The Mycenaean

On January 12th, 122 puppies took part in the Puppy Bowl XVI. Puppies across the nation went paw to paw in a competition to win the “Lombarky” trophy. (photo courtesy of CBS News)

Puppy Bowl XIX aired on Animal Planet, featuring 122 puppies from 67 shelters across the country. 

This year’s puppy bowl was the first game to highlight a Native American animal rescue organization and puppies from Dominica in the West Indies. 

All the participating puppies are adoptable, as they have been since 2005, when the TV event first premiered. Every year the show airs, the show has a 100% adoption rate. The outlook looks the same for this year. 

The game mimics the Super Bowl, hence the name. The puppies are divided into two teams: Team Fluff and Team Ruff. To score points, a puppy has to transport a toy to one of the end zones, scoring a touchdown. The zone they bring it to does not matter — the team earns a point regardless. The game also incorporates amusing penalties with furry twists on them. 

Another element they integrated from the Super Bowl is a halftime show. The 2023 halftime show starred kittens. An array of kittens performed and played to the song “Fe-line Funkadelic,” even featuring a cat in a ufo. The half-time show offered a short break from the tense game. 

Team Fluff scored a dramatic win, with the final score of 87-83. This match went down in history, featuring its first double touchdown and overtime. Team Ruff scored a double touchdown in the closing seconds of the game, carrying the game into overtime, where Team Fluff stole the win. 

Jonah Kessler, senior, had a Puppy Bowl watch party with his family.

“We were rooting for Team Fluff,” he said.

While monumental, Kessler felt that the double touchdown was a poor call. 

“It was an arbitrary win, but it was for my team, so I’m happy.” 

The MVP has yet to be announced, but Kessler has one in mind: A Pomerainian named pickles. Pickles, playing for Team Fluff, scored the first two touchdowns of the game. 

“Pickles is my favorite because he put Team Fluff in the lead. He is also funny looking,” said Kessler. 

Puppy Bowl XIX went down in history. Team Fluff secured their second win in a row, taking home the “Lombarky trophy.”