Over The Pylon

It’s time. In the words of Michael Buffer, let’s get ready to rumble. We’ve seen our field of 68 BSU alums and friends of the institution come down to two remaining titans. In an ironic twist of fate, one semi-finalist works in the building named for the other. Dave Letterman, late night kingpin, CBS heavyweight, BSU alum takes on Chris Taylor, BSU instructor, notorious sports production expert, and one of the most popular and well-connected people on campus. It’s a CardMadness showdown that’s fitting and appropriate for this our inaugural edition.

Letterman as a 1-seed made his way to the finals by besting the likes of Miss USA contestants, Hollywood celebrities, Garfield’s creator, and one of the best punters to ever grace the appropriately-named Punter U of BSU. Taylor had to advance as a 9-seed over two former football coaches, a 1-seed former President, an upstart former basketball coach, and the namesake of Scotty’s Brewhouse. The competition that led these two titans of Cardinal-dom to the Championship Game is almost as impressive as they are.

Because of our late start this morning, we are going to audible a bit. Polling will be open until 9am Friday morning where our champion will be crowned. Get it on, got to get it on, no choice but to get it on. Mandate… get it on.

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From 68 to 4, here we are in the semifinals of Card Madness. Much like “real life”, only one #1 seed has advanced to the Card Madness Final 4, as David Letterman won the Emens Entertainment Regional. Letterman is joined by and will play 10-seed Chris Miller, the Charlie Cardinal Athletics Regional Champion, as well as 3-seed and Frog Baby “Other” Regional Champion Scott Wise and 9-seed and Beneficence Campus Admin Regional Champ Chris Taylor who will square off against each other in the other Card Madness semi-final.

We’ve seen social media play a huge role in this tournament. It was nearly responsible for an epic first-round upset of #1 overall seed David Letterman as 16-seed and play-in game winner Bridget Bobel lost a heartbreakingly close contest and two double-digit seeeds advanced to the Elite 8 and one to the Final 4. The moral of that story is anyone is capable of winning this thing with the right amount of fanfare. Facebook it, Tweet it, email it, whatever you need to do to make people aware that your favorite needs their support.

Today, we decide who joins the aforementioned first half of the Final 4. You can check out round 1 results here and here, our round 2 results here and here, Sweet 16 results here as well as our regional finals here and here, and our most updated bracket here.

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…

Continue reading →

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What started as 68 BSU alums vying for glory as the most BSU of the bunch has now been whittled down to the Elite 8. Our first four competitors squared off yesterday to lay claim to the first two Final 4 berths. Congrats to 1-seed Dave Letterman and 10-seed Chris Miller who earned the right to face each other on Tuesday April 2 in one of our Final 4 match ups.

We’ve seen social media play a huge role in this tournament. It was nearly responsible for an epic first-round upset of #1 overall seed David Letterman as 16-seed and play-in game winner Bridget Bobel lost a heartbreakingly close contest and two double-digit seeeds have advanced to the Elite 8. The moral of that story is anyone is capable of winning this thing with the right amount of fanfare. Facebook it, Tweet it, email it, whatever you need to do to make people aware that your favorite needs their support.

Today, we decide who joins Letterman and Miller in the Final 4. You can check out round 1 results here and here, our round 2 results here and here, Sweet 16 results here as well as our most recent bracket (post-Sweet 16 games) with winners here.

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…

Continue reading →

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What started as 68 BSU alums vying for glory as the most BSU of the bunch has now been whittled down to the Elite 8. Our first four competitors square off today to lay claim to the first two Final 4 berths.

We’ve seen social media play a huge role in this tournament. It was nearly responsible for an epic first-round upset of #1 overall seed David Letterman as 16-seed and play-in game winner Bridget Bobel lost a heartbreakingly close contest and two double-digit seeeds have advanced to the Elite 8. The moral of that story is anyone is capable of winning this thing with the right amount of fanfare. Facebook it, Tweet it, email it, whatever you need to do to make people aware that your favorite needs their support.

Today, we decide who joins the aforementioned first half of the Final 4. You can check out round 1 results here and here, our round 2 results here and here, Sweet 16 results here as well as our most recent bracket (post-Sweet 16 games) with winners here.

