Pop Culture Madness! Elite 8

Holy smokes, you guys.  Is it just me or are we down to 8 competitors left?  I guess we're down to 8 competitors left.  What a tournament so far.  I think everyone who reads this is probably wondering how in the blue hell Judge Judy has made it so far, and I'm with you.  It just goes to show how absurd the 1st Annual Breakfast at Jimothy's Pop Culture Madness bracket has been, and that it needs to come back next year.  The unpredictability is at an all time high, which means that the following 4 matchups should be a real doozy.  Our judges (panelists?  Guys, seriously, which sounds better?)  include dear friend Frank "Take It To The Bank" Gassert, Q, my roommate Matt "Alabama Slamma" Gaynor, Angela "Killer" Ju, Wade "Cannonball" Zawatsky, 'Hurricane' Annik Spencer and 'Dammit' Tyler Blatchley.  Also, before we start, may we all take a moment to pay tribute to the legendary Ultimate Warrior.  Without him, the world is a more boring place.

I would also like to start things off with an introduction from my good friend and drinking buddy, Q:

"Rock bottom.  There are many that think they have been there, but the only ones who truly know what it means are those who have gone past it; below the rock and below the crust, all the way down to the molten lava and have felt its agonizing and inescapable burn.  I discovered this when I was asked to write for Jim Kirwan's blog and I said, 'Yes.'".

Thank you, Q, for those touching words.  Now, without further ado, here are the match ups for the Elite 8.  May the odds forever be in your brackets favor.  Or whatever that quote is.  I haven't seen the Hunger Games.


1.  Bald Britney Spears vs. WWE Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan's YES!!! Chant:

 

(watch at 2:33 for the full effect)

• Frank the Tank: "Britney is hot.  No matter what type of haircut she has.  However, do I think Daniel Bryan is hotter?  Yes!"
• Tyler:"I'm gonna have to go with the obvious here and pick Daniel Bryan."
• Hurricane Annik:"If I say WWE Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan's YES!!! Chant will you stop posting about it on social media and refrain from sending snap chats every Sunday morning where you're chanting YES!!! too hungover to function?  Get your life together, Jim."
• EDITOR'S NOTE: "No."
• Gaynor:"YES.  Because Jim loves it."
• Wade:"Britney taught us all that it's ok to not have hair.  This is a lesson that I, and many other poor souls like me, will be leaning on sooner rather than later.  Hit me baby one more time (with some Rogaine)."
• Angela:"I choose the YES chant because even though I was opposed to it initially, the movement has entered my life whether I like it or not.  I've learned that it's better to embrace it than to fight it.  And I think Britney looks better with hair."
• Q:"It's hard to compare things that have nothing in common.  When Jim sent me all the matchups for his Elite Eight I knew it would be like squeezing water from a stone.  When I saw this one in particular, I abandoned the idea of trying to be funny and just wanted to write something that would make sense.  The winner in this round is Daniel Bryan's YES!!! chant.  It won because it is a call to action with a positive message.  It's happy mantra for thousands of fans.  What could be more positive than the affirmative?  Wrestling fans may remember a few years back when Daniel Bryan (still a heel at the time) dabbled with the short-lived 'No!!!' chant.  It did not have the same effect.  The reason Britney's bald head is the loser is because it's the exact opposite of the chant.  It is the physical embodiment of rock bottom, which was explained above.  It was sad to see the unraveling of this young superstar.  It was sadder still to see the way people reveled in her rapid decline.  I see shreds of the same thing in the public's gleeful anticipation of Justin Bieber's impending doom.  Britney seems to be doing okay these days, which is good.  Hopefully Daniel Bryan's 'Yes!!!' chant victory over her bald noggin will help us to forget this ugly period in her very public life and help us to remember her as the teenie-boppin' sex kitten that we all knew and loved.  But if we refuse to acknowledge her highs and continue to dwell on, and take pleasure in her lows, then maybe it really is time to leave Britney alone."

