Meet Jimmy Junior: A Football-Picking Turkey
On Tuesday, Nov. 20, Jimmy Junior, Wild Turkey Bourbon’s real, live wild turkey, and resident feathered sports forecaster, will be taking his talents to New York City to predict the outcome of the three 2012 Thanksgiving pro football games.
With the hopes of joining the annals of great animal prognosticators, such as Paul the Octopus and Punxsautawney Phil, Jimmy Junior will be featured in Wild Turkey’s first-ever Triple Barrel Challenge, hosted by former professional football legend Vinny Testaverde, at the iconic Times Center in Times Square at 11 a.m. ET.
Jimmy Junior, named in honor of long-time Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell, began his humble roots on a farm in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, home of the Wild Turkey Distillery. As a chick, Jimmy Junior began showing an affinity for predicting local football games. Now, he is focusing his skills on the professional leagues.
[ Also Read: Wine to Shine; No Cheer for Beer ]On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Jimmy Junior will take the stage with Testaverde in a true sports spectacular. Before throngs of media, Jimmy Junior will be presented with barrels of feed signifying the six teams playing on one of football’s biggest days.
Following months of studying the latest football stats and speaking to the best football minds in the business, he will use his vast knowledge of the sport and eat from the barrel of the team he thinks will win each Thanksgiving match up. His picks will reverberate throughout the sports world.
“Jimmy Junior is the best, not to mention the only, football picking turkey I’ve ever worked with,” said former All Pro Vinny Testaverde during a recent training session.
Following the event, Wild Turkey will be donating 81 turkeys to the victims of Hurricane Sandy in the New York Tri-State area through City Harvest.
Since 1855, Wild Turkey is the Real Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, an American brand crafted by master distiller Jimmy Russell and his son, associate distiller Eddie Russell. Besides the classic Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, other expressions now include Wild Turkey 81, Rare Breed, Kentucky Spirit, Wild Turkey 81 Rye and Russell’s Reserve.
