Voting is closed.
Voting ends Tuesday, March 29 upon Senate adjournment.
#BarklageCup was used 400 times again in the third round and for each hashtag used, $1 will be donated to the Epilepsy Foundation, continuing through the entire tournament. If you would like to make your own donation, please go to https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/EpilepsyFoundationofMissouriK/TributesGiftsMemorials.html.
Dick Webster Region
1 Brian Grace vs. 15 Sammy Panettiere
Grace 45%
Panettiere 55%
A true Cinderella story in the making here as a 15-seed Sammy Panettiere has advanced all the way to the Elite 8 to face the top seed in the entire tourney, Brian Grace. Grace has had some close matches on his way to the finals of the Dick Webster Region, but now he has the entire city of St. Louis riding on his back as the takes on Kansas City’s loudest twitter promoter. #BarklageCup fans can rest assured this STL/KC matchup won’t be ruined by Don Denkinger trying to infiltrate our offices as the employee handbook of the Missouri Times explicitly orders any employee to stone him on site. There won’t be an illegitimate winner as there was 31 years ago.
Jim Mathewson Region
1 Caleb Rowden vs. 2 Jason Rosenbaum
Rowden 46%
Rosenbaum 54%
Sometimes the #BarklageCup bracketologists look like clowns, like in the Webster Region, and other times they look like they know what they are talking about, like in the Mathewson Region ,where 1-seed, defending champ Caleb Rowden, takes on 2-seed Jason Rosenbaum. They have some similarities: both have lived in Columbia at one time, both are social media pros, and both are nice guys who can bring heat when needed. We project the winner is the one who brings their vast knowledge of social media memes and hashtags on the offensive in this one.
Bill McKenna Region
2 Eric Schmitt vs. 12 Alex Eaton
Schmitt 39%
Eaton 61%
The McKenna Region semifinal brings us a 2- vs 12-seed, where Alex Eaton’s Cinderella run through the finals is the story after knocking off perennial powerhouse Jane Dueker. Dueker can now see the sights of St. Louis from the comforts of her Uber to ease the pain of defeat while Eaton goes to the semifinals to face Senator Schmitt. Schmitt is fresh off a victory over KMOX host Mark Reardon. It’s a little bit of new school vs. old school here and if rebounding is where this one is settled, the advantage is Schmitt, but if it turns into who has the best hair, then Eaton will be clearly be favored.
Harold Caskey Region
2 Chris Kelly vs. 8 Jeremy LaFaver
Kelly 37%
LaFaver 63%
Rep. LaFaver is leaving the legislature in a blaze of glory passing a resolution on ladder safety and now blazing through the #BarklageCup to the Caskey Regional Final. However, now he has to meet the man who brings all kinds of twitter snark to the tourney, former Rep. Chris Kelly. We are looking for lots of heat in this one as both are masters of the cut down, and both can be particularly adept at twisting the knife. We assume they both will be in support of charity and making the final 4.