• Winner: When you're hot, you're hot, and the Yes Movement is en fuego right now.  Did it just beat Bald Britney Spears 6-1?  YES.  YES it did. 

2.  Kel Mitchell vs. Blue Ivy Carter:

• Hurricane Annik:"Blue Ivy Carter because she was produced by the King and Queen of the World and was the first and probably only newborn baby to be included as back up in a song before she was a week old.  Wait and she also has a multi-million dollar nursery in the Barclays.  Did I mention Beyonce?  Because I think that needs to be mentioned again."
• Gaynor:"Blue Ivy Carter.  Cause her name screams 'swag'."
• Wade:"I pity Blue Ivy.  I really do.  There is no way in hell she will ever live up to the expectations people will put on her.  I mean Hova plus Beyonce literally equals destiny's child.  The kid could grow up to be a secret agent astronaut that assassinates Vladimir Putin and she still wouldn't live up to what people will expect out of her.  And rightfully so.  Anything short of a Grammy by her 4th birthday is a failure.  Gotta go with the Repair-Man-Man-Man-Man on this one."
• Angela:"100% Blue Ivy because she is a goddess' creation AKA Beyonce.  And I don't know who Kel Mitchell is..."
• Tyler:"Kel Mitchell because I had to google to see who Blue Ivy Carter was.  Poor kid."
• Frank the Tank:"Kel Mitchell- the dude who puts his secret sauce into cheeseburgers to make them taste good, aka Kenan's better half has likely fallen on some hard times as of late.  However, due to the fact that I had to google what a 'Blue Ivy Carter' was when Jim sent this over to me, the king of orange soda wins this tilt."
• Q:"This is an even harder matchup to pick than the last and not because the participants are so different or so similar, but because they are so irrelevant to anything.  I figured that I had my finger pretty well on the pulse of popular culture but Jim stumped me on this one.  I had to look up who each of these people are.  It turns out that one is a grown man and the other is a baby.  If I were a firefighter and I had to choose one to save this would be an easy choice.  I would undoubtedly pick the baby.  That would be the heroic thing to do.  Luckily I am not a hero, which is why I'm hunched over a computer contributing to a pop culture blog instead of running into burning buildings.  The winner is Kel Mitchell.  He is the winner strictly for the nostalgic feeling that he gives people.  Adults look back on his show and realize how corny and unfunny it was but still seem to enjoy it.  What we are really laughing at when we think about the show is how we could ever have been entertained by something so grating and stupid.  There is also a sense of shared childhood experience that his and all the other shitty Nickelodeon TV shows give people, which is actually kind of depressing when you think about it.  Had he been competing with anyone other than a baby, he most certainly would have lost."

• Winner: Kel Mitchell takes his orange soda and good burger into the Final 4 with a close victory over that Baby Blue 4-3.  Kel Mitchell is the current feel good story of this tournament.  AWWWWWW HERE IT GOES!

3. Judge Judy vs. Jason Bourne:

• Frank the Tank:"How the hell did Judge Judy make it this far.  Does anybody like that lady?  Jason Bourne is one of the most boring, predictable, non-badass protagonists in modern movies, without any awesome catchphrases, yes he has no competition in this matchup so I'll give him the undeserving pity W here."
• Angela:"Jason Bourne because he's badass and I used to have a secret crush on Matt Damon.  And Judge Judy is a meanie."
• Hurricane Annik:"I care about both of these about as much as I care about WWE, so not at all.  I just flipped a coin and Jason Bourne won.  He seems cool so I guess I'm okay with that."
• Gaynor:"Bourne.  Because Judge Judy makes $90 million a year."
• Wade:"I was dreading this matchup.  That is, until I saw this quote from the right honorable judge herself: 'Do you know when a gift becomes a loan?  When the relationship is over.  Have you ever heard that, sir?  Well, neither have I.  I just made it up.  I'm going to put it on coffee mugs'.  I mean not only did the woman just absolutely decimate that poor white trash bastard while simultaneously coining a multimillion dollar phrase Forest Gump style, but I'd be willing to bet you my goat that you just read that quote in her voice. When I think of Matt Damon all I hear is the voice of a mentally deficient puppet in Team America.  Score one for Judy."
• Tyler:"When I read this lineup the first thing that came to my mind was 'who would you rather do?', and honestly I'd do Judge Judy."
• Q:"This is probably the easiest matchup to pick.  Two characters paired up with one another and I just have to determine who is the more iconic figure in popular culture.  The clear winner is Judge Judy.  The Bourne movies are cool and Matt Damon is pretty good when he doesn't have a Boston accent and when he isn't telling us how we are murdering Mother Nature.  That being said, if you took a poll of everyone in the world, I'd bet that you would find that Judge Judy is far more recognizable than the fictional character of Jason Bourne and more recognizable than Matt Damon, himself.  She's on TV every day all over the world.  She's also a real judge and has been one of the highest paid (if not the highest paid) women on television for decades.  My final reason for picking her is that 20 years from now people will still remember Judge Judy.  I don't know if you could say the same for Jason Bourne.  I mean he's no James Bond."

