Recently in Puppy Bowl Category

Please welcome today's guest blogger, the estimable Tia Cupps, my mentor in all things tea, who's been kind enough to weigh in on today's "Puppy Bowl" action from the lair back East, from which she conducts black-tea ops for the federal government (with the help of some kitty pals).

Take it away, Tia!

It's Super Bowl Sunday and that means it's time for "Puppy Bowl VI"!

 

I've settled down to watch with a lovely cup of Constant Comment -- the blogger's favorite tea.

 

Yet another bunch of cute puppies takes the field at Animal Planet Stadium -- I certainly hope this wasn't live since I'm not sure anyone could have gotten to Silver Springs in all this snow. But it's always sunny for the Puppy Bowl.

(HCTV: "Puppy Bowl" is taped in October in beautiful, then-autumnal Silver Springs.)

 

This year, I'm loving the (wagging) tailgaters in the parking lot, complete with barbecue grill with goodies on it and an antique TV with rabbit ears. And speaking of which: bunny cheerleaders this year -- fuzzy and literally laid back. I'm surprised they didn't go after the pom poms.

 

Piloting the Twizzlers' Blimp are scruffy-looking hamsters that look more distracted than the half-time kittens. I must say the addition of rodents has put some real teeth into the game this year. Now they need to add some reptiles in a sports bar watching the game and we'll have all bases covered. Yes, I mean lounge lizards!

 

The puppies are on the field and it's every dog for him- or herself. Why are there no penalties for humping? Note to Animal Planet: 86 the slippery plastic logo since there seem to be a lot of skidding puppies today.

 

This year's batch of commercials is a lot of fun. I thought the Subaru commercial with the dogs trying to park in the parking lot was well done (and so true). A big shout out to Bissell and Pledge -- I can most certainly vouch for the efficacy of the Pro Heat II as well as the Pledge pet hair remover (which would be a perfect addition to my arsenal of cleaning supplies if only it were refillable).

 

But the commercial that made me laugh out loud was the Pedigree one with doggie dentures! Very well done and only slightly creepy.

(HCTV: Any opinions or product endorsements from Tia Cupps do not necessarily reflect the purchasing habits or preferences of HCTV, especially since HCTV does not have furry pets -- but would be grateful if anyone has an extra Num Nums the Zhu Zhu pet hamster lying around. Bonus points for including the hamster ball.)

 

Kitten Half-Time was as adorable as usual and I'm glad they've added moving toys to the "stage." As I was cooing over the kittens Tetley, one of my own charming cats, suddenly appeared and suggested it was dinner time. I convinced her to wait for the next commercial which she did with great reluctance and a lot of petting.

 

The pups seemed to run out of steam in the second half, with several penalties for napping in the end zone, puppy substitutions and a great deal of sloshing about in the water bowls.

 

All in all a satisfying game. I noticed that the puppies were from a variety of shelters, most outside the area. I don't remember seeing a disclaimer about where the puppies go from here.

(HCTV: We hope that all the puppies have been adopted by now. But we do know for sure that Jake and Duncan have new homes.)

 

Ah well! Another "Puppy Bowl: is in the record books and ...

(HCTV: SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!)

... the MVP, Jake the Chihuahua-Pug mix, truly deserved his award for showpuppyship if nothing else. He's one speedy boy!

 

Off to warm up the kettle for another cuppa and try to watch the Super Bowl to see if it can measure up.

Today's cuppa: more French Vanilla coffee from the Tassino

It wouldn't be Super Bowl Sunday if I didn't do a syndicated feature on "Puppy Bowl," and here's this year's (and yes, I will be watching on the phone with my pal and mentor in all things tea, the estimable Tia Cupps, sequestered in her lair somewhere back East, working on black-tea ops for the federal government. Hmmm...maybe we'll liveblog. Whaddya think?) ...

Andrew Schechter has his dream job - donning the striped shirt as referee for the sixth edition of Animal Planet's "Puppy Bowl," airing Sunday, Feb. 7, across from that other big football game.

