For those of you in Meat Madness office pools or just following along at home, I’d like to provide you with a bracket showing the final results of this heated 6-week battle.  Click on the bracket below to see a full size version of it. This final bracket includes not only the winners in each match-up, but the final percentage breakdown in votes for each and every match-up.  Enjoy!

Thank you to each and every one of you who followed Meat Madness, either as readers and spectators or as active voters.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed. By a vote of 465 (57%) – 351, (43%), Bacon has defeated Steak to earn the title of the greatest meat.

After watching 32 meats face-off for meat supremacy over the past 6 weeks, we are down to our final vote. Steak vs. Bacon. The winner will be crowned as the single greatest meat there is.

Voting begins today at noon and polls close on Friday at noon.

Here’s a little “Tale of the Tape” about each of the two contenders.

Total votes earned so far (raw #’s):

Steak: 975
Bacon: 1,103

Edge: Bacon

Average margin of victory (%):

Steak: 59%
Bacon: 48%

Edge: Steak

Total comments left on posts of match-ups:

Steak: 37
Bacon: 87

Edge: Bacon

Biggest margin of victory:

Steak: 76% (vs. Roast Beef, Rnd. 1)
Bacon: 80% (vs. Pork Chops, Rnd. 1)

Edge: Bacon

Smallest margin of victory:

Steak: 36% (vs. Crab in Final Four)
Bacon: 20% (vs. Chicken in Final Four)

Edge: Steak

Looks like we’re in for one hell of a final match-up. With voting open for 4 full days, there is plenty of time for either meat to make a run even after falling behind. Will a leader emerge right away? Or will these two titans of meat battle back and forth throughout the week? As always, use the comment section to argue for which meat you think should prevail.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed. Steak defeats Crab 68% – 32%. Steak advances to the finals to face Bacon.

Final Four voting continues.  Starting today, and until noon on Saturday, we will be voting to determine who will advance to the championship match-up, Steak or Crab.  The winner of this match-up will face Bacon, which defeated Chicken 60% – 40%.

As usual, please utilize the comment section to vigorously argue for which meat you think should advance.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

]]> http://www.sogoodblog.com/2009/04/16/meat-madness-final-steak-crab/feed/ 5 http://www.sogoodblog.com/2009/04/14/meat-madness-final-chicken-bacon/ http://www.sogoodblog.com/2009/04/14/meat-madness-final-chicken-bacon/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:14:09 +0000 Eick http://www.sogoodblog.com/?p=2315 Click HERE to see the initial post about Meat Madness and full 32 meat bracket.  Click HERE to view a preview of the final four match-ups.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed.  Bacon defeats Chicken 60% – 40% and advances to the final!

Final Four voting has begun! From Noon today until noon on Thursday we will be voting to determine who will advance to the championship match-up, Chicken or Bacon.  The winner of this match-up will face the winner of the Steak vs. Crab match-up.

As usual, please utilize the comment section to vigorously argue for which meat you think should advance.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Click below for previews of the match-ups and the voting schedule for this week.

First Match-Up: Chicken vs. Bacon

Polls for this match-up will open at Noon on Tuesday and remain open until Noon on Thursday.

Chicken – Winner of the Poulty Region, #1 seed.

Many assumed that Chicken’s early dominance was due to weak early match-ups against Quail and Rabbit. But Chicken made a huge statement in the Elite 8, absolutely destroying Thanksgiving and sandwich favorite Turkey 71% – 29%.  So what is Chicken’s key to success? Affordability, accessibility and versatility perhaps? Fried chicken and chicken wings are favorites of eaters everywhere, and there are just so many delicious ways you can cook or prepare Chicken.

Bacon – Winner of the Pork Region, #1 seed.

Bacon. You know it, you love it, and you know the internet/foodie obsession with it.  I thought Sausage was the only meat with a chance of stopping Bacon in this region, and after Sausage was upset by Ribs in the first round, Bacon’s Pork Region title may have been inevitable.  Bacon had no trouble brushing off Ribs in the Elite 8, 69% – 31%.  Will Chicken be the meat that finally gives it a challenge?

Second Match-Up: Steak vs. Crab

Polls for this match-up will open at Noon on Thursday and remain open until Noon on Saturday.

Steak – Winner of the Red Meat Region, #1 seed.

Steak has easily crushed all competitors so far to date, most recently beating #2 seed Lamb with a more than convincing 77% – 23% victory.  Ground Beef, with its versatility, might have been the only hope to prevent Steak from winning this region, but after Ground Beeffell to Lamb, Steak has steamrolled its way into the Final Four.

Crab – Winner of the Seafood Region, #6 seed.

You just can’t hold a good Crab down. With perhaps the toughest road to the Final Four, Crab knocked off seafood heavyweights like Salmon and Scallops in close, but never tight votes, before pulling out a 5 vote victory over Lobster in the Elite 8 to claim the crown as best Seafood.

Join us all week in voting for, and arguing which of these four meats deserves the crown.  The final match-up to determine the Meat Madness winner will take place next week.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed. Bacon defeats Ribs 69% – 31%.

Wow. We had quite the down to the wire vote on that last match-up!  After blowouts by Steak and Chicken, Lobster and Crab fought it out to the bitter end with Crab upsetting Lobster by only 5 votes!

Today’s battle will determine the winner of the Pork Region. #1 seed Bacon takes on Cinderella story #7 Ribs.

Voting will be open until noon tomorrow. Remember, this is the LAST match-up of the Elite 8. Don’t forget this vote is yours and yours alone – you can vote on any criteria, taste, prestige, cost, availability, versatility, whatever you want.  Please use the comment section to argue for the meat you think should prevail and why. Get creative, get nasty, get personal!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed. Wow! What a close vote. Crab edges out Lobster 51% – 49%, by only 5 votes!

No close battles in the Elite 8 so far. Steak and Chicken had no problem defeating Lamb and Turkey, proving their #1 seeds were deserved.

Today’s match-up will determine the winner of the Seafood Region. #1 Lobster takes on #6 Crab.

Voting will be open until noon tomorrow.  Please use the comment section to argue for the meat you think should prevail and why.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed. Chicken defeats Turkey 71% – 29%.

In yesterday’s match-up, Steak brushed aside Lamb to easily win the Red Meat bracket and secure itself a place in the Final Four. Today we determine the winner of the Poultry region, and it should be quite a battle of heavyweights, with #1 seed Chicken taking on #2 seed Turkey.

Voting will be open until noon tomorrow.  Please use the comment section to argue for the meat you think should prevail and why.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Update: Voting on this match-up is now closed. Steak easily defeats Lamb with 77% of the vote to win the Red Meat region and head into the Final Four.

It begins. The early rounds are behind us, and as the real March Madness goes to its final game tonight, we head into Elite 8 week here at So Good.  Each day this week, the winners of the Red Meat, Poultry, Seafood and Pork regions will be crowned. Today we begin in the Red Meat region, where #1 Steak takes on #2 Lamb. Check out my Elite 8 preview for a schedule of this weeks match-ups.

Voting will be open until noon tomorrow.  Please use the comment section to argue for the meat you think should prevail and why.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.