March Madness 2016! Hail Hail wins!

[stip]

Every year we change up the rules to March Madness, and this year is no different.

The seven most recent winners are removed from the start of the tournament: Black, Tremor Christ, Corduroy, Immortality, I Got Shit, Do the Evolution, Insignificance

Of the 217 remaining possible songs (including known demos) the 25 least popular (give or take)have been removed.

Spoiler: show

Folk D, Ramblings I, Ramblings II, Ramblings III, The King, Untitled Stone Demo, anything in between, be like wind, Chinese, Daddy Could Swear..., evil little goat, I just wanna have something to do, it ain't like that, Jingle Bells, need to know, Olympic platinum, pry to, rock around barack, Turning Mist, Wishing Well, 2000 Mile Blues, Breeze in D, Lucky 13, Rearranged Furniture, Rearranged Priorities, 2x4

Part I:
64 randomized three way match ups (with at least two official album/single releases per match).

Part II
The 64 winners are randomized and enter into a traditional bracketed tournament. The link will be posted at the end of round I.

Part III
The winner of the 64 match tournament joins the top 7 previous winners to determine the 2016 champion.


Part II Bracket

Final 8 Bracket can be found here

Spoiler: show

2004 - Immortality [Old, old board]
No records exist - this was just mentioned in the 2005 tourney. Immortality beat Black in the final. The 2005 tourney mentions that this was the "first" March Madness.

2005 - I Got Shit
2006 - Black
2007 - Corduroy
2008 - Immortality
2009 - Black
2010 - In My Tree
2012 - Tremor Christ
2014 - Insignificance
2015 - Do the Evolution
2016 - Hail, Hail

All matches open for 2 days.

[stip]

Round I Matches and Results

A: 2/1-2/2

Spoiler: show

1. Falling Down vs. Let the Records Play vs. Fatal (0-4-35)
2. Blood vs. Long Road vs. Devil Doll (14-24-0)
3. MFC vs. Rival vs. Angel (9-30-1)
4. Santa Cruz vs. All Those Yesterdays vs. Indifference (0-30-13)
5. Leash vs. Bugs vs. Whipping (8-3-26)
6. Daughter vs. Habit vs. Foldback (27-8-1)
7. Unthought Known vs. Leatherman vs. Cropduster (10-3-25)
8. Red Dot vs. Undone vs. Amongst the Waves (6-24-8)

B: 2/3-2/4

Spoiler: show

9. Better Things vs. Smile vs. Betterman (0-37-20)
10. Harmony vs. Let Me Sleep vs. Mind Your Manners (3-34-32)
11. Push Me/Pull Me vs. Wishlist vs. Thunderclap (22-33-3)
12. Come Back vs. Get Right vs. Brother (25-30-10)
13. Thumbing My Way vs. Evacuation vs. Pendulumorphisis (19-30-6)
14. Let It Ride vs. Off He Goes vs. Jeremy (3-38-20)
15.Aye Davanita vs. In the Moonlight vs. No Way (4-13-41)
16. Stupid Mop vs. Cold Confession vs. Alive (1-21-38)

C: 2/5-2/6

Spoiler: show

17. Wash vs. Alone vs. Sirens (29-16-8)
18. Master/Slave vs. Parachutes vs. Life Wasted (1-37-17)
19. Strangest Tribe vs. Mankind vs. Open Door (45-7-0)
20. Oceans vs. Soon Forget vs. Puzzles and Games (47-2-5)
21. Education vs. Lukin vs. All or None (17-8-28)
22. Garden vs. Man of the Hour vs. Don't Believe in Christmas (19-33-1)
23. Parting Ways vs. Once vs. Gremmie Out of Control (35-16-2)
24. 4/20/02 vs. Infallible vs. You Are (1-16-37)

D: 2/7-2/8

Spoiler: show

25. Dissident vs. God's Dice vs. Down (20-24-11)
26. Low Light vs. Gonna See My Friend vs. Love Reign O'er Me (36-10-4)
27. Red Mosquito vs. Breakerfall vs. Footsteps (35-14-5)
28. Rats vs. Why Go vs. Untitled (I'm Still Here) (32-12-3)
29. Rearviewmirror vs. Of the Earth vs. Ghost (41-0-8)
30. Pendulum vs. Just a Girl vs. Pilate (19-2-33)
31. Elderly Woman... vs. The End vs. Golden State (36-7-5)
32. Hummus vs. W.M.A. vs. Porch (8-13-31)

E: 2/9-2/10

Spoiler: show

33. Brain of J vs. Sometimes vs. Whale Song (44-11-2)
34. Marker in the Sand vs. Glorified G vs. Bee Girl (28-24-0)
35. Last Kiss vs. All Night vs. Thin Air (3-18-33)
36. My Father's Son vs. Wasted Reprise vs. Acoustic #1 (30-8-10)
37. Dead Man vs. Speed of Sound vs. Black Red Yellow (23-5-27)
38. Someday at Christmas vs. Help Help vs. Deep (7-26-24)
39. Gone vs. Sunburn vs. In Hiding (4-10-42)
40. Around the Bend vs. Force of Nature vs. Supersonic (36-9-6)

