'Spongebob Squarepants': Squidward Will Allegedly Introduce Super Bowl Halftime Show

Rodger Bumpass, the prolific voice actor who voices Squidward Tentacles on Spongebob Squarepants, [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Rodger Bumpass, the prolific voice actor who voices Squidward Tentacles on Spongebob Squarepants, reportedly said on Facebook he will introduce the Super Bowl LIII halftime performers.

"To all Spongebob fans!!! Tune into the Super Bowl because Squidward gets to introduce the halftime entertainment!!!!" Bumpass reportedly wrote.

Bumpass's Facebook page is private, but a screenshot of the post surfaced elsewhere. CNET reached out to Bumpass for comment, but he did not immediately respond.

In November 2018, Spongebob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg died at age 57, following a battle with ALS. Just days after his death, Spongebob fans started a Change.org petition to get David Glen Eisley's "Sweet Victory" performed as a tribute to Hillenburg. The song was famously used in the episode "Band Geeks," in which Spongebob and his friends performed the song during a football halftime show. The petition has more than 1.19 million signatures.

Maroon 5, who are headlining the halftime show, appeared to hint they heard the calls from fans, including a few seconds of a Spongebob clip in their teaser video. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the venue for the game, also tweeted out a Songebob gif in December.

There are even proposition bets as to whether or not Maroon 5 will play "Sweet Victory." Bovada has the odds of the song getting played at minus-220 and the odds of Maroon 5 disappointing everyone at plus-155.

Bumpass has voiced Squidward since Spongebob Squarepants debuted in 1999 and reprised the role in both 2004's The Spongebob Squarepants Movie and 2015's The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.

"We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS," Nickelodeon said in a statement in November, announcing Hillenberg's death. "He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination."

Maroon 5 will take the stage with rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi at halftime during Super Bowl LIII, where the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams will play for the NFL championship. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo credit: Nickelodeon

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