Well, it's almost March Madness time, so here's a prediction for what might happen on Selection Sunday!

The Final Four will be in Detroit, MI; the match-ups will be
EAST Champion vs. WEST Champion
MIDWEST Champion vs. SOUTH Champion

+ + +

EAST REGION (Regional Final: Boston, MA)

Philadelphia, PA
(1) Connecticut vs. (16) Robert Morris
(8) Wisconsin vs. (9) Arizona

Boise, ID
(5) Florida State vs. (12) Siena
(4) Xavier vs. (13) North Dakota State

Miami, FL
(3) Villanova vs. (14) Buffalo
(6) Arizona State vs. (11) Minnesota

Kansas City, MO
(7) Texas vs. (10) Creighton
(2) Memphis vs. (15) Stephen F. Austin

+ + +

WEST REGION (Regional Final: Glendale, AZ)

Kansas City, MO
(1) Oklahoma vs. (16) Cal-State Northridge
(8) Brigham Young vs. (9) Boston College

Portland, OR
(5) Syracuse vs. (12) Penn State
(4) Washington vs. (13) Davidson

Minneapolis, MN
(3) Missouri vs. (14) American
(6) Purdue vs. (11) Utah State

Greensboro, NC
(7) Butler vs. (10) South Carolina
(2) Duke vs. (15) Austin Peay

+ + +

MIDWEST REGION (Regional Final: Indianapolis, IN)

Dayton, OH
(1) Pittsburgh vs. (16) Morgan State vs. Alabama State (Play-In Game)
(8) Tennessee vs. (9) Ohio State

Boise, ID
(5) Gonzaga vs. (12) Texas A&M
(4) Clemson vs. (13) Virginia Commonwealth

Minneapolis, MN
(3) Kansas vs. (14) Weber State
(6) UCLA vs. (11) Maryland

Philadelphia, PA
(7) West Virginia vs. (10) Florida
(2) Michigan State vs. (15) Virginia Military Institute

+ + +

SOUTH REGION (Regional Final: Memphis, TN)

Greensboro, NC
(1) North Carolina vs. (16) Jacksonville
(8) California vs. (9) Dayton

Portland, OR
(5) Marquette vs. (12) St. Mary's (CA)
(4) Louisiana State vs. (13) Western Kentucky

Miami, FL
(3) Wake Forest vs. (14) Binghamton
(6) Illinois vs. (11) Rhode Island

Dayton, OH
(7) Utah vs. (10) Oklahoma State
(2) Louisville vs. (15) Cornell


Only Cornell has won an automatic berth as of tonight; a couple more will play their way in tomorrow!

A fine year in film capped off with a fine Oscars Ceremony!  Here's a reminder of Tim's picks:

Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz with Bashir

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon

Best Original Screenplay: Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke

Best Director: Danny Boyle (from Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire


And here are the Actual Winners of the major Oscars in 2009!  I've highlighted Tim's wins w/ red type.

Best Foreign Language Film: Departures

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay: Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

Best Actress: Kate Winslet

Best Actor: Sean Penn

Best Director: Danny Boyle (from Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire


And accompanying that, Tim Dickson's stream of consciousness:


There you have it folks!  A fine performance by Tim - 5/10 may not seem like much, but he did predict several upsets and acknowledged as such in his total writeup.  Plus, a tip for next year: see The Soloist!

Happy film-going everyone!

Ladies and gentlemen, a respite from the usual bracketology for a very special entry: TIM DICKSON'S OSCAR REVUE!

A self-styled and self-acclaimed film buff and guru, Tim has seen all that has to be seen and researched this almost as maniacally as my fantasy football playing friends prepare for the draft (yes, I know they're already starting preparations now).  Since I cannot fit all of his sterling analysis on my away message, I've decided to add it to an entry here!  A round of applause is in order for Tim Dickson! :-)

Without further ado, here's Tim's quick picks!

Habemus campio! (We have a champion!)

Ladies and gentlemen, it's been quite a ride.  I'd like to thank everyone who's offered their 2 cents for this bracket - and for everyone's patience as some rounds got slightly delayed.  Not a record for votes cast, but still the results are in and you the people have spoken loud and clear!  And now for the championship recap:

Midnight Blue Turns Out the Lights on Blue,  10-3

In a stunningly easy win - the biggest margin in Crayon Championship history - Midnight Blue garnered the first three votes and never looked back to earn its first ever crown as the King of all Crayons.  After Blue made it onto the board, Midnight Blue's supporters kept the rush going, pushing its lead to 7-1 before Blue could muster another vote.  Two more votes made it 9-2 before the two colors split the last two to set the final margin.  Blue was plagued by a perceived lack of originality, and support for the new contender came both from its diehard supporters and the sizable "Whatever's playing against Blue" contingent.  The loss drops Blue to 1-2 in championship games, having lost to Green last year and having beaten Goldenrod in the first bracket.

As for the Bronze medal ...

Cerulean Runs Over Brick Red, 8-5

In a game of streaks, Brick Red's early lead collapsed in stunning fashion.  Cerulean led early 2-1 when Brick Red took the next 4 votes to go ahead 5-2.  Brick Red would not score again.  A 6-0 run ensued, with all votes falling to Cerulean.  With its win, Cerulean caps off its most successful bracket run and ensures a Blue hue sweep of the medal stand!

Going along with the olympic theme ...


What a tournament, folks - a new winner, a new world order has come to the crayon universe.  Old Prussian Blue has its empire - at least for this year!

Will this be the last crayon bracket?  We shall see.  Will this be the last bracket of its kind period until next summer?  I would wish not, but classes start in a week.  So, one of two things will happen:

a.) I won't have time for a bracket.
b.) I'll brush off some reading / work to make another bracket of some sort!

Any ideas?  Any groups of 64, 32, 16, etc?  I'm open to suggestions.  One I've been given is a bracket of States + Washington DC + Canadian provinces + Canadian "territories", which conveniently adds up to: 50 + 1 +10 +3 = 64!!!  How I'll rank them is a mystery right now, but nothing's set in stone.

For now, all hail Midnight Blue, the CRAYON CHAMP!

Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the delay - I moved to another apartment this past week and I've also been working on my final project for my summer German class.  Apparently the text I chose to translate (Johann Gottfried Herder) turned out to be terribly hard, so it took longer than expected.  As I am quite tired of the German language, and don't really have the wherewithal to write in it, this post will not be in Deutsch.

It was another exciting final four, folks!  Here are the results:

Semifinal One

Blue Continues Bracket Brilliance, Beats Brick Red in OT

It was nip and tuck throughout, but Blue scored the last vote of the match, then tallied the OT winner to reach its third consecutive crayon championship match.  After splitting the first two votes, Brick Red took the next 2 to go up 3-1.  The defending runner-up took the next 4 to bolt out to a 5-3 lead before Brick Red rallied.  Three votes near the end of the match put the upstart red hue up by one.  The lead would not last, though, and Blue advanced by the extra vote.

Semifinal Two

Old Prussian Blue Drums Cerulean, 7-5

In a match that was not quite as close as many expected, nor as the score seems to indicate, Midnight Blue blew past Cerulean to reach its first final.  Cerulean tallied the first vote, and, after surrendering the next two, took two more to take a 3-2 lead.  The floodgates then opened; Midnight Blue took the next 5 votes to put the match in a stranglehold, 7-3.  The final two tallies went to Cerulean, but it was too little too late.


An all-blue final for the first time - the classic Blue versus its rich relative Midnight Blue.  The last two crayon bracket champs were primary colors, and Blue has the chance to keep that tradition alive - while Midnight Blue could usher in an age of parity among all crayons.  These two were #1 and #2 in the 2001 Crayola Crayon Census - will Blue live up to its #1 billing, or will Midnight Blue knock it off its perch?

