On a Sunday rich in the ritualistic tradition of sport, it is the Puppy Bowl that reminds us all of the American ideal accounted for on a day-to-day basis: appearance. So it is no surprise that the undeniable joy pouring from a room full of puppies playing has slowly been softening more and more hearts of even the most tenacious football fans.
The Puppy Bowl first aired four years ago and consists of a group of puppies playing on a small-scale football field, which naturally has toys, treats and water bowls dispersed across the gridiron. The number of viewers for this annual rival to the Super Bowl has steadily increased, but to rival the biggest sporting event of the year the Puppy Bowl is going to need more than just a dozen of the cutest puppies this side of Michael Vick's house. Which is why the smart folks at Animal Planet adopted certain measures to ensure that they could capitalize on any weaknesses of the Super Bowl broadcast.
First, from the very inception of this event, it has had commentary from legendary voice-over specialist Harry Kalas (NFL Films). Somehow Kalas purveys excitement over puppies playing for hours but football commentators often struggle to avoid meaningless tidbits of information (like explaining to a nation of football fans why Ben Roethlisberger actually didn't want to throw an interception).
But Kalas' strength covers up a possible attack on the Puppy Bowl: It is literally hours of nothing more than puppies playing in a large room. Anyone who makes this claim has forgotten that puppies playing on a fake football field is never a bad thing, ever. It is the most innocent form of entertainment possible, providing a rare example of irreproachable programming on TV these days.
These dogs are also chosen from shelters and placed in caring homes as a result of this face time, which adds moral value to an already wholesome alternative. Add the halftime entertainment (the Bissell Kitty Halftime Show), the pre-game national anthem (sung by Pepper the parrot) and the lack of stoppages in the action (unless a water bowl needs refilling or bullying breaks out), and the Puppy Bowl has turned puppy playtime into a bona fide source of entertainment.
But if pets aren't your thing, the Super Bowl can be useful; for example, it is the first decent excuse to forget those annual New Year's resolutions of eating healthier and not drinking as much. But if you want the best of both worlds, next Super Bowl Sunday remember to pick up a case of beer, grab your favorite game-time snacks and read up on your starting line-ups for what will surely be the sporting event of the year: Puppy Bowl VI.
