Cartoon Thunderdome – All Hail King Homer!!

HOMER SIMPSON WINS INAUGURAL THUNDERDOME TOURNAMENT

After more than 200 votes from you, Homer Simpson defeated Eric Cartman in the Championship round to become the first-ever Thunderdome Champion. The newly crowned king of cartoons knocked off the megalomaniacal child from South Park with a 115-97 victory.

Things seemed dim for Eric early on, as Homer jumped out to a 30+ voting advantage. However, despite recommendations to end the matchup, voting continued, and Cartman pulled within single digit votes of Simpson. But he would get no closer, and thanks to everyone’s input, America’s favorite dad from Springfield stands alone.

I thank everyone for voting and hope that you enjoyed Thunderdome ‘08. Don’t worry though, because Thunderdome ’09 will be in full force come next March.

A big thank you to Steve and everyone that voted. This was pretty awesome, and Steve quadrupled his number of posts on the site. And seriously, 200 people? Yeesh. That may seem small time for some sites, but for our little outfit here, that’s a little overwhelming.

Now sit back and be prepared for hockey and baseball posts…. is it football season yet?

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Cartoon Madness – FINALS

(new survey: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1208976262761)

THUNDERDOME CHAMPIONSHIP SET
Thanks to a record number of votes in the Final Four, we now have our Thunderdome Championship set: Homer Simpson vs. Eric Cartman. Both had impressive wins in the semifinals, and both have had to go through some pretty stiff competition to get to this point. Homer has had to oust Michelangelo, Pinky and the Brain, and Peter Griffin, among others, while Cartman had to knock off Leonardo, Quagmire, and Optimus Prime.

So it all comes down to this. 65 to 2. To become the first and undisputed Thunderdome Champion. On one side, you have a guy who sits on his couch with a beer and a bowl full of chili. On the other, you have a kid who chops up bullies’ parents into chili. Both have had successful movies. Both have coined popular catch phrases. Both give the FCC hell with their constant swearing on national television. But only one can walk away with all the marbles.

Again, I thank each of you for voting. I think this has been a fun activity for the past two months for me (largely because it distracts me from doing my work), and I hope you have enjoyed it as well. I’m sure everyone is excited for Thunderdome ’09 (theme in progress). And as always, please tell your friends to vote, as it has been proven that every vote counts.

https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1208976262761

National Championship

#1 Homer Simpson

vs. #1 Eric Cartman

Spring Review: the good, the bad, and the ugly

So, the spring practice session has come to a close with the traditional Maroon vs White spring game to cap what is one of the most bizarre yet question filled preseason for Virginia Tech football. Questions to ask: will one QB emerge? Who will take over as our starting running back? What about the wide receivers? Will our defense be the same with out 9-11? Let’s take a look…

The Good: Kam Chancelor, Darren Evans, Brandon Dillard, Macho Harris, Jason Worilds, Sean Glennon, and Greg Boone.
Why? Kam Chance has made the move from rover to free safety and is absolutely dominating. VT safeties typically have a lot of tackles because they are always involved in the run, not to mention the guy can defend the pass and flat out hit. Good move there. Darren Evans has taken full advantage of Ore’s departure, and the injuries to KLew and Cheese – this guy may be our starting back this fall: he has size, speed, and can really hit the hole. Brandon Dillard is stepping up as the go to guy in our unfamiliar receiving core – in case you didn’t notice, he made people miss all over the place in the spring game – a lot to like there! Not much needs to be said for Harris, as he is going to be all over the field this year – offense, defense, and special teams – it should be a great year for him. Worilds is absolutely punishing our offensive line, which is good…he will help our line get better and will be in the opposing team’s backfield a lot. Sean Glennon, why do you torture us? All spring he has been hitting receivers in stride and making smart decisions – let’s hope he does the same this fall. Lastly, Greg Boone may end up being the offensive MVP this year – he has shown terrific hands and great blocking, not to mention he has been running a little bit, too. Imagine him in the backfield for a few series…scary!

