Barnabus the Badger picks 49ers to win
Yonah the Groundhog did not see his shadow today which, as tradition would have it, indicates an early spring.
The groundhog from North Georgia Zoo in White County made an appearance at Freedom Park in Cleveland Sunday morning. It took some coaxing to get the reluctant rodent out of his house, prolonging the anticipation for the dozens who gathered to see him.
Marina Long was there with her daughter, Catie. They became Groundhog Day fans after seeing the classic Bill Murray film of the same name.
“Ever since we saw the movie we decided that we wanted to celebrate it. So we buy cupcakes, and we have festivities at our house for other people,” Long says. “We’re loyal; we do this every year.”
Dueling forecasts
The Longs were among approximately 75 people who turned out for Cleveland’s Groundhog Day event. They even got to make their own winter weather predictions ahead of Yonah’s.
People wrote down their predictions for either more winter or early spring. Those whose predictions matched the groundhog’s were entered into a raffle.
Yonah delivered the same weather prognostication as the famed Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania.
Georgia’s other furry prognosticator delivered a different forecast.
General Beauregard Lee in Jackson saw his shadow, indicating six more weeks of winter.
Super Bowl pick
Since Groundhog Day this year is on Super Bowl Sunday, event organizers added one more prediction to this morning’s lineup. North Georgia Zoo brought Barnabus the Badger to predict this year’s Super Bowl Champs.
The badger had two boxes from which to choose – 49ers or Chiefs. Barnabus chose San Francisco to win.
We’ll see how well Yonah and Barnabus did with their predictions as winter progresses and the Super Bowl gets underway this evening in Miami.
