Entertainment
Meet the Puppy Bowl Competitors & Let the Cuteness Warm Your Cold, Cold Heart
For fans of things that are adorable, precious, and all-around joy inducing, Animal Planet’s answer to the Super Bowl, The Puppy Bowl , is the greatest sporting event to ever take place. Probably because puppies are the most ingenious animal to have ever evolved. And greater than Justin Bieber's new puppy, that puppy that starred alongside James Wolk, and the Cava-Poo-Chon (whatever the heck that is), is watching puppies doing things that adult humans do. And with that other sporting event approaching, it seems only fair to highlight the annual alternative.
Considering the Puppy Bowl is now in double digits — 2014 will be its tenth year — the stops have all been pulled and the menagerie of cutemania has added a Keyboard Cat, a Lil Bub and even a few penguins to the action. Hold onto your butts (and hearts), fair Internet: because we’ve got a crapton of cute to hand out. So much so that we’ve put it in an easy-to-digest slideshow form, so you can get to know the faces and paws of this year’s competitors.
Images: Keith Barraclough/Animal Planet
"Hey, Aurora: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Retire to curate my Bones Of The World collection, tut tut.”
"Hey, Bach: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“With a prolonged roll-around in the best mud money can buy!”
"Hey, Brody: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“With a sensible dinner for two and a game of Capture The Lazor with my puppy pals!”
"Hey, CiCi: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Get my ears pierced and a new collar.”
"Hey, Danny: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Buy a copy of Anchorman on DVD signed by my spirit person, Brick Tamland!”
"Hey, Ginger: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Clouds?”
"Hey, Laney: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Catch up on Downton Abbey — FINALLY.”
"Hey, Lily: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Treat myself to one of those massage chairs I saw at Barkstone.”
"Hey, Loren: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Finally finish my transition surgeries to go from albino spaniel to ginger daschund. Please respect my life choices.”
"Hey, Mandy: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“…uh, what….? Me?”
"Hey, Pong: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“I’m going to buy a whole bunch of teddy bears — like, a WHOLE bunch! And I’m gonna line ‘em up, uh huh, that’s what I’m going to do. Boop, boop, boop; all in a row. Right? So then I’ll just go to the middle of them and stick my head in and then you’ll never find me! HA-HA!”
"Hey, Shyla: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Ponder the ramifications of our existence.”
"Hey, Suri: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Finance a more permanent eyeliner solution — you should see how much money I spend at Sephora each month!”
"Hey, Ullie: You Might Win the Puppy Bowl, How Will You Celebrate?"
“Jerky.”
Keyboard Cat
Bruno Mars, Schmuno Mars: Keyboard Cat will bring these puppies to their knees with his musical prowess.
Lil Bub
Live from Chicago, Lil Bub is set to be the in-studio correspondent for the evening. (If only they’d brought in Grumpy Cat to make it a real Statler and Waldorf situation!)
Kitty Halftime Show
Whether lying or pre-pouncing, the halftime entertainers are ready to play right MEOW!
It's Captivating, Isn't It?
What is it?! What is it?! Oh my goshhhhhhhhh it’s a bird, it’s a plane it’s a….
...And The Crowd Goes Wild
KITTY TOY!
The Motivators Arrive!
Look, you guys: it’s our formal cheerleaders, the penguins.
Rah-rah!
“This is way better than being chased by polar bears.”
Cheering Penguin Parade
They might not be able to flap their wings with much success, but their enthusiasm makes us take flight!
Flagged for Getting RUFF!
That’s a yellow card (or are those for pee? I can never remember), for sure!
There's Even Tailgating
These hot diggities aren’t afraid of getting grilled…about their Puppy Bowl fantasy drafts!
Three Wags for Pong!
Seems that he’s an early favorite for MVP (Most Valuable Pup).
Passing The Baton
Every year there is a new winner: the pups deal with this gracefully, by passing the fuzzy purple knawing stickthing.
The Tension is High
Which pooch will win this proverbial (and literal) tug-of-war?
Interception!
These puppies aren’t afraid of each other’s barks or bites.