The bad: Offensive line, our place kickers, and anyone not named Macho/Kam in the secondary.
Why? Do we really have to explain why our offensive line is so bad? It’s early, yes, but one can only wonder how they will hold up this fall. We need this unit to gel a bit more than they have, so let’s see what summer workouts can do. We have a long way to go until ECU. Of course we have some issues in our secondary other than Kam and Macho, but we can say that Cris Hill is looking pretty smooth, but he just needs a little bit of work. My guess is Macho doesn’t get the ball thrown his way too much this year…

The ugly: Tyrod Taylor, The Cheeeeeeese, our linebackers, and the depth on our DLine.
Why? The next great thing from Hampton Roads has had an ugly spring. No offense to him, but he still has some work to do before he leads us to glory. This is no knock on him at all, but he only makes one read and starts running, but hey, at least he can run. Glennon will take one look and then get pasted by a lineman or linebacker because well, he just can’t run. Tyrod will be a phenom when he leaves VT, but still has a lot to learn. The reason we put Cheese on here is not because of how he played (he was actually quite awesome), but more because the man can not catch a break. Fumbles and lack of blocking were holding him back before, but now he has a broken fibula and is out for six weeks – talk about tough luck. The linebackers are doing OK, but they have to go here because they are not Vince Hall or Xavier Adibi. Purnell Sturdivant and Brett Warren are trying their best to fill in admirably, but it won’t be the same. Again, no knock on them, but we will miss the best two linebackers to ever attend VT. Lastly, while we have some serious players on the defensive line in Worilds and John Graves, we just lack some serious depth. An injury or two could really cause some trouble for us.

So that’s it for the spring, folks, as the players now have a break until they resume practice in August. What can we expect? At this point, don’t be shocked if we lose to BC and FSU on the road. For now, I think we finish 10-2 and play and win the ACC title game. Until seen otherwise, the Hokies have the ACC to lose.

4.16.08 – We Remember

Today, we remember those friends we lost one year ago. Last year, we reflected on things we’d learned. After a year, there are things we should always remember.

Remember those that personally helped. Families. Close friends. Random strangers that offered condolences. Old friends that had grown out of touch.

Remember those kids that gave up their weekends to drive 5 hours from another school, just to stand on the Drillfield with you to say that they care.

Remember that one guy you knew from high school that changed his picture on Facebook to the black ribbon, and remember that you were the only person he knew that went to Tech.

Remember that random school you hadn’t heard of that held a candlelight vigil, and probably will again tonight. Remember all those rival schools that did the same.

Remember how the country embraced the Hokie Nation. Hokies in Florida, California, and Delaware walked outside and saw flags at half staff. Thoughts and prayers were offered worldwide. It’s tough to fall with millions of people behind you.

Remember these things because tragedy will continue touch your life and the lives around you. Remember how much those small gestures meant to you. They will mean just as much when you offer them to someone else.

Remember that there’s always a plan. There was a plan when one man survived the Holocaust. There is a plan for everyone.

Remember the first football game. It was freaking ECU, and the place was absolutely rocking. It’s doubtful that there is more fitting tribute one can imagine.

Remember when the country saw what we all knew already: that the Tech community was different, somehow. We knew it as freshmen. We knew it at graduation. We knew that it just couldn’t be like this everywhere.

And now it has been a year. Things are undoubtedly different, but they are also better.

It’s not that we’ve gotten over it; we’ll never get over it. We will never forget. We still think about it daily. We will always be sad, but we continue to stay strong. Some of us still feel guilty that we weren’t there when it happened. Or that it happened and we didn’t stop it. Or that we’re still here while 32 friends are not. And it’s all understandable. And everyone is still here to help.

But we are doing better. We still miss our friends, but we are stronger. And just as we honor those we lost remembered at War Memorial, we will honor those we lost remembered in front of Burruss. We continue to honor them in the way we make the Virginia Tech community as special for the next generation as it was, and is, for us.

In April, people wondered if this would define Virginia Tech. We knew it wouldn’t. We know it hasn’t. And we know it won’t. What has defined us, as it always had, is the Hokie Nation itself. From future Hokies, new freshmen, alumni, families, friends, fans, and everyone in between. We are the ones that define Virginia Tech and the Hokies. We always have been and always will be.

We are ALL Virginia Tech. We are the Hokies.

GO HOKIES!!!

