NBC is carrying the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving this year. It’s actually on TV as I write this.

The mascot of the high school I went to (Downingtown High School) was odd in that it wasn’t a Viking, Pirate, or other traditional mascot. No, the mascot of DHS is the whippet.

What is a whippet? You’ve probably figured out by now that a whippet is a dog.

Apparently a whippet won a prestigious award at this year’s show. First place in something or other. I wasn’t really paying much attention to it, having just walked in the room while it was on. Still, in spite of all of the drawings of whippets around DHS, I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a real live whippet.

I’ve been told that they take a whippet to the football games, but I never went to the games to see the dog, just to socialize. In fact, I used to go to the Thanksgiving day games with my dad and grandfather, both of them fans of the Coatesville Red Raiders, the Whippets’ Thanksgiving rivals. They would always root for the wrong team.

I can’t find a game reference for today on the DHS web site, so I’m not sure if they even do that any more. In fact, the WCOJ sports game today is West Chester East versus Henderson, which is obviously not the classic Downingtown game. Ever since Downingtown split into two schools, I find the whole thing confusing.

Oh, well, so much for tradition. At least we’re having the traditional turkey for dinner tonight. Or so I’m told…