The celebration for arguably the biggest sporting event of the year — the Super Bowl — has kicked off in Phoenix and it's surrounded by events that have turned downtown Phoenix into a slow-moving, backed-up zoo.
For the past week, tourists, Phoenix residents and snowbirds have been strolling through "Super Bowl Central" ingesting free pizza, attending free concerts and generally enjoying the "free-of-charge" atmosphere that the capitalist overlords have bestowed upon our southwestern Utopia — as if the free food and temporary allotment of open containers make up for the mess that's being made. There are few things that can save this event from becoming a drunken nightmare rather than the economy-boosting event it was touted as being. The Puppy Bowl is one of them.
A (brief) history of the Bowl
Inspired by yule log Christmas programs, the first Puppy Bowl aired in 2005, offering an alternative for viewers who weren't interested in watching the "big game."
In the past, the event didn't have dogs separated onto teams, but instead focused on the puppies playing with toys and running around. This year, the puppies are separated onto two teams, "Team Ruff" and "Team Fluff."
The dogs selected by Animal Planet to participate are all from shelters and are adoptable following the screening of the event.
The event features a Kitty Half-Time Show, which consists of 30 minutes of kittens climbing a scratching post, chasing laser beams and playing with other toys. Kitty Furry, the feline reincarnation of Katy Perry, will take the stage and perform several of the human pop-stars hit singles.
Goat cheerleaders, who support the puppies during the game, have choreographed a halftime performance. This year, there will also be an aerial display that will showcase hamsters flying a Twizzler biplane.
Hear Katty Furry's ROAR at the #PuppyBowl XI Haltime Show! [Watch] >> http://t.co/mIToW5TTim pic.twitter.com/JJhcWRXLFI
— AnimalPlanet (@AnimalPlanet) January 29, 2015
My Predictions & who will take home the "Lumbarki" trophy:
Although it may seem like there's not much to it, after extensive research of dog breed strengths and weaknesses, here are my predictions for the outcome of Puppy Bowl XI.
The winning team: Team Ruff
Based on breed representation, speed and agility, Team Ruff has the upper hand, er, paw, in this case. Featuring mostly large breed, energetic dogs, this group is paws-atviely going to give Team Fluff the runaround.
Team Ruff MVP: 17-week-old husky-shepherd mix, Boomer. Huskies and shepherds are both known to be fast, rough, playful and energetic. Huskies are born with sled dog instincts; they have incredible stamina and can play for hours. These characteristics makes Boomer an invaluable lineman (linepup?) for Team Ruff.
The losing team: Team Fluff
While they may not be the fastest, strongest or most agile, Team Fluff consists of the cuter, dopier puppies. As most of them are smaller breed dogs, their legs and body lengths are much shorter than those of their counterparts on Team Ruff. They might not score many touchdowns with the ball, but they are the ultimate winners when it comes to cuteness.
Team Fluff MVP: Although he isn't on the starting line up, Papi, a corgi mix, is equally cute and playful. In his promotional video, he is applauded for his determination and speed, something Team Ruff should be on the lookout for.
If you plan to watch:
This pre-recorded, puppy-centric sporting event will be broadcast on Sunday, beginning at 3 p.m. EST on Animal Channel.
Send the opinion editor cute pictures of your dogs at opinion.statepress@gmail.com or follow @mikayrodr on Twitter.
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