Over The Pylon

Sure, the NCAA basketball brackets came out Sunday night, but for BSU fans, the bracket that counts has been out for a week now and it is Day Two the Ball State themed 64-person battle royale. Our play in games? Wildly successful, and we saw four winners advance into the field of 64 to face the likes of Dave Letterman, Papa John, Bryan Bullington and Don Shondell. Could a play-in game winner advance in VCU-like fashion to capture a title in the first annual Card Madness tourney? Only you, the fans, can decide that. Yesterday saw our first half of round one yield four upsets as well as three games within five percentage points. You can check out all the Round 1 Day 1 action here, and our updated bracket with our initial first round victors here.

Today, though, isn’t about the beginning of round 1, it’s about the conclusion. It’s about the 32 alums on the docket for today. Round 1, Day 2 features 16 matchups (4 per region) that will advance their winners into Friday’s 2nd round. Yes, it does run like the NCAA Tourney in that today’s winners will be back in action again on Friday as they attempt to play their way in to the Sweet 16.

Need a refresher on what Card Madness is all about? Click here. Need a bracket breakdown for the 4 different regionals? Check out the Charlie Cardinal Athletics Regional here, the Emens Entertainment Regional here, the Beneficence Campus Admin Regional here, and the Frog Baby “Other” Regional here. Ready to read about our competitors and vote? More after the jump…

ROUND 1, DAY 2 CARD MADNESS TOURNEY GAMES

EMENS ENTERTAINMENT REGIONAL
(1) David Letterman v. (16) Bridget Bobel
Top-seed David Letterman really needs no introduction, does he? He is the former 12:30am talk show host on NBC, the current 11:30pm talk show host on CBS, and is the namesake of the telecommunications and media building on campus. Arguably no other alum is more visible, vocal, and known than David Letterman. 16-seed Bridget Bobel is a former Miss Indiana and competitor in Miss USA. She also won her spot in the field of 64 via a play-in game over fellow beauty pageant alum Claire Buffie.

(8) Scott Halberstadt v. (9) Mark Champion
8-seed Scott Halberstadt brings more Hollywood flair to Card Madness as he is best known for his role on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh and his film role in Grandma’s Boy. You can check some of his highlights out here and I personally like his Woody Allen jacket in Grandma’s Boy. 9-seed Mark Champion is the voice of the Detroit Pistons and also the voice on the Superbowl Disney MVP ads asking what they’ll do now (who then respond with “I’m going to Disneyworld!”). You can check out a clip of play by play from Champion here.

(7) Stedman Graham v. (10) Cynda Williams
7-seed Stedman Graham is perhaps best known for a who rather than a what as his longtime partner is legendary Oprah Winfrey. Outside of that, Stedman has also been behind numerous charities for youth motivation and excellence and runs an educational consulting business. 10-seed Cynda Williams is another Card Madness participant from Hollywood as she starred in Mo’ Better Blues. She also had a brief foray into the music industry and was married to Billy Bob Thornton at one point. French fried potaters.

(2) Jim Davis v. (15) Sister Edith Pfau
2-seed Jim Davis has brought laughter and joy to millions of children and more than a few adults in his career as the creator of Garfield and his crew. With Odie and Jon Arbuckle, Garfield and his love of lasagna are as reputable a cartoon as any other. Paws Inc. has set numerous records for merchandising and branding and laid the foundation for future long-term merchandise plans. 15-seed Sister Edith Pfau is a painter and sculptor who has had her work featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hopefully before the Muppets took it.

CHARLIE CARDINAL ATHLETICS REGIONAL:
(5) Bryan Bullington v. (12) Reggie Hodges
5-seed Bryan Bullington arrived on campus and immediately made his presence known, being named MAC Freshman of the Year and 1st Team All MAC. Bullington left BSU after three seasons, and is the school record holder for wins, strikeouts for a career and season, and holds the MAC record for strikeouts in a season and a career. He was also the #1 overall draft pick in the 2002 MLB draft. 12-seed Reggie Hodges played his way in to the field of 64 by defeating Mike Neu in the play-in game for the Charlie Cardinal region. Hodges was the starting punter as a freshman at Ball State, going on to set a school-career record with 254 attempts. His 10,210 yards ranked second in school history at the time of his graduation. He was named First-team All-MAC selection as a senior, leading conference with 73 punts (42.6 avg). He is also an 8 year veteran of the NFL.