As per usual, I'll also be running a third place matchup!  This undercard will be a fine and very intriguing match-up between ...


These two popular upstarts made a great run and one will be rewarded with the Bronze medal of this bracket!

Once again, the rules are the same!  The voting will close at 11:59:59 pm Central Standard Time on SUNDAY 17 AUGUST 2008.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank everyone who's cast a vote - and if you haven't please do!  It all comes down to this - I declare voting for the third place game and the CRAYON CHAMPIONSHIP open!

Sorry for being a day late with these - been hella busy the last few days!

Ladies and gentlemen, it was a truly spectacular elite 8, with all 4 semifinals coming down to the wire!  With 13 votes cast (not counting the ballot-box stuffing techniques of one former IM supervisor who shall remain nameless (really - I don't know Paul Edinger ... or Rick Majerus ...)), no tiebreaker was needed, so without further ado, here are the results of the regional finals!

+ + +

BLUE BRACKET

Wild Strawberry Left Blue at the Buzzer, 7-6

In a surprisingly close semifinal, Blue needed the final two votes to fall its way to escape with a 7-6 win and avoid becoming Wild Strawberry's 4th major upset victim.  Blue started off strong, tallying the first 4 votes to jump out to a big lead.  Wild Strawberry struck back, with a 3 vote run of its own.  After Blue scored another vote, yet another 3 vote run by Wild Strawberry put the upstart 14 seed in front, 6-5.  However, support ran dry, and Blue was able to score the last 2 votes to get the win.  This is Blue's third Final Four appearance; both times they have made it to the championship game.

+ + +

RED BRACKET

Vote by Vote, Brick Red Builds Early Lead to Last, 8-5

Sky Blue's late game run was not enough to overcome an early Brick barrage.  Brick Red notched the last two votes of the match to stunt the rally, winning 8-5 overall.  This is the first Final Four appearance for Brick Red, and the first appearance for a Red hue in the Final Four since Red's run in the first bracket.  After splitting the first two votes, the red hue ran away with the match, scoring 4 straight and 5 of the next 6  to take a commanding 6-2 lead.  Sky Blue soared late, taking 3 straight to close the gap to 6-5, making it anyone's game in the end.  However, solid support for Brick Red came through and pushed it into a Final Four match-up against Blue.

+ + +

MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET

Dark (Mid)Night Descends Upon Final Four for First Time, 7-6

The most questionable #1 seed in the tournament, by some estimations, Midnight Blue proved all its critics wrong by slogging its way into the final with a 7-6 win over Navy Blue.  In the process, a potentially controversial vote ended up not being of much consequence.  With the score 3-2, a vote that did not specify exactly which crayon was being chosen was cast.  The vote was interpreted by the voting committee (i.e., me) and awarded to Navy Blue, allowing it to tie the game at 3 apiece.  However, serious consideration was made as to whether to exclude it from the final tally.  As it happens, the rest of the votes fell 7-5 to Midnight Blue, hence rendering the somewhat controversial vote moot.  This is Midnight Blue's first Final Four appearance.

+ + +

GREEN BRACKET

Reigning Champs Dethroned; Cerulean Rules, 8-5

There will be a new champion in this year's Crayon Bracket, as Green was knocked off 8-5 by Cerulean.  The blue hue and #3 seed finally has lived up to expectations, making it to its first Final Four, while Green will not be a participant in this year's final proceedings for the first time.  Tied at 2-2, Cerulean ran off 3 straight votes to take a lead it would not relinquish.  Green got within 5-4, but 3 more consecutive votes for Cerulean salted the game away.  Green, as a parting shot, got the final vote, but it was too little too late.  Cerulean meets fellow blue hue Midnight Blue in the Final Four.

+ + +

So there you have it!  The FINAL FOUR match-ups are SET!

(1) Blue vs. (2) Brick Red

(1) Midnight Blue  vs. (3) Cerulean

The rules are the usual!  The DUE DATE and TIME will be slightly longer since I'll be moving to another apartment this weekend, so I'll be pretty busy.  Votes in the FINAL FOUR are due on THURSDAY 7 August 2008 at 11:59:59 pm Central Standard Time.

Four crayons enter.  One crayon leaves.  Let's go - voting is OPEN!

An incredible round of 16, folks, with four matches needing the tie-breaker vote!  It's setting up to be a tremendous finish down the stretch, so without further ado let's get to the headlines and stories from the Sweet 16!

N.B., The tiebreaker vote does not count as an additional vote in the bracket.

BLUE BRACKET
* Blue Taking Care of Business - Another game, another solid win for Blue; 10-2 over Red Violet.
* Wild (Strawberry) Horses Keep on Running - #14 seed continues Cinderella-esque run, stuns #2 Aquamarine, 7-5.

RED BRACKET
* Fuchsia Falters at the End - In a match where neither crayon led by more than 2 votes, Fuchsia summons up a tie, but falls in overtime, 6*-6.
* Brick Red Bounces Back - Down 5-3 to Copper, Brick Red drums up the last 4 votes to win, 7-5.

MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET
* Midnight Blue Slows as Clock Winds Down - Complacency almost costs #1 seed, but big early lead is enough to beat Jungle Green, 7-5.
* Navy Blue Rams Blue Green Full Steam Ahead - In a stunning comeback, Navy Blue takes 4 of the last 5 (including the last 3) to send match into OT, then takes the vote to win, 6*-6.

GREEN BRACKET
* It Ain't Easy Being Green - Turquoise Blue puts up a valiant fight, but Green strikes last in regulation and takes the match in OT, 6*-6.
* Forest (Green) is Felled -  Late 3 vote run gives Forest Green the lead, but they lose it at the gun to Cerulean and cannot muster anything in OT; Cerulean wins, 6*-6.

+ + +

Ladies and gentlemen, here are the REGIONAL FINAL Matchups!

*N.B.: The colors of the crayon names are the #RRGGBB Equivalents (as listed on Wikipedia)!!*

BLUE BRACKET

(1) Blue vs. (14) Wild Strawberry

Powerhouse Blue has hardly been tested this tournament; they are on a mission to avenge their loss in last bracket's final game.  Their opponent?  Stunning upstart Wild Strawberry, whose magical run has earned them the respect of their fellow crayons and the admiration of a LiveJournal nation.  Do they have one more shocker - perhaps the biggest one of all time - left in them?  Or will Big Blue keep up its steady, solid, and dominant play?

RED BRACKET

(4) Sky Blue vs. (2) Brick Red

Sky Blue has always had a great deal of promise, but has consistently disappointed, losing in the second round of the last 2 brackets.  This year they're in unchartered waters - can this crayon finally live up to potential?  Brick Red has been solid, if unspectacular, in dispatching of White, Goldenrod, and Copper.  This will be its biggest test yet - is this workmanlike color deep enough to overcome the bright blue hue?

MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET

(1) Midnight Blue vs. (3) Navy Blue

Two crayons from the same block - who hate each other.  Two colors so close to each other in hue, but miles away in respectability.  A rivalry match for the ages awaits us here.  Midnight Blue copped the #1 seed in this bracket, thanks in large part  to its performance in the Crayon Census, but its performances in the past brackets made it a somewhat questionable pick.  Meanwhile, Navy Blue has the respect of crayons all over the box - this respected and oft-used color, however, has always fallen short in the clutch.  It too now stands on the brink of its first ever trip to the Final Four.  These two remember well their first round matchup in the first bracket that ended in a 6-6 tie.  This year, it's all or nothing - a maiden spot in the Final Four at stake for one of these fine crayons.

