Ok, now that we’ve had a day to recover, it’s time to talk about Sunday’s game. I’m not gonna lie, the neck-and-neck scoring had me on shpilkes. And then when the scores were tied?! Insane. Ultimately it was the showmanship, the dogged determination to get back up and give it all you’ve got, it was that spirit that really moved me. And dare I say, there has never been a finer class of players. In summation, this year’s Puppy Bowl XX was EPIC! What’s that? There was another sporting event on Sunday? Pish posh, no feat of athleticism could outdo the tenacity, the chutzpah of the 131 shelter dogs who vied on two teams, Ruff and Fluff, for the Lombarky Trophy. In the end, Team Ruff pulled ahead with a very cheeky move in the last few seconds — halting just before making a goal in favor of holding onto the ball toy and thus running out the clock. It was a bold move, and it led to victory.
Ruff beat Fluff: It was a ruff match! The winner of the 2024 Puppy Bowl was officially decided on Sunday, when Team Ruff managed to overtake Team Fluff hours before the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. In a very close game, Team Ruff eked out a narrow victory over Team Fluff, with 72 points to 69. This year’s win marks Ruff’s fourth victory over Fluff.
A year of firsts: As previously reported by The Post, the teams consist of 131 dogs from 73 shelters across 36 states — six of the furry friends, for the first time, have special needs. This year’s Puppy Bowl, which marks the contest’s 20th anniversary, also featured a chow chow/American Staffordshire terrier from the US Virgin Islands, a first in the competition’s history.
The show has gone to the dogs: “Puppies are taking over the show’s production by operating the cameras and lighting, directing from the control room, stage managing on the studio floor and even coaching Team Ruff and Team Fluff,” the studio [Warner Brothers] said in a statement.
A ref’s role: Puppy Bowl XX was supervised by referee Dan Schachner, who has overseen the struggle for the Lombarky trophy for the last 13 years. … Schachner ruminated that he had to prepare for everything. “You’re watching untrained puppies on a field with chew toys. So you’re constantly being surprised,” he laughed. “I’ve seen dogs leap a foot and a half in the air, when I didn’t think they could. I’ve had dogs decide to opt out of playing, and just hang out snoozing. I’ve had dogs that decided to jump off the field and into a cameraman’s lap. “I’ve had dogs put their little snouts in my pocket and steal my penalty flag … we’re constantly on our feet,” he continued.
The grass menagerie: Despite the “field” being the size of “a large living room,” the Puppy Bowl still requires a massive 100-person crew, as well as a team of animal wranglers and vets. “It is a tremendous operation,” he said. “We can’t have more than eight to 10 on the field at once. So, subs are coming in all the time. If a dog seems too tired or too rambunctious, we’ll sub them out.”
The Lombarky Trophy wasn’t the only honor pawed out at the game. Team Ruff’s Moosh, a deaf Australian Shepherd mix, won MVP. Meanwhile Team Fluff nabbed the Underdog Award with Harvey the Pug, who spent the game napping on the turf. Celebrity couple of the moment Travis Klawce and Taylor Sniffed were seen watching from the stands, and I’m sure they enjoyed the saucy Vegas-themed Kitty HalfTime Show. Other champs who stole my heart included Papillon mix Mr. Bean, who strutted out with moxie on his two hind legs. They’re the only legs he has, but that doesn’t stop him! And of course I was on alert for the entrance of my early pick Beignet, the Dachshund mix from New Orleans (where else?). Though he made a late appearance, Beignet was featured in a special Pup Close and Personal video, in which we saw a picture of him when he was surrendered to his shelter at 5 oz and had to be bottle fed!! Thank goodness someone local already adopted him, otherwise I was gonna have to scoop him up. And I don’t think My Girl, a Dachshund-Chihuahua mix, would have approved of my bringing him home. Despite My Girl being a rescue herself. How quickly they forget…
e Dogs Rock NYC (@rescuedogsrocknyc)