• Winner: Jason Bourne 4-3.  Holy smokes.  Was Judge Judy really one vote and swing of a gavel away from getting into the Final 4?  Some things just don't make sense.  Congrats to' Mr. Personality' Jason Bourne! 

4. Buffalo Chicken vs. Bill Murray:

• Frank the Tank:"Toughest call of the night right here.  What makes buffalo chicken so great is its versatility.  Sandwiches, wraps, pizza, taquitos... no matter how it's served, it's going to be delicious.  With that being said, there are only about 4 people (Jack Bauer, Chuck Norris, MacGruber and Timothy Olyphant) capable of putting themselves in the same class as Bill Murray.  On a side note, instead of having kids take ethics and morality classes in school, they should be forced to watch Groundhog Day and write reports on it....over and over again.  Awesome movie.  Also, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is a great movie too, I have to watch that again sometime soon (I know Bill Murray isn't in it but it's still a good movie).  Getting back to the point at hand here, Bill Murray wins, and he should take home the title easily..."
• Gaynor:"Bill Murray.  Because he presented the award for 'Best Shooter' at the Oscars."
• Hurricane Annik:"Buffalo chicken even though I don't actually like buffalo chicken.  I know I'm a failure to society and probably not even human for saying that, but I can't stand the taste.  However, I think people's obsession with buffalo chicken is so dramatic that it has to be the winner."
• Wade:"This one boils down to a very simple question: Caddyshack OR deep fried spiced poultry.  It's a no brainer really.  Billy wins every time.  The man's a genius.  He didn't just play the role of Carl Spackler...he transcended it.  I know that all 1.4 million members of the Rizzini clan are simultaneously cursing my name right now and calling for a jihad against me, but it's okay.  I'll be the one to say it.  Bill Murray > Buffalo Chicken.  Say it out loud.  Should it from the roof tops.  Let Bill reign from sea to mother fucking shining sea and pass me the chicken bacon ranch calzone from Izone.  Oh and Space Jam doesn't happen without Bill Murray...Just sayin'."
• Tyler:"This is a tough one.  I love food and comedy.  It's the perfect combination, but I'm gonna have to go with Bill Murray on this one.  Even though I'm having buffalo chicken pizza for dinner tonight."
• Angela:"BUFFALO CHICKEN.  You can put it in a salad, in a sandwich, on a pizza, or by itself!  I will always choose food over anything else."
• Q:"This is a tough one because I like both of these things and also because it makes no sense to compare these two things.  Unfortunately, much like the Bills, it seems that Buffalo just can never win the big one.  The winner is Bill Murray.  With me, I kind of have to be in the mood for Buffalo chicken to enjoy it, whereas I could watch 'What About Bob' or 'Groundhog's Day' anytime and still think they are funny.  Buffalo chicken is also a pretty dominating food and it is tough to have it as a side unless you're a real fatty.  This is another example of why Bill Murray wins this matchup is that he can excel in a supporting role.  If you've ever seen 'Rushmore' or 'Kingpin' then you know what I'm talking about.  Another reason he is the winner is because of a legendary story that I heard.  A friend of a friend (as is always the case in stories like this) was in Chicago and he saw Bill Murray walk past him on the street.  The young man turned around and made some smart-ass comment to Murray.  The star turned his head as he was walking to look at the heckler, but all in all he seemed to take it in stride.  A few hundred feet down the street the young man felt a jolt in his back and was tackled to the ground.  He had just been speared by Bill Murray.  As they were lying on the ground, Murray whispered into his ear, 'No one's ever going to believe this.'  He then stood up and ran off into the night.  I once heard him respond to criticism that he just acts like himself in every movie that he's in.  He told the interviewer that, to a certain extent, it was true.  He didn't really deny that he was being himself, but then added, 'Have you ever tried to just be yourself?  It's really hard.'  I'm probably misquoting here, but that was the gist of what he said and that's why he's moving on to the Final Four."

