Football-Picking Camel Protests Vick, Birds
By DAN STAMM
Updated 12:46 PM EDT, Thu, Sep 10, 2009
Philadelphia Eagles fans thirsty for predictions on whether their team will win or lose each week won't get them from a New Jersey pigskin-prognosticating camel.
Princess, the star of Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township, N.J., won't predict the results of any Eagles games this season to protest the signing of quarterback Michael Vick. The controversial QB spent 18 months in prison for organizing a dogfighting ring.
The 2,600-pound camel went 17-4 last season and correctly picked the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the Super Bowl.
(Picking winners at a rate better than 80 percent -- let's take this camel to Vegas!)
But what's her method?
She gets a little help from her friend thanks to her love of graham crackers.
Popcorn Park General Manager John Bergmann writes the names of two teams playing that week on his hands -- on team per hand.
Bergmann then approaches Princess with her favorite snack in each hand. The hand that the camel eats from first is the team she picks to win.
Despite her stellar 2008 record Princess was wrong when it came to Eagles -- she picked the Birds to lose to the Giants in the playoffs last year.
As for this season Princess picked the Houston Texans to beat the New York Jets in their opener.
Meanwhile, a suburban Philadelphia animal welfare group, Main Line Animal Rescue, announced that it plans to donate dog food for every time Vick is tackled.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Philadelphia
First Published: Sep 10, 2009 11:03 AM EDT
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