• Name: *|MMERGE5|*
• Candybar: *|MMERGE6|*
• Score: *|MMERGE9|* (leader is at *|MMERGE11|*)
• How many chimps are at or above your score: *|MMERGE8|*
• Rank: *|MMERGE10|*/850
• Your Bracket: Click here

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Together Again For the First Time!

HERE WE GO AGAIN now on my own. Going down the only road I've ever known. Like a twister I was born to walk alone. Yikes, sorry I immediately digressed into lyrics from a Whitesnake song. I meant to just say HERE WE GO AGAIN.

GREETINGS AND WELCOME TO THE TWENTY EIGHTH Johnny Quest Memorial Candy Bar Pool, confectionally known as JQMCBP! 858* brackets are entered in this year's Quest for Candy. 857 fail, one(ish) will remain. Will you be The One? 99.8834% you're not!

For the rookies, and those that don't remember what I told you last year:
What I do is send out email updates (personalized just for your entry!) several times during the course of the tournament. I go on and on and on over seemingly meaningless minutia. It might seem meaningless but...well okay, it's meaningless. But we'll have fun, or your money back.**

In addition to the emails, there's lots of important, vital resources available with your web browser. Evaluate how risky your picks are with the J Factor, see who picked brackets like yours with the Scientific Similarity Index. As the tournament progresses, figure out who has no chance of winning at the Hall of Shame! Generate pointless head-to-head graphs! Every one of my emails will contain these linky links at the bottom of the email, or instead just head to The Leaderboard as a jumping off point.

As I've done for the past decade plus, I'm sending emails through the appropriately named MailChimp mass email service. This is Lucky the Chimp's favorite email service, and because it actually sends emails that people tend to receive. However, MailChimp will not allow me to send multiple emails to the same email address. So, if you signed up several brackets on one email address, you only be getting one personalized email for each entry. How about we call this a "feature" and call an end to the tech talk.

* and 1,001 chimps. This number has been remarkably steady.

** Refund applications need to be filed in triplicate and mailed to the Johnny Quest Memorial Candy Bar Pool Customer Service Department, care of its Parent Corporation, Slaptronics Personal Massage Therapy and Self Help Video Distribution Corporation of Netherland Antilles (nasdaq:SPMTSHVDCNA). Or you could contact your congressperson, which will give you a similar outcome.

But enough of my yakkin'. Let's boogie!

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Losing Mascots: Let's Talk About Them!

Pointless Discussion about Losing Teams and Their Mascots

Well. SO much ground to cover here, as there were some whoppers that didn't last long in the tourney. Here's a non-comprehensive set of them with completely arbitrary ratings on a number of key categories.

