There's more than one big game happening on Sunday......and while our beloved Detroit Lions might not be playing in the big game, Michigan will still be representing on the big day, and in the cutest way of them all. We're not talking the Super Bowl , we are totally talking the Puppy Bowl.
We'll be rooting for Team Fluff over here, which has two dogs from the Mitten ready to rumble. Trixie, a six-month-old Plott hound from the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society in Harbor Springs will be participating in the 21st annual Puppy Bowl on Sunday alongside her compadre Rory, a snuggly husky/pit bull mix from the Big Lake Humane Society in Muskegon.
The 21st annual game will be shown on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS Network  , truTV , MAX and discovery+  at 2 p.m. on this Sunday, February 9. The puppy pregame show starts at 1 p.m.
If you've never experienced the Puppy Bowl, let's just say there is a lot of hard-hitting, ball-stealing, rolling wrestling, licks, wags, and more. It's a total puppy mess, in the very best way you can imagine. The opposing sides, Team Ruff or Team Fluff face off on an astroturf field, complete with regulations lines, an end zone, and even a referee, to at least keep squabbles down to a minimum. A kitty half-time show is a highlight, but I'll be honest, my favorites are the cheerleaders, which change every year, but have featured everything from hedgehogs to pigs, goats, rabbits and even an armadillo one year.
The whole point of the Puppy Bowl, in addition to being the 'cutest game of the year' is to help promote animal adoptions and rescues from shelters. All the pups participating are available to adopt, including several special needs dogs like Jolene, who competes in a wheelchair. Our friends at the Michigan-based BISSELL Pet Foundation will also be highlighted, as they work hard not just around our state to help our furry friends, but around the country.
If you are here in Michigan, you can attend a family friendly watch party at The Dirty Dog Bar and Grille in Muskegon on Sunday starting at noon. There is a $5 entry for adults that will go back to the Big Lake Humane Society, kids can get in for free. There will be games, raffles, prizes, and a cash bloody mary bar and taco bar. Best of all? From noon to one, Rory the pup will be there signing "pawtographs".
Fun fact I just learned: Plott hounds were originally bred to hunt for bears, so I'm feeling our chances are pretty good on the field with Trixie. Plus, Rory's from Muskegon, enough said.
Best of luck to both of our Pure Michigan pups on Sunday.