MIA will personally pay to keep story alive

Just as the world was starting to go 'actually, it was just a quick flip of the bird', there's been an attempt to try and keep the story going by the revelation that MIA might be personally liable:

According to TMZ however, MIA signed a contract with the NFL pledging to compensate the league for any fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

It is claimed that in ensuring MIA signed the agreement, the NFL hopes to dissuade future performers from similar acts in the future.

The NFL apparently signed a similar deal with NBC. The idea being that NBC pay the fine, claim it back from NFL, who then try to get the money back from MIA.

This does all rather presuppose that (a) any of these agreements actually took place and can be upheld and (b) there is any fine anyway.

Still, at least one good thing has come out of it all: Madonna apparently has the hump:

"Madonna wasn't impressed. She prides herself on professionalism. MIA did nothing similar in rehearsals," a source told the publication.

"Nobody knew she was going to pull this stunt. Madonna wanted to put on a world-beating performance. But everyone ended up talking about this girl's middle finger."

I think the medical term for this 'upstageditis'.