By Emma Braithwaite, Staff Writer
It’s Super Bowl Sunday and you can’t wait to watch the big game. Last year your team won and you are hoping for a repeat. You settle into the couch in front of the biggest TV in your house and hear the announcer’s booming voice exclaim, “Welcome to Puppy Bowl 17!”
The Puppy Bowl is an event that has occurred on Super Bowl Sunday since 2005. It comes on at 2:30 pm EST so football fans can enjoy both the Puppy Bowl and the Super Bowl. The Animal Planet event features over 70 puppies from shelters and rescue centers all over America.
The puppies are drafted onto either the blue team, Team Fluff, or the orange team, Team Ruff. They are then put into a miniature football stadium so they can “play football” and hopefully win the “Lombarky” trophy.
While the game is a fun aspect to keep people interested, it isn’t the main focus. The Puppy Bowl is all about getting puppies adopted. Animal Planet even helps puppies not playing in the Puppy Bowl get adopted using the website puppybowl.com/adopt. Many people, including freshman Foster Guns, love the Puppy Bowl’s mission.
“I like how in the end all the puppies get adopted,” Guns said. “It’s a cute way to help puppies.”
Despite the name, The Puppy Bowl features more than just puppies. The show features animals such as birds, hedgehogs and, most prominently, kittens. The Kitty Halftime Show is a big part of the game. During halftime, a group of adoptable kittens jumps and dances around to music, usually based on who is performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. In the past, the show has featured “Kitty Gaga,” “Katty Furry” and “JenniPurr Lopez.”
“My favorite part is the Kitten Halftime Show,” English teacher Lauren Deal said. “I love seeing the kittens run and pounce and jump sideways like little kangaroos.”
From the playful puppies to the dancing kittens, the Puppy Bowl has something for everyone. The family friendly event is a great way for football fans and non-football fans to contribute to a great cause.
“The Puppy Bowl is a great way to help adoptable puppies,” sophomore Allie Nigro said. “It’s a fun spin on a national event that everyone loves.”
Sophomore Emma Braithwaite can be reached at 23braithwaiteem06@daretolearn.org.
