Bracket of Awesome - Elite Eight!

Well, the NCAA tournament certainly had some thrilling Elite Eight games.  Now it is time to check out the action in the Bracket of Awesome!  We have some powerhouse matchups with a trip to the Final Four on the line!  Let's get right to the results.

Root Beer Bracket
1 Root Beer vs 3 The A-Team

Who wins? A team of four fugitives fighting for people who have nowhere else to turn vs. sweet drops of heaven on your tongue.  On paper this might seem like a blowout, but they don't play these games on paper. Well, I guess in the case of this bracket they kind of do, but you get the point.  Anyway, The A-Team as a group is pretty awesome.  There's no situation they can't escape and no plan that is too ridiculous.  But Root Beer is just so good and is loved by so many more people.  Although, I can't fathom why more people don't love The A-Team.  But even The A-Team got captured eventually, so Root Beer advances to the Final Four!  Root Beer Floats for everyone!

Grand Canyon Bracket
1 Grand Canyon vs 2 High Fives

Who wins? Two and half billion years of geologic history!  That's hard to top.  Not to mention, bighorn sheep, California condors, whitewater rafting, and more!  The Grand Canyon is awesome beyond compare. Its beauty is breathtaking, its views are awe-inspiring.  It is majestic.  There's no way high fives could take down this behemoth.  Or is there?  High fives are a universal celebration, understood worldwide as a recognition of success.  And you don't even have to be celebrating a huge success either. And when you get a high five from someone, it is just an awesome feeling.  Knowing how awesome it feels to get a high five makes it even better to give a high five.  And everyone around the world can do it.  Not everyone can visit the Grand Canyon regularly.  For that reason, High Fives advance!

In-N-Out Bracket
1 In-N-Out vs 3 Making People Smile

Who wins? Mmmmm, Double Double.  For something that for the longest time couldn't be found outside of California, In-N-Out has made quite a deep run in this tournament.  And that is purely based on the delicious awesomeness.  But do you know what happens when you eat at In-N-Out?  You smile.  And do you know what everyone has the power to do, not just people in California or the southwest US?  Make other people smile.  That's pretty awesome!  Smiles advance!

Disneyland Bracket
1 Disneyland vs 6 Star Gazing

Who wins? Our final Elite Eight matchup pits the Happiest Place on Earth up against an age old story telling practice.  The stars are pretty awesome, and I think we all take for granted that they are there every night shining down on us.  But in all honesty, half of those stars are already dead because the light we are seeing is millions of years old.  Disneyland is alive and well and brings joy and happiness to millions.  Not to mention they have really cool pins!  That may just be awesome in my book, but it's enough to push Disneyland to the Final Four!

So there you have it!  Our Final Four consists of Root Beer, High Fives, Making People Smile, and Disneyland.  This is shaping up to be an epic finish.  Here is how the bracket looks now.

Bracket of Awesome - Elite Eight!

Check back later this week for Final Four action!

Bracket of Awesome Sweet Sixteen Day 2!

It's time to finish off the Sweet Sixteen!  I know this is a day late, but let's take a look at the action in the In-n-Out and Disneyland brackets!

In-n-Out Bracket
Matchup 1: 1 In-n-Out vs 4 Frisbee

Who wins? As stated before, In-n-Out is the definition of delicious.  Like their slogan states, it's what a hamburger is all about.  And did I mention the secret menu?  Secret menus are awesome.  At the same time, Frisbees are a timeless toy.  There aren't many things better than throwing a Frisbee on a beach. (My apologies to my LA friends who are no longer allowed to throw Frisbees on the beach.)  But ultimately, this matchup comes down to food, like most things in life, and In-n-Out wins.

Matchup 2: 2 Baseball vs 3 Making People Smile

Who wins? I'm writing this just as the baseball season is about to kick off.  I can smell the peanuts, hear the roar of the crowd, feel the excitement!  Baseball is plain and simple, awesome.  But, again, have you ever made a person smile?  There's no better feeling in the world.  Smiles move on!

