SpongeBob SquarePants fans were left disappointed Sunday after the Super Bowl LIII halftime show used just seconds of footage from the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon to introduce ‘Sicko Mode’ performer Travis Scott.
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SPONGEBOB OPENED UP SICKO MODE! 😱 (via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/NlGLh7kwrx
— ESPN (@espn) February 4, 2019
“If I don’t hear Sweet Victory by Spongebob like they’ve promised for weeks, I’m officially done with the NFL,” tweeted @Boom_Shockalaka.
“All that Spongebob hype for the halftime show and we got two seconds — the lamest two seconds — of Sweet Victory,” wrote another.
Halftime headliners Maroon 5 partially fulfilled fans’ call for a tribute to SpongeBob series creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died in November at the age of 57 following complications from ALS.
A viral petition, launched in November by fan Israel Colunga, earned signatures from more than 1.1 million fans hoping to see iconic song “Sweet Victory” performed during the Super Bowl‘s halftime show as a means of paying respect to Hillenburg’s legacy and his “contributions to a generation of children.”
The fan-favorite “Sweet Victory” hails from 2001 Season 2 episode “Band Geeks,” which sees SpongeBob and friends perform a crowd-pleasing showstopper during Bikini Bottom’s Bubble Bowl.
Nickelodeon’s official YouTube page later made the entire “Sweet Victory” sequence available in high definition, earning an extra five million views in two months.
The children’s network remembered Hillenburg as “a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon” in a statement published in November.
“Our hearts go out to his entire family. Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”
Slide 1
Spongebob went sicko mode for like 4 seconds
— Uchiha (@Aleckay7) February 4, 2019
yo #SuperBowl why did my boy spongebob appear for only like 10 secs wtf
— CIARA BRAVO (@faustnx) February 4, 2019
I’m sorry, this halftime performance is all over the place. What was with that disappointing spongebob grab for attention? Either commit or just play your music ?
— RD Pires (@rd_pires) February 4, 2019
Wish that spongebob cameo was longer #sweetvictory
— Alex Nordstrom (@Norrdy) February 4, 2019
You promised these people Sweet Victory, but all I saw was…Cheapy the Cheapskate #SuperBowl #SpongeBob pic.twitter.com/RpJsU9FSZ2
— Yes (@SpacyCore) February 4, 2019
Slide 2
Yea this #PepsiHalftime show is horrible don’t say we will get SpongeBob sweet victory and have him introduce someone else
— DouglieDoWrong (@DouglieDoWrong) February 4, 2019
Disrespectful to Spongebob Squarepants play the real song not a remix.
— Brandon Emsweller (@BEmsweller) February 4, 2019
Also that Spongebob moment was such a fucking tease
— sober sally (@lonely_girl_15) February 4, 2019
No bloody “sweet victory” ? #SuperBowl #HalfTimeShow #SpongeBob pic.twitter.com/jGxTaUGO6s
— Juanelo (@AeroJuanelo12) February 4, 2019
Slide 3
Spongebob was better than this ?
