Has sports world gone to the dogs?

Last week's column dealt with what I experience as a gaping hole in professional sports that comes around after the Super Bowl and before the baseball season throws out is first pitch. As evidenced by an event that found space on most of the popular sports websites this week, I was not barking up the wrong tree.

To those of you who may have missed out on one of the sporting world's apparently most-newsworthy bits of kibble - a 5-year-old Scottish deerhound named "Hickory" won best in show at this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York on Tuesday.

In an Associated Press Story that appeared on FoxSports.com, judge Paolo Dondina said of America's top dog, "This animal is like in the heavens. It's not of this world."

So not only do I have to read about this pooch of impressive pedigree where I'm looking for game scores, but this female dog - and I use that term because I value my future employment - is some kind of "uber-dog."

Don't take it the wrong way, I'm an animal lover and have two cats I speak to in my "pet voice" that sounds as goofy as anybody else's, but I'm not expecting either of my felines to suddenly start gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated and the like.

I suppose it could be worse. At least I won't have to read about Hickory being engaged in any contract disputes or announcing another retirement from the hectic world of competitive tail wagging. And I'm fairly sure there won't be any uncompromising photos of her beginning to show up on the Internet.

I also doubt if she'll be in any hurry to release a bark-all book about what really goes on backstage at these canine carnivals, or about how she feels wearing fur should be considered a crime.

What's next for dogs in the sporting world? We can already bet on their abilities to be the first one to circumnavigate a track whilst in pursuit of en electronic rabbit, or to survive the harsh Iditarod Great Sled Race.

I can just see it now - all the dogs sitting around playing poker will talk about how "hot" Hickory looked sashaying around the ring in Madison Square Garden, and one of them - I'm guessing the bulldog - will admit to hoping to see some sort of wardrobe malfunction.

Now that dogs are encroaching into my wide world of sports, what's next? Will we all begin waiting with dogbone-bated breath for Dog World to come out with its annual swimsuit edition?

Contact Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com.