ATLANTA — Are you ready kids? It seems like everyone's favorite cartoon character who lives in a pineapple under the sea will be popping up on land for Super Bowl 53.
Since the passing of SpongeBob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg in November 2018, fans have been urging Maroon 5 to perform the song "Sweet Victory" during this year's Super Bowl halftime show.
SpongeBob and his cast of friends performed that song during the show's "Bubble Bowl" episode. More than 1.1 million people even signed an online petition asking for the song to be played as a tribute to Hillenburg's legacy.
Chattanooga reporters Angela Moryan and Jamal Williams were outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week and spotted a glimpse of SpongeBob on the stadium screens during one of Maroon 5's halftime show rehearsals.
There's been a few other hints over the past few months that it could be happening. Maroon 5 even included a brief shot of SpongeBob in a video teasing their big performance (check the 32 second mark).
While the band has yet to give a definitive answer on the topic, don't be surprised if you see SpongeBob's smiling face in the Super Bowl spotlight.