(4) Nate Davis v. (13) Bernie Parmalee
4th seeded Nate Davis led BSU to two Bowl games in three seasons on the roster, and saw the Cards ranked in the Top 12 of the BCS in the 2008 undefeated season. Davis went on to be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and spent a year in the NFL. He most recently led the Amarillo Venom to a championship in the Lonestar Football League. 13th seeded Bernie Parmalee holds the record for BSU rushing and has been a successful coach since the conclusion of his 9-year NFL career. Currently, Parmalee is the tight ends coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.

(6) Larry Bigbie v. (11) Dee Nocero
6-seed Larry Bigbie was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the 21st selection in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft. He was named to All-America second teams in 1999 by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division 1 All-America committee. Bigbie was named the 1999 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year after completing his career with a Ball State school record .386 batting average. A 1998 and 1999 All-MAC First-Team selection, Bigbie was one of just four juniors in conference history to accumulate at least 200 hits. His school record 24-game hitting streak in 1999 was the third longest in MAC history and helped the Cardinals to their first MAC baseball title and a school record 42 victories. 11-seed Dee Nocero was a forward at Ball State for four years and served as team captain as a senior. The most prolific scorer in Ball State history, Nocero holds the school records for goals (30) and points (76) and ranks second in assists (16). Each of her four seasons as a Cardinal rank in the schools top-10 in single-season goals and points rankings. As a sophomore, Nocero recorded 26 points on 10 goals and six assists, which all rank second on Ball State’s single-season list. A three-time Mid-American Conference (MAC) First-Team selection, Nocero earned three MAC Player of the Week awards and was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Region Team as a junior and senior.

(3) Brad Maynard v. (14) Sally Northcroft
3-seed Brad Maynard is a BSU Hall of Fame member and averaged 44.2 yards per kick, ranking third in NCAA history. He amassed over 10,700 yards on 242 punts. Maynard was named onto the consensus All-American selection and All-Mid-American Conference first-team. He won MAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and MVP following his senior campaign. 14-seed Sally Northcroft is also a BSU Hall of Fame member and was named the 1999-2000 Honda Award winner for field hockey and the 2000 NCAA Indiana Woman of the Year. The Honda Award recognizes the top collegiate female student-athlete in their respective sport. Northcroft was also the 1999-2000 Academic All-American Team Member of the Year and received an NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award, which honors the top eight collegiate student-athletes in the nation. In addition to maintaining a 3.58 grade-point average on Ball State’s 4.0 scale, Northcroft led the nation in goals scored as a senior with an NCAA Division I record 52. She also led the country as a senior in total points with 107 and scoring average at 5.09 per game. Northcroft helped the Cardinals to a 16th straight MAC Championship and a final national ranking of 16th in her final season. A 1998 and 1999 NCAA All-America First-Team choice, Northcroft was a two-time MAC Player of the Year and four time All-MAC First-Team selection.

BENEFICENCE CAMPUS ADMIN REGIONAL
(5) Don Shondell v. (12) Alan Hargrave
5-seed Don Shondell began the program then became head coach of Ball State’s men’s volleyball program, where he won 20 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) titles in 34 seasons. In 1970, he led Ball State to the first NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship tournament. He later earned twelve more NCAA berths. The name Shondell and volleyball is synonymous in East Central Indiana. He has a career record of 769-280-6 (.732), affording him the second highest number of wins in NCAA men’s volleyball history. 12-seed Alan Hargrave is the current Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Housing and Residence Life. He won his way into the field by defeating Don Mikesell in the play-in game for the Beneficence Regional. Hargrave has seen numerous additions, renovations, and construction and has led BSU housing to the forefront of collegiate housing. He was awarded the ACUHO-I Pantheon Award, the highest honor a housing professional can win.

(4) Brady Hoke v. (13) Bubba Cunningham
4-seed Brady Hoke was not only a player on one of Ball State’s most successful teams, he led the Cards as head coach on the 2008 undefeated season. Readers of this blog, fans of BSU football, and anyone who has had an eye on the Cards knows Brady Hoke and what he was able to accomplish in his time at the helm. His opponent, 13-seed Bubba Cunningham was the athletic director who hired him. Perhaps most notable in his BSU career is the renovations to the football stadium, including lights, meaning that BSU hosted their first ever night game. Cunningham also made BSU a Nike school and saw significant improvements in the marketing and advertising of the athletic program.

