Between the virtual slime cannons, the SpongeBob goalpost, and cartoony mid-play filters, Sunday’s Chicago Bears versus New Orleans Saints Wild Card game was exactly what you might picture when you hear the words “NFL on Nickelodeon.” Beyond mere silliness, however, the game took the time to approach the (honestly, very complicated) game of football in a way the network’s elementary-aged audience might really enjoy, between the one-and-only Young Sheldon explaining first downs and former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Nate Burleson offering what we have to assume is the most wildly demanded explainer for the kids at home: What, exactly, do you do when you have to go to the bathroom during a play?
“That’s a great, great question,” he laughed during the telecast when asked by fellow analyst and All That reboot star Gabrielle Nevaeh Green. “Now here’s the thing: You can go inside, but then you don’t want to miss anything, right? Or, you can go into one of these little tents. It’s kind of like a Porta-Potty, and it’s sanitary, you know? But, Gabi, you do what you gotta do to get through the game. Sometimes? You just gotta hold it.”
Uh, does the regular CBS broadcast give you gems like this?! Okay, maybe sometimes, but they’re definitely not giving you actual slime on top of everything else. It wouldn’t be a Nickelodeon production without someone’s sneakers getting dyed neon green, and on Sunday, the honor went to Saints coach Sean Payton, after his team took home the win 21 to 9. Check out a few of the game’s other highlights below.