• Winner: Bill Murray makes his way to the Final 4 with a 5-2 victory.  Tip of the hat for a fine run by Buffalo Chicken.  Maybe next year.  

Finally, Q was nice enough to provide a recap of his selections:

1. Daniel Bryan's 'YES!!!' Chant

2. Kel Mitchell

3. Judge Judy

4. Bill Murray

If Jim is unhappy with my picks, then maybe he should just try writing his own blog posts for a change. - Quentin Staudt

Thank you all for participating in this round, and special thanks to Q, for whatever it is that you just did.  

Pop Culture Madness! Sweet 16

Reality is sinking in.  Here we are, in the 3rd round of the 1st Annual Breakfast at Jimothy's Pop Culture Madness bracket, with quite the unique and interesting field remaining.  The two big stories here are the emergence of Tandem Bicycles as a true Cinderella story, and the dominance of Kel Mitchell, after winning his matchup with Paris Hilton's DJ Career 7-0.  Basically we have learned that no one is safe here, not even pretty boy badass Ryan Gosling.  I'd like to thank our judges (panelists?  I don't know what sounds better) for this round: Steve "Prime Time" Sheridan, Kyle "The Greek Rooster" Towne, The Artist Now Known as KP, 'Dastardly' Dan Allen who is making his 2nd appearance as a judge this tournament, and the human bracket founder himself, Anthony 'Townie Twan' Leonardo.  Thank you to all the judges for the time and effort.  Now let's get it on!

1. Fez vs. Bald Britney Spears

Dressed to Impress.

• Steve-"Ironic that a fez is actually a dope ass hat made famous during the Ottoman Empire era but seeing as we're talking about Wilmer Valderrama I gotta go with Bald Brit.  Living proof that you can hit rock bottom and claw your way back to the top.  A true beacon of hope."
• Kyle-"Alright.  Well both of these are pretty spicy options.  In my opinion, this isn't even close.  Fez has killer dance moves, has a spot-on Fatso the Clown impression, and not to mention that full head of beautiful hair.  Ha-Burn!"

