Video screenshot by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper/CNET

SpongeBob SquarePants fans, was Sunday your best day ever? Or not so much?

As was hinted at multiple times, Maroon 5 used the Super Bowl 53 halftime show to pay tribute to the animated series, whose creator, Stephen Hillenburg, died in November.

But the tribute was short. So short. Shorter than SpongeBob's success in boating school.

Fans had been hoping or maybe even expecting that Maroon 5 would play Sweet Victory, a song SpongeBob performs with a marching band at the Bubble Bowl -- the underwater equivalent of the Super Bowl that appeared in the show's second season. An online petition for the song had also helped build up expectations.

Instead, a brief clip of Squidward, SpongeBob and pals from that performance were shown on the big screen at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz stadium during halftime.

For some fans, that was enough. "Stephen Hillenburg your legacy lives on," wrote one Twitter user.

SWEET VICTORY #SpongeBob #SuperBowl Rest in piece Stephen Hillenburg your legacy lives on. pic.twitter.com/G8UjwH7v3G — Alli (@_allibally_) February 4, 2019

Ok, I'll admit it, this kind of turn things around for me #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/kCVqhI3qm0 — Robert D'Avignon (@bdiddi12) February 4, 2019

But others had hoped for more. "Wtf!! This is all we got for sweet victory?" wrote one.

I wish Spongebob & the band performed the whole set. — Nico Greetham (@Dance10Nico) February 4, 2019

That was the spongebob tribute? pic.twitter.com/OmLaiE4VkY — George ✭ (@gmnsvs) February 4, 2019

there you have it kids the 7 seconds of spongebob #SuperBowl2019 #SundayFunday #Disappointment pic.twitter.com/01gp0fs2Oj — c i a r a (@babyciaraxo) February 4, 2019

Nickelodeon, the network that has aired SpongeBob in the US since 1999, also tweeted about the character's brief cameo on the Nickelodeon Animation account. In another tweet on the subject, Nickelodeon offered a GIF that it tongue-in-cheek claims is the rest of the performance.

GUYS here’s the FULL SpongeBob Super Bowl Halftime Show clip!!

💛💛💛 https://t.co/WECOnsXFKs pic.twitter.com/hE8Vav2Qjl — Nickelodeon Animation (@NickAnimation) February 4, 2019

There were several pregame hints that the tribute would be happening, including a peek at SpongeBob in a video released by the band, and a glimpse spotted by news anchor Jamal N. Williams earlier in the week at a rehearsal.

More than 1.2 million fans had signed a pregame Change.org petition asking the band play to Sweet Victory at halftime.

First published Feb. 3, 2019 at 7:40 p.m. PT.

Update Feb. 4 at 7:52 a.m. PT: Adds Nickelodeon's response.