Have you ever wished Brock Purdy was cuter, fluffier, and weighed 217.5 pounds less? Well friends, you are in luck! Bark Purdy is a chihuahua mix hailing from the Sacramento SPCA Shelter, and this year, all 2.5 pounds of him are making the long journey to New York to compete in the 2024 Puppy Bowl. 

For the past two decades, the Puppy Bowl has been the singular most important sporting event in all of February. Year after year, Team Fluff and Team Ruff duke it out for the coveted “Lombarky” trophy. Pup players use toys littered around the field to score points, with time for frequent penalties like howling, napping, and “unnecessary rrruff-ness.” However, the true heart of the game comes from its admirable goal to raise awareness about adopting and rescuing dogs in need.

After last year’s unexpected “rovertime,” 2024 has big shoes to fill. Not to worry though, this year’s match will be like a game never seen before. After all, what’s better than a puppy, 131 puppies! Traveling from 36 different states and territories, and representing 76 separate shelters, this game will feature the most pooches in Puppy Bowl History. 

Bark Purdy is far from the only standout player this year, however. Puppy Bowl XX is featuring an impressive roster on both teams. Team Ruff’s starting lineup includes heavy hitters like border collie mix Styrker and shepherd mix Guy Fureri. Do not count out team Fluff just yet though! Purdy’s team will be going head to head against shar pei Cronut and hound mix Patrick Mabones. 

This year’s bowl will also be the first game to have our own furry assistant referee. Dan Schachner—male human—has been reffing the fluffy football parody for over 10 years. Never before has he had a dog of his own. Enter Whistle! This lovable poodle mix has a heartbreaking puppy mill past, but she has now found a spot in the Schachner household. While Whistle unfortunately cannot play on the field due to her displaced kneecaps, she has already won over the hearts of her new family, and is sure to do the same with Puppy Bowl fans. 

So this Sunday, forget whatever irrelevant sport you were planning on watching. Instead, do not forget to tune into the Discovery Channel for prime viewing of Puppy Bowl XX—cause we all know where the real game is!