God Bless Photoshop

• Danny-"Fez was a product of the 1970s as evidenced by the name of the show he was on.  Interestingly enough, the 1970s were a touchy era for race relations in the United States.  Fez probably served as a catalyst for racial harmony in the US.  He was ambiguously foreign; no one really knows his origins.  By not having a background, Fez is able to surpass predisposed ethnic beliefs held by his peers.  I don’t imagine Wisconsin being a very accepting state, especially in the 1970s, but Fez seemed to bridge the racial schism between blacks and whites by being neither.  Bald Britney was but a phase for the pop star.  The phase was certainly her rock bottom and lest we forget that she was coming out of a breakup with her husband and baby daddy, Kevin Federline.  As someone who has been in a relationship once, I understand that both parties can be glass cases of emotion at the conclusion of the relationship.  One possible avenue that has yet to be explored from this era of Britney is the Freaky Friday angle – is it possible that her meltdown with an umbrella, paparazzi, and #1 buzz all around triggered a personality swap between her and K Fed? Since ‘the incident’ K Fed has gained Britney’s baby weight and released some garbage Rhythm and Blues track that he tried to justify by wearing tall tees from Foot Locker and braiding his hair.  Britney has only gone the complete opposite direction by releasing new music, looking great, and resurrecting her career.  I’m not saying a Freaky Friday switch definitely happened, but it’s awfully curious that the idea is immediately dismissed by ‘people.’"
• KP-"Bald Britney really showed us her own vulnerability and made us all able to really identify with her.  She also looked like a cool pop alien.  I also feel like Fez spits when he talks but idk idk."
• Twan-"Bald Brit.  'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be blonde and skinny again.'"
• Winner: Bald Britney Spears wins 4-1 in what I would have to consider an upset.  Fez is so lovable, but he did not show up this round.  

2. (New WWE World Heavyweight Champion) Daniel Bryan's YES!!! Chant vs. Skeeter Valentine

• Twan-"Daniel Bryan's YES! chant.  They say no means no but sometimes it's hard to tell."
• Kyle-"I would like to say Skeeter Valentine was rocking the Electric brand long before Rickey Mansfield and Sixpack.  Probably the most unique and awesome cartoon character in cartoon history.  This makes it tough for me to vote against him, but the 'YES!!!' chant is something truly special.  There is no stopping this movement.  Hop on the train while you still can."
• Steve-"A tough one, do you go with the current fad that's spreading faster than an Alabama trailer park fire or a tried and true icon of 90's culture?  Daniel Bryan gave us a new way to celebrate momentous occasions but Skeeter Valentine taught us all how to be a friend.  There will be new ways to celebrate in the future but your friends will be there for all of them.  Skeeter all the way."
• KP-"Skeeter Valentine because when I heard that Mrs. Pacitti said he was her favorite cartoon I made him my favorite cartoon."
• Danny-"I don’t remember Skeeter.  Does that make me a bad person?  No. In fact it has no impact whatsoever on the type of person I am.  But Skeeter’s lack of pop culture staying power is a major factor come Pop Culture Tournament time.  I think Skeeter may be of purple or magenta descent, so apologies to any purple or magenta readers, but your chosen son will not advance.  Put another way, Skeeter was a Cinderella story to make it this far and the clock has struck midnight, the carriage is a pumpkin, and the slipper no longer fits!  In the other corner (just a little wrestling humor, ha!) is a good, no, great Irish boy named Daniel Bryan.  What Daniel Bryan has been able to accomplish through his YES! Movement is truly amazing. As of this writing, he currently has a longer winning streak at Wrestlemania than The Undertaker.  Also, the YES! Movement has gained popularity in feminist circles who believe ‘Consent is Sexy!’ It has not all been peaches and cream for Bryan as he missed out on a huge advertising opportunity this Spring when Bud Light approached him to star in its “Down for Anything?” campaign.  Poor Daniel couldn’t hide his enthusiasm when posed the hypothetical question and couldn't stop shouting YES! in the poor producers’ faces.  At the end of the day, Daniel Bryan has two first names and shouldn’t be trusted, which is exactly why he advances."

High Fashion. Honk Honk.

• Winner: Thankfully, WWE Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan's YES!!! Chant defeated its most formidable opponent yet, Skeeter Valentine, 3-2.  This was a difficult matchup for me to watch, as I respect both these warriors greatly.  