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…

Continue reading →

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As the roughly three thousand of you or so who voted noticed, we’ve been whittling the Sweet 16 down to our Elite 8 yesterday and today. We started with 68, and we now have 8 remaining. Some surprises? Most definitely. Two double-digit seeds are one win away from the Final 4, one 9-seed is still in play, and only 3 1-seeds have made it to the final 8. The Emens Regional? Chalk. Charlie and Frog Baby Regionals? A surprise. The Benny Regional? Mass chaos. As we see year in and year out, it’s all about catching fire at just the right time. Our Sweet 16 results…

Emens Entertainment Regional
(1) David Letterman 79% vs. (4) Joyce DeWitt 21%
(2) Jim Davis 81% vs. (3) Doug Jones 19%

Charlie Cardinal Athletics Regional
(1) Bonzi Wells 58% vs. (4) Nate Davis 42%
UPSET: (10) Chris Miller 64% vs. (3) Brad Maynard 36%

Frog Baby “Other” Regional
(1) “Papa” John Schnatter 84% vs. (4) Kent “Oz” Nelson 16%
(3) Scott Wise 59% vs. (7) Mark “Hot Dog Man” Carter 41%

Beneficence Campus Admin Regional
UPSET: (11) Rick Majerus 53% vs (2) Jo Ann Gora 47%
UPSET: (9) Chris Taylor 63% vs. (4) Brady Hoke 37%

Our regional finals will be played tomorrow and Friday and here’s your schedule:
Thursday March 28 – Emens Regional Final: (1) Dave Letterman vs.  (2) Jim Davis
Thursday March 28 – Charlie Cardinal Regional Final: (1) Bonzi Wells vs. (10) Chris Miller
Friday March 29 – Frog Baby Regional: (1) “Papa” John Schnatter vs. (3) Scott Wise
Friday March 29 – Benny Campus Admin Regional: (9) Chris Taylor vs. (11) Rick Majerus

Our tourney culminates next week when the Final 4 matchups are played on Tuesday April 2 and the championship match on Thursday April 4. Get yourself ready and spread the word. Card Madness is winding down and it’s time to crown our champion.

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Card Madness began with 68 BSU alums vying for glory and fame as the first ever champion of the OTP Ball State bracket. Today marks the kickoff of the Sweet 16, and what a Sweet 16 it is. Actors, late night talk show legends, pizza makers, package deliverers, former coaches, current presidents, Brewhouse namesakes, and everyone’s favorite hot dog slinger. It’s been a tremendous success so far, and our Sweet 16 can see the homestretch of the Final 4. The only thing standing between them and the promised land are 15 other competitors and the votes of you, their supporters.

We’ve seen social media play a huge role in this tournament. It was nearly responsible for an epic first-round upset of #1 overall seed David Letterman as 16-seed and play-in game winner Bridget Bobel lost a heartbreakingly close contest. The moral of that story is anyone is capable of winning this thing with the right amount of fanfare. Facebook it, Tweet it, email it, whatever you need to do to make people aware that your favorite needs their support.

Yesterday our Charlie Cardinal and Emens Entertainment Regionals determined their semi-finalists as Bonzi Wells, Chris Miller, David Letterman, and Jim Davis advanced to make one half of the Elite 8. They’ll be back in action on Thursday as we decide half of our Final Four, but we have some unfinished business to tend to first.

Today, we decide who joins the aforementioned first half of the Elite 8. You can check out round 1 results here and here, our round 2 results here and here, as well as our most recent bracket (pre Sweet 16 games) with winners here.

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…

Continue reading →

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Card Madness began with 68 BSU alums vying for glory and fame as the first ever champion of the OTP Ball State bracket. Today marks the kickoff of the Sweet 16, and what a Sweet 16 it is. Actors, late night talk show legends, pizza makers, package deliverers, former coaches, current presidents, Brewhouse namesakes, and everyone’s favorite hot dog slinger. It’s been a tremendous success so far, and our Sweet 16 can see the homestretch of the Final 4. The only thing standing between them and the promised land are 15 other competitors and the votes of you, their supporters.

We’ve seen social media play a huge role in this tournament. It was nearly responsible for an epic first-round upset of #1 overall seed David Letterman as 16-seed and play-in game winner Bridget Bobel lost a heartbreakingly close contest. The moral of that story is anyone is capable of winning this thing with the right amount of fanfare. Facebook it, Tweet it, email it, whatever you need to do to make people aware that your favorite needs their support.

Today and Wednesday our Sweet 16 gets whittled down to an Elite 8, and Thursday and Friday we turn that in to a Final 4. You can check out round 1 results here and here, our round 2 results here and here, as well as our most recent bracket with winners here.

