The clock is running out

This is a reminder that time is running out to enter the annual Pug Life Ministries NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket Challenge "Take On the Ayatollah" Contest™. Brackets must be filled out and entered in the Pug Life Ministries group by the tip-off of the first game Thursday morning. Congregants will be competing for cash, prizes and the promise of 72 pristine sticks of rawhide in the afterlife. Do not delay, my flock!

To help get you in the basketball spirit, here is a video of the amazing Tiki, the pug equivalent of Oklahoma star Blake Griffin.

NCAA Tournament contest

The NCAA Tournament tips off Thursday (the ministry does not formally recognize the silly 64 vs. 65 play-in game), and you know what that means: It is time to enter the annual Pug Life Ministries NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket Challenge "Take On the Ayatollah" Contest™.  Prizes include $10,000 cash, a $5,000 Best Buy gift card and a sacred relic from the ministry's online gift shop. There is no entry fee, and given the unpredictable nature of the tournament, basketball knowledge is strictly optional. It may, in fact, prove to be a hindrance. In past contests, successful strategies have included picking favorite uniform colors, choosing dog-friendly mascots and tossing darts. Do you have what it takes to beat the ayatollah? Probably not. But there's no harm in trying. 

Click here to join the Pug Life Ministries group and fill out your bracket. 

A real hoot

This evening, I ventured to a local sports bar to dine and watch a little Final Four action. Around halftime, the waitstaff began linking together several tables for a large party. Finally, a dozen or so rowdy girls took their seats. They each appeared to be roughly 10 or 11 years old, and all wore orange and white tank-tops with "Hooters" emblazoned on the chest. My mother found this apparel to be somewhat disturbing on lasses so young. I, on the other paw, have nothing against owls. But it did pique my curiosity. Were they members of a sporting team called the Hooters? Or perhaps involved in some sort of mentorship program with the restaurant chain of the same name? I know this blog, representing the world's largest interfaith, interspecies ministry, has a fairly wide reach. So if anyone out there has an explanation, mother and I would love to hear it.

Hoops contest update

I have received some questions and comments on the Pug Life Ministries NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket Challenge "Take On the Ayatollah" Contest™, so I want to briefly touch on a few points.

Someone asked whether this violated canine Islam's prohibition against gambling (which is not to be confused with prudent casino investing). This contest is not the same as those illegal underground office betting pools you may have heard about. It is free to enter this contest, so you are wagering nothing. We are simply playing for fun, and perhaps, God willing, a prize or two.

It was also pointed out to me that ESPN.com has been rather buggy lately, and sometimes clicking on the contest entry link results in an error message. I urge the infidels at ESPN to get this fixed promptly, lest they risk incurring my eternal wrath. If you have encountered this problem, I urge you to try again later.

Finally, my little brother Wendell is, indeed, filling out a bracket. I suspect he will be a natural when it comes to picking basketball games. With his long limbs and slender build, Wendell bears a striking resemblance to former UNLV and NBA star Stacey Augmon, a.k.a. the Plastic Man.

NCAA Tournament contest

Last night, I received a plea from one of the ministry's congregants, who also happens to be a decorated member of the Armed Revolutionary Forces. "Mugsy, great spiritual leader," Braxton barked, "will we be doing the NCAA BB bracket challenge this year?"

And the answer is yes. The Pug Life Ministries NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket Challenge "Take On the Ayatollah" Contest™ is back by popular demand. All entries must be in before the first game tips off Thursday morning. Prizes include $10,000 and a gift from the ministry's online store.

Click here to join the Pug Life Ministries group and fill out your bracket.

Last call for contest

Time is running out to enter the ministry's NCAA tournament bracket challenge. The tournament starts Thursday morning (we do not consider the silly "play-in" game to be part of the tournament). The winner will get a fabulous prize from my online gift shop -- possibly a Classic Harem-Wear Thong. Or maybe, God willing, it will be something even more spectacular. Given the dearth of contestants, your odds of winning are far higher than they would be in the Mega Millions lottery. And yet the prizes are comparable, and entry to this contest, unlike the lottery, is free. Do not miss this opportunity of a lifetime.

Click here to enter.

Fill out your brackets

The ministry is sponsoring a contest to see who can pick the most games correctly in the NCAA basketball tournament. You may enter free of charge, and if you have the top score in the country, you could win $10,000. If you have the top score in the ministry (a far more likely accomplishment), you will win a prize from my online gift shop.

To enter, click here. And be sure to join the Pug Life Ministries group. All entries must be made before the tournament begins.