Daniel Bryan’s infectious “Yes!” chant, part and parcel of The Beard’s larger #YESMovement, has already spread through the WWE Universe like wildfire, and now it’s sweeping the sports world just the same. A newly published article in USA Today — titled “Is WWE’s Daniel Bryan inspiring mainstream sports? Yes!” — examines the phenomenon and its influence on mainstream sports in-depth.

In recent weeks, “Yes!” chants have been observed everywhere from a Michigan State basketball game (where Travis Jackson, a junior center on the school’s football team, led the charge) to hoop games at the high school level, according to the story. The movement has also left its mark in the professional ranks: On the night the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the team’s Twitter account responded to a congratulatory tweet from Bryan with a graphic that paid tribute to The Beard’s favorite word.

"People like to do it because it's fun and it's interactive," Bryan, who is competing for the WWE World Heavyweight Title inside the Elimination Chamber this Sunday, told USA Today. "Just the movement itself is part of the fun."

The full USA Today story, which also quotes WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, is available  here.