GREEN BRACKET

(1) Green vs. (3) Cerulean

Call this one a battle of survivors - two overtime winners meet for the Green Bracket championship.  Defending champion, Green, had to slog out a win over a game Turquoise Blue, while Cerulean had to scrap past a worthy Forest Green.  Green gets by with its simplicity, its utility, and its experience, with appearances in the previous 2 Final Fours.  Cerulean, on the other hand, is a crayon with vast potential that has, heretofore, been left unfulfilled.  After a first round loss in the first bracket, Cerulean rallied to make a shocking run to the Sweet 16, falling to Blue by a single vote.  Now, they get the chance to enter crayon immortality and answer all the skeptics.  To do so, however, will require toppling a titan.

+ + +

There you have it, folks.  An elite eight for the ages - a feel-good story in Wild Strawberry, two titans in Blue and Green, a bitter rivalry game between Midnight Blue and Navy Blue, and chances for Sky Blue, Cerulean, and Brick Red to cement their legacy in crayon lore.

The voting rules are the same - check out the first round site for details.  As for the DUE DATE and TIME, as per usual it's 11:59:59  pm Central Standard Time on SUNDAY 27 JULY 2008.

I declare voting in the ELITE EIGHT / REGIONAL FINAL Round OPEN!

Ten votes were cast in this second round - but the excitement was taken to another level as the tiebreaking procedure had to be employed for the first time in the bracket!  Without further ado, here are the SECOND ROUND HEADLINES!!

* Note: The official score for any overtime games is 5-5.

BLUE BRACKET

* Blue's Ballin' - Bittersweet symphony ends in a 9-1 pasting.
* With Our Powers Combined - Red and Violet team up to take down Sea Green in 6-4 victory.
* Royal Purple is Dead, Long Live ... Wild Strawberry?: Upstart 14 seed gets up early, loses lead late, then wins in OT.
* Aquamarine Keeps on Sailing - Late Pine Green comeback falls short, 6-4.


RED BRACKET

* No. 1 Victim - Fuchsia takes down Red, 6-4; first top seed to lose in bracket.
* Indi-gone - The forgotten primary color is now an afterthought; Sky Blue wins 8-2.
* Copper Robs One - Five vote run for opponent dooms Black, 6-4.
* We Like Our Bricks Red, Not Yellow, Thank You - Brick Red beats Yellow relative, Goldenrod, 6-4.


MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET

* Clock Strikes Midnight (Blue) for Burnt Sienna - Nip and tuck battle ends with a 6-4 win for old Prussian Blue.
* In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle (Green) - Periwinkle perishes by a tally of 7-3.
* When Combining Powers Does Not Work - Blue and Violet team up ... and lose to Navy Blue, 7-3.
* Laser Lemon Zapped Out of Bracket - Blue Green removes upstart 15 seed thanks to a 7-3 win.


GREEN BRACKET

* Going Green - Two-time Final Four participant moves on to third round again, 7-3 over Burnt Sienna.
* Silver is for Second Place ... In This Match-up - Late Silver rush sends match into OT, but Turquoise Blue takes the tiebreaker.
* Didn't Know Corn Had a Flower ... But That Doesn't Matter Now - Cerulean rules, 7-3.
* Life is Like a Box of Crayons - Forest Green advances to second straight Sweet 16, 6-4.

* * *

We have reached the SWEET 16 - and there are some good match-ups to check out!  Here they are!

+ + +

BLUE BRACKET

(1) Blue vs. (13) Red Violet
(14) Wild Strawberry vs. (2) Aquamarine


RED BRACKET

(8) Fuchsia vs. (4) Sky Blue
(6) Copper vs. (2) Brick Red


MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET

(1) Midnight Blue vs. (5) Jungle Green
(3) Navy Blue vs. (7) Blue Green


GREEN BRACKET

(1) Green vs. (4) Turquoise Blue
(3) Cerulean vs. (2) Forest Green


+ + +

Again, a week to get your votes in - see the first round posting in this Livejournal for the rules and reg's.  The DUE DATE and TIME for voting in this bracket is 11:59:59 pm Central Standard Time on SUNDAY 20 JULY 2008!

I declare voting in the SWEET 16 OPEN!!

What a first round, folks!  Thanks to all who voted - 13 votes in the first round is mighty impressive - and there were some very exciting matches that went down to the wire! 

Without further ado, the headlines in each bracket:

BLUE BRACKET
* Blue Blows Through: Last 7 votes turn tied game into 10-3 romp over Raw Sienna.
* How (Bitter)sweet it is!: Basic Brown goes down, 10-3.
* Sea Green Sails On: Vivid Tangerine dulled in 11-2 rout.
* Two Primary Colors are Better Than One: 13 seed Red Violet stuns Yellow, 8-5.
* Ingmar Bergman Would Be Proud: Wild Strawberry stuns 3 seed Orange, 7-6.
* The Monarchs Move On: Royal Purple reigns - but barely; 7-6 over Cadet Blue
* Lavender Caught Among the Pine Trees: Pine Green wins convincingly, 10-3.
* No Contest: Aquamarine shuts out Spring Green, 13-0.

RED BRACKET
* Red Means Go: Other two colors on stoplights combine - and fail miserably, 12-1.
* Violet Wilts: Fuchsia wins handily late, 10-3.
* The Forgotten Color Rises: Indigo upends Magenta, 8-5.
* Blue Skies Ahead for Sky Blue: Gray no match for Sky Blue, 12-1.
* Black Is Back ... Again: Pink handed a slip of its own color - or blackballed, whichever you prefer: 9-4.
* Copper Conducts Electric Lime ... Right Out of Tourney: Late run gives metallic crayon an 8-5 win.
* Solid Gold Not Enough: Recalling remarkable title game run in '05, Goldenrod begins tourney with upset over Gold, 7-6.
* White Washed: Brick Red built strong, wins 9-4.

MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET
* Melon Balls, Gets Balled, Starts Bawling: News about Viagra-like effects of watermelon too little too late; Midnight Blue rides on, 10-3.
* Burnt Sienna On Fire: 4 of last 5 go to Brown derivative, leading to win over Red Orange, 8-5.
* Jungle (Green) Fever: Orchid falls to Jungle Green for second straight tournament, 9-4.
* Marooned: Periwinkle ekes out a 1 vote win late, 7-6 over Maroon.
* Tan Gets Tarred: Navy Blue submarines Tan, 11-2.
* Blue?  Violet?  How 'bout Both?: Mulberry gets bushwhacked, 8-5.
* Blue?  Green?  How 'bout Both?: Teal Blue tipped out late, 7-6.
* Laser Lemon Slices Plum Out of Bracket: 15 seed stings 2 seed Plum at the wire, 7-6.

GREEN BRACKET
* Olive Branch Rejected: Green rolls in 12-1 rout.
* Orange Gets Burnt ... and Wins!: Burnt Orange slips past Sepia, 7-6.
* Silver Shines Brighter Than Sun: Metallic semifinalist from last bracket begins this tournament with a strong 10-3 win.
* Apricot Unappetizing Again: Turquoise Blue devours Apricot, 10-3.
* Dandelion Anything But Dandy: Cerulean rules in 11-2 rout.
* Cornflower Wins A Classic Over Chestnut: 4 of last 5 go to blue derivative in 7-6 win over old Indian Red.
* Once in Pits, Peach Knocks Out Mahogany: Down 5-2, Peach gets 5 of last 6 to win, 7-6.
* Salmon's Swim is Short: Forest Green has enough to hold on against its fishy first round opponent, 8-5.

Eight upsets, including one 15 seed, one 14 seed, and one 13 seed winning; nine matches decided by ONE VOTE (when they say every vote counts, they're not kidding ... so long as it's submitted on time ;-))!  This is what Crayon Madness is all about!  Thanks to all who voted again, and get your friends into this action!

*SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* I must make a special mention here of the amazing and awesome person who gave me a box of 64 crayons for my birthday.  Katie Reilly, take a bow!  You're the first non-crayon to make it into the Crayon Hall of Fame ... which I just made up ;-)  Thank you!!!

The second round matchups are as follows:

* * *

BLUE BRACKET

(1) Blue vs. (9) Bittersweet

(5) Sea Green vs. (13) Red Violet

(14) Wild Strawberry vs. (6) Royal Purple

(7) Pine Green vs. (2) Aquamarine

+ + +

RED BRACKET

(1) Red vs. (8) Fuchsia

(5) Indigo vs. (4) Sky Blue

(3) Black vs. (6) Copper

(10) Goldenrod vs. (2) Brick Red

+ + +

MIDNIGHT BLUE BRACKET

(1) Midnight Blue vs. (9) Burnt Sienna

(5) Jungle Green vs. (4) Periwinkle

(3) Navy Blue vs. (11) Blue Violet

(7) Blue Green vs. (15) Laser Lemon

+ + +

GREEN BRACKET

(1) Green vs. (8) Burnt Orange

(5) Silver vs. (4) Turquoise Blue

(3) Cerulean vs. (11) Cornflower

(7) Peach vs. (2) Forest Green

* * *

Same voting rules apply as in the first round!

DUE DATE and TIME: Votes for the second round are due by 11:59:59 pm Central Standard Time on SUNDAY 13 JULY 2008 - I'm giving you just a week this time, so get your votes in!!!

I declare voting in the second round OPEN!

Ken wanted me to remind everyone: "Just remember, Steve, no matter what happens, I win."

Amen, sir.  Amen.

IT'S OVER!  The votes have been tallied and tabulated - six votes is a modest number to have been tallied, but I thank everyone who chipped in and let their voices be heard this round and every round!  Here's the final score ...

CHAMPIONSHIP: A6 (Ken - Underwear) def. D10 (Ken - Erin's Nametag Idea) 4-2

A worthy champion and a fantastic tournament - at least I thought so!  Congratulations Ken on a very well deserved win.  This away message had it all - pithiness, sharp and quick wit, smart and slightly off color humor without being crass.  You hit the Aristotelian mean on the head right there, friend.  This away message will one of the first away messages, if not the only one, enthroned in the Away Message Hall of Fame being built in the middle of a cornfield 30 miles west of Cedar Rapids, IA.  Some voice told me if I built it, they'd come.

Okay, that's a lie - I'm still in negotiations with the voice on a site for the building - so for now we'll all have to be content with seeing it here one more time!

Once again, congratulations Ken!  Now, please rise and gentlemen remove your caps to salute the 2008 AWAY MESSAGE BRACKET CHAMPION!!!

I'll admit, I couldn't think of any name for this final.  Tim D. did come up with Penultimate Pair, but was well aware of its limitations since, well, this isn't penultimate.  It's the FINAL MATCHUP! 

Here are the results from the semi-final round!

SEMIFINAL #1: A6 (Ken - Underwear) def. B8 (Sokoly - Christina Aguilera) 5-2

SEMIFINAL #2: D10 (Ken - Erin's Nametag Idea) def. C9 (Ken - Me as Female ... Again!) 3*-3 (OT)

* = denotes tiebreaker vote used

An all-Ken final, but two very quality away messages that have been tested.  A shoutout to Erin W., the inspiration for a couple of the final four messages (C9, D10), and to Tim W., here at SLU, who was the inspiration for A6.  Shoutout as well to Sokoly for the best finish by a pretty much original comment.  However, Ken's ability to craft his wisdom and improve and expand upon previous wisdom seems to have won the day.  Now ... which one will be crowned as Away Message Champion?  The Wisest of all Wisdom?  The King of Ken's Castle?

The rules are the same.  The voting will close on SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2008 at 11:59:59 pm CST!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUP IS ...


(A6) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Underwear

chanderbhander: btw, a kernel of wisdom i heard from a law student tonight ...
chanderbhander: "i like my women like my underwear ... a little comfort ... a little support ... and a little freedom."
badlands685: and i like a new one every day!

VS.

(D10) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Erin's Nametag Idea

badlands685: what's great about the name tag is that you can progressively ask for more as time goes on
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, kiss me"
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, let me get to second base"
... later ...
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, fellate me"


I declare the polls OPEN!

N.B.: Props to Tim D. for coming up with the name ... well, he first suggested "Filosophical Four," but I am typically opposed to replacing "f" with "ph" and vice versa - outside of "Rephresh," of course, for reasons that will become abundantly clear when you search YouTube for "rephresh."

First, the results:

BRACKET A FINAL: A6 (Ken - Underwear) def. A16 (Ken - Crayons) 7-0

BRACKET B FINAL: B8 (Sokoly - Christina Aguilera) def. B16 (Ken - Whatever Goes) 5-3

BRACKET C FINAL: C9 (Ken - Me as Female ... Again!) def. C1 (Erin - Me as Female) 8-0

BRACKET D FINAL: D10 (Ken - Erin's Nametag Idea) def. D1 (Ollie - Philly Sports) 6-2

A little wrinkle this time, folks: since we're done with the brackets (which were not themselves seeded) and I never specified which bracket winners would be playing each other, I'm going to seed each based on its overall performance (i.e., the more votes by which it won each matchup, the better seed it will get).  At this level, I don't think it will be a huge problem to reseed - they're all good quotes as it is!  This is not meant to be an absolute measure - just a relative one (i.e., relative to the messages overall, this is how they performed).  I toyed with the idea of just having people rank according to their preference and determining a winner that way, but in the interests of consistency, I'll continue with the head to head matchups!

So, here's the result of the seeding:

(1) A6: +27 votes (9+6+5+7)
(2) C9: +19 votes (8+2+1+8)
(3) D10: +11 votes (4+0+3+4)
(4) B8: +7 votes (0+4+1+2)

So, it works out to be A vs. B, C vs. D anyway.  Well, now there's some sort of reasoning behind it!

So, as always, the same rules apply.  Votes for the Philosophical Four will be due on SATURDAY APRIL 5, 2008 at 11:59:59 CST.

Here are the matchups!

++ SEMIFINAL #1 ++

(A6) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Underwear

chanderbhander: btw, a kernel of wisdom i heard from a law student tonight ...
chanderbhander: "i like my women like my underwear ... a little comfort ... a little support ... and a little freedom."
badlands685: and i like a new one every day!

VS.

(B8) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... SOKOLY!
 
On ... The Times That Are A Changing ...
 
Auto Response from chanderbhander (11:10:27 PM): "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"
- Luke 9:25
 
phishguy 19: everything
phishguy 19: cocaine and supermodels and porsches were not around when luke wrote that
phishguy 19: i don't think it fair
phishguy 19: moses didn't live next to christina aguilera when he said "don't covet thy neighbor's wife"
phishguy 19: have you seen how big her boobs got?
phishguy 19: its like two watermelons
phishguy 19: I think we need a reevaluation
phishguy 19: be like
phishguy 19: ok
phishguy 19: we know what it says and what it means
phishguy 19: but this is 2008 and we have fake tits now


++ SEMIFINAL #2 ++

(C9) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!
 
On ... My Life as a Female ... Again?

badlands685: i dunno steve...you're not really a gossip and you don't really talk behind people's backs
------
Auto response from chanderbhander: The Unmatched Wisdom of ... ERIN!
 
On ... My Life as a Female?
 
CreideamhWM: you'd make such a good girl....
CreideamhWM: and i mean that in the BEST of ways
------
badlands685: plus, we all know you wouldn't put out

VS.

(D10) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Erin's Nametag Idea

badlands685: what's great about the name tag is that you can progressively ask for more as time goes on
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, kiss me"
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, let me get to second base"
... later ...
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, fellate me"


I declare the polls OPEN!

