The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is pleased to announce our newest made-for-television special, “NFL Dog Plays of the Year,” which will air on ESPN on February 2nd at 9:30 PM ET as part of Pro Bowl weekend (check your local listings).
This show highlights NFL players and their admiration for canine competitors who demonstrate incredible athletic feats.
Hosts Jesse Palmer (ABC’s ‘The Bachelor and ESPN college football analyst) and award-winning reporter Carolyn Manno interview NFL players from the past and present, including Cris Carter, Tony Richardson, Santana Moss, and Durham Smythe (Miami Dolphins), and introduce them to the action-packed canine competitions of Agility, Diving Dogs, Fastest Dog, Disc Dog and Flyball through the AKC on ESPN Dog Sports Series. Throughout the program, viewers will be introduced to the nuances of each sport, how dogs play a big part in the lives of NFL athletes, and how football and dog sports are more connected than viewers may think.
“We are thrilled for sports fans to get an in-depth look at some of our most action-packed dog sports,” said Gina DiNardo, Executive Secretary, AKC. “Introducing these stellar professional athletes to high-level AKC canine competitors at the top of their games will be fun and exciting to watch! AKC Dog sports rely heavily on the human-canine bond that forms through training your dog, and we hope dog owners will aspire to train and compete with their own dogs.”
“We are excited to collaborate with the AKC for the first time to showcase the incredible bond between NFL players and their pets,” said Charlie Lovering, Director, Media Distribution with the NFL. “Dogs play such an important role in the lives of our players, so we are thrilled for the opportunity to merge NFL fandom with the love we all have for our pets.”
AKC National Agility Champion Jenn Crank and her dog Bee will demonstrate how Agility Dog Sports work, and give former NFL player Santana Moss a tutorial on the similarities between dog agility and professional sports.
For more on AKC Sports visit www.akc.org/sports.