F: 2/11-2/12

Spoiler: show

41. Unemployable vs. Breath vs. Ole (12-36-4)
42. 10 Billion Years vs. Light Years vs. Leavin' Here (11-30-10)
43. Hard to Imagine vs. Johnny Guitar vs. Cready Stomp (39-11-1)
44. Grievance vs. Comatose vs. Crazy Mary (34-7-9)
45. Go vs. Santa God vs. Other Side (42-0-9)
46. I Am Mine vs. Army Reserve vs. Happy When I'm Crying (28-11-13)
47. Last Solider vs. Swallowed Whole vs. Of the Girl (4-4-43)
48. Animal vs. Sleeping By Myself vs. Arc (45-6-1)

G: 2/13-2/14

Spoiler: show

49. Sonic Reducer vs. Save You vs. Spin the Black Circle (1-20-27)
50. Release vs. Dirty Frank vs. Hail Hail (16-1-34)
51. Faithful vs. Present Tense vs. I've Got a Feeling (31-17-0)
52. Worldwide Suicide vs. Sad vs. Only Cloud in the Sky (6-42-2)
53. Nothing as it Seems vs. Hitchhiker vs. Future Days (42-6-1)
54. Big Wave vs. Satan's Bed vs. Given to Fly (3-16-28)
55. Hold On vs. Not For You vs. I'm Open (0-48-1)
56. Drifting vs. Yellow Moon vs. Love Boat Captain (19-12-20)

H: 2/15-2/16

Spoiler: show

57. Getaway vs. Got Some vs. In My Tree (3-4-43)
58. The Fixer vs. State of Love and Trust vs. Bu$hleaguer (4-39-4)
59. Even Flow vs. Severed Hand vs. Green Disease (27-7-16)
60. Inside Job vs. 1/2 Full vs. Yellow Ledbetter (4-24-27)
61. Sleight of Hand vs. You vs. Who You Are (33-2-20)
62. Just Breathe vs. Out of My Mind vs. Last Exit (3-1-47)
63. Sweet Lew vs. Don't Gimmie No Lip vs. Nothingman (0-3-44)
64. Can't Keep vs. Lightning Bolt vs. 2x4 (35-15-0)

[PHATJ]

These match ups look fun. There are some close ones in there.

[stip]

It's a better way to move through the opening rounds. Kudos to whoever suggested this

[Bammer]

Spoiler: show

Wishing Well doesn't even get a chance to compete?

This is rigged.

[B]

I gotta say, I dislike stip's process more and more every year, but God knows that I'M not going to take on this monumental task, so good on you, stip!

[PHATJ]

I gotta say, I dislike stip's process more and more every year, but God knows that I'M not going to take on this monumental task, so good on you, stip!

This years format is solid.

[B]

I just don't like that 7 of the final 8 are already determined.

[LetMeSleep]

I just don't like that 7 of the final 8 are already determined.

My understanding was the March Madness winner will then go into the Champions round. This means the MM winner won't have won before.

[stip]

I gotta say, I dislike stip's process more and more every year, but God knows that I'M not going to take on this monumental task, so good on you, stip!

it's basically different every year.

[stip]

I just don't like that 7 of the final 8 are already determined.

My understanding was the March Madness winner will then go into the Champions round. This means the MM winner won't have won before.

So the complaint we always get is that the standard titans knock out too many songs and it is predictable. We get a full tournament with a pseudo winner and then determine the 'real' winner. This will rotate songs out, too. as we get new winners.

[PHATJ]

I just don't like that 7 of the final 8 are already determined.

My understanding was the March Madness winner will then go into the Champions round. This means the MM winner won't have won before.

So the complaint we always get is that the standard titans knock out too many songs and it is predictable. We get a full tournament with a pseudo winner and then determine the 'real' winner. This will rotate songs out, too. as we get new winners.

It makes all the sense in the world.

[Birds in Hell]

There's only so many really, really good Pearl Jam songs that we all more or less agree on (and I don't think the band are going to be making any more), I don't think it's surprising that the same songs end up rising to the top.

It's not as though Sweet Lew is going to cause a surprise upset.

[stip]

Round 1 A is closed. Congrats to:


Fatal
Long Road
Rival
All Those Yesterdays
Whipping
Daughter
Cropduster
Undone

[Kaius]

That's a nice group.

[LetMeSleep]

There's only so many really, really good Pearl Jam songs that we all more or less agree on (and I don't think the band are going to be making any more), I don't think it's surprising that the same songs end up rising to the top.

It's not as though Sweet Lew is going to cause a surprise upset.

At this rate it may in 2053.

[Simple Torture]

Honestly, I have more fun thinking about and discussing the tough early-round matchups, so I really like this format. I will probably fade when we get to the final 16 and we're all making the same old arguments about the same top songs. But early on, this is lots of fun.

[B]

So, who's the 2016 victor? The winner of the 2 64-match rounds or the winner of the Champions Round?

[stip]

So, who's the 2016 victor? The winner of the 2 64-match rounds or the winner of the Champions Round?

The ultimate victor will be the winner of the championship round. This just helps ensure we have a more interesting run up to it.

[EJ]

Would've been cool to see Foldback, Harmony, and Thunderclap up against each other. Its too bad they'll each be eliminated in the first round. These were such cool gifts on that Touring Band 2000 dvd.

1. Thunderclap
2. Foldback
3. Harmony