	The High Point Panther Dead Behind the Eyes: 5 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 3 Terrifying to Meet: 4 Purple: 10 Sure it looks sort of like a panther but what's with the floppy ears? Also, Purple.
	SIU Edwardsville Cougar Dead Behind the Eyes: 10 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 6 Terrifying to Meet: 6 e: 10 Their school branding is lower-casing the e for edwardsville? This seems like you are immediately letting everyone know that you aren't even the most important SIU out there (shout out, SIU Carbondale and your excellent mascot, the Saluki). This is no way to present yourself as the school at which my father was the first matriculated graduate student*. Srsly, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT'S EYES? Does it have cataracts? Should we call a vet?!? * this is a true story; Erwin Klaas was the first matriculated grad student at SIU-Edwardsville roundabout 1957. He paid his tuition by being the overnight security guard on campus because some locals were pissed off about an "elitist" school being opened in their town and had threatened to shoot it up. This is also a true story.
	Boss, the Wofford Terrier Dead Behind the Eyes: 2 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 10 Terrifying to Meet: 0 Sick Dance Moves: 10 No notes. Like a Boss.
	The Omaha Maverick Dead Behind the Eyes: 3 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: Ummm Terrifying to Meat: 9 (see what I did there) Business Casual: 10 I think they made this bull their mascot because Omaha is somewhat inexplicably known for steaks. That's pretty dark if you think about it. Luckily this Maverick has an MBA and is getting out of town to start a business in Delaware now that their bball team got destroyed in round 1.
	UNC-Wilmington Seahawk Dead Behind the Eyes: 2 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 8 Terrifying to Meet: 2 Just chillin: 10 I think when they say Seahawk they mean Osprey, and that's pretty reasonable as mascot Ospreys go. Solid pose here.
	Alabama State Hornet Dead Behind the Eyes: 9 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 1 Terrifying to Meet: 7.5 Best in Class Antennae: 10 The antennae get it one point in the anatomically correct category, but...TEETH? ARMS AND HANDS? What kind of Island of Dr. Moreau Freak Show are you parading around, Alabama State?
	Virginia Commonwealth Ram Dead Behind the Eyes: 3 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 8 Terrifying to Meet: 7 Sick Dance Moves: 0 Don't come in here with your Fortnite-inspired Floss Dance. You have nothing on Boss the Wofford Terrier. Go home Ram. Go home.
	The UC-San Diego Triton Dead Behind the Eyes: 7 Looks Like the Thing It's Trying To Be: 10 Terrifying to Meet: 1 Is a Diety: 10 LLCoolT (Ladies Love Cool Triton): 10 I mean seriously, wow. The team might have lost, but Triton is straight up WINNING. Triton cannot be denied. 10 out of 10 dentists agree that no one can get tooth decay when Stanning for Triton.
	One more time for Triton I mean: 10 Just being the Best Triton: 10 So smooth, right?: 10

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Upsets...who picked 'em

Highlighting those brave souls that chose oddball longshots to win games

Not much to report in this section today. 13-seed Mcneese and Absolute Legend Amir Khan were the big "upset" winners over Clemson. 154 of you had McNeese winning in round 1.

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Whose champion bit it?

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but it never sucks worse than when the team you picked to win it all loses it all. It's even worse when I publish it for all to read!

The fun thing about a pool with more than 850 people entered is that even on days when nothing in particularly surprising happened, your still guaranteed a few people to have their hopes sunk. And this pool is nothing if not an opportunity for me to point and laugh at people's catastrophic extremely low-stakes losses.

Shout out to Matt "Whatever you think is best!" Dobson, representing his home town of Louisville even though it made no sense to do so. Your loyalty is noted, Mr. Dobson.

Shout out to Dr. Wilbur "I HATE CANDY" Wonka, a perennial competitor for worst score, literally taunting his perennial competition for this feat, Andrew Mossburg, in how he entered his name. The Good Doctor's choice of SIU Edwardsville for champion was a warning to Andrew: "I can stink at this worse than you, Mossburg". SHOTS FIRED!

Checks notes...Andrew Mossburg isn't even entered this year! WAT!

So long suckers!

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Boo Rah Rah

I asked you if your alma mater was in the tournament. Why? So I could make fun of you when they lose!

Twenty lost their alma mater in Thursday's games, including High Point graduate "Dave Bush AI," which does explain a lot about High Point and how most people have never heard of it.

Look at all them Montana Grizzlies!

Rock Chalk Howard Johnson Howard Johnson

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Candy Bar of the Day

Where I give out fake awards for my favorite candy selections

The Candy That Brought The House Down Award goes to Steve "🍫(exact match)" Carlson, whose entry of "🍫(exact match)" literally broke the JQMCBP Database Engine and Fading Hope of Glory Repository (JQMCBPDEFHoGR) for about 12 hours on Thursday, the last full day open for entering. It seems my 20+ year old code, while patched together MacGruber style with duct tape and gum to handle things like umlauts and tildes and all manner of diacritics, was powerless in the face of an emoji.

Enough with the crap, who's ahead?

Top 10 Humans

Congrats to Ryan "Butterfinger" Brady who was the lone entry that cruised through Thursday with a PERFECT 16 out of 16 prognosticated correctly. Well done Ryan, and may your Regression to the Mean be abrupt and jarring!

