First Round Action Complete--Top Seeds Stroll to Round of 32

Mr. Kevin Walsh's United States History Class opened up play in the Most Influential Tournament Bracket with 20 first round match ups.  Of the 20 match ups, 16 were won by higher seeds.  Teddy Roosevelt was the runaway winner of the first round as he jumped all over poor Ulyssess S. Grant who never saw the attack coming.  "I haven't been that surprised since Lee doubled back at Petersberg".  Grant said.  Other big winners were Jackie Robinson running all over labor leader Samuel Gompers.  Franklin Roosevelt scored a convincing win over Lyndon Johnson and #8 seed Upton Sinclair posted a very convincing victory over #9 seed W.E.B. Dubouis.

Three double digit seeds advanced to the round of 32.  The dreaded 5-12 match up in the Social Activist match-up saw John Brown go on the offensive against Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  The old abolitionist was up to the challenge and advances.  The highest seed to advance was #13 Sam Walton who knocked off #4 seed Henry Clay.  The Great Compromiser had nothing for the king of the cost cutting Sam Walton in the Wild Card Bracket.  Finally, #10 seed John F. Kennedy pulled off a surprising upset of WWI president Woodrow Wilson.  Kennedy had a strong push late in the day.  It wasn't exactly "Dewey defeats Truman" stuff but Kennedy made a nice comeback. Speaking of Truman, he bowed out against Ronald Reagan in opening round action.

It was good to be a heroic sports figure as Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, and Jackie Robinson all advanced pretty easily to the round of 32.

Winners in the presidents division:  Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt., Franklin Roosevelt, James Madison, and John Kennedy.

Winner in the Wild Card division:  Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Sam Walton, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali.

Winner of the Innovators bracket:  Wright Brothers, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, and Robert Oppenheimer.

Winner in the Social Activist bracket:  Upton Sinclair, John Brown, Eleanor Roosevelt, Earl Warren, and Jackie Robinson

Check out the brackets below: