Viral Pokemon Lineup Trend Hits Steelers; Kambal Hayma Clip Spreads

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTonight, BBN Investigates. Two trends, one question: why are your friends sending you things you did not ask to see?

2. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorHank, I have covered coups, embassies and one very rude goat. I have never seen a group chat this organized.

3. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorWho started it? Who benefits? And how deep does the Pokemon rabbit hole go?

4. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentBro, I'm the expert analyst tonight. I brought charts. They prove nothing, but they're in color.

5. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorGloria, let's start with the evidence. What do we have?

6. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorExhibit one. Bleacher Report says the Steelers reacted to a viral Pokemon football lineup trend, with a Troy Polamalu highlight video.

7. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo a football team answered a cartoon monster meme. Honestly, that's the most relatable thing a franchise has done all year.

8. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorExhibit two. A Russian-language site, Uznai Moskvu, flagged a trending video titled Sam one versus five, Kambal Hayma.

9. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe headline carries an eighteen-plus warning and asks what the story behind the trend is. It does not answer.

10. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorA warning label. A question. No answer. In my experience, that is how every cover-up begins.

11. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorKenji, walk us through the timeline.

12. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay. Uznai Moskvu posted about the video around three hours ago. Bleacher Report's Steelers piece is older, about four and a half hours.

13. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorSo the football story came first. Then the video. Coincidence, or coordination?

14. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentMy chart says coordination. My chart is also a pie that I drew while eating pie, so low confidence.

15. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorKenji, what does the analysis actually tell us?

16. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThat people click on things. The trend isn't a plot, it's a vibe with a thumbnail.

17. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorI refuse to accept that. Hank, what if the Pokemon lineup is a code, and Polamalu is the key?

18. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorGloria, the video is a highlight reel. Bleacher Report says so. No code was mentioned.

19. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThat is exactly what a code would want us to believe. I'm pulling the thread. Kenji, which Pokemon plays linebacker?

20. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentBro, a big sleepy one. Snorlax at nose tackle, no notes. He just sits on the quarterback.

21. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWe have now spent four minutes of national television assigning monsters to football positions. I'd like that noted.

22. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorNoted. And yet, after all this, the obvious answer stares back at us.

23. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe obvious answer: people like football, people like Pokemon, and the internet put them in the same blender.

24. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorNo conspiracy. No mastermind. Just a trend, a team, and a lot of people awake at one in the morning.

25. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentCase closed. Somebody's still going to send me that video, though, and I'm going to watch it.