Oh say can’t you see yourself?

The day of the big game has come. Millions of eyes are upon you. Anticipation pulses through the stadium like an electric current as your moment of glory finally arrives. Should you:

(1) Mangle the words to a beloved song;

(2) Make a politically subversive statement;

(3) “Accidentally” remove an article of clothing, preferably one that exposes a sensitive body part;

(4) Grab your crotch and make an obscene gesture, or;

(5) Any of the above -- so long as you go on television the next day and issue a heartfelt apology.

Not an easy choice, to be sure. But in the world of big-time sports, where the marketing value and the size of the spectacle have become nearly as important as the athletic contest itself, bizarre behavior is no longer unusual. Increasingly, it may even be expected, whether on the part of athletes, coaches, fans or the pregame and halftime show performers.

While CBS executives have spent the past few days apologizing for Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” during her halftime romp with Justin Timberlake, the exposed breast incident at Sunday’s Super Bowl XXXVIII extends a series of recent controversies surrounding odd or provocative behavior at sporting events.

In December, the National Football League leveled a $30,000 fine at New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn for staging a cellphone call in the end zone after scoring a touchdown. Last summer, heavy-metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne was nationally ridiculed when he sang a garbled, barely comprehensible version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, despite reportedly having the song text in front of him.

Like the Oscar awards or the State of the Union address, big-time sports affords a giant media platform. When a miscue occurs, it is magnified and mined for cultural significance. Thus, Roseanne Barr may never live down the 1990 incident in which she spit on the ground and gestured at her crotch after fans at a San Diego Padres game booed her shrill rendition of the national anthem. Christian M. End, an assistant professor in the departments of psychology and business at the University of Missouri, Rolla, who studies sports fans’ behavior, says the Jackson incident may be an example of the “one-upping principle.” As sporting events get bigger and more expensive, with more spectacular entertainment side shows, the pressure increases on performers to make the event “distinct and memorable,” he says.

Sports faux pas, both deliberate and accidental, have always existed. In 1965, Robert Goulet famously flubbed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a boxing match. Jose Feliciano sparked outrage with his impromptu take on the national anthem at the 1968 World Series, launching a tradition of nontraditional interpretations of the song at major sporting events, including Marvin Gaye’s soulful take at the 1983 NBA All-Star game and Whitney Houston’s roof-raising version at the 1991 Super Bowl.

But for controversial incidents it would be hard to top the black-gloved salute that U.S. track stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave as a cri de coeur for justice and equality at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The two men were branded traitors and banned from the games.

And Jackson? Time will tell how Sunday’s incident will affect sales of her new album, “Damita Jo” -- coincidentally due out soon.