Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day
In an early morning ceremony today, Punxsutawney Phil rose from his heated burrow at Gobbler’s Knob, PA, and signaled to his handlers that he saw no shadow today and accordingly foretold an early end to winter. Over the 125 years that the ceremony has taken place, Phil has seen his shadow 98 times and not seen it only 16, counting today. (Records don’t exist for every year.) The last time he didn’t see a shadow was in 2007. In 2008, the crowd booed the prospect of “six more weeks of winter,” as they no doubt would have today, when a smaller than usual crowd stood in the freezing rain to watch the ceremony.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
February 2, 2011 at 5:18 pm
I was only looking out the window at the freezing rain, and I am glad that Phil predicts an early spring. Do you believe him? You didn’t comment on his reliability.
February 3, 2011 at 10:20 am
commonweeder,
He has predicted an early spring only 16 times including this year. I have faith in him because I can’t stand the idea of 6 more weeks of winter. I think he predicted that because last when he predicted more of winter the crowd got unruly. He is probably saving himsef!
February 2, 2011 at 5:20 pm
This entire nonsense of Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day is a direct result of winter ‘Cabin Fever’. Who in their right mind, even 125 years ago, would think that a groundhog could predict how long winter is going to last. Why not just throw some dried chicken bones onto a blanket and determine which way they fall. If they fall in a northerly direction then we can deduce a longer winter? If they fall in a southerly direction will spring be close behind?Gobbles’s Knob PA must really be a very dull place if the biggest event of the year is to see if some rodent sees his shadow or not. The locals must clean up serving hot coffee to all the reporters who gather there to watch this ridiculous non event.
I am amazed that intelligent human beings will fall for this kind of silliness. One nonsense thing that comes to mind is that the Dallas Cowboy football team has a better chance to loose a game while wearing the blue jerseys. Their biggest rivals, the Eagles and the Redskins used to wear their white jerseys at home when they played Dallas to ensure that the Cowboys wore blue. This year it didn’t matter, they were just as bad in any jersey.
When it comes to statistics I always say, ‘figures don’t lie, but liars figure’.
February 3, 2011 at 10:23 am
Bob,
I don’t think people really believe in Phil. I certainly don’t, but I think he represents a bit of fun in the middle of winter, a way to alleviate that cabin fever.
Superstitions have always been a part of sports. I don’t know why but it just is.
February 2, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Is it true that, with much of the nation in the deep freeze, his handlers held a gun to Phil’s head and forced him to give the no-shadow signal?
February 3, 2011 at 10:26 am
Bill,
I think they just cheated and pretended. Last year people got angry at the prediction of more snow so I suspect this prediction was more self-defense.
February 2, 2011 at 7:55 pm
”Yesterday’s advertisement for ‘groundhog meat’ should have read ‘ground hog meat’. We apologize for the confusion.”
Bob & Ray
How’s the legend go?
If the groundhog sees his shadow you’ll have 6 more weeks of winter?
And, if he doesn’t see his shadow you’ll have about a month and a half more of winter?
Yeah, that’s how it goes.
What happens if you find the groundhog dead in the snow? Snowzilla hit Northern Illinois today. We’re still not close to being dug out!
February 3, 2011 at 10:25 am
John,
Ha, I loved Bob and Ray!
I think that groundhog lives in a heated kennel where he could care less about the weather. I’m surprised they didn’t put a coat on him.
Sorry for your snow. I’ve been there and it never made me happy. By the time the storm hit us, it was rain. For that I am grateful.