The field is finally set for the Member Mayhem championship match. The Final Four featured two tight matches, as Badgerdiver edged HogsRoll07, 70-69, and DaPillCaper slipped past Zacky103210, 69-68.
Championship essays will be due by 4 p.m. ET on Monday, April 7. We will once again discard the voting to avoid controversy, but the thread will contain a poll so that other members can participate in some way.
Check out the updated bracket for a tournament overview, and see the final essay question on the Member Mayhem Message Board. Complete Final Four grading is below.
Final Four Grading
HogRoll07 (Arkansas)
A Hog’s Tale: Pride and Prejudice:
A Hog’s Tale: Pride and Prejudice tells the story of an elite program going through the tough times that faces any major sports program in the nation, losing. With the inability to produce wins, and put tails in the seats, Nolan Richardson (Head Coach at Arkansas 1985-2002) was put on the hot seat during his last season by unforgiving remarks he made towards Razorback fans.
During the beginning of this film we see an Arkansas team that was at the height of its elite status during the 1990’s, during which they hard reached the Final 4 three times, played in the National Championship game twice, and had won 1 National Championship. During this time Nolan had implemented his legendary style of play: “40 Minutes of Hell”. You see Arkansas rise to an elite group, only to see shortly that it will take a terrible spiral South.
The movie then skips to the 1999 season, when it seems Nolan has finally assembled a team that could take him back to his winning ways. His team grabbed a 4 seed from the selection committee and was matched up in the same bracket as the National Champion Connecticut Huskies. A perfect opportunity for Coach Richardson to run the table and put his name back on top. After a victory in the first round against Siena, his team seem prepared to take on Iowa, a 5 seed out of the Big 10. However, the Razorbacks never showed up that day, as Iowa routed their way past the Hogs and onto the Sweet 16.
Nolan Richardson would never again get past the First Round during his time at Arkansas, and continued to feel the pressure from Razorback fans. Mind you, this is the coach that brought national attention to a program floundering upon his arrival. This is the only coach in the history of basketball to win a Junior College Basketball National Title, a NIT Championship, and an NCAA Championship.
Towards the end of the movie you finally see the spiral take place. Comments towards the NCAA that Richardson made regarding the amount of African-American coaches at Division 1 schools, comments that there weren’t enough African-American reporters assigned to cover Arkansas sports, Nolan continued to fire back at the University and stated this during his last season at Arkansas, “If they go ahead and pay me my money, they can take this job tomorrow.”
With mounting pressure from the NCAA, fans, and the media, before the 2002 season had ended Nolan was dismissed as Head Coach, and long time Assistant Mike Anderson was handed the reigns as Interim Head Coach. After filing a suit against the University, which was dismissed in 2004; Nolan went on to coach the Mexican National team, and the Panamanian National team.
What once was seen as a program in turmoil, has turned itself around and appears to be headed in a new direction under young, smart, and happy-going John Pelphrey.
Grading:
Words: 496
Passion: 17
Creativity: 17
Clarity: 17
Knowledge: 18
Penalty: 0
Total: 69
Badgerdiver (Wisconsin)
Style of movie: Animated Cartoon
An adolescent scrawny polar bear (Butch) decides to leave the North Pole to pursue his athletic gift. Upon leaving, Butch gets himself in trouble, and finds himself stranded on an African beach, where he meets a little crab (Krabbenhoft). On their way to find help, they become circled by a pack of dogs, but a young lion cub (Trevon) gives a ferocious roar to scatter them. Trevon hurts himself in the process but Krabby picks up the slack around camp that night. The next morning, they come to a wide river, which Trevon cannot get across. To their rescue comes a giant Hippo (Landry). Landry offers Trevon a ride on his back to the other side of the river, where he decides to join in on the journey. Butch, Landry, Hughes, and Krabby are now walking through a huge forest when a bunch of baboons begin throwing nuts (Buckeyes) at them. To the rescue comes Flowers, a speedy little monkey with a can do attitude. Flowers knows the forest well, and guides the group to safety in a near by cave. Flowers sits on Landry's back, and deflects the nuts for the surprisingly hasty hippo. Trevon gets hurt again on the sprint to the cave, but recovers quickly. This eccentric group of creatures works together to solve their problems! While in the cave overnight, they all amazingly find a common thread: they love Basketball! They talk through the night about their love for the game. In the morning the group sets on their way again, but are captured by a group of local warriors (Spartans) and transported via train (Boilermakers) to the local zoo, where they encounter a clever fox (Bo Ryan), who quickly befriends them. Bo overhears the sullen gang discuss their previous basketball adventures, and lets them in on a little secret: he is a veteran of the pastime. He also tells them that every year, the mean, highly athletic zookeepers challenge a team of animals to 40 minutes of basketball; and if the animals win, they are free to leave the zoo, but if they lose, they are destined to spend their entire lives in the zoo. Bo has helped some animals escape before, but at a smaller Division III zoo. Getting ready to play the zoo-keepers, they play games against their friends, win all but a few, and earn the right to play the zookeepers. They feel untested going into the final match-up but their stellar man to man defense, great coaching, and meticulously run swing offense keep them confident. The game is a slugfest, with the zookeepers up early. The under talented animals almost give up, but after a rallying speech by Bo, decide to give it all they have. The second half is a different story as they use teamwork they've accumulated in past dilemmas to make a comeback that will be remembered forever! The group wins, and decides to remain together after they are freed, helping animals all over Africa hone their basketball skills.
