I coulda been a contenda

Okay, I get that a bracket like this is pretty much a bit of fluff to begin with, but there are a few decisions here that I just can't let go past without comment.

First, the positives...

• I particularly like the simple color schemes that they web guys have worked up.
• I dig the division by sports, though the Hot Stove Region has a bunch of flicks that could destroy entire other regions.
• I can only come up with one flick that should be in the brackets that isn't: Breaking Away.

 Now, the negatives...

• The Hot Stove Region is far too stacked.  This is the ridiculously talented division that beats the crap out of each other before making the finals.
• Bull Durham got robbed.  The Sandlot is a fine film, but it's not in Durham's league.
• No way Longest Yard (74) loses to Jerry Maguire.  Maguire was a sappy, manipulative, chick flick of a sports film that doesn't even deserve its place in the brackets - and certainly not at a seven seed.
• 8 Men Out also got robbed.  It would've been killed by Bad News Bears, but it deserved better than getting bumped by The Rookie.
• I'm happy to see Seabiscuit get knocked out by Tin Cup.  I very much enjoy Tin Cup every time I get a chance to catch any of it.
• Where's Blue Chips?
• I'm surprised that Talledega Nights didn't come out stronger in the first round.  Tough matchup between the two similarly paced comedies right there.
• Hoop Dreams got screwed.  In a popularity contest, though, I'm not terribly shocked.  Hoop Dreams is slow paced and not at all cheery.  It's a far better film than He Got Game, though.
• How the hell did Caddyshack get knocked out by Happy Gilmore?
• Both Rounders and The Hustler deserved better than the play-in game.  I'd happily have bumped Teen Wolf or Without Limits for both of them.
•  I'm surprised that Bloodsport took down The Wrestler.  Still haven't seen The Wrestler, though.

My choices by region...admittedly, I haven't seen every flick...

Gridiron Region...

First round...(all chalk here)...

• Remember the Titans
• North Dallas Forty
• Any Given Sunday
• Rudy (begrudgingly, hate Notre Dame)
• Brian's Song
• Friday Night Lights
• Jerry Maguire
• The Longest Yard ('74)

Second round...

• North Dallas Forty (upset, 8-1)
• Any Given Sunday (mild upset, 5-4)
• Friday Night Lights (chalk, 3-6)
• The Longest Yard ('74) (chalk, 2-7)

Third round...

• Any Given Sunday (upset, 5-8)
• The Longest Yard ('74 - chalk, 2-3)

Fourth round...

• The Longest Yard ('74 - chalk, 2-5)...I'm a little surprised here...the football movies aren't terribly strong entries overall.

Hot Stove Region

First round...all chalk again

• Field of Dreams (overall #1 seed)
• Cobb (great 8-9 matchup, though, old school versus new version of old school)
• 8 Men Out
• Bad News Bears ('74) - slaughter, even though I do enjoy Basketball
• Major League
• The Natural
• The Sandlot
• Bull Durham 

Second round...still all chalk

• Field of Dreams (chalk, 1-8)
• Bad News Bears ('74 - chalk, 4-5)
• The Natural (chalk, 3-6)
• Bull Durham (chalk, 2-7 - but a tougher matchup than the 3-6 was)

Third round...chalk reigns

• Field of Dreams (1-4)
• Bull Durham (2-3)

Fourth round...regional champs...

• Field of Dreams (1-2)

Wild Card Region


First round...

• Caddyshack (though Rounders deserves better, and The Hustler deserves far better - I'd give Rounders a 12 seed and The Hustler a 4 seed in this region)
• Talledega Nights
• Happy Gilmore (our first first-round upset, 12-5)
• Chariots of Fire 
• Tin Cup (11-6, another upset)
• Hoosiers (deserved a 2 seed)
• White Men Can't Jump (this feels like an 8-9 game)
• Hoop Dreams

Second round...

• Caddyshack (chalk, 1-8)
• Happy Gilmore (12-4, biggest upset to the third round yet)
• Hoosiers (3-11)
• Hoop Dreams (2-7)

Third round...

• Caddyshack (1-12)
• Hoosiers (3-2, mild upset)

Fourth round...

• Hoosiers (3-1, mild upset, though Hoosiers is a strong 3)

Bloody Region

First round... 

• Rocky
• The Karate Kid (minor upset, 9-8)
• Million Dollar Baby
• Enter the Dragon (13-4, Hurricane was drastically too long)
• The Wrestler (Bloodsport should've been seeded higher)
• Cinderella Man 
• Spapshot (really, Rocky IV over Rocky III?)
• Raging Bull

Second round...

• Rocky (1-9)
• Enter the Dragon (13-5)
• The Wrestler (6-3)
• Raging Bull (2-7)

Third round...

• Rocky (1-13)
• Raging Bull (2-6)

Fourth round...

• Raging Bull (an amazingly strong matchup, but Raging Bull is among the greatest movies of the decade...Rocky was the greatest movie of its year)

Final Four...

• Field of Dreams (easily over The Longest Yard ('74))
• Hoosiers (tough call, but this one's personal)

Championship matchup...

• Field of Dreams (I changed this a half dozen times...I think the uncut Hoosiers might win, but that uncomfortable and unexplained kiss is just enough of a flaw to lose here) 

Movies in the tourney that I haven't seen all the way through...

• Remember the Titans
• Heaven Can Wait
• Something for Joey (had to look it up)
• The Replacements
• Brian's Song
• The Blindside
• We Are Marshall
• Bang the Drum Slowly
• Pride of the Yankees
• Sugar (want to see it, just showed up at the library this week)
• For Love of the Game
• 61*
• Chariots of Fire
• Seabiscuit
• Without Limits (had to look it up)
• Miracle
• He Got Game 
• The Great White Hope
• Victory
• Million Dollar Baby
• Ali
• The Wrestler
• Cinderella Man
• Kickboxer

So, where am I wrong?  Which flicks do I need to see?  Which movies got screwed by not being in the brackets?