There are 33 puppies listed in Sunday's lineup, and all of them are rookies. Here are a few to watch for.

 

If you're an Eagles fan looking for a puppy to root for, Scuba is your man. This mutt has probably seen a lot in his young life (to be fair, all the animals are from shelters) and something about his homely face just says "Rocky."

 

The Patriots are making a case to be "America's Team," but "America's Puppy" is clearly spoken for. Bingo, an American Staffordshire/American Pit Bull mix, combines toughness and feistiness with an All-American name and pedigree. He is also the only puppy with a tailor-made cheer.

 

Fans of other pro and college sports teams (Colt, Raven, Bruin) should have an easy time picking a favorite, as should residents of certain regions (Cali, Dixie, Kodiak).

 

Daisy "Daisy, Give Me Your Answer Do", Justin "Time for Supper", and "Hey There" Delilah top the list of puppy names that make us glad that Chris Berman will be nowhere near this game.

 

Keep a close eye on Jack, the lab mix, who we suspect could be using some performance-enhancers. His headshot features a neck that would make Canseco proud.

 

  

When the Puppies Have the Ball    It will be interesting to see how the puppies pick sides, as there don't appear to be any natural rivalries (such as last year's Samoyed siblings). Expect the puppies to fight for every toy, and watch to see who is willing to get their nose wet when their toy falls in the water dish. We always hope for a clean game, but some of the more excitable breeds lack the discipline to control their motions, which means lots of time on the sidelines. As far as we know, Andy Reid is not involved in the game plan, so fans will be happy to see lots of running plays.

When the Kitties Have the Ball   For the third straight year, the Bissell Kitty Halftime Show will give the puppies some time to rest. The previous shows have set the bar pretty high, so we'll have to see if the producers have any new tricks up their sleeves or if they'll just throw in more kitties, bigger pyrotechnics at the grand finale, taller scratching posts, and more shiny things. I would personally love to see a tiger cub or something in the mix this year. Although the show is guaranteed to be adorable, at approximately 45 minutes in length it tests the patience of the die-hard puppy lovers in the audience.

 

 

While the puppies are the stars of the show, we would be remiss not to mention the supporting cast. The number one reason any Philly fan can feel good about the Puppy Bowl is the soothing voice of Harry the K. Though it may not be his dream of calling the Super Bowl, Harry has been on board with the Puppy Bowl since day one, doing double duty as the play-by-play and color man for the game. For casual puppy fans, Harry provides simple yet insightful commentary on the action, only analyzing the most important tackles, fumbles, and penalties. Speaking of penalties, expect another solid game from the referee whose name I don't know. The ref will be charged with wiping up cases of "illegal motions" and assessing penalties to the feistiest players.

 

 

This will be cute, there's no doubt. However we're going out on a limb here for our official prediction: this will be super-cute.