The petition was also covered by Daily Dot.
Vice wondered if Maroon 5, the scheduled performer of the Halftime Show, would slip "Sweet Victory" into the traditional medley Super Bowl performers usually perform. The petition quickly grew very popular, gaining over 770,000 signatures in less than a week. As a tribute to his legacy, his contributions to a generation of children, and to truly showcase the greatness of this song, we call for Sweet Victory to be performed at the Halftime Show. Stephen Hillenburg-the creator of Spongebob Sqaurepants-has passed away recently. 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."Ĭolunga posted the petition in honor of Stephen Hillenburg, writing: Steve imbued ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. "We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS. Meanwhile, Nickelodeon released a statement giving their condolences to Hillenburg's family, while praising the "unique sense of humor and innocence" he brought to Spongebob Squarepants: The following day, the official account posted a tweet in Hillenburg's memory (shown below). On November 26th, Hillenburg died at the age of 57 due to complications from the progressive neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The announcement led to an outpouring of support on Twitter from fans of the series. Hillenburg, 55, promised that he would continue working on Spongebob. On March 14th, 2017, creator Stephen Hillenberg released a statement that he had been diagnosed with ALS, colloquially known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.