Disneyland Bracket
Matchup 1: 1 Disneyland vs 4 Space Mountain

Who wins? It almost seems unfair to pit these two against one another.  How do weigh the best ride in the best amusement park against the park itself.  Simple, Disneyland wins!  Space Mountain would not exist without Disneyland, so it doesn't make sense for it to advance beyond its creator.  The Happiest Place on Earth moves on!

Matchup 2: 2 Groundhog Day vs 6 Star Gazing

Who wins? Groundhog Day is such a wonderful holiday.  It is so silly and fun, it's ridiculous.  Punxsutawney Phil has been making predictions for 130 years!  It's such a wonderful celebration of people enjoying life.  However, star gazing has been around for thousands of years!  And while some people haven't jumped on the Groundhog Day bandwagon, I think it's safe to say that everyone has looked up at the stars at least once in their life.  And I'm sure most people can recognize the Big Dipper or Orion the Hunter.  So we have an upset!  Star Gazing advances!

Well, we're down to eight now and things are really heating up!  Check out how the bracket looks:

Bracket of Awesome Sweet Sixteen Day 2!

Bracket of Awesome Sweet Sixteen Day 1!

Well here we are in the Sweet Sixteen.  Today we'll take a look at the matchups in the Root Beer and Grand Canyon brackets.

Root Beer Bracket
Matchup 1: 1 Root Beer vs 4 Museums, Zoos, etc.

Who wins? Root Beer is such a powerhouse.  How can you deny the base for root beer floats and black cow shakes?  At the same time, museums and such are the centers of learning and innovation.  That's pretty awesome!  Nothing compares to seeing a kid's face light up when learning something new in a museum or seeing a lion for the first time at a zoo.  But, alas, it's hard to top sweet drops of heaven on your tongue.  Root Beer moves on.

Matchup 2: 3 The A-Team vs 7 Lasagna

Who wins? "In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit.  They promptly escaped..." and starred in the most awesome television show ever!  Sorry, lasagna, you just can't compete with this.

Grand Canyon Bracket
Matchup 1: 1 Grand Canyon vs 5 Lego

Who wins? You could probably use Legos to build a replica of the Grand Canyon and it would be pretty cool.  But it doesn't compare to the awesomeness of actually being there.  Grand Canyon advances!

Matchup 2: 2 High Fives vs 6 Phillie Phanatic

Who wins? You all saw the video from last time.  The Phanatic is hilarious and he brings smiles to lots of faces.  But high fives bring more smiles to more faces.  Just watch, I'll give you all a high five right now and you'll smile and understand why they're moving on.

So here's how the bracket looks after Day 1 of the Sweet Sixteen.  Come back tomorrow as we shrink the field to eight!

Bracket of Awesome Sweet Sixteen!

Bracket of Awesome Day 4!

We're at the end of the first weekend of action in the Bracket of Awesome.  Today we finish up the first round with a look at the Disneyland bracket.

Matchup 1: 1 Disneyland vs 8 Twinkies

Disneyland
Why it's here: It's the Happiest Place of Earth.  Even with the screaming children, excessive strollers, and exorbitant prices, it's still Disneyland, and there's very few places I would rather be.

Twinkies
Why they're here: Cream-filled cakes that could survive nuclear holocaust (supposedly).  What could be more awesome than that?  Not to mention the fact that Hostess now no longer exists so finding Twinkies is akin to finding a rare baseball card.  Rarities make for more awesomeness.

Who wins? Seriously, do you even have to ask?  Disneyland is not going out in the first round.

Matchup 2: 4 Space Mountain vs 5 Eggos

Space Mountain
Why it's here: Quite simply, Space Mountain is the best ride at the Happiest Place on Earth.  It is the most fun ride there is.  You can't help but smile when riding, and all you want to do when you get off is go get back in line.  That screams out awesome!

Eggos
Why they're here: Frozen waffles that are deliciously awesome!  A quick breakfast for those mornings on the go (again with the commercial jingles).  There was nothing better as a kid than getting up in the morning and making waffles.  How many of you just said that last part like Donkey from Shrek?  Just another reason why Eggos are awesome!

Who wins? It's hard to take down the behemoth that is Space Mountain.

Matchup 3: 3 Tetris vs 6 Star Gazing

Tetris
Why it's here: Such a simple game, yet you could play for hours and not get bored.  How awesome is that?!  Plus the infectious theme song can get stuck in head for days and all it does is make you want to play the game and keep beating your high score.  Again, awesome!

Star Gazing
Why it's here: Have you ever just spent a night looking at the stars?  You should.  Ancient peoples used star gazing as a form of entertainment.  They created stories of hunters and animals and warriors who spent their time in the stars.  These stories have lasted thousands of years, which is awesome!

Who wins? While Tetris is an extremely fun game, it has only been around 30 years or so.  Star gazing has lasted for generations, and continues to be an amazing and inspiring activity. The stars advance!

Matchup 4: 2 Groundhog Day vs 7 Nike Dri-Fit

Groundhog Day
Why it's here: I wrote a post a while back about why I love Groundhog Day so much.  I encourage you all to go back and read it.  But Groundhog Day is in this bracket because it is so simple and so fun and brings nothing but joy to all who celebrate it.  Simply, it makes people smile.  Awesome!

Nike Dri-Fit
Why it's here: Honestly, I don't know how I lived without this stuff for so long!  It is so comfortable, so light and airy, so perfect.  Living in the heat of Arizona, I can't do without this.  It is the awesome of comfort!

Who wins? I do love the comfortable feel of Nike Dri-Fit, but it is not enough to take down my favorite holiday.  Groundhog Day prevails!

Well, here it is, the bracket after Round 1!

Bracket of Awesome Day 4!

We'll be back on Thursday for the start of Round 2 as we go from 16 down to the Final Four!

Bracket of Awesome Day 3!

Here we go with some more Bracket of Awesome action!  Today we tackle the In-n-Out bracket.

Matchup 1: 1 In-n-Out vs 8 Newspaper Comics

In-n-Out
Why they're here: For those of you who have ever eaten a Double Double you know exactly why In-n-Out is in this position.  Sweet awesome deliciousness!  Growing up in California, In-n-Out was a staple of my diet.  In fact, it still is.  Plus there's a secret menu.  Secret menus are always awesome.

Newspaper Comics
Why they're here: I'm sure we can all remember when we were young and our parents were reading the paper.  We wanted to be just like them, so we reached for the comics.  It's like we were reading something super important.  And, really, we were.  I mean, we had to find out what was going on with the Peanuts gang and what Garfield was up to.  Not to mention Marmaduke and Ziggy.  But how many of you still read the comics?  I know I don't, but I wish I did.  It's such a simple pleasure which makes them so awesome.

Who wins? Comics are fun and awesome, but it's hard to top a Double Double, fries, and a shake.  In-n-Out advances!

Matchup 2: 4 Frisbee vs 5 Sunrises/Sunsets

Frisbee
Why it's here: The Frisbee is such a simple toy.  It's basically just a plate that flies through the air.  But think about how much fun you can have with it.  Besides just a simple game of catch, there's ultimate Frisbee and Frisbee golf.  And don't forget about those dogs who do all the Frisbee tricks.  That's altogether awesome!

Sunrises/Sunsets
Why they're here: They're beautiful, plain and simple.  Whether you're at the beach, in the desert, on a mountain, watching a sunrise or a sunset is just breathtaking.  Unfortunately, because it happens everyday we tend to take these things for granted.  So I implore to stop every now and again and just watch as the sun rises or sets.  You won't regret it.

