Initial Eight
Roman Voss and Alex Hein voting starts Saturday
Voting will start Saturday in Random Bracket Challenge VI.
Through Monday you’ll be able to vote on the Initial Eight matchups in the Roman Voss and Alex Hein pods. The plan is to then start voting in the Pat Frank and Cliff Anderson pods at that point.
If you don’t already, here’s a reminder to follow me on Twitter @sportsdr44 to participate in the voting. There will be status updates there.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In case somebody does the math (and nobody did last year), there are actually 16 teams in the Initial Eight.
If there can be 18 teams in the Big 10 we can have 16 teams in the Initial Eight.
Or maybe this is the First Initial Eight. And the Second Initial Eight will be from the Pat Frank and Cliff Anderson pods.
At any rate, here we go.
Roman Voss Pod
8 Bermuda Triangle vs. 9 Black licorice
The Bermuda Triangle, or “Devil’s Triangle,” is a loosely defined 500,000-square-mile region in the North Atlantic Ocean between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, infamous for alleged mysterious disappearances of ships and planes.
Licorice is a confectionery flavored with the extract of the Glycyrrhiza glabra root, traditionally colored black with sugar, flour, and binders, and known for its distinct sweet, slightly bitter taste.
7 This is fine meme vs. 10 Windom
Comic artist KC Green published the panel in 2013 as part of his Gunshow comic strip. A year later, after the comic’s top two frames were posted to Reddit, the meme went viral.
Windom is the county seat of Cottonwood County, located along the Des Moines River and U.S. Highway 71/MN-60. It is a rural community with a population of approximately 4,700.
Alex Hein Pod
8 Book clubs vs. 9 Tea
Book clubs provide a structured, social environment to discuss literature, bringing readers together to share diverse perspectives, discover new genres, and foster community connection. Members enjoy deeper, more meaningful engagement with literature, often connecting through virtual platforms, local library, or bookstore groups, which can encourage personal growth and regular reading habits.
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot water over the cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. It is the world’s second most consumed beverage after water. All true teas—including white, green, oolong, black, and pu-erh—come from this single plant species, with their distinct flavors and colors determined by the level of oxidation and processing.
7 KC & The Sunshine Band vs. 10 People nicknamed “Tiny”
KC and the Sunshine Band is an American disco and funk band that was founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include the hits “Get Down Tonight”, “That’s the Way (I Like It)”, “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty”, “Keep It Comin’ Love”, “Boogie Shoes”, and “Please Don’t Go”. The group had five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: four in the 1970s and the first number one song of the 1980s.
“Tiny” is a common ironic nickname for large individuals or a literal nickname for smaller ones, popularized across sports, music, and fiction. Notable people with this nickname include NBA player Nate “Tiny” Archibald, NASCAR driver Tiny Lund, and musician Tiny Tim.
