It looks like tonight’s Super Bowl halftime show might actually feature a nod to everyone’s favorite underwater pineapple resident. According to various reports, Maroon 5‘s Super Bowl LIII halftime show will feature a nod to SpongeBob Squarepants in the form of a performance of hair metal anthem “Sweet Victory”, which is played by SpongeBob and company in a halftime show-style setting in the popular cartoon.

Calls to incorporate the David Glen Eisley-penned rock anthem into their Super Bowl set began following the death of the show’s creator, Stephen Hillenburg, in November—before the halftime show performers were officially announced. Since then, the petition has picked up a baffling 1.2M signatures, and both Maroon 5 and the NFL have made not-so-subtle hints that the fan-led moonshot may actually come to fruition.

In many ways, the leadup to this year’s Super Bowl LIII has been overshadowed by storylines about its halftime show. Specifically, due to the current cultural climate and a series of moves they made in recent years, the NFL had a tough time finding someone to play the show—a gig that normally attracts some of the biggest names in music.

The league remains locked in a legal battle with Colin Kaepernick, who was effectively blackballed from the league after his peaceful national anthem protests against police brutality toward minorities became global news. In the later months of 2019, the NFL struggled to lock down high-level performers for the Super Bowl’s annual musical interlude, with artists like Rihanna, Cardi B, and more publicly turning down offers to perform in solidarity with Kaepernick.

Eventually, the league locked down Maroon 5 as headliners and brought in Big Boi and Travis Scott as special guests (after pledging large donations to social justice-oriented causes). However, the conflict continues—Last week, Maroon 5 cancelled their customary pre-game Super Bowl halftime show press conference. Just two days ago, Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) called on Maroon 5 to take a knee during their performance as a show of support for Kaepernick and his cause.

While it’s anyone’s guess as to how this politically-fraught halftime show may turn out, it would be a sweet, sweet victory for fans everywhere if SpongeBob actually gets the Super Bowl nod.

SpongeBob Squarepants [David Glen Eisley] – “Sweet Victory”

[Video: Nickelodeon]

[H/T Yahoo Sports]