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…

Continue reading →

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Card Madness began with 68 BSU alums all vying for the opportunity to say that because of fan voting, they were the most BSU of the bunch. After Monday and Tuesday, we have whittled that field down to 32 of the best and brightest Ball Staters on the planet. Thursday showed us who the first 8 of the Sweet 16 would be. Today, the final 8 competitors will lay claim to the Sweet 16 as Round 2 comes to a close. Our vote totals so far have been astronomical, so if you are a supporter of someone below, it would be wise to spread the word that they need your vote, your friend’s vote, etc. This isn’t Chicago, so multiple votes are frowned on and a pulse is required. Voting has been extended a bit today after some comments were made that the 4:30 closing time wasn’t helpful for some to be able to get their vote in. From this point on, voting will be open from 8am-8pm.

Our Sweet 16 matchups will be Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and that schedule will be decided on Friday evening. A short turnaround time for our competitors, but I’m sure they can handle it. You can check out round 1 results here and here as well as our most recent bracket with winners here.

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…

Continue reading →

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Today marked the first day of round 2, the round where we will whittle our 32 remaining entrants down to the Card Madness Sweet 16. Two significant upsets today, both of which were nowhere near close as 10-seed Chris Miller and 9-seed Chris Taylor upset a 2 and 1 seed respectively. John Worthen becomes the first 1-seed to be bounced, thanks to Chris Taylor, and by a margin of over 50%. Miller sent our first 2-seed packing, as Blaine Bishop was defeated, proving once again the power of social media as both Miller and Taylor harnessed the web to advance. The rest of your results…

Emens Entertainment Regional Round 2, Day 1
(3) Doug Jones 56% vs. (6) Brian Collins 44%
(4) Joyce DeWitt 83% vs. (5) Anthony Montgomery 17%

Charlie Cardinal Athletics Regional Round 2, Day 1
(1) Bonzi Wells 91% vs. (8) Tamara Bowie 9%
UPSET: (10) Chris Miller 71% vs. (2) Blaine Bishop 29%

Beneficence Campus Admin Regional Round 2, Day 1
UPSET: (9) Chris Taylor 79% vs. (1) John Worthen 21%
(2) Jo Ann Gora 73% vs. (10) Anthony Edmonds 27%

Frog Baby “Other” Regional Round 2, Day 1
(3) Scott Wise 68% vs. (6) Angela Ahrendts 32%
(4) Kent “Oz” Nelson 62% vs. (12) Tom Davis 38%

The winners will play either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week depending on our winners tomorrow. Speaking of Friday, our final 8 spots in the Sweet 16 will be decided beginning at 8am. Voting will be open until 8pm. Once winners are known and announced, our schedule for rounds three and four will be released. Round 3 will run on Tuesday and Wednesday, Round 4 Thursday and Friday. That will give us our Final 4, of which the semifinals will be Tuesday April 2, the championship Thursday April 4.

Your Round 2, Day 2 schedule for Friday…

Emens Entertainment Regional Round 2, Day 2
(1) David Letterman vs. (8) Scott Halberstadt
(2) Jim Davis vs. (7) Stedman Graham

Charlie Cardinal Athletics Regional Round 2, Day 2
(4) Nate Davis vs. (12) Reggie Hodges
(3) Brad Maynard vs. (6) Larry Bigbie

Beneficence Campus Admin Regional Round 2, Day 2
(3) Don Park vs. (11) Rick Majerus
(4) Brady Hoke vs. (5) Don Shondell

Frog Baby “Other” Regional Round 2, Day 2
(1) “Papa” John Schnatter vs. (8) Jeremiah Johnson
(2) Jason Whitlock vs. (7) Mark Carter

Voting opens at 8am. Get those clicking fingers ready.

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Card Madness began with 68 BSU alums all vying for the opportunity to say that because of fan voting, they were the most BSU of the bunch. After Monday and Tuesday, we have whittled that field down to 32 of the best and brightest Ball Staters on the planet. Today, 8 competitors will lay claim to half of the Sweet 16 as Round 2 begins but there are 8 other people standing in their way that will have to be bested. Our vote totals so far have been astronomical, so if you are a supporter of someone below, it would be wise to spread the word that they need your vote, your friend’s vote, etc. This isn’t Chicago, so multiple votes are frowned on and a pulse is required. Voting has been extended a bit today after some comments were made that 4:30 closing time wasn’t helpful for some to be able to get their vote in. From this point on, voting will be open from 8am-8pm.

Our Sweet 16 matchups will be Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and that schedule will be decided on Friday evening. A short turnaround time for our competitors, but I’m sure they can handle it. You can check out round 1 results here and here as well as our most recent bracket with winners here.

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…

Continue reading →

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