The Nickelodeon simulcast for the Cowboys-49ers game was another fairly strong success.
Obviously it’s not for everyone, but it’s just kind of fun, you know? And if you have kids who might not normally be into the game, this has proven to be a great way to get them into a random playoff game. (Also Nate Burleson is absolutely incredible.)
It also allows for the sort of absurdist Nickelodeon comedy that works on its own for kids, while also amusing adults. For example: this brief ManningCast parody, which saw SpongeBob and Patrick “chatting” with Deion Sanders in a very familiar graphical setup:
.@DeionSanders has agreed…
He's no longer Prime Time. He's SLIME TIME. 😂 #NickWildCard
📺: #SFvsDAL on @nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/ovG9lV6Ypx
— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2022
Honestly, running SpongeBob and Patrick for Monday Night Football on the weeks the Manning brothers are off isn’t the worst idea in the world. Yes, yes, we know that can’t happen due to various rights deals and agreements, and also because SpongeBob and Patrick aren’t real, live people who can actually have conversations and analyze football.
Although in fairness, that hasn’t stopped Phil Simms!
