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🏈 Sunday's (other) Big Game you need to watch!

Spoiler alert: it's played on all fours.

Author

Chris Equale
February 06, 2025

The “Greatest Show on Turf” returns this Sunday!

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles might be gearing up for a Super Bowl rematch, but another competition is happening on a much fluffier field.

On Sunday, February 9, Puppy Bowl XXI kicks off with 142 rescue pups from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries. Team Ruff and Team Fluff will compete for the coveted "Lombarky" Trophy in what Warner Bros. calls the "cutest competition of the year."

For those new to the Puppy Bowl, here's the play-by-play: adorable rescue dogs hit the gridiron to score "touchdowns" by carrying toys to the end zone. Referee Dan Schachner is back to keep things fair, while sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks deliver their signature "paw-by-paw" commentary.

Halftime? It's all kittens, with the famous Kitty Halftime Show.

While past Puppy Bowl lineups have brought the cute factor, this year's roster is making history. According to a statement from Warner Bros. on Friday, January 10, "Julep, the first-ever St. Bernard-mix, and Smoosh, the only Pekingese to compete in the games, will head up Team Fluff while Mr. Pickles, a Pug-Chihuahua from Dallas, and Tuani, a Chihuahua-German shepherd who traveled all the way from Nicaragua, will look to bring Team Ruff to victory."

The entertainment company also shared that "eleven inspiring special needs dogs, including Jolene, an American Pit bull terrier-mix competing in a wheelchair, and Sprinkle, a blind and hearing-impaired Australian shepherd-mix, will take the field, giving it their all and not letting their disabilities slow them down."

Although the Puppy Bowl is still a couple of weeks away, fans are already sharing their excitement on X (formerly Twitter).

"Omg puppy bowl XXI looks pawsitively adorable!!! 🐾🐶 can't wait to see all those good boys & girls from shelters across us & canada show off their athletic prowess 😍🏈," one person wrote.

"They should let one human play in the puppy bowl and that human should be me," another joked.

"F*** the Super Bowl this year. Let's all watch the Puppy Bowl instead and send a message to @NFL that their product is garbage. You can't have refs constantly blowing calls in favor of one team," another shared.

"Wouldn't it be funny if the puppy bowl has better ratings than the Super Bowl? I'm only tuning in for half time tbh," someone else added.

The backlash comes from the Kansas City Chiefs' 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 26, with many calling the game "rigged" because of questionable referee calls. Key moments like Bills quarterback Josh Allen's disputed fourth-down attempt and Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy's controversial catch had fans accusing the NFL of favoring the Chiefs. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy joined the outrage, vowing to boycott the Super Bowl after losing a $1 million bet, which he blamed on the officiating.

Whether you're a sports fan or just here for the fluff, tune in to Animal Planet on Sunday, February 9, to catch Puppy Bowl XXI.

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