I'm as good natured as the next guy, but Groundhog's day gets on my nerves.
Never mind accuracy, every year we have to hear about Punxsutawney Phil's prediction about for the the upcoming winter. Can anyone tell me why? Sure it is just good natured fun but it is very silly and has absolutely no basis in science whatsoever.
For as long as I can remember in television, producers have made a big deal over
the groundhog's annual Feb. 2nd prediction of the rest of winter. They usually make the weather folks talk about this big "happening". To my surprise tonight I was not asked to voice over this major meteorological moment. When I was watching the national cable news getting ready for work, it was front and center. I was rooting for the furry forecaster to bite
the funny dressed man on the hand, or for Billy Murray to show up and steal Punxsutawney Phil from his house.
Other cities have their own animals to predict the weather. Dunkirk Dave, Wiarten Willie, Gary the Groundhog, Branden Bob, Balzac Billy, and in Georgia they have Gen. Beauregard Lee. While was a weatherman in OKC every year we would send a photographer out to the zoo to check on the pot bellied pigs. Today in OKC they use two
grizzly bears at the zoo.
Here is the late breaking news from the Capital City:
"Grizzly bear brothers Will and Wiley saw their shadows this morning as part of the Zoo's Groundhog Day celebration. The prediction signals that six more weeks of winter are ahead and matches the prediction of groundhog Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania."
So this evening, it is a very quiet weather night, I thought I would look around the Internet and find out ol' Phils record of predicting the weather. Here it is:
'94 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
'95 Shadow seen: N / Outcome: Wrong
'96 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
'97 Shadow seen: N / Outcome: Right
'98 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Wrong
'99 Shadow seen: N / Outcome: Wrong
'00 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Wrong
'01 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
'02 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Wrong
'03 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
'04 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Wrong
'05 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
'06 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
'07 Shadow seen: N / Outcome: Wrong
'08 Shadow seen: Y / Outcome: Right
That is 50%, which is higher than I expected. Still come on, it was cloudy and
these funny dressed guys decided on this long before they wake the beast to appear
before the anxious cameras.
It just seems silly, that is all I am saying. They movie was great, but this tradition
seems like it is a bit out dated in today's world. What do you think?