Here are the results from the third round of the Unmatched Wisdom Away Message Bracket!

Bracket A - Third Round Results
A6 (Ken - Underwear) def. A2 (Fran - Teddy Bear Withdrawal) 7-2
A16 (Ken - Crayons) def. A10 (Meg - Memories) 5-4

Bracket B - Third Round Results
B8 (Sokoly - Christina Aguilera) def. B1 (Pat - Robby Dance) 5-4
B16 (Ken - Whatever Goes) def. B11 (Pat - Me at Grad School) 5-4

Bracket C - Third Round Results
C1 (Erin - Me as Female) def. C5 (Elizabeth - Babies) 6-3
C9 (Ken - Me as Female ... Again!) def. C13 (Jeremy - Footwear) 5-4

Bracket D - Third Round Results
D1 (Ollie - Philly Sports) def. D6 (Barb - Wyoming) 6-3
D10 (Ken - Erin's Nametag Idea) def. D16 (Sarah - Chocolate) 6-3

Once again, the same rules apply - you know the drill.  Back to the regular one week schedule: votes will be due on SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008 by 11:59:59 CST.

Ladies and gentlemen, the ELOQUENT EIGHT matchups!

+++

BRACKET A FINAL

(A6) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Underwear

chanderbhander: btw, a kernel of wisdom i heard from a law student tonight ...
chanderbhander: "i like my women like my underwear ... a little comfort ... a little support ... and a little freedom."
badlands685: and i like a new one every day!

VS.

(A16) The Unmatched Wisdom of KEN!

On ... Crayons

oakland1701: steve, some of these crayons are bull-shit johnny come-latelies...they weren't there for the early years when the crayons like green-blue or orange-red, who had to build up the program...crayons like these two, they were always there, good times and bad...they toiled in the lean years unlike some of these others w/ their fancy nicknames, thinking that will make up for lack of ability - raw umber, electric lime, purple pizzazz...what is that? it looks like purple piss ass to me and that isn't a name that should be marketed to such impressionable kids...so steve, do the right thing, go w/ the crayons that earned that berth...go w/ green blue, orange red, orange yellow, and violet blue...they're the real crayons

+++

BRACKET B FINAL

(B8) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... SOKOLY!
 
On ... The Times That Are A Changing ...
 
Auto Response from chanderbhander (11:10:27 PM): "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"
- Luke 9:25
 
phishguy 19: everything
phishguy 19: cocaine and supermodels and porsches were not around when luke wrote that
phishguy 19: i don't think it fair
phishguy 19: moses didn't live next to christina aguilera when he said "don't covet thy neighbor's wife"
phishguy 19: have you seen how big her boobs got?
phishguy 19: its like two watermelons
phishguy 19: I think we need a reevaluation
phishguy 19: be like
phishguy 19: ok
phishguy 19: we know what it says and what it means
phishguy 19: but this is 2008 and we have fake tits now

VS.

(B16) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Interesting Ways to Say "Whatever Goes"

badlands685: so whatever floats your boat
badlands685: umm, whatever grates your crate?
badlands685: whatever tickles your pickle

+++

BRACKET C FINAL

(C1) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... ERIN!

On ... My Life as a Female?

CreideamhWM: you'd make such a good girl....
CreideamhWM: and i mean that in the BEST of ways 

VS.

(C9) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!
 
On ... My Life as a Female ... Again?

badlands685: i dunno steve...you're not really a gossip and you don't really talk behind people's backs
------
Auto response from chanderbhander: The Unmatched Wisdom of ... ERIN!
 
On ... My Life as a Female?
 
CreideamhWM: you'd make such a good girl....
CreideamhWM: and i mean that in the BEST of ways 
------
badlands685: plus, we all know you wouldn't put out

+++

BRACKET D FINAL

(D1) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... OLLIE!

On ... Being a Philadelphia Sports Fan ...

FlyersOllie: It's enough to make you believe you're destined to never be a champion in anything and die a lonely death alone by a heart attack in front of a cheesesteak.

VS.

(D10) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Erin's Nametag Idea

badlands685: what's great about the name tag is that you can progressively ask for more as time goes on
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, kiss me"
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, let me get to second base"
... later ...
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, fellate me"

+++

The polls are open!

Okay folks - Selection Sunday nears!! Once again, I'll be in New Orleans on a service trip, so I won't be able to get to a computer and participate in any pools or such things.  However, before I leave, I offer my last predictions on what the bracket may look like!

Also, DON'T FORGET - AWAY MESSAGE BRACKET REMAINS OPEN until 11:59:59 pm CST on MARCH 22!!!

The Final Four Matchups will be MIDWEST WINNER vs. WEST WINNER and EAST WINNER vs. SOUTH WINNER.  The Final Four will be held in San Antonio, TX this year.

+++

Midwest Bracket - Regional Finals: Detroit, MI

Little Rock, AR
(1) Memphis vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's / Jackson State (Play-In Game)
(8) Texas A&M vs. (9) Miami (FL)

Denver, CO
(5) Washington State vs. (12) Ohio State
(4) Notre Dame vs. (13) Oral Roberts

Birmingham, AL
(6) Michigan State vs. (11) Illinois State
(3) Louisville vs. (14) New Mexico State

Omaha, NE
(7) Brigham Young vs. (10) Arizona
(2) Kansas vs. (15) Austin Peay

+++

West Bracket - Regional Finals: Phoenix, AZ

Anaheim, CA
(1) UCLA vs. (16) Portland State
(8) Saint Mary's (CA) vs. (9) Baylor

Washington, DC
(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Temple
(4) Connecticut vs. (13) George Mason

Denver, CO
(6) Southern California vs. (11) Western Kentucky
(3) Wisconsin vs. (14) UCSB (Cal-Santa Barbara)

Tampa, FL
(7) Mississippi State vs. (10) Davidson
(2) Georgetown vs. (15) Winthrop

+++

East Region - Regional Finals: Charlotte, NC

Raleigh, NC
(1) North Carolina vs. (16) American
(8) Oklahoma vs. (9) Kentucky

Omaha, NE
(5) Purdue vs. (12) Villanova
(4) Drake vs. (13) Stephen F. Austin

Anaheim, CA
(6) Pittsburgh vs. (11) South Alabama
(3) Stanford vs. (14) Cornell

Little Rock, AR
(7) Indiana vs. (10) UNLV
(2) Texas vs. (15) UMBC (Maryland - Baltimore County)

+++

South Region - Regional Finals - Houston, TX

Birmingham, AL
(1) Tennessee vs. (16) Morgan State
(8) West Virginia vs. (9) Kansas State

Tampa, FL
(5) Clemson vs. (12) Arizona State
(4) Butler vs. (13) San Diego

Washington, DC
(6) Marquette vs. (11) Arkansas
(3) Xavier vs. (14) Siena

Raleigh, NC
(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) Kent State
(2) Duke vs. (15) Belmont

+++

Still some interesting matchups in the first round:

Midwest: Notre Dame vs. Oral Roberts - Holy War!
Midwest: Louisville vs. New Mexico State - NMSU coach Marvin Menzies was a former assistant to Louisville coach Rick Pitino
Midwest: BYU vs. Arizona - Stormin' Mormons are better than you think.
West: UConn vs. George Mason - In Washington, DC.  I know the committee probably won't do this ... but hey - we can dream can't we?  This would sell out in an instant!
West: USC vs. Western Kentucky - You should watch for more than just the WKU mascot!
West: Mississippi St. vs. Davidson - The Red and Black Machine of Davidson is ready to spring an "upset"
West: Georgetown vs. Winthrop - Something tells me this will be close.  And somehow G'town will pull it out ... barely
East: Oklahoma vs. Kentucky - Two name programs meeting in an 8/9 game usually means it'll be a dog, but this one could be scrappy and hard fought
East: Pitt vs. South Alabama - Very intriguing matchup between two teams that may be underseeded.
East: Stanford vs. Cornell - Who's smarter won't win this one ... well, maybe ...
South: Kansas St. vs. West Virginia - Can't help setting up the Huggins Bowl
South: Butler vs. San Diego - A good ole Pioneer Football League matchup!
South: Gonzaga vs. Kent St. - This will be better than you expect.