3. George Clooney in Space vs. Kel Mitchell

Looks Interested in Space

• KP-"Kel Mitchell is one of my best friends and the cutest person on the planet so obviously her."
• Kyle-"Blowout.  I could give two shits about stupid George Clooney floating around in stupid space with stupid Sandra Bullock.  Kel Mitchell was the king of wordplay in Good Burger.  Examples: 'Ed, I don't know how to say this.'-Kenan  'Oh, well, you just go, THHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS'-Kel.  'Would you like to have dinner tomorrow night?'-Hot Girl 'I like to have dinner every night.'-Kel.  Seroiusly, one of the most pure human beings of all time.  He also did some sweet freestyles for Sprite and the NBA dunk contest."
• Twan-"Kel Mitchell.  Clooney soiled Stacy Keibler."
• Danny-"Let’s not fool ourselves here – this matchup is between Tang and Orange Soda.  It is symbolic of the class struggles in America.  Tang, the astronaut drink, represents elitism and the 1%.  How many public school kids went on to be astronauts or could even afford space camp? Zero (estimated). Orange soda represents blue collar, hard-working, middle class, sugary refreshments.  Orange soda is the 99% and it occupies our hearts.  I’m not going to kid myself here; both George Clooney and Kel Mitchell have stunning good looks. That is an objective observation rooted in facts.  But George Clooney wins everything.  He’s perfect! George Clooney is Duke and Duke is George Clooney and I hate Duke.  Kel Mitchell is for the kids! Kel Mitchell is for America!"
• Steve-"Neil deGrasse Tyson said all that needed to be said about Clooney in space.  If this was a question of whose life would I want to model mine after, Clooney is the no brainer but since its not I'll take Kel.  I'll have an orange soda and a good burger way before I get in a spaceship with Sandra Bullock."

• Winner: Kel Mitchell annihilated George Clooney in Space 5-0.  Kel Mitchell is now 12-0 in voting the past 2 rounds.  Is he the favorite to win it all?  According to the Magic 8 Ball I just found in my desk drawer, the answer is, 'Ask Again Later'.

4. Blue Ivy Carter vs. Tandem Bicycles

Nightmares.

• Steve-"Tandem Bikes no question, but only the ones that have four seats or more.  Any object that turn heads like those bad boys do and let you hang out with your bros is a game changer.  They might as well come with sticks because you're gonna need one to fight off all the ladies that will be flocking to you and your boys."
• Kyle-"Tandem Bicycles.  I'm sick of babies calling the shots."
• Twan-"Blue Ivy.  Affirmative Action."
• KP-"Blue Ivy Carter because like lol tandem bicycles and also Blue Ivy Carter is probably empress of the Illuminati and going to take over the world when she hits puberty."
• Danny-"Blue is a generation’s royalty.  Her parents are elite musicians who have made tons of money and have been wildly successful.  Tandem bicycles were actually created by lonely unicyclists who wanted some company but wanted to maintain their 1:1 wheel to seat ratio.  Because I think unicycles are weird, I will advance BIC, but not before her dirty laundry has been aired.  There is a very real possibility that Kanye West is the godfather of Blue Ivy Carter, meaning that Kim Kardashian would be forced to play a maternal role in BIC’s life, if something were to happen to her parents.  Very scary proposition for the kid.  Also, BIC is really just a generation ahead of Frances Cobain.  Frances hasn’t made any headlines, for better or worse, so don’t expect a Pop Culture Tournament dynasty from BIC.  And lastly, BIC isn’t even Beyonce’s child; she is Destiny’s Child. "

Riding to the Elite 8?

• Winner:  Blue Ivy Carter ends the Cinderella story of Tandem Bicycles, 3-2.  What a showing by Tandem Bicycles.  With the experience they've gained, another possible tourney run...or...ride, I guess...may happen again next year.  

5. Judge Judy vs. Space Jam

Perfectly captured Judy placing her lunch order.