Who wins? Sunrises and sunsets are really beautiful and quite awesome, but there's something about the simplicity of a Frisbee.  Frisbee moves on!

Matchup 3: 3 Making People Smile vs 6 Reese's Pieces

Making People Smile
Why it's here: Do you ever think about how good it feels to make someone smile?  Do you ever think about how often you make people smile?  It's the greatest gift we can give.  Seriously awesome.

Reese's Pieces
Why they're here: Well, E.T. loved them.  As if that weren't enough, it's peanut butter and chocolate together in perfect harmony.  They're easy to eat because they're small and they're delicious.  (Has anyone else noticed that there's a lot of food in this bracket?)

Who wins? Eating Reese's Pieces makes me smile, but that's not enough to beat making other people smile.

Matchup 4: 2 Baseball vs 7 Mythbusters

Baseball
Why it's here: America's pastime!  I know many people think baseball is a slow, boring game, but that's because they've never stopped to appreciate the intricacies of the game.  There's nothing better than sitting in the sun on a summer day, eating some peanuts, and watching a baseball game.  And for a family, baseball games are a lot cheaper to attend than football or basketball.  I could go on for hours explaining the awesomeness of baseball, but I'll stop here... for now.

Mythbusters
Why they're here: They blow stuff up and do cool things with science.  Plus they test common myths and saying that I'm sure we all wonder about.  I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't watched and enjoyed at least one episode of the show.  And that right there is the definition of awesome.

Who wins? Mythbusters is great, but baseball is America's game!

Here's how the bracket shapes up after Day 3!

Bracket of Awesome Day 3!

Come back tomorrow as we finish up Round 1!

Bracket of Awesome Day 2!

It's time for Day 2 of the Bracket of Awesome!  Today we're looking at the first round winners in the Grand Canyon bracket.  The NCAA tournament was full of upsets today.  Will the same plot play out in the Bracket of Awesome?  Let's get to the results!

Matchup 1: 1 Grand Canyon vs 8 Yo-Yo

Grand Canyon
Why it's here: Simply put, this is the most beautiful, awe-inspiring place on the face of the Earth.  The Canyon shows 2 billion years of geologic history!  Not to mention it serves as a breeding ground for the endangered California Condor.  Whether it's hiking, rafting, or star gazing, the Grand Canyon is the perfect place to do it all!  I sound like a brochure.  But if you've never been, it should be at the top of your must-do list.  This is truly the mother of all wonders of mother nature.

Yo-Yo
Why it's here: It's simple, it's fun, it's a yo-yo!  I feel like I could be writing commercial jingles tonight!  The yo-yo is a timeless toy that provides hours of endless fun.  Plus, you can get them in lots of colors and designs.

Who wins? This another example of a powerhouse exerting its muscle.  Grand Canyon wins.

Matchup 2: 4 James Bond vs 5 Lego

James Bond
Why he's here: He's James Bond.  Need I say more?  He's the ultimate spy.  He's got the coolest gadgets, the coolest car, and he always gets the girl.  It has been 50 years and his movies are just as popular as ever.  In the dictionary next to the word awesome there is a picture of James Bond.

Lego
Why they're here: The ultimate building block.  Lego has been around for years and has provided hours of fun for children and their fathers.  You can build from a set or you can build from your own creativity.  You can build a pirate ship, a space ship, a castle, a skyscraper, etc.  The possibilities are endless!  I think that's their slogan, and that's why they're awesome!

Who wins? This has probably been the toughest matchup of the tournament so far.  Both of these are extremely awesome.  I enjoyed spending time with my dad building Lego sets and watching James Bond movies, and I'm sure other fathers and sons can say the same.  Anything that can be considered a family tradition should be considered awesome.  But for this matchup, we're going to go with Lego, because it's awesome without the blatant womanizing.

