Hill: Raiders discovering their inner-child for Slime-time game

Antonio Pierce still isn’t quite sure whether being slimed is a good or bad thing.

The Raiders interim coach was more of a “Tom and Jerry” fan growing up.

“I’m mad at Nickelodeon,” Pierce said Saturday, jokingly. “I wish they were out when I was a kid. (Tom and Jerry) didn’t even talk. It was just about sound effects.”

The Raiders’ Christmas Day game in Kansas City on Monday will be part of an alternate broadcast on the children’s channel.

It will feature enhanced graphics and appearances from Nickelodeon characters, including Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The network has done this a few times before. This game is being used as a trial run for some more ambitious plans for the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium.

Plus, there will be slime. Nickelodeon’s staple is a mix of vanilla pudding, apple sauce, green food coloring and oatmeal.

It has been used in some form on the network’s live-action programming for decades. It’s become almost synonymous with the channel.

Several Raiders players were even doused with the green substance for promos used to advertise Monday’s game.

“When you’re a kid, getting slimed is like the pinnacle of human existence,” punter AJ Cole said. “If you’re so fortunate to be honored with a bucket of slime, that’s how you know you’ve made it. It was great to put that little exclamation point on my career.”

It was also cold. In a way that was difficult for Cole to describe.

“It’s not shockingly freezing,” Cole said. “I don’t know if you’re expecting it to be warm or what, but if you’re not ready, it’s like, ‘Whoa.’ I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like if you leave your house and it’s cold, you adjust as you walk to your car, but right when you first step out, it hits you. That’s what it’s like.”

Offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said there is an immediate shock upon getting slimed.

“As soon as it hits your face, you definitely feel it,” he said.

Eluemunor was excited to be a part of the promotional videos. He even started hearing from his family when they were sent out.

Eluemunor grew up watching Nickelodeon shows like “iCarly” and “Zoey 101” in England, in addition to Raiders’ locker-room favorite “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

He even bonded with center Andre James while listing his favorites because they both were fans of “Drake and Josh.”

It was a reminder of how universal Nickelodeon was for multiple generations of young people around the world. That’s what makes it an ideal platform to spread the NFL to a new audience.

“I think the more you can get young people involved, the better,” Cole said. “If I was 8 years old, I would have absolutely torn this up. I’d have had it recorded and watched it weekly.”

It’s part of what made wide receiver Jakobi Meyers excited when he found out his highlights were featured in one of the commercials. He himself grew up on the channel’s later programming like “The George Lopez Show.”

“I love the kids, so if we can help bring them to the game, I’m all for it,” Meyers said said. “Whatever we can do to push them toward football in the right ways is great.”

Wide receiver DJ Turner was also into the concept. His favorite Nickelodeon shows included “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius” and “The Fairly OddParents.”

“It’s really cool to be a part of this, especially in the beginning stages,” Turner said. “It’s something you can say you kind of say you helped grow if it blows up. And we all watched Nickelodeon as a kid, so that definitely makes it a cool experience.”

Well, maybe not everyone.

There’s still that bit of confusion to clear up for the uninitiated Pierce.

“Hey listen, it’s fun as long as we’re not the ones getting slimed,” Pierce said, before pausing. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

The slime has represented moments of both celebration and humiliation on Nickelodeon. But the virtual slime graphics on the channel’s NFL broadcasts are often reserved for touchdowns.

So, the Raiders will gladly welcome the slime.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.