Before we get started, a little news. This post marks the 100th post for this here site. Thank you all so much for reading and sticking around. I know at least 75% of the posts are March Madness related, but I truly appreciate y’all! And hope to write some non-bracket related material at some point. Here’s to a hundred more!!

The second round of our tournament saw many more very close match-ups than the Round of 64. By the end of Wednesday voting we ended up with one tie, which was really nice after Mrs. Clumsy Optimist had to break 6 fricken’ ties in the first round. There were three matchups that were decided by one vote! We say goodbye to one of our 3 seeds and THREE of our 2 seeds. Wild week for the 2’s! And for the first time ever, zero of our 4 seeds made it to the Sweet 16.

The Regional Semifinal round begins now and voting will end Sunday, March 30 at 5pm Central. It’s hard to believe March is basically finished. Good luck with making up your mind on some of these. I’m still completely at a loss on how to vote on almost all of these match-ups and I honestly have been for the last two rounds. Probably not going to get any easier going forward.

But first — Let’s get on to the results! Remember all “scores” are percentages from voting.

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Round of 32

John Belushi Region

(1) Word Association – 1975 vs (9) The Church Lady – 1986

Our 1 seed in this region got a better shot from 9 seed ‘The Church Lady’ that it did in the Round of 64, but ‘Word Association’ was just too strong and moves to the Sweet 16 by a final score of 73-27. “Well, isn’t that special?”

(2) Blues Brothers: Soul Man – 1978 vs (7) The Samurai Futaba – 1975

Our first 2-seed of the Tournament to go down happened in a slugfest that saw a different one of these two up by 1 vote every time I checked. At the close of voting, our 7 seed ‘The Samurai Futaba’ ended the ‘Blues Brothers’ mission from God by one vote (!) for a final of 54-46.

• Elwood: It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark… and we’re wearing sunglasses.
• Jake: Hit it.

(3) Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood: Nutrition – 1981 vs (6) The Loud Family – 1978

Our third matchup in the Belushi Region saw a strong 3 seed keep the pedal down as ‘Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood’ knocks off house favorite 6 seed ‘The Loud Family’ 64-36.

(5) Two Wild and Crazy Guys – 1978 vs (13) The Olympia Restaurant: Cheeseburger, Chips, and Pepsi – 1978

Oh boy. This one. I couldn’t decide on this matchup and neither could you. At the end of voting on Wednesday, this one was all locked up at 50-50. Mrs. Clumsy Optimist broke out her tiebreaking garb and after another watch through, she moves along the 5 seed ‘Two Wild and Crazy Guys’. Farewell Olympia Restaurant. We’ll always have the Cheeps.

Phil Hartman Region

(1) Matt Foley: Van Down by the River – 1993 vs (8) The Roxbury Guys – 1996

I felt like the Hartman Region was getting started out with what could have been a full on 100-0 blowout, and while the 8 seed ‘The Roxbury Guys’ tried their hardest, ultimately they folded to the unbelievably strong 1 seed ‘Matt Foley’ by a final of 87-13. This was our biggest margin of victory in the Round of 32.

(2) Celebrity Jeopardy!: French Stewart, Burt Reynolds, & Sean Connery – 1999 vs (7) Spartan Cheerleaders – 1997

In a week where it seems 2 seed were destined to fall, ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ pulled out their S-Words and cut down the spunky 7 seed ‘Spartan Cheerleaders’ by a final of 73-27.

(3) Wayne’s World: Aerosmith – 1990 vs (6) Mary Katherine Gallagher – 1995

Two all-time SNL characters that went on to have great movies. This one was a toughie, but my heart was always with ‘Wayne’s World’. 6 seed ‘Mary Katherine Gallagher’ made a valiant effort, but when all was said and done, Wayne and Garth move on 67-33.

(4) Bill Swerski’s Super Fans – 1991 vs (5) Chippendales Audition – 1990

I may at this juncture, looking back, may have switched the seeding on these two sketches if I had to do it again. It didn’t really matter, since they met up in the second round, but in the end, this matchup ended up being the only game in this region that didn’t go scratch as the 5 seed ‘Chippendales Audition’ outclassed our 4 seed fans of Daaaaaa Bears! by a final of 75-25. Farewell, sweet princes.