Cartoon Madness – Final Four

With the passion of a Canadian basketball player, our friend Steve presses on to the Final Four of our Cartoon Thunderdome. Here’s the link to the new poll: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1208219825048

MATCHUP OF THE CENTURY MEETS ONE ROUND EARLY

Thanks to another massive number of votes from you, we now have our Final Four for the Cartoon Thunderdome. In the regional finals, Peter jumped out to a huge lead over Doug Funnie, and then withstood a late rally to fend off the Power of the Quail 15-11. Homer had an easier time with Pinky and the Brain, winning convincingly 19-7.

Cartman had to make a valiant comeback over Quagmire to win 15-11, and Optimus Prime knocked off Shredder with another 15-11 score.

So we are now down to four, and now have arguably the greatest discussion among cartoons ever: Who is the better fat man/moron/poor excuse of a husband and father – Peter or Homer? We’ll soon find out as these two goliaths will duke it out with a chance at the National Championship on the line. The other matchup pits young Eric Cartman against Optimus Prime. I love how we got two robots into the semifinals, if you count A.W.E.S.O.M.E.-O’s cardboard costume as being robotic.

I think the committee got it right, as we have 3 #1’s and a #2 (although, when looking back on it, I should have made Optimus Prime a #1 seed, since He-Man kind of sucks). So continue to vote and spread the word, as every vote counts.

#1 Peter Griffin vs.

#1 Homer Simpson

#1 Eric Cartman vs.

#2 Optimus Prime

Again, new survey: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1208219825048

Cartoon Madness – Elite 8

TURTLES GET SHELL SHOCKED, FOX CONTINUES TO REPRESENT

(link to new survey: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1207662168619)

Go figure that Shredder would be the one surviving character from TMNT to move on to the Elite 8. 3 of the 4 turtles made it to the Sweet 16, and all lost, although Michelangelo nearly pulled off a big upset over Max Power. Peter knocked off Raphael and Cartman withstood Leonardo. As predicted by yours truly, the Doug Funnie – Ralph Wiggum battle would be fierce, and when the dust cleared, Bluffington’s finest advanced with a 12-10 win. Finally, Optimus may have proved that this is his tourney to win, pounding The Man With No Name 19-3. With that being said, however, FOX still gets 4 reps into the round of 8.

So we get to the regional finals, with the winners advancing to the Final Four. These should be some pretty sweet matchups, especially Peter vs. Doug. I’d LOVE to see a cartoon episode with these two in the same room, one imagining he’s fighting villains as Quailman, the other reminiscing about the time he went through that Daisy Duke phase (Come here you basketball!).

So below are the matchups. Continue to vote and spread the word. Watch a little baseball too if you have time, or the women’s final four if you’ve chosen that life path.

PETORIA REGIONAL FINAL
#1 Peter Griffin
vs. #2 Doug Funnie

MAX POWER REGIONAL FINAL
#1 Homer Simpson
vs. #7 Pinky and the Brain

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.-O REGIONAL FINAL
#1 Eric Cartman

vs. #3 Glenn Quagmire

SHEERA’S PIECE REGIONAL FINAL
#2 Optimus Prime

vs. #8 Shredder

(again, the link to the new survey: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1207662168619)

Branden Ore to re-join football!!

In a shocking turn of events, it appears that Branden Ore will wear a college uniform once again. This time, however, he will be suiting up for the West Liberty State Hilltoppers, who just capped an amazing season by going 8-3 in the extremely tough West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (or the WVIAC) in Division II football, playing the likes of Seton Hall, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Oh wait, let me try that one again – make that Seton HILL, West Virginia State, and Kentucky Wesleyan – man, I knew something was wrong with that last statement. Something tells me Ore doesn’t really care too much about football or academics anymore and the only reason he is heading here is because his mommy said so…either that or he realizes no NFL team would ever want him.

Ore will hope to regroup and regain his focus in order to lead the Toppers to their very first Division II championship. The road won’t be easy, however, as teams like Valdosta State and Grand Valley have essentially established themselves as powerhouses. At this time, we ask that anyone who knows where ANY of these colleges are please step forward so that we may place you in stocks and throw rotten fruit and vegetables at you.

Regardless, it should be an interesting year in the WVIAC with a new face in Branden Ore. Can he lead the mighty Hilltoppers to a Division II title or will he end up working at the local 7-11? Stay tuned as the season unfolds.