Love dogs and NFL players? You’re in luck! NFL Dog Plays of the Year is a brand new show that combines gridiron greats with American Kennel Club dog sports athletes. Kicking off the Pro Bowl Games weekend, the show will feature NFL pro athletes breaking down some of the most adorable plays of the year from AKC on ESPN canine sports shows. The show premieres on February 2, 2024 at 9:30PM Eastern, only on ESPN.
Past and present favorite NFL athletes with be interviewed by hosts Carolyn Manno and Jesse Palmer, former professional football player and contestant on The Bachelor. Featured NFL athletes include Cris Carter, Tony Richardson, Santana Moss, and Durham Smythe. Dogs play a big part in the lives of pro athletes, and the two sports might just be more similar than you think.
What Is NFL Dog Plays of the Year?
Football fans know the intricacies of football and their favorite teams in large part due to the National Football League, which has an estimated 184 million football fans. This show combines dog sports with football, so there’s something for dog people and football fans to enjoy!
Palmer and Manno will discuss the action of dog sports through the AKC on ESPN Dog Sports series, showing how dog sports can relate to athletes at their level. They’ll be introduced to sports like Agility, Diving Dogs, and Fastest Dogs (Fast CAT). These are some of the most physically challenging dog sports, often for handlers as well.
The show will feature AKC on ESPN Dog Sports highlights from 2023 for players to comment on, highlighting, and you never know what these NFL greats will have to say about dogs on the field.
Big names in this show aren’t just limited to NFL players. National Agility Champion Jennifer Crank and her Border Collie “Bee” will demonstrate for the NFL stars how dog agility works. She’ll even be giving Moss a tutorial, spotlighting similarities between the two sports. Crank has won titles across all kinds of agility competitions, and holds the record for the most U.S. medals at the FCI World Agility Championship.
How to Watch NFL Dog Plays of the Year
You can catch the NFL Dog Plays of the Year on ESPN on February 2 at 9:30pm Eastern. You can tune in to the ESPN channel on live TV through your cable provider, or watch via the livestream link. You can also tune in on the ESPN app to watch the program live.
We know that training like a pro isn’t easy, and it takes real talent to get to the level of NFL players and dog handlers like Crank. But getting started in dog sports is easier than you might think, and there’s something for everyone! Even if sprinting to the endzone for a touchdown isn’t on your bingo card, you can score major points with your dog by getting involved in AKC sports in your local area.