**Update: Sorry for the site issues today, but we had some hardcore problems with our server. Everything seems to be back up and running and we’ve moved the semifinals back to the top of AA. There is still time to vote in both matchups as voting will end for the Final Four at midnight and voting for the JMMT Final will run from Wednesday AM till Friday night at midnight.**
We are down to the Final Four of the Joe Morgan Memorial Tournament! You can check the bracket and the Elite 8 results here. We have both semifinal matchups here for you to vote on – Chris Berman vs Craig James AND Colin Cowherd vs Joe Buck. Feel free to vote early and often until the poll closes sometime Wednesday. Then, we’ll move right into the Final Wednesday and voting will close Friday night at Midnight. Voting on both polls is after the jump…
SF #1: Chris Berman vs Craig James
Chris Berman
Fact File: Host of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Home Run Derby, and golf’s US Open, occasional SportsCenter anchor and baseball play by play man
Why He’s Here: How much time do we have? Chris Berman has been synonymous with ESPN for over 30 years, but his schtick of nicknames, bad jokes, and bellowing humor has grown old. His protection of the NFL and the stars of the league leave his journalistic bite at zero. The #1 best selling ESPN book painted him as a man drastically out of touch with the modern day world, and it shows.
Links:
Somebody Should Explain The Concept Of A Walk Off Win To Chris Berman
Real Tweets From Real People – Berman and the US Open
Tossed Salas Nickname
Classic Youtube Rant
Round 1 Result: Defeated Erik Kuselias 76.83% – 23.17%
Round 2 Result: Defeated Mark May 70.09% – 29.91%
Round 3 Result: Defeated Michael Irvin 58.90% – 41.10%
Craig James
Fact File: ESPN college football game and studio analyst
Why He’s Here: James became an integral part of one of college football’s biggest stories when his son Adam’s allegations of being locked in a closet led to Mike Leach’s firing at Texas Tech. This led to an awkward series of revelations made by Leach about Craig’s meddling in his program, lawsuits, and other developments. ESPN was put in the position of having one of their analysts be an integral part of the controversy. How did Craig James respond? Well, rumor has it he wants to be a Senator of course. And now that his coverup and controversy briefly resulted in the “suspension” of respected CFB writer Bruce Feldman, James is more despised than ever.
Links:
The Mike Leach Book Excerpts Make Craig James Look Like An Even Bigger Douche
Craig James Wants You To Help Texans Help Save America
Announcer working Alamo Bowl gets Alamo Bowl coach suspended
Craig James running to the Senate
Craig James loses it
Round 1 Result: Defeated Mike Patrick 75.17% – 24.83%
Round 2 Result: Defeated Rick Reilly 66.32% – 33.68%
Round 3 Result: Defeated Stephen A. Smith 60.76% – 39.24%
Results:
Craig James defeated Chris Berman 77.16% – 22.84%
SF #2: Colin Cowherd vs Joe Buck
Colin Cowherd
Fact File: Host of ESPN Radio’s The Herd and co-host of SportsNation on ESPN2
Why He’s Here: When polled last month, nearly 85% of respondents said that ESPN should end its relationship with Colin Cowherd. His stereotyping and pontificating are legendary for all the wrong reasons. Very few in the sports media get away with offensive and flat out wrong statements like Cowherd has the ability to do. Cowherd likes to pander to intellectual elites and openly mock large portions of his audience. Thankfully, CBS passed on a sitcom pilot based on the life of Cowherd.
Links:
Cowherd Shuts Down The Big Lead Just To Be A Douche
Cowherd’s Ignorant and Insensitive Take On Sean Taylor’s Death
Cowherd’s Race Bating Includes Ridiculous Comments Towards John Wall
Cowherd Tells The Unemployed It’s Your Own Fault
Round 1 Result: Defeated Bobby Valentine 88.47% – 11.53%
Round 2 Result: Defeated Joe Theismann 61.71% – 38.29%
Round 3 Result: Defeated Skip Bayless 65.43% – 34.57%
Joe Buck
Fact File: Fox’s #1 play by play man for NFL and MLB. Has announced several World Series and Super Bowls.
Why He’s Here: Joe Buck has quickly risen to the top of the most disliked sports announcers. His dry, monotone style doesn’t quite fit in with an age where Gus Johnson and Kevin Harlan are two of the more popular sports announcers in the business. Beyond that though, Joe Buck has a certain air of smugness towards his announcing duties, even admitting in the past that he isn’t that big of a sports fan. His attempted and failed late night career told sports fans that he had bigger and better things to do than announce the biggest games in sports.
Links:
Joe Buck Doesn’t Enjoy Baseball Anymore
Real Tweets From Real People – Joe Buck
It’s Time For Fox To Sit Joe Buck
The Artie Lange Interview
Round 1 Result: Defeated Chris Rose 72.53% – 27.47%
Round 2 Result: Defeated Deion Sanders 55.21% – 44.79%
Round 3 Result: Defeated Jim Gray 56.34% – 45.66%
Results:
Joe Buck defeated Colin Cowherd 50.13% – 49.87%
*Incredibly, only 33 votes out of 12,635 separated these two. In the last hour of voting, the lead changed hands at least three times. Buck trailed by over 100 votes with five minutes to go, but took the win in stunning comeback fashion in the dying seconds. I’m guessing it’s because all of Bristol, CT voted at the last minute to prevent two ESPNers from going head to head in the Final.
Having said that, your final is Craig James vs Joe Buck. Voting starts Wednesday morning through Friday at Midnight!
