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Last Sunday, February 5th, millions crowded around their TVs to watch one of the most highly anticipated televised events of 2006. The three hour spectacle promised hard-hitting action, and it delivered. The halftime show was an exercise in brilliance: tightly choreographed and packed with dazzling displays of ability and daring. Yes indeed, Animal Planet crafted another masterpiece with Puppy Bowl II.

Broadcasted before, during, and after that “other bowl” on Sunday, Puppy Bowl II was the animal-lover’s extravaganza, featuring upwards of two dozen puppies playing on a miniature football field. Tons of puppy toys littered the field: stuffed animals, squeakers, knotted ropes. Of course, the most exciting thing for the pups was each other. They all varied between two and a half to three months old, and nipped, jumped, rolled, chewed, pawed, humped, sniffed – and occasionally – peed their way through the three hours. (More involved bowel movements warranted a “Puppy Penalty,” in which gameplay was halted and the offending object removed by a referee.) Lest the puppies be tired out through three hours of play, about half of them were always backstage, (which was – you guessed it – a mock locker room) where they had access to food.

On the field, to combat dehydration, lay two bowls of water, one in each end zone. This also gave way to one of the more interesting aspects of Puppy Bowl II – the “Bowl Cam.” The bottoms of the water bowls were plexiglass, with a camera placed underneath. This allowed the viewer to get a firsthand view of the puppies’ wet noses, and their drinking techniques. Some placed a paw inside the bowl, while others were able to get enough grip by leaning over and into the bowl. Captivating.

The only reprieve? The Bissel SpotBot Kitty Halftime Show – a half hour of kittens playing on a cat jungle gym which was lowered into the center of the “stadium.” This was a delight to animal lovers of the feline persuasion, but everyone could appreciate the hilarity of the halftime finale, when confetti was dropped. The kittens were frightened.

By this point, you might be questioning the sanity of the producers of this special, but make no mistake – it was quality programming. At any one point in time, there would be ten or so pups on the field, and the camera would be sure to follow the most action going on, which usually centered around a few choice miscreants. Barry, a three month old miniature poodle, caught a lot of attention, including several slow-motion replays, which were done before each commercial break.

And yes, as befitting any large televised event, there were commercials geared specifically towards the Puppy Bowl. Major sponsor ads were plastered around the playing field, and during commercial breaks, they brought out the ads. Subaru was one such high-profile company, Pedigree was another (and it was what the pooches ate in the locker room). Yet another big sponsor was Brissell, which makes vacuums. Apparently, “Puppy Penalties” are not limited to on-field accidents.

Throughout it all, was cheesy light jazz playing, a crowd roaring, and “camera flashes” from the mini, mock bleachers (judging by which, I’d say that attendance was fairly high this year). There was also an announcer who spoke during specific moments, such as a penalty or replay, or a shot of the locker room. All of this was in contrast to the first Puppy Bowl, which was a bit more spartan in contrast.

Even so, the original Puppy Bowl last year netted over five million viewers. This year is bound to have met, if not topped, that number. Puppy Bowl II was first aired at 3pm, and then re-shown at 6pm, 9pm, and 12am EST. And if you weren’t able to catch it, you can buy the DVD online. Three hours of puppies playing might just be the most innocent and lighthearted fun that many of us have had in awhile. And really – who couldn’t resist?

Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl II website – includes overview, film clips, and the ability to vote for MVP (Most Valuable Puppy).