Chris Farley Region

(1) More Cowbell – 2000 vs (8) Lazy Sunday – 2005

This plucky 8 seed ‘Lazy Sunday’ keeps pushing the competition but ran up against a true Juggernaut as the 1 seed ‘More Cowbell’ moves on easily here 73-27.

(2) Debbie Downer: Disney World – 2004 vs (7) What Up With That? – 2009

The hits keep coming for the 2 seeds as our Farley Region lost it’s second ranked team in ‘Debbie Downer’. This also gave us our first real upset of the round, moving along 7 seed ‘What Up With That?’ by a final of 57-43. This was a 2-vote margin of victory on the upset!

(3) Colonel Angus Comes Home – 2003 vs (6) Corksoakers – 2004

Honestly I could not pick here. I believe these are the two best turn of phrase/double entendre (?) SNL sketches of all time. I can’t even say that I am partial to either one to be honest. So I was destined to be bummed out and super excited no matter who is moving on here. As voting went along, I could see that y’all were equally torn. At the end of our voting period, 6 seed ‘Corksoakers’ pulls out a one vote (!) victory over the 3 seed ‘Colonel Angus’ 54-46. So long, you old carpet bagger!

(5) D*** in a Box – 2006 vs (13) The Love-ahs – 2001

Where as the bottom half of the bracket in this region was back and forth, the top half was pretty much in control from jump. The 5 seed ‘D*** in a Box’ gets the easy win over beautifully weird 13 seed ‘The Love-ahs’ by a final of 64-36.

Norm MacDonald Region

(1) Close Encounter – 2015 vs (8) Papyrus – 2017

These are two completely different types of Ryan Gosling comedy and they both 100% work in their own way. The 1 seed ‘Close Encounter’ showed why they were ranked as high as they are as they take down 8 seed ‘Papyrus’ 71-29.

(2) Meet Your Second Wife – 2015 vs (7) Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks – 2016

I had big hopes for 2 seed ‘Meet Your Second Wife’, but the 7 seed ‘Black Jeopardy!’ came in riding a hot streak and kept the speed up as our final of three 2 seeds met their fate. ‘Black Jeopardy!’ gets the upset and moves on to the Sweet 16 by a final of 62-38.

(3) Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base – 2016 vs (6) Totino’s with Kristen Stewart – 2017

Again with the impossible choices so early in our Tournament. Y’all are killing me. This one was waaaay closer than I anticipated, but 3 seed ‘Star Wars Undercover Boss’ gets our third one vote (!) victory of the Round of 32 and moves on to the regional semi-final 54-46.

Au revoir, Sabine. Tu étais trop bien pour ce monde.

(4) Diner Lobster – 2018 vs (12) Beavis and Butt-Head – 2024

Our 4 seed ‘Diner Lobster’ was the first of the John Mulaney SNL Musicals and we were fully unprepared for it. I die laughing at all of them. It’s a house favorite, but the 12 seed ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ was probably the best thing they’ve done in the past few years. In the end, our last remaining true Cinderella team gets a massive upset and moves on to the Sweet 16 in convincing fashion 64-36.

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That leaves our bracket looking like this:

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Sweet 16

John Belushi Region

(1) Word Association – 1975 vs (5) Two Wild and Crazy Guys – 1978

(3) Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood: Nutrition – 1981 vs (7) The Samurai Futaba – 1975

Phil Hartman Region

(1) Matt Foley: Van Down by the River – 1993 vs (5) Chippendales Audition – 1990

(2) Celebrity Jeopardy!: French Stewart, Burt Reynolds, & Sean Connery – 1999 vs (3) Wayne’s World: Aerosmith – 1990

Chris Farley Region

(1) More Cowbell – 2000 vs (5) D*** in a Box – 2006

(6) Corksoakers – 2004 vs (7) What Up With That? – 2009

Norm MacDonald Region

(1) Close Encounter – 2015 vs (12) Beavis and Butt-Head – 2024

(3) Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base – 2016 vs (7) Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks – 2016

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Alright everybody. Like I said, good freakin’ luck. There are some absolutely impossible decisions to be made here. Literally all 8 of these matchups are almost undecidable to me. Great work on voting y’all. For real. Polls are open and will close on Sunday, March 30 at 5pm Central.

Let’s get to voting and see who makes the Regional Finals! See you guys on Monday with our Elite 8!