Matchup 3: 3 Slurpee vs 6 Phillie Phanatic

Slurpee
Why it's here: Nothing signifies summer quite like a Slurpee.  It's delicious, cold, and refreshing.  Slurpee runs are a staple for escaping the summer heat.  And did I mention they are refreshing and delicious?  Enough said, awesome.

Phillie Phanatic
Why he's here: The greatest mascot ever! Watch this video and try not to laugh.  I dare you.

You couldn't do it, could you?  That's why he's awesome.  He makes people laugh.  A lot.

Who wins? As much as I love a slurpee, the Phillie Phanatic is way too awesome to go out in the first round.  I got to give him a high five at the All Star game a couple years ago and it is one of the highlights of my life.  On to the next round, Phanatic!

Matchup 4: 2 High Fives vs 7 Pez

High Fives
Why they're here: Have you ever given someone a high five?  If so, did you notice their smile?  For something so simple to create that much joy is just awesome.  I love giving high fives because for whatever reason it makes people feel good.  So put those hands in the air and don't leave anybody hanging!

Pez
Why it's here: It's just so much fun to eat candy that comes from such a cool dispenser.  Whether it's Batman or Snoopy or Santa Claus, they all dispense the rectangular candy that we all enjoy so much.  Eating the candy straight out the package is just not the same.  You want to collect the different dispensers and you just can't stop popping those little candies like crazy.  That's awesome!

Who wins? As much fun as Pez are, it's hard to deny the power of the high five.  High fives for the High Five as it moves on to round 2!

So here's how the bracket looks after Day 2!
Bracket of Awesome Day 2!

Come back tomorrow for Day 3!

Bracket of Awesome Day 1!

Well, it's finally time for Day 1 of the tournament!  And while today's action on the basketball court has been great, the action on the court of awesome has been just as intense.  Today, winners in round 1 of the Root Beer bracket will be revealed.  So let's get to the action!

Matchup 1: 1 Root Beer vs 8 Jelly Belly

Root Beer
Why they're here: This is pretty self explanatory, but I'll indulge you anyway.  Root Beer is pretty much like sweet drops of heaven on your tongue.  And I'm not talking about the A&W's and Mug's.  I'm talking about the good stuff like Weinhard's, Sioux City, and Sprecher.  One of the great things about root beer is that each brand has its own unique taste, which makes trying different brands an exciting experience.  And the most awesome thing about root beer is that it doesn't have caffeine!  I love the stuff and I drink one almost every day.  And that's why it's a one seed.

Jelly Belly
Why they're here: Jelly Belly just barely made it into the field, but I think they are a worthy participant.  What distinguishes Jelly Belly's from ordinary jelly beans are the unique flavors that they come in.  You can get everything from popcorn to pineapple to caramel, all in the form of a bean.  The every flavor beans like vomit and skunk also provide great opportunities for April Fool's pranks.  That's a pretty awesome assortment.

Who wins? Root Beer is a powerhouse in this bracket.  They move on.

Matchup 2: 4 Museums, Zoos, Aquariums, etc vs 5 John Wooden

Museums, Zoos, Aquariums, etc
Why they're here: Have you ever been to a museum, zoo, or aquarium?  They are pretty cool.  There is so much to learn whether it is about animals, flying, space, or coral reefs.  Museums, etc. present information in such innovative ways that make learning fun for people of all ages.  That type of universality is the definition of awesome.

John Wooden
Why he's here: John Wooden is quite simply the greatest coach of all time.  He won ten NCAA championships while coaching UCLA, and introduced us all to his Pyramid of Success.  His quotes are timeless and apply to everything from sports to business to teaching.  And what I think is the most impressive fact about Wooden is that he had only one losing season as a player or coach.  One!  That's awesome!

Who wins?  John Wooden has a pretty impressive resume, but I'm going with the Museums simply because they are more universal and encourage so much learning.