Grading:
Words: 506
Passion: 17
Creativity: 20
Clarity: 15
Knowledge: 18
Penalty: 0
Total: 70
DaPillCaper (Maryland)
Title: TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Terrapins)
Starring: Gary Williams as Master Splinter
James Gist as Leonardo
Greivis Vasquez as Raphael
Bambale Osby as Michelangelo
Eric Hayes as Donatello
Tyler Hansborough as Shredder
And the rest of the UNC players as the Tarheel ninja (Or Tarinja if you will)
The year is 2008 the Evil Shredder and his Tarheel ninja are growing in power. It seems as if they are unstoppable and is only a matter of time before they conquer the number 1 spot in the polls and thus, the world.
Underneath the sewers of College Park, however, are four genetically mutated (No they did not use HGH) Terrapins who have decided to put down their pizzas and defend the NCAA from the dastardly grip of Shredder. They are Michelangelo Osby, Leonardo Gist, Raphael Vasquez, and Donatello Hayes. And along with their Kung Fu master and coach Gary "Splinter" Williams they trained. Many months passed defeating such grueling foes such as the LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS and the HAMPTON PIRATES! But of course where there is triumph there are also many tribulations that were encountered, such as embarrassing defeats due to cockiness and non-unity.
After their long 2 month journey the Terrapins are finally ready to face the evil Shredder Hansborough and his Tarheel Ninja. They arrive at the evil Dean Smith Center only to face a barrage of insults and taunts from the evil Tarheel nation. But these insults and taunts do nothing to dampen the spirits of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Terrapins. They come out fighting strong with an amazing showing where they go up by 11 ninja points but the tables are soon turned as the evil Shredder and his Tarinjas come from behind and take the upper hand. But Master Splinter is not about to allow his group of Ninja Terrapins to be beaten so easily, for he had a plan.
Master Splinter asks the mighty Ninja Terrapins who will step up in their time of need and everyone votes Michelangelo for the win. The final fight will be decided on whether or not Michelangelo can take out one last Tarinja. He seems to be completely out of the fight until Leonardo throws him the ultimate weapon, an orange sphere of hope. He shoots it up as he falls backwards and it goes through the basket of promise and the mighty Tarinjas vanished into thin air with cheap smoke effects (Cheap smoke effects are due to being over budget at this point). The mighty Shredder Hansborough then declares his eternal revenge and informs the mighty Teenage Mutant Ninja Terrapins that he will be back for the sequel, A.K.A. his senior year!
The Terrapins subsequently return to their underground home beneath College Park and take part in some victory pizza from dominoes (Because again, we’re over budget). As they enjoy their pizza, however, Master Splinter informs them of a letter they received in the mail, an open challenge by the evil BLUE DEVILS!
ROLL CREDITS!
Grading:
Words: 497
Passion: 18
Creativity: 20
Clarity: 16
Knowledge: 15
Penalty:
Total: 69
Zacky103210 (Iowa)
John Feinstein is one of America’s top sportswriters and commentators. His contributions via newspaper, radio, and best-selling books have captured the hearts of millions. Coming in October, TRISTAR Pictures presents the story of a team coming together after the tragic death of one its stars.
“This One’s For Chris” follows Feinstein’s exclusive access to the 1992-1993 Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team, as granted by head coach Tom Davis. With a record of 12-3 just past the halfway point, the Hawkeyes were looking to make a statement in the Big Ten in an attempt to earn a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
After a team dinner on January 19, 1993, head coach Tom Davis and the rest of the team became aware of a fatal car crash involving a snowplow. Within hours of the crash, they found out that the victim in the wreck was one of their very own; team leader and NBA prospect Chris Street. After postponing the first game scheduled after the tragedy, the Hawkeyes had to play on, wearing a number “40” on their jerseys in honor of their friend and teammate.
After a heart-warming win in their first game back, the Hawkeyes appeared to lose focus, losing the next three games. However, in a team meeting after a loss at Minnesota, forward Acie Earl coined the phrase “this one’s for Chris”. The team then knew what they had to do; play the rest of the season with just as much firepower as Chris did when he was on the court.
Miraculously, the Hawkeyes would rattle off nine consecutive wins the end the regular season, earning them a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament. What happens from there is truly remarkable.
“This One’s For Chris” captures the essence of a story that continues to warm hearts on the University of Iowa campus almost fifteen years after the tragic death of Chris Street. And the legend of Chris Street lives on to this day thanks to the Chris Street Award, an Iowa staple since 1994, awarded to the player that encompassed the passion, work ethic and heart that Chris Street had when he played the game of basketball. “…Chris” exemplifies the quality that Street, even in death, passed onto his teammates: dedication and hope.
Grading:
Words: 337
Passion: 18
Creativity: 17
Clarity: 17
Knowledge: 16
Penalty: 0
Total: 68