Puppy Bowl VI

Has it been a year already?

It's time once again for the Puppy Bowl — the sixth one, that is.

Animal Planet's counter-programming to that other Bowl is two hours of adorable puppies, along with the kitten half-time show, hamsters and cheer-leading bunnies.

The special kicks off at 3 p.m. ET today, and will be repeated every two hours, with the final showing beginning at 3 a.m. Monday.

The network's Web site has the starting lineup, complete with pictures, and a whole bunch of other cute things.

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And finally, in the spirit of the Super Bowl — and all things Saints — watch this video of a Saints Beagle fan getting in the mood during the championship game when the New Orleans team won its place in today's face off.

Huffington Post has an interview with referee Andrew Schecher, who will preside over his fourth Puppy Bowl.

The Animal Planet producer said the shoot takes 12 hours and 43 puppies. However, Schecher is a professional through and through and is not taken in by the overwhelming puppiness.

I'm proud to say that I am completely unbiased towards their cuteness. I play a 100% fair game -- it's every puppy for themselves. I do not pick sides regardless of how often the lick my face. It's very difficult, but I'm very professional. And this is a side note -- my favorite thing about "Puppy Bowl" is that we're not directing them or dressing them up. We're just observing natural puppy behavior. And when you see a puppy exploring the world around him, and he's so curious about everything around him, you can't not fall in love with him.

I'll be working the afternoon/evening shift today, and I have a feeling the newsroom TV set won't be tuned to Animal Planet (go figure!), so I'll have to check the Puppy Bowl out on my DVR when I get off work.