Bill Gates Takes Home the Title of Most Influential American

This semester's Most Influential American tournament was a wild ride as two #5 seeds advanced to the championship match on the strength of the creative presentations by their two students.

Walt Disney was presented very well throughout the tournament by Nick Chapman. Nick's fun and creative style matched up well with Walt Disney and the combination knocked off several higher seeds to advance to the title match.

Carter Cassell had Bill Gates who previously had under performed in this tournament.  Carter used a very creative approach to connect to voters from letting everyone know Bill Gates is more than Microsoft.  He helped to create X box and donates billions and billions of dollars to the cause.

The championship match was decided by an esteemed panel of judges and they deemed Bill Gates (represented by Carter Cassell) as the Most Influential American.  Congratulations on this great honor bestowed on Mr. Gates and on Carter!

For all of his efforts, Carter takes home the GIANT PINK FLAMINGO AWARD given to our Most Influential American winner!

Championship Match Up is Set

It is old school vs. new school in the title match up for this year's Most Influential American award.  On the strength of a strong presentation, Walt Disney knocked off Franklin Roosevelt to advance to the finals.  Watch Walt Disney's presentation below:



In the other semifinal, another strong presentation pushed Bill Gates passed Martin Luther King and into the championship matchup.  Watch Gates' presentation below:

Final Four Is Set

Congratulations to our Final Four Americans in the Most Influential American Tournament.

 The winner of the President's region is Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

 The winner of the Wild Card region is Walt Disney.

 Roosevelt and Disney square off in the first semi-final.


 The winner of the Innovator region is Bill Gates


The winner of the Social Activist region is Martin Luther King.


 Gates and King will do battle in the second semi-final.

Elite 8 Common Craft Videos

President Regional Final
George Washington


Franklin Roosevelt


FDR from dom laferla on Vimeo.

Wild Card Regional Final
Walt Disney


Steven Spielberg

Innovator Regional Final
Henry Ford

 Bill Gates

Social Activist Regional Final
Martin Luther King


Jackie Robinson

Number One Seeds Fall in Round of 16

The Elite 8 is set and none of the top seeds are safe as we continue in our tournament.  In the presidential bracket, the voters sided with the influence of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal over the great emancipator Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln has struggled the past few tournaments and though the vote was close, Roosevelt snuck out a win to advance to the regional finals (elite 8).  Roosevelt's opponent will be George Washington. Our nation's first president (and this bracket's #2 seed) was quoted as saying "I can not tell a lie....I am pumped to be in the Elite 8"!  Washington trounced #6 seed Woodrow Wilson in a decisive win.

In the Innovators bracket, defending champion Steve Jobs was sent packing as his nemesis Bill Gates thumped the Iphone/Ipad creator.  Gates reminded his audience that Microsoft created the XBox and that turned the tide in favor of Gates with the younger crowd.  In a bit of a surprise, Henry Ford knocked off Ben Franklin.  Perhaps, voters took electricity for granted and a consituency of 16-17 year old voters will certainly love the creator of the automobile.  In any event, it is the 5 seed Gates vs. the 3 seed Ford battling for a trip to the final four.

The Wildcard bracket fit its name as the two lowest seeded members of the bracket advanced.  This match-up is all about ENTERTAINMENT...literally.  #5 Seed Walt Disney used a strong presentation to knock off founding father and the father of modern banking Alexander Hamiliton.  Steven Spielberg used a creative presentation to knock off perennial favorite Thomas Edison. After the loss, Edison told Spielberg "let's see you show any movies with out the light I created!".  Spielberg matches up with Disney for the opportunity to continue to wear Cinderalla's slipper to the final four.

In the Social Activist division, both of our women representatives were sent packing as Martin Luther King continues to live the dream of advancing to the final four.  King knocked off Eleanor Roosevelt in the closest vote of the day.  Jackie Robinson was too much for Susan B. Anthony in the other match up.  A Robinson-King match up promises to be a great competition to go to the final four.

The Elite 8 Common Craft Videos will be posted on Monday April 27 for voting on that day!  Stay tuned for the results!

Sweet 16 Videos

Presidents
Abraham Lincoln
vs.
vs.
Franklin Roosevelt
Video of FDR

George Washington


vs.
Woodrow Wilson



Innovators
Steve Jobs

vs.
Bill Gates



Ben Franklin

vs. Henry Ford


Wildcard
Alexander Hamilton

vs.Walt Disney


Thomas Edison
vs.
vs. Steven Spielberg

 
Social Activists
Martin Luther King
MLK Video

vs.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Susan B. Anthony

vs.
vs. Jackie Robinson

Upsets Abound in Opening Round of Spring Semester Most Influential American Tourney

To many, smaller class sizes in schools seem like an obvious advantage--more personal connection, more one on one time with teachers, more space in the room but for the selection committee for the Most Influential American tournament, smaller classes prevent challenges.  Rest easy, citizens, your selection committee has found a way to successfully get this tournament up and running for spring of 2015.

With only 22 students and just one section of American History this semester, this promises to be an ultra-competitive tournament as the four brackets--presidents, social activists, wildcard, and innovators--only have five or six competitors in each bracket. 

There were only a handful of match ups in the opening round of 32 but upsets dominated the round of 32.  In the Presidents bracket, both lower seeds won their opening round match ups as #5 seed Franklin Roosevelt knocked out #4 seed Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson had not suffered a defeat this bad since the Barbary Wars.  In a shocker, isolationist and sixth seeded Woodrow Wilson ended the run of back to back final four participant Teddy Roosevelt in a close first contest.  Roosevelt was quoted as saying, "bully for him" as the contest ended.  FDR will do battle with #1 seed Abraham Lincoln and Wilson will tangle with #2 seed George Washington in the sweet 16.

Two more upsets occurred in the Wildcard bracket as Walt Disney kept the magic alive as the 5 seed knocking off explorers Lewis and Clark who never even got out of the boat before the rout was on.  Sixth seeded Steven Spielberg was the start of the show as he outlasted Albert Einstein.  Einstein always seems to under perform in this tournament.  Walt Disney will match up with #1 seed Alexander Hamilton and Spielberg will go up against #2 seed Thomas Edison.

On the other side of the tourney, another 5 seed Bill Gates defeated 4 seed Alexander Graham Bell.  Gates moves on to face his nemesis and defending champion and #1 overall seed Steve Jobs.  In the other sweet 16 match up the 3 seed Henry Ford will battle the 2 seed Abraham Lincoln.

In the final bracket of social activists, #1 seed Martin Luther King will match up with the only higher seed to advance out of the round of 32.  #4 Seed Eleanor Roosevelt matches up with King after her first round win over labor activist Eugene Debs.  In the other sweet 16 matchup #2 seed Susan B. Anthony will compete against #3 seed Jackie Robinson in an entertaining contest.