%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20684.6%2068.1%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%20684.6%2068.1%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cg%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M444.1%2C29.3h-17.4v14.5h17.4V29.3z%20M36.4%2C68.1l29.3-50.8V0H50.4L32.9%2C36.8L15.5%2C0H0v68.1h16.7V45.8l12.4%2C22.3H36.4z%0A%09%09%20M49.1%2C68.1h16.6V23.4L49.1%2C52.1V68.1z%20M76.6%2C68.1h45V53.8H93.3V41.6h21V27.1h-21V14.8h28.3V0.1h-45V68.1z%20M175.6%2C68.1h17.3v-68%0A%09%09h-16.5v40.3L150%2C0.1h-17.6v68h16.7V27.7L175.6%2C68.1z%20M235.8%2C14.8h15.4V0.1h-47.4v14.7H219v53.2h16.8V14.8z%20M290.3%2C45.9h-17.1%0A%09%09l7.5-15.6h2L290.3%2C45.9z%20M298.7%2C68.1h18l-32.2-68h-5.7l-32%2C68h18l3.3-7.1h27.1L298.7%2C68.1z%20M325.2%2C68.1h46.2V53.8h-29.6V0.1h-16.7%0A%09%09V68.1z%20M423.7%2C14.8h27.2V0.1H407v68h16.7V14.8z%20M462%2C68.1h46.2V53.8h-29.6V0.1H462V68.1z%20M564.8%2C34.1c0%2C10.7-7.2%2C19.2-18.5%2C19.2%0A%09%09c-11.4%2C0-18.5-8.5-18.5-19.2s7.1-19.2%2C18.5-19.2C557.6%2C14.9%2C564.8%2C23.4%2C564.8%2C34.1%20M580.6%2C34.1c0-19-14.2-34-34.3-34%0A%09%09c-20.2%2C0-34.3%2C15-34.3%2C34c0%2C19%2C14.1%2C34%2C34.3%2C34C566.4%2C68.1%2C580.6%2C53.1%2C580.6%2C34.1%20M604.8%2C20.5c0-4.1%2C3.3-6.2%2C6.7-6.2%0A%09%09c4.4%2C0%2C6.6%2C3%2C6.6%2C6.6h14.7C631.8%2C9.1%2C625.1%2C0.1%2C611%2C0.1c-12%2C0-21.7%2C9.3-21.7%2C20.6c0%2C10.9%2C5.9%2C15.9%2C16.7%2C19.8%0A%09%09c5.2%2C1.8%2C11.5%2C3.2%2C11.5%2C8c0%2C3.3-2.4%2C5.5-6.4%2C5.5c-3.6%2C0-6.6-3-6.6-6.7h-15.2c0%2C11.5%2C7.9%2C20.8%2C21.8%2C20.8c12%2C0%2C21.6-9.3%2C21.6-20.6%0A%09%09c0-10-5.3-16.4-16.7-19.8C610.6%2C26.1%2C604.8%2C25.3%2C604.8%2C20.5%20M670%2C20.9h14.7C683.8%2C9.1%2C677.1%2C0.1%2C663%2C0.1c-12%2C0-21.7%2C9.3-21.7%2C20.6%0A%09%09c0%2C10.9%2C5.9%2C15.9%2C16.7%2C19.8c5.2%2C1.8%2C11.5%2C3.2%2C11.5%2C8c0%2C3.3-2.4%2C5.5-6.4%2C5.5c-3.6%2C0-6.6-3-6.6-6.7h-15.2c0%2C11.5%2C7.9%2C20.8%2C21.8%2C20.8%0A%09%09c12%2C0%2C21.6-9.3%2C21.6-20.6c0-10-5.3-16.4-16.7-19.8c-5.4-1.6-11.3-2.4-11.3-7.2c0-4.1%2C3.3-6.2%2C6.7-6.2C667.7%2C14.4%2C670%2C17.3%2C670%2C20.9%0A%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
8 More March Madness Tournaments (Besides Basketball)
The Big Dance starts today, and unless you are an NCAA basketball player, you can't do anything about the outcome of any of the games. However, you can participate and steer the outcome of some other March Madness tournaments held online. We looked at eight such tournaments on Tuesday; here are another eight you may enjoy.
1. Super Villains
Techland presents March Madness: The Super Villain Edition. The four regions of the bracket are Rapture (video games), Oolong Island (sequential arts), Narnia (sci-fi and fantasy novels) and Phantom Zone (movies and TV). This could lead to some surreal matchups, as The Joker appears in two brackets, one from the movies and one from the comic books. Thanks to the game Castlevania, there are also two Draculas! Competition starts today.
2. Romance Novels
The Da Bwaha tournament for romance novels begins first round voting today. The field of 64 romance novels will be whittled down to one champion, and participants who have already filled out brackets can win prizes, including an iPad for the top bracktologist, and prizes as well for the author of the winning novel.
3. Beer Bracket
Jay Zeis likes beer. He fashioned a 64-beer bracket not to select the best beer, but to select which kinds to drink during the NCAA tournament. The beers will advance along the grid the same way the college teams do. For example, if #1 seed Kentucky wins tonight, Flying Dog Raging Bitch beer will advance to the next level as well, and will accompany Kentucky's second game on Saturday (if they advance, haha). With two games going on at once in the first round, he'll partake of four brands at a time. For Jay, it's a win-win situation. Meanwhile, the Washington Post has a beer tournament you can vote on.
4. Cover Wars
Hidden Track is in pursuit of the best cover song. The tournament is down to sixteen songs which are all waiting for your votes today. Each contestant has an audio track available and many have videos to help you make up your mind as to which cover versions to vote for.
5. Video Games
Which is the best old-school video game, 16-bit or lower? Everyone has their favorite, and Armagamin, a nerdcastOnline tournament will decide an overall winner out of 48 classic games. They're into round four, pitting Super Mario Brothers 3 against Street Fighter, Tetris against Sim City, The Legend of Zelda against Donkey Kong, and three other matchups. The winner should be crowned at the end of March.
6. Sci-Fi/Fantasy Characters
The Suvudu Cage Match to decide the top character in the sci-fi/fantasy world is into round two play. Vote now between Dumbledore and Raistlin Majere, Jaime Lannister and Cthulhu, and other matchups you'll find in the sidebar. Images by Dominique Signoret and Michael Komarck.
7. Royalty
The webcomic The New Adventures of Queen Victoria has a really odd tournament in progress, pitting history's royal figures against each other, with some fictional characters thrown in for good measure. Check out the bracket. The regions represent England, France, Russia, and Oz (as in the wizard, not Australia). You'll need to mail your picks in, but you have until March 29th to do it.
8. Evil Movie Villains
Humor District wants you to decide who the most evil movie villain is. The tournament began with 64 horrible characters at the beginning of this month and is now down to the "sweet" sixteen. Hannibal Lecter was defeated by Gordon Gekko, and Darth Vader has been eliminated as well, but the other two #1 seeds, The Joker and Freddy Krueger are still in contention.
I'd also like to mention the Rachel Ray March Madness tournament to find the best pizzaria, which is already over. Another tournament, or it may be just a poll, hasn't started yet at Consumerist. They're looking for your input on the Worst Company in America. Special thanks to BroBible and their Ultimate Guide To March Madness On the Internet.