(6) Ray McCallum v. (11) Rick Majerus
6-seed Ray McCallum, much like Brady Hoke, became the head coach for his alma mater and made national headlines in the process. McCallum scored 2,109 points during his career and was Player of the Year in the Mid-American Conference his senior year. In 1983 he was awarded the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is an annual award intended to honor shorter–than–average players who excel on the court despite their size. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the 8th round of the 1983 draft. His jersey is one of two numbers retired at Ball State. McCallum’s coaching record at Ball State was 126–76. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA appearances during his tenure and stunning upsets of Kansas and UCLA in 2001, leading to a Top 15 ranking. 11-seed Rick Majerus led BSU to a 43-17 record over his two seasons in Muncie including the school record of 29 wins in 1989. Majerus went on to win 500 games including a National Runner Up title.

(3) Don Park v. (14) Rich Maloney
Arguably, no one is more responsible for the dramatic changes of Ball State University over the last decade than 3-seed Don Park. The retired Vice President for University Advancement returned to the university in 1966 as assistant professor of education administration. During his 14 year tenure as vice-president, Park completed four capital campaigns and expanded development through grants, alumni giving, and marketing. He also served Phi Delta Kappa Educational Honorary as associate executive director from 1977-92, and served as an Indiana state senator. 14-seed Rich Maloney is the current head baseball coach at BSU. He is the former head coach of the University of Michigan where he compiled a record of 341–244 record in 10 seasons. He led the Wolverines to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Prior to becoming the head coach at Michigan, he served as the head coach at BSU and was named the MAC Baseball Coach of the year in 1998 and 2001. From 1998 to 2001, the Cardinals finished first in the MAC West for four straight seasons.

FROG BABY “OTHER” REGIONAL
(1) John Schnatter v. (16) Nicholas Ferreri
1-seed John Schnatter is perhaps the most famous pizza maker on the planet. Papa John’s has become an international brand and Schnatter himself has been inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2007, was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 2000 by the National Jaycees Organization, was named 1998 National Ernst & Young Retail/Consumer Entrepreneur of The Year and was inducted in to the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2010. Nicholas Ferreri is the current weekend weather anchor for WANE tv in Ft. Wayne and earned his spot in the field of 64 by defeating fellow forecaster David Harker. Nicholas has worked in Lansing, MI and before that on Newslink on campus and WIPB.

(8) Jeremiah Johnson v. (9) Jon Hoke
8-seed Jeremiah Johnson is the next in the long line of BSU sports media personalities. Currently, Jeremiah is a sports reporter for Fox 59 in Indianapolis, and before that worked in Hazard, KY and Terra Haute, IN. Jeremiah hosts the Football Friday Night and the Friday Night Fast Break during the high school sports seasons. He also co-anchors Fox 59 Sports Overtime on Sundays in addition to reporting throughout the week. Aside from his duties at Fox 59, Jeremiah has spent time working for Fox Sports Indiana on Pacers Live Post-Game and serves as a sideline reporter on the IHSAA Champions Network. 9-seed Jon Hoke as a BSU football player helped the Cards to two league titles and was a two-time All-MAC selection. Hoke has been a defensive backs coach in the college and the NFL for the last 21 years, serving most recently on staff of the Chicago Bears.

(7) Mark Carter v. (10) Jeffrey Feltman
7th seeded Mark Carter may very well be as recognizable as the campus President. Any Thursday, Friday, or Saturday you can find Mark with his cart in the Village serving up delicious hot dogs. Hot Dog Man is a Ball State staple and was even featured in Sports Illustrated as things someone must do on a college campus. 10-seed Jeffrey Feltman is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. As head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, Feltman oversees the UN’s diplomatic efforts to prevent and mitigate conflict around the globe. Before joining the United Nations, Feltman served as US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from August 2009 to June 2012 with the rank of Career Minister. He was previously the United States Ambassador to Lebanon from July 2004 to January 2008.

(2) Jason Whitlock v. (15) Morry Mannies
2-seed Jason Whitlock is a sportswriter for Foxsports.com, as well as a former columnist at the Kansas City Star, AOL Sports writer, contributor to ESPN, and radio personality for WHB and KCSP sports stations in the Kansas City area. Always outspoken, always opinionated, Whitlock is certainly one of a kind. 15-seed Morry Mannies was the voice of the Cardinals for 56 seasons and was one of the most well-known collegiate broadcasters. Mannies is a three-time winner of the Indiana Sportscaster of the Year Award and a three-time recipient of the Mid-American Conference Sportscaster of the Year honor.  He has been inducted into the following Hall of Fames — MAC, Ball State Athletics, Indiana Basketball, Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and Delaware County.

Voting for these games will be open until 4:30pm, winners will be back in action on Friday. Good luck to our competitors, thanks for your vote, and follow @OverThePylon on Twitter to get up to the minute results.

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