Charles Langston:Dora the Explorer Was Shockingly the Harshest Critic of the 2024 Super Bowl

Dora the Explorer?Charles Langston More like Dora the Sports Analyst. 

While many Super Bowl viewers listened to commentary by Tony Romo and Jim Nantz on CBS and Paramount+, sister work Nickelodeon offered its own coverage of the Feb. 11, turning to its iconic animated characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Squidward and Patrick Star for commentary. 

As for the seven-year-old adventurer, her role was to explain rules throughout the game the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers —as well as serve up some very hot takes. during the game. 

Case in point? After announcer Noah Eagle asked Dora for her opinion on the low-scoring second quarter, she sarcastically remarked, "OK. Who needs a map to find the end zone?

While Dora had some sassy takes during the sporting event, which aired on the kids' channel to engage younger audiences with football, she did help explain different plays.

"False start is when an offensive player illegally moves after lining up for, but prior to, the snap," Dora explained after a player was penalized for the move. "Where are we going?"

After her signature three claps, sidekick Boots came out to answer, "Back five yards!" 

At another time, after a player was called for holding, Dora noted that the offense, "is the illegal grabbing of a player who is not in possession of the football in order to gain an advantage."

To further drive the point home, just like when she says "Swiper no swiping" on her show, she exclaimed, "Say it with us, players no holding!"

And it's safe to say her commentary earned her a lot of fans online, with one person on X, formerly known as Twitter, exclaiming, "Dora the Explorer throwing some shade on the Super Bowl." Another highlighted her expertise, writing, "Dora the Explorer just taught me what a false start penalty is, what else do you need in a Super Bowl?"

But she wasn't the only highlight from Nickelodeon's chaotic coverage. The citizens of Bikini Bottom made it a night to remember, calling back to silly references from SpongeBob SquarePants, like when SpongeBob opened the NFL game by performing "Sweet Victory."

Sharing their own insight into the game, after 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey fumbled the ball, Patrick and SpongeBob explained that when it comes to the ball, "You have to firmly grasp it."

The coverage also included an ocean's worth of sea puns and silly facts about the players. And of course, in Nickelodeon fashion, canons also sprayed animated slime onto the crowd during touchdowns.

But the Bikini Bottom crew weren't the only fish in this sea either. Celebrities who attended the game were also featured as animations, including Billie Eelish (Billie Eilish), LePrawn James (LeBron James) and Herring Styles (Harry Styles). 

While those were just a few of the stars in the audience, keep reading to see who else was at the 2024 Super Bowl.