• KP-"Judge Judy for sure because whenever I am in trial class I have grandiose visions of wearing a silk collared shirt under a robe and one of Sarah Pacitti's wigs and yelling at fake defendants about child support."
• Kyle-"Although it has been said that Judge Judy has a fudge booty, Space Jam is a timeless classic.  I actually hope they film a sequel starring LeBron James, because Lord knows he cna't carry a bunch of Looney Toons to win a big game, and once he chokes in the clutch he will be enslaved by alien Danny DeVito and all will be right with the world."
• Twan-"Judy.  The cases are real.  Verdicts are final."
• Danny-"In a topical matchup of 1990s cultural mainstays, daytime family court Judge Judy takes on an exiled gambling basketball player’s Looney Tunes movie.  Judge Judy is a divorced home wrecker with a sharp tongue, apparently (just a little guy humor).  She is famous for being a ruthless on her TV show that somehow still runs.  She hasn’t changed her shtick in 15 years but still advances because of what Space Jam has become.  Every basketball player wants to become the next Jordan.  Once a player begins to approach Jordan on the court, he must also follow in MJ’s off court footsteps.  Most players don’t make it past a signature shoe line.  Unfortunately, LeBron James isn’t most players.  LeBron has had his name floated for a Space Jam sequel and it is a shame.  It shouldn’t happen.  LeBron is too wishy-washy to take a stand against the Monstars.  Just last night, LBJ is on record as being BFFs with John Calipari but spent the whole weekend tweeting about how great Shabazz Napier is – a move that would allow him to hedge his rooting interests.  Last night was a “game” played by “student-athletes” as “amateurs” and LeBron couldn’t even explicitly say who he wanted to win.  When the Intergalactic War comes, I want guys in my foxhole who I can count on.  And LeBron, cannot be counted on.  It will start with something as simple as saying he really likes the way the Monstars pressed against Jupiter’s team in the prior round and then by halftime he’ll be taking his talents to a galaxy far, far away.  In this matchup, court is adjourned and Judy Sheindlin advances."
• Steve-"Now Judge Judy makes about $43 million a year and has a net worth around $150 million, so while I respect the hustle, Space Jam is Space Jam and no grandma with bukubucks is gonna knock it off its pedestal.  Space Jam wins this one from the parking lot"

Hello, Newman.

• Winner:  Judge Judy, somehow, defeats Space Jam 3-2.  I might need new friends after this one.  This was like The Undertaker losing at Wrestlemania all over again.  Jeez.  I'm taking this one pretty hard. 

6. Leo DiCaprio's Nonexistant Oscar vs. Jason Bourne

• Danny-"Leo is one of those actors that is universally loved. Loved by everyone except the Academy.  I’m supposed to feel bad for a guy who literally everyone but a small faction doesn’t like? Sorry, but this is America.  Maybe the USSR will rise again and ration its Oscars and Leo can Crimea River and annex his European villas.  Instead, fictional real American Jason Bourne will advance because he is a war hero and someone who should receive sympathy (if he would even accept it).  Bourne got his identity stolen and memory wiped.  He spends 6 hours (over three movies) trying to recover it and get the girl.  Talk about a Manic Monday! He’s also a trained assassin who is probably the most intimidating Tournament force since young Patrick Ewing at Georgetown in the mid 80s.
• Kyle-"What has Leo even done that's remotely relevant?  I think that the only 'Leo' movie I can think of is 'Don's Plum' and that movie was a train wreck from the time they came up with that stupid title.  I'm going Jason Bourne, he's a badass, and later retired and bought a zoo."
• KP-"Poor Leo.  Ever since he did that little jig holding a mug of beer in the poor person under carriage of the Titanic I thought he deserved an Oscar; keep holdin' on neva let go."
• Steve-"Jason Bourne is the Jack Bauer of the big screen, and while he doesn't have Jack's over the top persona or heroin addiction he does have his lethal arsenal of hand to hand combat and weapons training.  Leo can drown his Oscar sorrows in whatever supermodel he is currently waking up next to, and I have a feeling it's more than one.  Jason 'Jack Bauer' Bourne takes this one."
• Twan-"Leo's Oscar.  Jason Bourne isn't real."

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!?"

• Winner:  Non-existant Jason Bourne defeats Leo's Non-existant Oscar, 3-2.  What a battle between two wonderful Americans.