— Mrs. Introvert (@_CurlyNappyFro) February 4, 2019
Wasn’t long enough. Needed more SpongeBob
— Brandon Burdick (@BBurdick27) February 4, 2019
WE GOT SPONGEBOB ON THE HALFTIME SHOW pic.twitter.com/v2nDOPjrrg
— Paul ❄️ (@_BetaPaul) February 4, 2019
Wow…thanks for the clickbait #PepsiHalftime. #spongebob deserved better. pic.twitter.com/TKs4L5aK1U
— NervousLaughter (@NervousLaughte2) February 4, 2019
Slide 4
Wait was that it?#SpongeBob #SuperBowl2019
— Orlando Paredes Hamsho (@orliph) February 4, 2019
SpongeBob was the best part
— Kevin Gallagher (@breadmank68) February 4, 2019
All that Spongebob hype for the halftime show and we got two seconds – the lamest two seconds -of Sweet Victory
— Tony Fortier-Bensen (@TurdFerguson5) February 4, 2019
Absolute disrespect to Spongebob. #SuperBowl53
— Snapchat Filter (@PrestonLingle) February 4, 2019
When they bait and switch us at the halftime show. #spongebob pic.twitter.com/yhUVbFurOr
— Jim (@JimFromBoston) February 4, 2019
Slide 5
#SuperBowl we NEED more Spongebob
— Lewis (@LJSimpson_) February 4, 2019
THEY REALLY BROUGHT THE WHOLE SPONGEBOB THING OUT WITH TRAVIS SCOTT NO WAY
— h a r t (@hartleywaldrop) February 4, 2019
As a hardcore spongebob fan i will riot pic.twitter.com/yLzv1JTqc5
— daphne (@reinharrdt) February 4, 2019
The #SpongeBob fanbase right now. pic.twitter.com/mKq73VsUhe
— Discount Vincent Price (@HanBrolo77) February 4, 2019
Slide 6
If that’s all the SpongeBob we get…
— Eric Davis (@epdavis) February 4, 2019
I can’t believe they actually showed spongebob #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/ethBxwAj1u
— Ky ? (@killumky) February 4, 2019
Mood #SpongeBob pic.twitter.com/e3JEl93sQX
— Jon Schein (@sunschein2131) February 4, 2019
Slide 7
I was hyped asf one second to see spongebob and travis scott was summoned wtf?
— adreena (@_ajoxo) February 4, 2019
If I don’t hear Sweet Victory by Spongebob like they’ve promised for weeks, I’m officially done with the NFL. #SuperBowl53
— MM (@Boom_Shockalaka) February 4, 2019
Can we go back to spongebob?? He should have had the whole half time .. ??
— Malls™ (@malls_j16) February 4, 2019
ThE sPoNgEbOb TrIbUtE wAs GrEaT…
— Garron Deason (@TheGDeezy) February 4, 2019
WHERE WAS SWEET VICTORY! #SuperBowl2019 #SpongeBob pic.twitter.com/p2gRKlTEci
Slide 8
This shit is trash I want sponge bob back
— Ču$$ingFan??? (@JulienTorres8) February 4, 2019
The fact that they mixed spongebob and sicko mode…. no
— becca? (@Beccaaaa90) February 4, 2019
Mfs put SpongeBob on the screen and aint play it
— ??? (@3high_3flyy) February 4, 2019
me when i thought sweet victory was going to be preformed but then seeing sicko mode instead#SuperBowl #SpongeBob pic.twitter.com/GwJAtv4uVY
— SpongeBob deserves better (@jooellllllllll) February 4, 2019
Slide 9
That was painful. We needed all of spongebob #SuperBowl
— Vanessa (@_vanessaav_) February 4, 2019
yall did spongebob dirty should have given the people what they wanted
— sad blues fan (@libbylovescards) February 4, 2019
All that Spongebob hype for the halftime show and we got two seconds – the lamest two seconds -of Sweet Victory
— Tony Fortier-Bensen (@TurdFerguson5) February 4, 2019
me watching the halftime show #spongebob #halftimeshow pic.twitter.com/kcuDVVjdMz
— holly™️ (@hollytm_) February 4, 2019
Slide 10
WHERE TF WAS SPONGEBOB @NFL @maroon5 IM SO DISAPPOINTED #HalftimeShow
— Samantha ? (@sammxobabey) February 4, 2019
Nvm not enough spongebob
— H dub (@WaiteHayden) February 4, 2019
they did Spongebob so dirty #HalftimeShow
— Isaac (@Raaamrod) February 4, 2019
I turned up the volume on my TV when they teased Spongebob’s “Sweet Victory” and got so disappointed that there was no payoff that I decided I HATE this halftime show. There’s no saving it. As if Adam Levine saying “rock is dead” wasn’t enough a reason for me to hate it…
— Ray Schumacher (@Ray_Schumacher) February 4, 2019
The only thing that was even listenable in that halftime show was the five seconds of spongebob.
— El Niño (@WesTinghouse14) February 4, 2019