Matchup 3: 3 The A-Team vs 6 Slinky

The A-Team
Why they're here: Simply put, The A-Team is the greatest television show ever.  Four wanted fugitives, on the run for a crime they didn't commit, helping ordinary people take down corruption.  What more could you ask for?  The group dynamics of the four members made for extremely entertaining television.  Plus, they could build elaborate contraptions out of anything they were left with, and no one ever died during the show. And they had an sweet looking van!  Totally awesome!

Slinky
Why they're here: Slinky is a really cool toy.  It travels down stairs all by itself!  And try thinking about a slinky on an escalator without smiling.  That's what makes a toy awesome, simplicity and smiles.

Who wins? While the slinky is a really fun toy to play with, it's hard to beat The A-Team.  Colonel Decker sure couldn't do it, and neither can a timeless kid's toy.  The A-Team advances!

Matchup 4: 2 Millennium Falcon vs 7 Lasagna

Millennium Falcon
Why it's here: The Millennium Falcon is the most awesome ship in the Star Wars universe.  It made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, after all!  I thought about putting Star Wars as a whole in the bracket, but decided that Han Solo's ship would be the torch bearer for the franchise.  The Falcon aided in the destruction of two Death Stars and was flown by one of my heroes.  Awesome!

Lasagna
Why it's here: It's delicious.  Need I say more?  Layers of pasta, cheese, and meat!  Why is this only a seven seed?!  You can even make it with just vegetables.  That's pretty awesome!

Who wins? As cool as the Millennium Falcon is, not everyone is as big a Star Wars fan as I am.  But everyone can appreciate lasagna.  We have our first upset of the tournament, Lasagna moves on!  Garfield would be so happy.

So here's how the bracket shapes up after Day 1:
Bracket of Awesome - Day 1

Check back tomorrow for Day 2 action!

Bracket of Awesome Revealed!

Here is the moment you've all been waiting for, the revelation of the Bracket of Awesome!  The bracket includes 32 things (toys, places, people, shows, food, actions, etc.) that I think are awesome and that help make the world we live in awesome.  Seeding was based purely on my own personal preference.  Therefore, the 1-seeds are some of my favorite things (Disneyland, Grand Canyon, In-n-Out, Root Beer).  But really, it's hard to put a ranking on awesomeness.  Any of the "teams" could win it all.  If you think about it, it's kind of like this year's NCAA tournament, wide open.  The NCAA tournament, by the way, didn't make the final cut, despite how awesome it is.  I'm sure there are many other awesome things out there that I could have put on, but that just means there's room to do another bracket later on.  So without further ado, here is the bracket!

Bracket of Awesome!

I hope you like the picks.  Here's how the bracket will work:

Each day of the NCAA tournament I will reveal my selections for a portion of the bracket.  So Thursday, I will post the winners from the first round of the Root Beer bracket, Friday from the Grand Canyon bracket, and so on.  By the end of the weekend, we will be down to 16 teams.  And then we will follow the progression of the NCAA's until a champion of awesomeness is crowned.  In each subsequent post, I will also explain the reasoning for each item's inclusion and do a full breakdown of each matchup.  So relish in the  awesomivity (yes, I know I made up a word) of it all and feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Bracket of Awesome!

Well, it's March, and you know what that means!  No, not short red-headed dudes protecting pots of gold.  Brackets!  That's right, it's all about the brackets right now.  It seems like everyone is trying to capitalize on the madness of the NCAA tournament this time of year.  There are specialized brackets just about everywhere you look on the Internet.  And, well, I'm no different.  Last year, I created a Greatest Cartoon Character Bracket.  Mickey Mouse won, by the way.  This year, I thought about creating a Greatest Sitcom Bracket, but that's been done before.  I wanted to do something more unique and more awesome.  So I came up with the idea of making a Bracket of Awesome!  So that's what I'm doing.  I'm putting together a bracket full of things in this world that I think are awesome.  Things that maybe we take for granted in this world.  And things that can make you smile just a little bit.  So keep checking back here for updates as the full bracket is revealed and we work our way down to a winner.