The epic Ravens-Browns clash on "Monday Night Football" had some major implications for both teams in the playoff race, as Baltimore (8-5) took a key game away from Cleveland (9-4) and proved that they're still a team to beat in the AFC. If the season ended today, according to NFL.com's playoff picture, the Ravens would be on the outside as the No. 8 seed in the AFC, tied with at 8-5 with the final playoff team, the Miami Dolphins. It's going to be an intense race down the stretch, with the Bills, Dolphins, Browns, Ravens, Raiders, Titans, Colts and even Patriots battling for playoff seeding, while the Chiefs and Steelers have clinched a spot.
Another motivating factor for the teams listed above to claim one of the three AFC Wild Card spots? They could be playing in a uniquely broadcasted game on January 10. We knew that a Wild Card game would be simulcasted on Nickelodeon, but now we know that it will be an AFC Wild Card game, and we also know some of the amazing details about what we will experience.
Noah Eagle, the son of acclaimed broadcast Ian Eagle and Los Angeles Clippers radio voice, will be on the play-by-play call alongside former wide receiver Nate Burleson and Nickelodeon personality Gabrielle Nevaeh Green. Another Nick star, Lex Lumpkin, will act as a reporter during the game. But the special features are what have me most intrigued.
The special on-field graphics (slime, googly eyes, live animations) and frequent references to Spongebob Squarepants are apparent in the trailer released by CBS on Tuesday morning.
How much time will I actually spend watching the game in this fashion? Maybe a few minutes. But it's intriguing nonetheless. What I'm more interested to see will be a nostalgic pregame show where I'll be able to live through some of my fondest childhood memories of Spongebob, hosted by eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller. The full details from the CBS press release are below:
Nickelodeon’s coverage begins with “The SpongeBob SportsPants Countdown Special,” a sports-themed compilation special at 4 p.m. (ET) hosted by the Denver Broncos’ Von Miller, highlighting SpongeBob’s best sports moments and featuring pre-kickoff appearances by CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, as well as Eagle, Burleson and Green.
SpongeBob's best sports moments? There's a lot to consider. The epic snowball fight between Squidward and the tandem of SpongeBob and Patrick? The Fry Cook Games? And the most obvious one of all:
It'll keep the kids entertained. It'll bring back countless memories for the millennials and Gen Zs (like myself). And it will most definitely and rightfully be completely ignored by the diehard fans whose teams are taking part in the contest. But, hey, there hasn't been much jovial and carefree content throughout 2020, and this should be a nice way to introduce us to 2021 and a (hopefully) brighter future.
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