Slime cannons in the end zone for the touchdown! Wide right of SpongeBob, no goal! For the first time ever, in a wet and wild Sunday NFL playoff game, CBS Sports and Nickelodeon brought the slime to the field! 

As a 22-year-old athlete and sports fanatic nostalgic for the good ol’ 2000s tv shows, I was captivated by the Bears-Saints NFL broadcast on Nickelodeon. In an effort to attract a younger and more diverse audience, this slime-filled fun captured the essence of creativity and energy in one of the most unique and exciting ways. This kid-focused telecast brought out the kid in all of us. On-field graphics featuring SpongeBob and penalties described by Young Sheldon slid onto our screens during this wild card Sunday game! For an avid football fan, I found myself learning more than I ever knew about my favorite players — apparently, I’m not the only one whose favorite ice cream flavor is ‘the far too simple’ vanilla! As I found myself searching the freezer for my nightly vanilla ice cream and searching the cabinets for some hot fudge or caramel syrup, the real sauce was on the screen. And the cherry on top, Sean Payton being slimed by a bucket of green, gooey Nickelodeon slime! 

Even during commercials, I channeled my younger days in playing online games by logging onto NFLNickPlay.com where I voted for my favorite Nickelodeon Valuable Player (NVP) and interacted in NFL trivia. 

What I love about the digital sports landscape is that it always finds a way to bring the world together. The energy of sport is indescribable and is one that I am proud to be a part of. 

If 2021 brings more surprises, let them be slime-filled buckets of gooey fun!