoke to the woman who had been trained by the foundation in ways of how to deliver a baby safely. Now if you can reach a group like this, you can treat children anywhere in the world.

CUOMO: The foundation seems to be doing just that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take for example sub-Saharan Africa, 700 babies are being born every day HIV positive. The good news is when I first got started in 2008. I was saying 1,000 babies are being born every day HIV positive. They are realizing a generation free is doable in our own lifetime.

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<14:56:38>

BALDWIN: It's this new reality show about youth football. We are talking Texas here. Things are bigger in Texas and maybe a little bit more intense. CNN interviewed a coach and a parent from Friday night tykes as the show debuted a couple of weeks ago and already real life trouble. Here is CNN's George Howell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Children's football coaches gone too far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have the opportunity today to rip their freaking head off and let them bleed. HOWELL: That's the question at the heart of the controversy surrounding Esquire Networks' new reality TV show, "Friday Night Tykes" featuring five San Antonio football teams with children as young as 8 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care how much pain you are in. You don't quit!

HOWELL: Is it about teaching discipline through tough love or is it crossing the line?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where you earn your play time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That kid comes across. I want you put it in his helmet. I don't care if he don't get up. Let's go.

HOWELL: Two of the coaches now find themselves facing consequences. According to CNN affiliate, KENS, in San Antonio, Charles Chavarria was suspended after cameras caught him telling players to hit the other team in the head.

CHARLES CHAVARRIA, YOUTH FOOTBALL COACH: I have regrets with my actions and behaviors. I do have regrets with the show. I've lost a lot.

HOWELL: Another coach, Marcus Goodlow, was also suspended reportedly for encouraging profanity. He apologized on Twitter, saying, quote, "It's been a learning experience and will definitely make me a better person and mentor moving forward." Still both the CEO of the Texas Youth Football Association and the league parent are defending the program speaking to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

BRIAN MORGAN, TEXAS YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION: I think what are is not being shown is these hits in the show is not being shown what's happening after the fact that the coaches are pulling them to correct their actions to say this is not the proper way to tackle.

LISA CONNELL, SON PLAYS ON JUNIOR BRONCOS: It is an intense activity and our kids are pushing themselves, but it's because they have the potential for that greatness.

HOWELL: But some experts say the aggressive techniques and hard hits put kids at risk of suffering serious injuries.

TERRY O'NEILL, PRACTICE LIKE PROS: It's everything that's wrong with youth football and to some degree it's what's wrong with television.

HOWELL: With more episodes planned to air, the debate continues about whether these young athletes are being pushed to their fullest potential or being pushed past the limit. George Howell, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: You know, there is a lot of places to go in terms of talking about the show. I sat down with Sanjay and I talked to a former NFL player, Coy Wire, just a couple of weeks ago about "Friday Night Tykes." They both saw trouble ahead for the show and this particular youth football league. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COY WIRE, FORMER NFL PLAYER: You know, Brooke, if these coaches and the parents who condone this sort of behavior are not ignorant, they are evil. No question after watching the clips that they are individual who is care more about wins and losses in their own reputation than about the wellbeing of those kids. This needs to stop. This needs to change.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I was so struck by the fact that if they say it's authentic. They are hamming it up for the cameras and this is a reality show. They say this is authentic. He is actually the head of the league. He said this was representative of what's happening there. That was shocking.

BALDWIN: And the kids saying --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And we continue on, top of the hour, I'm Brooke Baldwin.