The bitter truth about ‘French Creek Freddie,’ the world’s second-most famous groundhog
By Matthew Young, RealWV
Punxsutawney Phil is inarguably the most celebrated groundhog in all the world. Originally known as something of a regional-celebrity in the north-eastern United States, Phil – the most genial member of the Sciuridae family – has been reliably predicting winter’s duration since 1887.
For more than 100 years, and with noticeably little fanfare, those in the know would routinely set their watches by Phil’s February 2 morning routine. But that all changed in early 1993, when Phil skyrocketed to mega-stardom after the release of his blockbuster autobiographical-film, “Groundhog Day.”
It has been 32 years since the film first hit theaters, and while it was largely panned by critics and ignored by award-season judges, “Groundhog Day” firmly established Phil as a fixture of the American cultural zeitgeist.
However, despite his vast celebrity – which reached its zenith in 2014 when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – Punxsutawney Phil is by no means the only weather-reading rodent. In the Mountain State of West Virginia, it is French Creek Freddie whose shadow residents hope will go unseen.
On Saturday, in a rare one-on-one interview, the notoriously introverted and infamously bad-tempered Freddie sat down with RealWV to discuss his legacy as the world’s second-most famous weather squirrel.
The Interview
RealWV: Freddie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know that this is an incredibly busy time of year for you. But I’m wondering if you could provide us with some insight as to how you prepare for the big day.
Freddie: Yeah, you’re welcome, Bill. It’s my pleasure.
RealWV: My name is Matt.
Freddie: It really couldn’t matter less, Bill.
RealWV: Okay. So what do you do to get ready? Is there a certain mindset you have to be in, perhaps like that of a performer?
Freddie: Oh yeah! So I start the day out by eating a light and healthy breakfast –
RealWV: What do you have?
Freddie: Meatloaf and Nutella. I’m working here, Bill, don’t interrupt.
RealWV: I apologize, I thought you had finished your statement.
Freddie: That’s alright. Just don’t let it happen again. Now where was I? Oh yeah, I eat a nutritious breakfast. Then I have a nice dust bath and a good lickin’ so I’m good and clean for the fans outside.
RealWV: How about actually looking for your shadow, does that require any practice?
Freddie: Oh sure it does. Basically what I do is I go outside, and I look around. Then I stop, and I look around some more. Then I stop again, and I look around again. You follow?
RealWV: Yes Freddie, I follow. You go outside and look around for your shadow.
Freddie: That’s what I said. Jeez, he sure catches on quick, this guy. You’re on the ball today, Bill.
RealWV: Now Freddie, you’ve been doing this since 1978. And this will be your forty-seventh year, so that’s a lot of experience you have at predicting whether or not we’ll have an early spring. But according to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, you’re only about 50-50 in your predictions. Wouldn’t you agree that after nearly a half-century of doing this, 50% accuracy is a little low?
Freddie: Hey, why don’t you shut up over there! I’d like to see you do better. You gotta go outside and look around. Then you gotta stop, and then more lookin. You think just anybody can do that? You’re a very disrespectful person, and you’re fake news. You should be ashamed of yourself!
RealWV: I’m very sorry, Freddie. I didn’t mean to offend you.
Freddie: Yeah well you did offend me. If I was playing baseball and got a hit half the time, I’d be the best ever. And that hack Punxsutawney Phil is only around 30%. So maybe just think about that when you wanna start coming at me with your 50%.
RealWV: Well sure Freddie, that’s fair. But just to keep things in perspective, Punxsutawney Phil did star in the twelfth-highest grossing film of 1993.
Freddie: This interview is over.
It remains to be seen if French Creek Freddie will accurately predict when spring will arrive in 2025. Stay tuned to The RealWV for updates regarding this developing situation.
