Comanche Joe joins the chase for picks
BY NEAL MCCLELLAND
THE DAILY IBERIAN
Another year, another dog takes a shot at winning the Pigskin Picks competition as Comanche Joe, a black lab mix, joins the usual suspects in picking high school, college and Saints games for the 2019 season.
Comanche Joe was born in April of 2018 and is the dog of former New Iberia Senior High lineman Chris Tarver. Joe’s mom is a German Shepard and his dad is a black lab mix. Being a combination hunthing and guard dog, Joe knows how to sniff out winners and often joins his owner watching football on TV
He loves to chase other dogs and playng fetch, although it’s not certain that he plays fetch with footballs. Although being a canine with retrieving genes he just might make a good wide receiver.
While the three human forecasters make their choices based on a variety of methods, Samuel will make his choices based on which treat of two he chooses for each game. One treat will be held in each hand, with the right hand representing the home team and the left hand representing the visiting team for each game, Tarver said. Whichever hand he chooses for each game is his choice for the winner of that game.
Sixteen dogs have been among the animals used to prognosticate games since the program began in 1995. Last season, Daily Iberian Sportwriter Neal McClelland and wife Leah’s Shih-Tzu Samuel James McClelland took his turn in picking the game and finished in third place, only the seventh time that one of the animals has finished out of last place.
The final results from last season were McClelland winning the title while Managing Editor Chris Landry was second . Samuel finished third, just two games back of becoming the first animal picker to claim second place and Outdoors Editor Don Shoopman was fourth.
In 2017, Gabby (a.k.a. Gabby Gooey or Gabriella), owned by Daily Iberian managing editor Raymond Partsch III’s family, finished third among the four forecaster
Sydney, a rescue dog owned by the McClellands, tied for third place in 2013. The first animal to finish higher than fourth place was Penny, a bulldog owned the Uhall family when she finished third in 1998.
Also finishing third were Ruby, a macaw residing at the Zoo of Acadiana, in 2002; and two pets owned by the family of then-Daily Iberian librarian Chantell Villermin — Belle the ferret in 2005 and Lyzzy the Iguana in 2006.
Following Tank were Timon, a mixed breed dog owned by the Shoopman family; Flash, a basset hound owned by then-Iberian sportswriter Brian Guilbeau; Penny the bulldog; Raymond, a cat owned by then-Daily Iberian Teche Life editor Jennifer May; Cocoa, a miniature poodle owned by McClelland; Ruby; Humphrey, a camel also residing at the Zoo of Acadiana; Redster, a hog owned by the Seguras, a local farming family; Madison, a black lab puppy owned by then-Iberian reporter Christine Moyer; Belle; Lyzzy; Dusti, a seven-year-old horse owned by the granddaughter of then-Iberian advertising clerk Dean Roger; Blue Dog, a Doberman/ Labrador mix owned by former Daily Iberian photographer Bill Smith; and Buttons, a mixed-breed dog owned by the family of sports editor Chris Landry; Matti, a mixed-breed dog owned by the Shoopman family; and Persia, a year-and-a-half old Serval (African wild cat) residing at the Zoo of Acadiana (now Zoosiana); Sydney; Leroy Brown, a three-year-old mixed breed owned by then-Daily Iberian reporter Mike Francingues; Keke, a Chiweenie (half Chihauaha, half Dachshund) owned by the McClellands; Oreo Speedwagon, a mixed breed belonging to the family of then-Iberia reporter Laura Gary; and Gabby.