Who would have thought that CBS News on Super Bowl Sunday would attempt to tackle the Skunk Ape?

Well, that is exactly what happened on “CBS Sunday Morning,” on February 4, 2007. Correspondent Bill Geist did one of his folksy and friendly stories from the field.

Geist is one of the best parts of “Sunday Morning,” and routinely does a roadside America-type report. Even though they are funny, as opposed to getting the feeling Geist is trying for ridicule, he honestly appears to enjoy this kind of journalism about unusual attractions and weird stops during his travels.

Geist calmly began his football story, “What Can A Regular Super Bowl Fan Do?” He did the routine reportage about prices of tickets and parties, celebrities and the glitz of Miami.

But then near the end of Bill Geist’s field report, he decided to venture into the Everglades, in pursuit of the Skunk Ape. Before I could drop my cup of Constant Comment, Geist was talking to David Shealy. It was a rather long subsegment for Geist, with footage of Shealy’s films, shots of the giftshop, and interviews with fans visiting Shealy’s store.

On the CBS News online site, a brief overview of Geist’s report was posted. The following excerpt from the longer article concentrates on David Shealy, with a mixture of Geist’s sense of humor and Shealy’s lack of understatement for his role in Skunk Ape research in Florida:

It’s nice to get out and enjoy the flora and fauna over in the swamp, too. After all, South Florida is home to the Everglades, which is home to animals like alligators and blue heron….

Your Average Joe is always welcome at the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters and Souvenir Shop. Top research scientist David Shealy has spent his life studying the skunk ape.

“The skunk ape is kind of what people describe as Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest, but down here they’re a little bit smaller. A large male may grow to 400 – 450,” he said. “It smells like a skunk. Half-man, half-ape. That’s exactly what I saw, and I’ve seen it more than once.”

And yes, he has proof: video good enough for you? Shealy said his research is going well, and a number of Super Bowl fans came to learn more about the skunk ape. – Bill Geist