 

Airing in rotation through the afternoon and evening, the two-hour special features puppies romping on the gridiron at the Animal Planet Stadium in Silver Spring, Md.

 

Of course, Schechter's dream job also involves picking up puppy poo, but he's OK with that.

 

"When the opportunity arose," he says, "I couldn't say no. If you are told you have an opportunity to pretty much work with puppies all day long in the cutest job available, I think anyone would raise their hand and say, 'Hey, it's time to really take advantage of the job.' "

 

Three years ago, says Schechter, he was working at Animal Planet as an associate producer and, in that capacity, was attending a planning meeting for "Puppy Bowl IV." The idea of who should be the referee came up.

 

Recalls Schechter, "I whispered to my boss, Melinda Toporoff, who's the executive producer on the show, and said, 'I want to be the ref. I want to be the ref.'

 

"She knows that I have an acting background. I grew up doing a lot of theater, from when I was little. I still do theater. She brought up the idea, 'Andrew actually would love to be the referee.'

 

"At first the entire room started laughing, because they didn't think I was serious. They said, 'Wait a minute, are you serious? You really want to do this?' I was, like, 'Yes, I want to do this.' That was my first year doing it. Three years later, 'Puppy Bowl VI,' I'm proud to say, I'm still the seasoned ref."

 

Schechter is eager to reveal that there are a few new elements to this year's broadcast, and it involves broadening the concept to other members of the animal kingdom.

 

"For some reason," he says, "if you're not a dog person, and if you're not a cat person, this year, we've upped the ante. Are you ready for this?

 

"For the first time ever, flying high above Animal Planet Stadium, you have the Twizzlers blimp, which is being flown by hamsters.

"And if this wasn't enough for you, on the sidelines this year, cheering on our puppy players, the world famous bunny-rabbit cheerleaders are donning the pompoms."

 

And of course, the Kitty Halftime Show also comes back.

 

"We give the kittens a nice stage to play on," Schechter says. "We give them a little burlesque music. It's always surprising when you see how much action they show on the field when it's their time to perform."

 

Last year, Pepper the Parrot performed the national anthem, but for this year's "Star-Spangled Banner," Schechter says, "We just have a nice version of the national anthem, with some beauty shots of all the puppy players. It will bring a tear to your eye again."

 

In past years, the puppy players were a mix of dogs from shelters and purebred pups from breeders. This year, it's all shelter puppies.

 

Asked what the "Puppy Bowl" has against breeders, Schechter says, "Safe breeding is always something we support, but although the 'Puppy Bowl' is cute and fun, and we always have fun, we do try to have a message, which is that shelter dogs need to be adopted.

 

"We really support Petfinder.com, and they help us find a lot of the puppies."

 

While Schechter already knows the identity of the official Most Valuable Puppy, there's also the one that the viewers will choose on the night of the big game.

 

For that, Schechter's money is on a black-and-white French bulldog from Oklahoma with a marking on one side that looks like an upside-down heart.

 

"She's a lover, not a fighter," Schechter says. "That will be a fan favorite."

 

Also in the running is Jake, a Chihuahua-pug cross - or "Chug" - from New Jersey.

 

"This Chug," Schechter says, "has pretty much the most energy of any dog I've ever seen on the Animal Planet Stadium field. He doesn't always have the ball, but the key is running up and down the field.

 

"He was giving our cameramen whiplash, to be honest with you."

 

While Schechter says that "Puppy Bowl" should remain special and not be spun off into other sports, he does warm to the idea of a Wiener Dog Derby to counterprogram the Kentucky Derby horse race.

 

"I like that," he says. "Little dachshund derby? Well, hey, if it's promoting adoption, you might be on to something there."

 

But it might have to be done as interstitials, since one wouldn't want to tire out those little legs.

 

"A wiener dog can only go so far," Schechter says.

UPDATE: Click here for a slideshow of the puppy-player lineup.