On Sunday evening, the Los Angeles Rams will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. But the real action starts at 2 p.m., when an adorable, hearing impaired dog whose stage name is “Pongo” takes to the field in Puppy Bowl XVIII.
Named for the male protagonist in Disney’s 1961 classic “101 Dalmatians,” Pongo (whose real name is Finn) will compete on Team Ruff, which is being coached by lifestyle superstar Martha Stewart.
Viewers can tune in to the annual Animal Planet favorite for three hours of precious puppy play (and the occasional pup nap). The fur babies will trot and play on the mini football field in Geico Puppy Bowl Stadium, all for the glory of taking home the “Lombarky” trophy. Through the magic of videotape, famous rapper Snoop Dogg, who is coaching the opposing Team Fluff, will join Stewart as the “Puppy Bowl” co-host before he heads to Inglewood, California, to perform in the Super Bowl’s halftime show. Busy day for him.
At this point, you may be wondering why UVA Today is writing about the Puppy Bowl, and it’s a decent question. The simple answer is that Finn/Pongo was adopted by Frankie Szynskie, the event coordinator at the University of Virginia’s Morven Farm property, where he has quickly become a friendly presence.