7. Buffalo Chicken vs. Beyonce's Surfbort

• KP-"LOL Buffalo chicken reminds me of that drunk pizza place by PC.  This one time my friend Marian paid for a buffalo chicken pizza with a hundred dollar bill which she called "glock" until we realized "glock" doesn't mean money.  So yeah, buffalo chicken."
• Danny-"No idea what a Surfbort is. I think it’s an autocorrect errort (HA!). What I do know is buffalo chicken.  What a force whole white meat chicken breast paired with cayenne pepper sauce is.  Imagine the amount of glass trinkets Buffalo, NY would be worth to the Iroquois if they knew what culinary miracles would be birthed in upstate New York.  One thing is for sure, Manhattan was a steal compared to what Buffalo would go for knowing what we know now.  Buffalo Chicken is 2007 Florida Gators in food form.  UF could play all styles of basketball and I dare you to find a cuisine that wouldn’t benefit from buffalo sauce in the equation.  Free financial advice: throw a dart at a world map, add buffalo sauce to the country’s cuisine and call it a ‘fusion restaurant’ and make millions of dollars so that you can retire to a nice log cabin in the outskirts of Greater Buffalo.  Buff Chicks versatility is without a peer and it’s insulting that some misspelled aquatic accessory is even in the same breath as buffalo chicken."
• Twan-:

• Kyle-"Buffalo Chicken is one of my all time favorite foods regardless of where or how it is served.  Although I chuckle every time I hear the word Surfbort."
• Steve-"Queen B takes this one for me.  I have a tender Irish stomach so I don't appreciate buffalo chicken as much as most (especially Matt 'The Rat Weams' Rizzini) but Beyonce's got something that everyone can appreciate, DAT ASS."

Grandma had no idea.

• Winner:  Buffalo Chicken wins 3-2, knocking off my most despised entry into this whole bracket.  Surfbort is starting to drive me crazy.  

8. The Song From Titanic vs. Bill Murray

• Kyle-"Bill Murray will go down as one of the greatest human beings to walk this earth.  His 'It Just Doesn't Matter' speech in Meatballs changed my life.  Just too many classics on the screen, and off the screen he is just as incredible.  Just Google 'Bill Murray Stories' and thank me later.  Plus, I've always preferred this version of the song:"

• Steve-"This song today still has people going wild but it's hard for one song to stack up against decades of hilarity.  Bill takes this one in my book, and when God decides to reunite Bill with Harold Ramis it will be a sad day but we will have a collection of comedy gold to ease the pain because after all near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on."
• Twan-"Song from Titanic.  Osmosis Jones."
• Danny-"Your friend and mine, Bill Murray advances but not for the reasons one would expect.  Sure, Bill Murray is a beloved actor whose resume is far too star-studded to be viewed without sunglasses, but in this instance he wins by forfeit, because the Titanic never sank.  The Royal Mail Ship built two huge ocean liners named the Titanic and the Olympic.  Like most prudent companies, RMS took out insurance policies on both ships and that was that.  However, on its first cruise, the Olympic collided with one of the Royal Navy’s ships and sustained damage because ships don’t collide with Naval ships and come out on top.  RMS went to its insurer and wanted its cash to fix the ship but they didn’t receive a cent because the Queen’s Navy claimed that it was the Olympic’s fault even though everyone who saw it disagreed.  To combat this, RMS swapped every item saying Olympic with pieces from the Titanic.  Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, RMS suddenly had an Olympic in Titanic’s clothing.  Casting morals to the wayside, the RMS launched the “Titanic” into the North Atlantic, knowing it would sink and there would be enough ships in the surrounding area to negate casualties and allow the company to recoup its insurance money.  Unfortunately, RMS was only half right and lots of people died.  For that reason (and PBR pants) Bill Murray waltzes into the Elite Eight, uncontested."
• KP-"I know a lot of people are really pulling for Bill Murray but as soon as the flute sounds of 'My Heart Will Go On' begins every person in earshot has no choice but to enter a moment of sentimentality and really reflect on their lives.  Also, lol Celine Dion songs."

Who Would Spend This?

• Winner:  Bill Murray wins 3-2, deservedly so, although the song from Titanic does go on, in our hearts.