No Polka?

At half time of Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, the NFL and Disney will unveil “Tapestry of Nations,” a global-diversity play narrated by Edward James Olmos and featuring aerial dancers, puppets, a multigenerational choir, a symphony orchestra, and music by Phil Collins, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton and Christina Aguilera. Too much? Perhaps, though the quality of the Super Bowl’s 10-min. themed extravaganzas may actually be improving. Some historical evidence:

THEME SUPER BOWL IV: Mardi Gras

ENTERTAINMENT Carol Channing and jazz trumpeter Al Hirt

MEMORABLE MOMENT The tractor carrying Channing and Hirt stalls on the 35-yd.-line, while a prop hot-air balloon almost crushes costumed Southern Belles

[THEME] SUPER BOWL XII: Carnival

[ENTERTAINMENT] An army of steel-drum bands

[MEMORABLE MOMENT] Removal of field-size Caribbean map causes 11-min. game delay

[THEME] SUPER BOWL XXIII: Bebop Bamboozled

[ENTERTAINMENT] Magicians and dancers…in 3-D!

[MEMORABLE MOMENT] Bob Costas’ acrid tone of voice when introducing the show: “This is the single proudest moment of my life.”

[THEME] SUPER BOWL XXIV: Salute to New Orleans/Snoopy’s 40th Birthday

[ENTERTAINMENT] Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw, gospel singer Irma Thomas, Peanuts characters

[MEMORABLE MOMENT] The cognitive dissonance brought on by having Charlie Brown and a performance of the song Shall We Gather at the River? on the same stage

[THEME] SUPER BOWL XXIX: Indiana Jones Adventure

[ENTERTAINMENT] Patti LaBelle, Tony Bennett

[MEMORABLE MOMENT] Indiana Jones chases after a lost Super Bowl trophy, while LaBelle, obscured by a giant hat, gamely tries to lip-synch

[THEME] SUPER BOWL XXXIII: Soul, Salsa and Swing

[ENTERTAINMENT] Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

[MEMORABLE MOMENT] After support staff is briefly delinquent in assisting Wonder from his vintage car, the star recovers splendidly and tap-dances with Savion Glover