Mercedes Benz Stadium hints at 'Sweet Victory' for Spongebob fans during Super Bowl 53

ATLANTA -- Fans of "Spongebob Squarepants" suffered a tragic loss on Nov. 27 when it was announced the show's creator, Stephen Hillenburg, passed away at age 57. There is some good news, though -- Hillenburg's legacy may be honored at the upcoming Super Bowl, thanks to the effort of passionate fans.

Shortly after Hillenburg passed, Spongebob fans started an online petition requesting that "Sweet Victory," a famous song from the legendary cartoon, be played during Super Bowl 53's half-time show at the Mercedez Benz Stadium. The petition went viral, of course, gaining nearly one million signatures in a matter of weeks.

On Dec. 12, the official Mercedes Benz Stadium Twitter account posted a "Spongebob Squarepants" GIF, obviously referencing the "Sweet Victory" episode. The GIF was posted without caption or context -- perhaps implying the petition's dream could potentially become a reality this February. It's clear that stadium officials have gotten wind of the viral request to honor Hillenburg. As of Sunday, Dec. 16, the tweet has nearly 30,000 retweets and 86,000 likes.