Controversy on Groundhog Day today as Pennsylvania’s famed Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and made the call for an extended winter while New York City’s own weather-predicting rodent Staten Island Chuck saw nothing, suggesting Spring is right around the corner. Before you condemn the latter as an elitist big city marmot who’s being weird on purpose just to embarrass his family, please note that Staten Island Chuck has an 80% accuracy rate when it comes to this prognostication yazz. This crushes Phil’s pathetic 39%, which is so shameful he should probably retire. It’s been 114 years, pal. You’re like the Mets without the Series wins. Your climate sorcery is WEAK.

Speaking of rodents, punk rock icon Sid Vicious died 31 years ago today of a heroin overdose in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. It’s apropos the Sex Pistols bassist checked out on Groundhog Day since he earned his famous nickname from a cantankerous hamster owned by Pistols singer Johnny Rotten. Prior to meeting the hamster, Sid was known by his birth name, Simon John Ritchie. Glad he changed it. Simon John Ritchie sounds too Duran Duranish.

After the jump, a video of Sid and the Pistols miming their hit “Pretty Vacant,” which is probably the most marmot-centric song in their catalog.

“There’s no point in asking, you’ll get no reply!” That line nails the futility of Groundhog Day on the whole, in my opinion. You know those little critters aren’t really predicting anything. It’s the nuts in the top hats carrying them around who make everything up. Well, at least the kids seem to get a kick out of this asinine celebration.