It's that time of year again! The snow is melting, storm chasers are putting new tires on their Dominators, and we're unveiling the eighth edition of Ogle Madness. Since no one in Oklahoma cares about the real March Madness anymore, this year's Ogle Madness should prove even more popular than usual.
Ogle Madness VIII will be similar to the previous tournaments. We take 68 local celebrities, seeded them, and, placed them in a bracket. It's just like the NCAA Tournament, except you don't have to listen to Dick Vitale scream at you about Duke and Kentucky.
Each day, starting with the play-in games this Wednesday, we'll post matchups on the site. You'll vote for your favorites, and the winner will advance. Eventually our champion will be crowned. Last year Lacey Swope swept through the field and has spent the last year walking around, beating her chest, and screaming "No one respected me!!" to anyone within earshot.
And now that that boring stuff is out of the way, let's take a look at each region in this year's bracket:
Wow. That's small. Download the PDF here. Let's take a look at each region:
Northeast Region
Obviously, Emily Sutton is the favorite in this region. We could be heading to an epic Elite 8 matchup between her and Lord England.
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Midwest
Broken feet shouldn't affect Kevin Durant's game. The two-time Ogle Madness Champion always performs well in March. That being said, Mr. Unreliable has never seen anything quite like Sir John Michael.
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Southeast
The Dark Horse in this bracket has to be the Lake Hefner Goats. Led by their visionary coach Otto the Guard Dog, they are a force to be reckoned with.
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West
Lacey Swope took last year's Ogle Madness bracket by storm. Can she repeat with some added pressure? If anyne can stop her, it's Russell Westbrook.
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Play In Games:
A few tidbits:
• It was an incredibly difficult field to narrow down for the selection committee. It was harder for us to do than it is for Dion Waiters to turn down a contested jumper. The bubble burst for Toni Jones, Biker Fox, Marla Morgan, and the First National Building, who were the last four teams eliminated from the field. Maybe if they had played a tougher non-conference •
• This year's bracket features six meteorologists, three Thunder players, two country singers, two radio stations, and zero Steve Lackmeyers. WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE.
• Here are the previous Ogle Madness Champions:
Ogle Madness VII: Champion - Lacey Swope; Runner Up - Emily SuttonOgle Madness VI: Champion – Emily Sutton; Runner Up – Joleen ChaneyOgle Madness V: Champion – Emily Sutton; Runner Up – Good Russell WestbrookOgle Madness IV: Champion – Kevin Durant; Runner Up – Joleen ChaneyOgle Madness III: Champion – Kevin Durant; Runner Up – Kristin ChenowethOgle Madness II: Champion – Kristin Chenoweth; Runner Up – Carrie UnderwoodOgle Madness I: Champion – Lauren Richardson; Runner Up – Amy Mcree
Yeah, that's right. Two people that you've either forgotten about or never heard of were in the original Ogle Madness finals. The past wasn't always better, people.
• I asked some Ogle Madness analysts for their thoughts on this year's field. Here's what they had to say:
Marisa: "I'm really excited for the Street Outlaws to be going up against Lawton Rappers."
Chelsea: "Not enough Tulsa people."
Patrick: "Can you hand me that beer?"
Jenni Carlson: "How am I in this field and Landry Jones isn't?"
The Oklahoman Editorial Board: "Fuck Barack Obama."
And there you have it! Should be fun. The play-in games get started tomorrow, so print off your brackets and get your office pool started. Gambling is encouraged.