Final Four out of this bracket:

Midwest: Kansas - Yes, I know I never have trusted Bill Self to get a team to the Final Four, and they're ripe for an upset by BYU, but I think Memphis will have a hard time with Washington State, should the Cougs get to the Sweet 16 this year, and I think Kansas is a bit better than them and Louisville.  (Dark Horse: Michigan State - Drew Neitzel could get hot)
West: UCLA - Whose ass will the officials kiss if it's a UCLA / G'town final?  (Dark Horse: Wisconsin - they're good enough to win the whole thing, so long as the offense shows up).
East: UNC - Too much of a home court advantage for 4 games, though they did lose at home to UMD and Duke.  Drake should give them a good good game.  Texas and Stanford both have excellent chances to win this too.  (Dark Horse: Pittsburgh - they didn't fatten themselves on a weak non-con schedule this year.  They've fought through a lot this year - and maybe, just maybe, they'll have enough left for a magical run)
South: Butler - I am not lying.  I do not think Tennessee will win anything this year - some team will trip them up in the tournament, and Butler's the kind of team to do it - fundamentally sound and a bunch of jump shooters.  Duke's road is pitted with landmines from round one.  (Dark Horse: Xavier - I know they're seeded higher than Butler, but this is just my way of saying they're my #2 choice).

Final Four:
UCLA def. Kansas - Bill Self gets to the Final Four ... and loses.  I can accept that.
Butler def. UNC - Am I really that crazy?

Championship:
UCLA def. Butler - No, not that crazy.

The votes are all in and counted, and no Florida-in-2000-esque errors this week!  Two ties were mediated by a tiebreaker vote.  Here are the results!

Bracket A - Second Round Results
A2 (Fran - Teddy Bear Withdrawal) def. A3 (Barb - New Adjectives) 7-3
A6 (Ken - Underwear) def. A8 (Erin - Blocks) 8-2
A10 (Meg - Memories) def. A11 (Sokoly - PH Mall) 6-4
A16 (Ken - Crayons) def. A13 (Katie - Drugs & Elephants) 9-1

Bracket B - Second Round Results
B1 (Pat - Robby Dance) def. B4 (Katie - Britney's Breakdown) 9-1
B8 (Sokoly - Christina Aguilera) def. B6 (Ollie - Law School and Babies) 7-3
B11 (Pat - Me at Grad School) def. B9 (Ollie - San Diego) 6-4
B16 (Ken - Whatever Goes) def. B13 (Alex / Rich - Seminaries) 6-4

Bracket C - Second Round Results
C1 (Erin - Me as Female) def. C3 (Tim D. - Unmatched Wisdom BCS) 8-2
C5 (Elizabeth - Babies) def. C7 (Erin - Indubitably) 5*-5 (OT)
C9 (Ken - Me as Female ... Again!) def. C12 (Robby - Finding Roommates) 6-4
C13 (Jeremy - Footwear) def. C15 (Pat - Dating Slogan) 6-4

Bracket D - Second Round Results
D1 (Ollie - Philly Sports) def. D3 (Katie - Real Men of Genius) 6-4
D6 (Barb - Wyoming) def. D8 (Pat - Bathroom) 6-4
D10 (Ken - Erin's Nametag Idea) def. D12 (Barb - After College) 5*-5 (OT)
D16 (Sarah - Chocolate) def. D13 (Ken - What's Important to Americans) 6-4

* = denotes tiebreaker vote used

Due to SLU's spring break and the fact that I'll be in New Orleans on a service trip and likely won't have access to the internet for a while, votes will be open for TWO WEEKS.  Third Round voting, therefore, closes on MARCH 22, 2008 at 11:59:59 pm CST (that's CENTRAL standard time, not Caribbean standard time ... though I am intrigued by the thought ...).  Same rules apply.  While I'm away, I'll likely have AIM off, so please, if you're submitting votes in the second week (i.e., while I'm in New Orleans), please submit via email or comment.  I'll take AIM votes until I leave.

Here are the matchups!  (There are few enough that I won't use LJ cuts anymore):

+++++++++++

BRACKET A

(A2) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... FRAN!

On ... Teddy Bear Withdrawal

chanderbhander: i too have a favorite teddy bear ... and he's usually somewhere in bed  ...
JThingLax:  usually?
JThingLax:  is he MIA
chanderbhander: right now ... yes
chanderbhander: i forgot him at home
JThingLax:  oh no!
chanderbhander: i know ... now, im a guy ... so i can handle it ... no biggie
chanderbhander: ...
chanderbhander: *sniff*
JThingLax:  be strong in his absence...he would have wanted it that way

VS.

(A6) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Underwear

chanderbhander: btw, a kernel of wisdom i heard from a law student tonight ...
chanderbhander: "i like my women like my underwear ... a little comfort ... a little support ... and a little freedom."
badlands685: and i like a new one every day!

+++

(A10) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... MEG!

On ... Fond Memories

Meg: We'll always have Paris...or at least that time on Busch Field where I totally took out a guy during an IM soccer game and you didn't call anything

VS.

(A16) The Unmatched Wisdom of KEN!

On ... Crayons

oakland1701: steve, some of these crayons are bull-shit johnny come-latelies...they weren't there for the early years when the crayons like green-blue or orange-red, who had to build up the program...crayons like these two, they were always there, good times and bad...they toiled in the lean years unlike some of these others w/ their fancy nicknames, thinking that will make up for lack of ability - raw umber, electric lime, purple pizzazz...what is that? it looks like purple piss ass to me and that isn't a name that should be marketed to such impressionable kids...so steve, do the right thing, go w/ the crayons that earned that berth...go w/ green blue, orange red, orange yellow, and violet blue...they're the real crayons

++++++++++

BRACKET B

(B1) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... PAT!

On ... The Robby Dance

superzozo: there is never an inappropriate time to do the robby dance
superzozo: after winnign at monkey ball
superzozo: robby dance
superzozo: after finsihing your papers
superzozo: robby dance
superzozo: after coitus
superzozo: robby dance

VS.

(B8) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... SOKOLY!
 
On ... The Times That Are A Changing ...
 
Auto Response from chanderbhander (11:10:27 PM): "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"
- Luke 9:25
 
phishguy 19: everything
phishguy 19: cocaine and supermodels and porsches were not around when luke wrote that
phishguy 19: i don't think it fair
phishguy 19: moses didn't live next to christina aguilera when he said "don't covet thy neighbor's wife"
phishguy 19: have you seen how big her boobs got?
phishguy 19: its like two watermelons
phishguy 19: I think we need a reevaluation
phishguy 19: be like
phishguy 19: ok
phishguy 19: we know what it says and what it means
phishguy 19: but this is 2008 and we have fake tits now

+++

(B11) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... PAT!

On ... What I'm REALLY Up to At Grad School

superzozo (7:33:58 PM): bowl selection on espn and cannonball run 2 on espn classic
superzozo (7:34:08 PM): its like you're doing programming for espn now

VS.

(B16) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Interesting Ways to Say "Whatever Goes"

badlands685: so whatever floats your boat
badlands685: umm, whatever grates your crate?
badlands685: whatever tickles your pickle

+++++++++++

BRACKET C

(C1) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... ERIN!

