{
  "id": 5573906,
  "title": "Smokey XII makes national TV debut on 'Today' as a 'promising new recruit'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/smokey-xii-makes-national-tv-debut-on-today-as-a-promising-new-recruit-5573906",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T14:26:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/smokey-xii-makes-national-tv-142656735.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Smokey XII, a two-year-old rescue dog, made his national television debut on NBC's Today show, joining the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's mascot lineup. The ceremonial birthday for Smokey XII, who will be celebrating on September 10, was highlighted in the report, which also showed him interacting with fans, practicing his game day routine, and visiting the vet. The Today show visited Knoxville to share Smokey's story with a wider audience, capturing his interactions with the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, cheerleaders, and costumed mascot counterpart. Smokey XII is set to lead the team through the Power T during the season opener against Furman on game day.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Smokey XII makes national TV debut on 'Today' as a 'promising new recruit'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/smokey-xii-makes-national-tv-debut-on-today-as-a-promising-new-recruit",
        "published": "2026-09-04T14:26:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}