The NFL said Monday that its officials were aware that Eminem would take a knee during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show on Sunday. The 49-year-old rapper performed alongside Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige. Toward the end of his track “Lose Yourself” at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Eminem took a knee apparently in reference to NFL players kneeling during the playing of the U.S. national anthem, which drew considerable condemnation and created a public relations nightmare for the NFL. In a statement to ESPN and other outlets, the NFL denied reports that it tried to prevent Eminem from making the gesture. “We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. Several reports, which cited anonymous sources, claimed the NFL didn’t want Eminem to kneel during the …