Rank	Name	Location	Candy	Champion	Score
1	Ryan Brady	Washington	Butterfinger	Houston	16
2	B A Dhru	Michigan	Godiva Chocolate	Wisconsin	15
2	Ben 'Big Gulps, Huh' Cochran	South Dakota	King Size Kit Kat	Duke	15
2	Ben Kehrwald	North Carolina	Caramello Koala	Gonzaga	15
2	Chris Zurowski	Illinois	Snickers	Auburn	15
2	Dawn Smith	Iowa	Strawberry Charleston chew	Houston	15
2	Deanne Busta	Iowa	King size Snickers	Alabama	15
2	Jill Lantz	Washington	Albanese Gummy Bears	Michigan St	15
2	Joshua Thaler	Washington	Dark chocolate peanut chews	St Johns	15
2	Kate Van Houten	Arizona	Peanut Butter Snickers Bar	St Johns	15
2	Keith Boyd	Washington	Necco wafers	Florida	15
2	Mark Dyal	Texas	Milky Way	Houston	15
2	Max Teer	Texas	16oz Snickers	Houston	15
2	Mel rose Place	Iowa	Gummie Bears	Houston	15
2	Nick Kehrwald	South Carolina	Snickers	Florida	15
2	Robert Strnad	Minnesota	Gummy Kraft Mac and Cheese	Texas Tech	15
2	Scott l	Ohio	kit kat	Maryland	15
2	stephen malcolm anderson	Oregon	giant baby ruth	Auburn	15
2	Tim Hoffman	Michigan	Swedish Fish	Tennessee	15
2	William Gates	Arizona	Butterfinger	Houston	15
2	Winnie Gavin	Iowa	Toblerone	Florida	15

Top 10 Chimps

Asher, Braeden, and Paulina the Chimps reign supreme after day 1 with 14 out of 16 selected correctly. Check your own score: if you are below 14, you are getting beaten by at least three chimps! Congrats!

Rank	Name	Location	Candy	Champion	Score
1	Asher	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Oregon	14
1	Braeden	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Illinois	14
1	Paulina	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Wisconsin	14
4	Haylee	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Georgia	13
4	Tiffany	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Maryland	13
4	Titus	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Texas Tech	13
4	Wayne	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Grand Canyon	13
8	Alani	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Creighton	12
8	Amya	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Duke	12
8	Aryana	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Purdue	12
8	Brandy	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	UNCW	12
8	Brittney	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	McNeese	12
8	Byron	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	McNeese	12
8	Caleigh	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Mississippi St	12
8	Cayla	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Wisconsin	12
8	Forrest	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Texas Tech	12
8	Hugo	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Michigan	12
8	Ivy	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Yale	12
8	Janiyah	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Robert Morris	12
8	Jesse	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Alabama St	12
8	Karyme	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Memphis	12
8	Kristen	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Arizona	12
8	Kristopher	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	UC San Diego	12
8	Lilly	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Iowa St	12
8	Lorena	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Akron	12
8	Marquez	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Xavier	12
8	Pablo	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Tennessee	12
8	Raymundo	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Purdue	12
8	Rocco	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Texas A&M	12
8	Sammy	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Saint Marys	12
8	Sergio	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Wofford	12
8	Talia	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Arkansas	12
8	Tia	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Tennessee	12
8	Vance	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Tennessee	12
8	Victor	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	McNeese	12
8	Victoria	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Houston	12
8	Xander	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Florida	12
8	Zayne	Rancho Cucamonga	Krembanan	Michigan St	12

cheers,
the Meister

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Linky links:

• The Leaderboard for checking out who is ahead
• What's Your J? will tell you how risky your picks were
• SSS Want to see who picked brackets similar to yours? You do??? srsly why.
• Prognosticationland for looking at some brackets
• Hall of Shame will tell you who is out of the race for candy completely

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