On ... My Life as a Female?

CreideamhWM: you'd make such a good girl....
CreideamhWM: and i mean that in the BEST of ways  

VS.

(C5) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... ELIZABETH!

On ... Babies

eamccrillis: I read an article about him from a couple of years ago
chanderbhander: really - whatd it say?
eamccrillis: and he was talking about the video game that he's in
eamccrillis: and how he wants to have a copy to show his kids someday
eamccrillis: so I was thinking I would offer to help him with that
chanderbhander: the video game or the kids ...
eamccrillis: the kids, of course

+++

(C9) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!
 
On ... My Life as a Female ... Again?

badlands685: i dunno steve...you're not really a gossip and you don't really talk behind people's backs
------
Auto response from chanderbhander: The Unmatched Wisdom of ... ERIN!
 
On ... My Life as a Female?
 
CreideamhWM: you'd make such a good girl....
CreideamhWM: and i mean that in the BEST of ways  
------
badlands685: plus, we all know you wouldn't put out

VS.

(C13) The Unmatched Wisdom of JEREMY!

On ... Footwear (while my leg was broken)

thebigshuck2: What is on Ballcoach's right leg?
Auto response from chanderbhander: aboot
thebigshuck2: Thats correct!

++++++++++

BRACKET D

(D1) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... OLLIE!

On ... Being a Philadelphia Sports Fan ...

FlyersOllie: It's enough to make you believe you're destined to never be a champion in anything and die a lonely death alone by a heart attack in front of a cheesesteak.

VS.

(D6) The Unmatched Wisdom of BARB!

on ... Wyoming

GKeeper959: what the crap does Wyoming do?
GKeeper959: I feel like if Uncle Sam ran an eval on each state, Wyoming would be the first one fired

+++

(D10) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... KEN!

On ... Erin's Nametag Idea

badlands685: what's great about the name tag is that you can progressively ask for more as time goes on
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, kiss me"
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, let me get to second base"
... later ...
badlands685: "hello, i am adorable, fellate me"

VS.

(D16) The Unmatched Wisdom of ... SARAH!

On ... Ways to Get Ballcoach to Get You Chocolate

sweetdreamr28: does that mean i dont get any fudge till ur in some desperate circumstance?
chanderbhander: nooo ... but it does mean that, if you're mad at me for something, the likelihood that you'll be receiving chocolate for retribution is very high ... because no one likes an angry significant other
sweetdreamr28: haha...well hurry up and do something to piss me off...i feel a craving coming on

++++++++++

I declare the voting for the third round OPEN!

A slight diversion from the Away Message Bracket (results tomorrow!), here's my knee-jerk prediction for the NCAA Tournament Bracket (using a great site (http://bracketproject.atspace.com/comparison.htm) for the general S-curve.  I made a couple deviations and ensured that the matchups work (i.e., no conference opponents until the Elite 8; BYU doesn't play on Sundays; no teams that are hosting games play at that site):

In Final Four (San Antonio), EAST (1) will play MIDWEST (4) and SOUTH (2) will play WEST (3)

EAST REGION (Regional Finals - Charlotte, NC)

(Raleigh, NC)
1. North Carolina vs. 16. (Play-In) Alabama State vs. Morgan State
8. Kansas State vs. 9. West Virginia

(Birmingham, AL)
5. Purdue vs. 12. New Mexico
4. Vanderbilt vs. 13. Virginia Commonwealth

(Washington, DC)
6. Gonzaga vs. 11. Arizona State
3. Louisville vs. 14. Belmont

(Omaha, NE)
7. Brigham Young vs. 10. Kent St.
2. Kansas vs. 15. Maryland - Baltimore County

MIDWEST REGION (Regional Finals - Detroit, MI)

(Little Rock, AR)
1. Memphis vs. 16. American
8. Miami (FL) vs. 9. UNLV

(Tampa, FL)
5. Butler vs. 12. Davidson
4. Connecticut vs. 13. Cornell

(Washington, DC)
6. Drake vs. 11. Kentucky
3. Xavier vs. 14. Siena

(Raleigh, NC)
7. Southern California vs. 10. Texas A&M
2. Duke vs. 15. North Carolina - Asheville

SOUTH REGION (Regional Finals - Houston, TX)

(Birmingham, AL)
1. Tennessee vs. 16. Lamar
8. Oklahoma vs. 9. Arizona

(Denver, CO)
5. Michigan State vs. 12. Maryland
4. Notre Dame vs. 13. St. Joseph's (PA)

(Anaheim, CA)
6. Clemson vs. 11. Massachusetts
3. Stanford vs. 14. Cal State - Northridge

(Tampa, FL)
7. Mississippi State vs. 10. South Alabama
2. Georgetown vs. 15. Robert Morris

WEST REGION (Regional Finals - Phoenix, AZ)

(Anaheim, CA)
1. UCLA vs. 16. Portland State
8. St. Mary's (CA) vs. 9. Baylor

(Denver, CO)
5. Marquette vs. 12. Florida
4. Indiana vs. 13. Oral Roberts

(Omaha, NE)
6. Washington State vs. 11. Illinois State
3. Wisconsin vs. 14. New Mexico State

(Little Rock, AR)
7. Pittsburgh vs. 10. Arkansas
2. Texas vs. 15. Austin Peay

The last four teams in were: New Mexico, Maryland, Florida, and St. Joseph's (PA)
The last four teams out were: UAB, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Western Kentucky

My deviations from the bracket matrix were the inclusion of Florida and St. Joe's (excluding UAB and VA Tech) and putting New Mexico St. as the WAC champ, instead of Boise St. (NMSU hosts the tournament).

I think this bracket yields some very very interesting matchups:

First Round:
East: Kansas St. vs. West Virginia - Bob Huggins coaching WVU against the team he coached last year.
East: BYU vs. Kent St. - solid matchup of two teams you've never heard much of
Midwest: Butler vs. Davidson - one for the midmajor lovers
Midwest: Drake vs. Kentucky - two of college basketball's surprises ... in different ways
South: Oklahoma vs. Arizona - clash of big powers in an 8-9 tilt

(Potential) Second Round:
East: UNC vs. KSU - Hansborough vs. Beasley - the top 2 candidates for Player of the Year
Midwest: Butler or Davidson vs. UConn - don't think Calhoun would like to play either of these two teams
Midwest: USC vs. Duke - OJ Mayo vs. the Dukies - classic
South: Michigan St. vs. Notre Dame - it's a small wonder these two don't meet on the hardwood, but they do meet on the gridiron
West: UCLA vs. St. Mary's (CA) - this one would have Anaheim buzzing
West: Marquette vs. Indiana - a little midwest tie that could be intriguing
West: Washington St. vs. Wisconsin - Tony Bennett (WSU's head coach) takes on his dad's old team (Wisc.)
West: Texas vs. Arkansas - a good ole SWC matchup

My final four out of this bracket?
EAST: North Carolina - too much of an advantage playing essentially at home; KU or Louisville would lose in the regional final (Dark Horse: Vanderbilt - if Foster can get hot and they don't overlook VCU)
MIDWEST: Xavier - a tremendously balanced team; I think they play such good defense that they can take down Duke AND Memphis (Dark Horse: Butler - I am slightly skeptical of them because they rely on the 3 point shot so much - and on fresh rims the shots might not fall as easily, but they are fundamentally sound)
SOUTH: Stanford - got jobbed at UCLA last night.  This is a very very solid team that can beat Georgetown inside and clamp down on Tennessee's high flying style. (Dark Horse: Notre Dame - call me crazy, but if McAlarney can keep raining threes (and he stays off the weed) with Harangody inside, the Irish have one of the most potent offenses in basketball ... maybe enough to outscore Tennessee and harass G'town and/or Stanford)
WEST: UCLA - just an overall solid team; won't win style points, but Love is the real deal inside. (Dark Horse: Wisconsin - a Wisconsin / UCLA regional final would be a brutal affair - first to 50 wins.  Only thing in this bracket is that Wisconsin would have had to get past Wazzu, so they'd be beat up pretty good already, and Texas is no pushover.  But Bo Ryan has put together one of the quieter Big Ten championship winning seasons in history).

Final Four:
Xavier def. North Carolina - Lawson finally gets gassed
UCLA def. Stanford - this time NOT on a controversial call

Championship:
UCLA def. Xavier - third Final Four's the charm for Ben Howland and the Bruins.  They'll win it for Coach Wooden's collarbone!


DON'T FORGET - AWAY MESSAGE BRACKET SWEET SIXTEEN REVEALED TOMORROW!!!!  VOTE BEFORE MIDNIGHT (CST) if you haven't already!  See previous post for details.

Folks, what a first round!  A total of 11 votes were (honestly) tallied.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I had counted the votes before I checked my W&M email, so I had not gotten the last set of votes.  With 10 votes, there was a tie and I resorted to the "Hey, you're online!  Have a vote in these 3!" Method.  Worked out for the crayons, and it worked here quite well.  However, I have had to discount those three tie-breaker votes.  Also, one of the votes submitted was honestly partial, and that is fine.  Abstentions are acceptable.  As a result, some of the matchups have only 10 votes - and, in fact, one ended 5-5!  So I used the tiebreaker vote method again, and it worked again.  In all, three matchups' outcomes were altered due to this change, but since the vote was submitted legitimately and on time, it is acceptable - oversight on my part!  Thank you for your participation and I hope to hear from you all again!

Here are the results!:

Bracket A - First Round Results
A2 (Fran - Teddy Bear Withdrawal) def. A1 (Erin - Writing) 9-2
A3 (Barb - New Adjectives) def. A4 (Ken - Craigslist.com) 6-5
A6 (Ken - Underwear) def. A5 (Robby - Perpetual Motion) 10-1
A8 (Erin - Blocks) def. A7 (Lori - Pt/Ctrpt.) 10-1
A10 (Meg - Memories) def. A9 (Erin - Comic "Relief") 7-4
A11 (Sokoly -PH Mall) def. A12 (Danny - Excuses) 6-5
A13 (Katie - Drugs / Elephants) def. A14 (Juliet - Crayons) 7-3
A16 (Ken - Crayons) def. A15 (MA - Like It's Hot) 6-5

Bracket B - First Round Results
B1 (Pat - Robby Dance) def. B2 (Erin - Not Math Major) 8-3
B4 (Katie - Britney's Breakdown) def. B3 (Erin - Do-Gooders) 9-1
B6 (Ollie - Law School and Babies) def. B5 (Becky - Horticulture) 9-2
^ B8 (Sokoly - Christina Aguilera) def. B7 (Ken - Reading Groups) 5*-5 (OT)
B9 (Ollie - San Diego) def. B10 (Laura - Commercials) 8-3
B11 (Pat - Me at Grad School) def. B12 (MA - Carpet Squares) 7-4
B13 (Alex/Rich - Seminaries) def. B14 (Barb - Chanderbhanium) 7-4
B16 (Ken - Whatever Goes) def. B15 (Erin - Name Tags) 6-5

Bracket C - First Round Results
C1 (Erin - Me as Female) def. C2 (Jarcho - Supervising) 7-4
C3 (Tim D. - Unmatched Wisdom BCS) def. C4 (Barb - Priorities) 7-4
C5 (Elizabeth - Babies) def. C6 (Katie - Appearances) 9-2
^ C7 (Erin - Indubitably) def. C8 (Katie - Wisdom) 6-5
C9 (Ken - Me as Female ... Again!) def. C10 (Erin - My Life as Play) 9-1
C12 (Robby - Finding Roomates) def. C11 (Erin - Comfort Zone) 6-5
C13 (Jeremy - Footwear) def. C14 (Tim P. - Fantasy Football) 10-1
C15 (Pat - Dating Slogan) def. C16 (Katie - Oscars) 10-1

Bracket D - First Round Results
D1 (Ollie - Philly Sports) def. D2 (Erin - Trains of Thought) 6-5
D3 (Katie - Real Men of Genius) def. D4 (Matt W. - Window-Shopping) 10-0
D6 (Barb - Wyoming) def. D5 (Sokoly - Blame) 7-4
^ D8 (Pat - Bathroom) def. D7 (Bert - SLU Bball) 6-5
D10 (Ken - Erin's Nametag Idea) def. D9 (Lori - Sandwiches) 7-3
D12 (Barb - After College) def. D11 (Ken - Away Message Roll / Crops) 6-5
D13 (Ken - What's Important to Americans) def. D14 (Laura - Quality TV) 7-3
D16 (Sarah - Chocolate) def. D15 (Ken - Burt Reynolds) 7-3

^ = denotes altered outcome from what was posted last night
* = denotes tiebreaker vote used

So here comes the second round.  You know the drill.  Same rules apply.  And no robots voting, PAT! ;-)  VOTES ARE DUE TO ME VIA E-MAIL, IM, or LJ COMMENT by SATURDAY MARCH 8, 2008 by 11:59:59 CST!  Have fun!  The second round matchups are as follows:

First, in Bracket A:


++++++++++

Now onto Bracket B ...


+++++++++++

Next, onto Bracket C


++++++++++

Last but not least ...


I declare second round voting open!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Yes, I've found it necessary to start a new LJ just for this bracket.  Just in case I wanted to write anything more on my other one.  This one will likely be devoted to my less philosophical and more somewhat useful exploits.  Like the 64 "Unmatched Wisdom" Away Message Bracket!

As you may well know, I've tried over the years to compile the most amusing, most off-the-wall, and most off-color statements from my friends - mostly received over AIM - and immortalized them in Away Message form.  Some people have many more than others, but that's just the nature of the game - i.e., I talk to some people more than others.  It was suggested to me by one J. Shifton, or shall I say Jeremy S., that a 64-object bracket lay in waiting.  His brilliance is truly beyond compare ... well, at least for this.

I have compiled what I deemed the 64 best away messages in terms of "Unmatched Wisdom" that I had.  Using a random number generator, I generated a sequence of 64 numbers so as to determine the pairings.  Unfortunately, we're dealing with practically incommensurable goods here, so I could not seed things very easily.  No RPI.  No BCS.  Maybe, if this goes down again, I'll take this year's results into account and seed things intelligently.  But who knows.

Okay, so the rules:
1.) You can only vote on each of the matches once.
2.)  Votes may come via LJ comment (for anonymous comments, please sign with your name at the end) OR via AIM (you know my SN) OR via e-mail (schander@slu.edu, sachan@wm.edu)
3.) I will set a deadline by which time ALL VOTES must be submitted.  It might be shifted depending on what I deem necessary, so stay tuned!
4.) Have fun!

There are four brackets: A, B, C, and D.  Each of the messages in each bracket is numbered 1-16.  Once again, there is no correlation to any sort of seeding principle.  Please pay attention to the numbers while voting.  For the first round it'll be A1 vs. A2, A3 vs. A4, etc.  Any more questions - email or message me!

THE DEADLINE FOR FIRST ROUND VOTING is TENTATIVELY set for 11:59:59 pm, Saturday, March 1, 2008.

Are you ready for this?  Let's go!


next ...


Halfway done ... now, onto ...


And last, but not least ...



Again, any questions, please let me know.  Votes are due in just over a week - but keep an eye out for any changes in this schedule.  Remember - A1 vs. A2 ... A3 vs. A4 ... and so on.  May be wisest wisdom win!

I declare the voting OPEN!