The Muppet Madness Tournament 2013 - Final Four

Ryan Dosier - Today is the final day to vote in the Final Four round of The 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament! Sorry we missed coverage of the first two days, but better late than never, right? Thankfully, with only two match-ups today it won't take you long to choose your favorites.

ROWLF vs. WEMBLEY - This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make (when it pertained to an internet voting competition). Two of my very favorite characters coming up against each other. My vote goes to Wembley, but I think Rowlf is going to dominate here, in what is sure to become a dog-eat-Fraggle round. Rowlf has the benefit of being one of the oldest Muppets and still one of the most beloved. Wembley is certainly beloved, but he doesn't have nearly the fan-base of Rowlf. But don't fret, Wembley, you still had a great run.

COUNT VON COUNT vs. BEAR - It's kind of unfair that I'm making these predictions so far into the voting... but even before the voting got heated, I knew that The Count was bound to crush Bear in this round. Let us count the reasons why, shall we? The Count has been around for years longer than Bear. The Count has a major following, while Bear might not even be known by casual fans. The Count has the benefit of being performed by the great Jerry Nelson, giving him a surge of love. Plus... he's the Count. There, that's four, four reasons the Count is sure to win! Ah! Ah! Ah!

So if my predictions (and the current voting) holds up, we'll be looking at Rowlf vs. The Count in the final round next week! Who are you voting for, Muppet fans?





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppet Madness Tournament 2013 - Round 2

Can you believe that Round 1 of The 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament is already over? Well it is, baby, so get used to it! (Sorry, I've been watching a lot of action movies lately.) Anyway! Round 2 is in full swing so as per our annual tradition we're taking a look at the match-ups and making our picks for the victors in each competition.

DISNEY MUPPETS STUDIO

ROWLF vs. BEAKER - If you had asked me about this match-up before I looked at the current poll results, I would've said Beaker had this locked down. But boy oh boy is Rowlf proving the dog can dominate. Rowlf has a steady, impressive lead over Beaker currently and it looks like he could hold it through to the end. Poor Beaker might be in pain some more!

SWEETUMS vs. ANIMAL - Unfortunately, I don't think poor Sweetums stands too much of a chance against a powerhouse like Animal. Granted, the race is currently very close, but I think Animal will drum up enough support to win the race competently.

SESAME STREET

COOKIE MONSTER vs. GROVER - Wow! This is definitely bound to be the closest race in this Round, if not in the entire Tournament this year. I imagine Cookie Monster is taking most of the general public votes with Grover winning with most Muppet fans. It's hard to say, because both of these monsters are hugely popular and hugely beloved. I'm predicting a Grover victory, but I really don't know what to expect with this one.

COUNT VON COUNT vs. SNUFFY - I think this is one, one more victory you can count for the Count. Snuffy may have somehow toppled Big Bird, but I don't think he can compete with the wave of renewed love for the Count. Snuffy's only win in this round will be imaginary.

FRAGGLE ROCK

SPROCKET vs. BOOBER - Woof. This is a hard one to predict. I'm thinking Sprocket will win over poor Boober here. Pantomiming dogs seem to draw more support than perpetually negative, laundry-loving Fraggles. Maybe Boober could pull out an upset... but it would be a surprising upset, and we all know how Boober feels about surprises.

WEMBLEY vs. GOBO - There's no wembling necessary here: Wembley's got this one locked. If he and Sprocket both win, it will make for a very interesting Round 3 pitting two of Steve Whitmire's greatest characters against each other.

THE JIM HENSON COMPANY

BABY SINCLAR vs. BEAR - I think that Bear is about to make Baby Sinclair extinct. The furry, lovable big Bear has a steady, impressive lead over Baby. I guess you don't gotta love him. This quadrant is proving to be very competitive and very interesting. It will be really intriguing to see how it all plays out come Round 3.

SIR DIDYMUS vs. FIZZGIG - I have no idea how to call this race. I'm thinking Didymus will leash Fizzgig once and for all, but the ravenous little ball of fur could come out on top. It will come down to people voting between Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal and I think Labyrinth will win every time.

And that's Round 2! A lot of really exciting races here. Head on over to www.muppetmadness.com to cast your vote now for all of your favorites!





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament

The 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament is officially underway! Such a fun time of year. Unfortunately, The Muppet Mindset could not be directly involved this year due to time constraints, but our friend Steve Swanson is all over it and doing a great job. It's been our annual tradition to make our picks for the winners of the bracket, so we'll continue that right... NOW.

DISNEY MUPPETS

Rowlf vs. Walter - Last year, Walter came in second place to Kermit, so all conventional wisdom says that Walter should have a strong showing this year as well. However, Rowlf is an extremely tough competitor and has an early lead, so perhaps the dog can hold this lead and top the newest Muppet star.

Beaker vs. Mildred Huxtetter - This is really no contest. Beaker has this wrapped up, packed away, and ready to ship. Mildred doesn't stand a chance. (Let's hope FrogFan76 can get over it.)

Sweetums vs. Bean Bunny - The battle of the fan favorites! This is a tough one. Sweetums is probably more well known, but Bean has legions of fans from his star-turn in Muppet*Vision 3-D. I really don't know who will run away with this one. My money is on Sweetums... but I wouldn't be surprised if Bean pulled an upset.

Animal vs. Dr. Teeth - I really hope Dr. Teeth is able to topple Animal, but I just don't see it happening. Animal is one of the most popular Muppets and I can't imagine him losing in the first round.

SESAME STREET

Count von Count vs. Captain Vegetable - This is one, one win you can count for the Count! Captain Vegetable stands no chance against Jerry Nelson's best-known character. The love for Count von Count is huge and there's no way he won't win.

Mr. Snuffleupagus vs. Big Bird - I really thought Big Bird would dominate this round, but Snuffy has the early lead. I suppose there is a lot of nostalgic love for Snuffy, but I'm expecting the unbeatable love nearly everyone has for Big Bird to launch the Bird over the top.

Cookie Monster vs. Sherlock Hemlock - Yet another definite win here. Even the inept Sherlock Hemlock can see that he doesn't have a clue about how to beat Cookie Monster.

Grover vs. Roosevelt Franklin - Super Grover won the contest a few years ago, so expect regular, loveable old Grover to walk away with this one as well--at least in the first round. Although Roosevelt Franklin has some dedicated fans, I can't see him being able to beat the beloved Grover.

FRAGGLE ROCK

Sprocket vs. Ned Shimmelfinney - Woof. Poor Shimmelfinney, first he gets sick and has to move to Arizona, now he's about to lose handily to a dog. There's no way Sprocket won't win. Bye bye, Ned!

Boober vs. Traveling Matt - This is one of the few Round 1 competitions that's really tough to call. This match up between two of Dave Goelz's greatest characters is incredibly close. I think maybe Boober could pull off a win because people love his love of tedium, drudgery, and laundry, but Traveling Matt could easily win this as well. I don't know who to call it for!

Wembley vs. Red - C'mon, Wembley!! My favorite Fraggle has an early lead, I just have no idea if he can hold off the tenacious Red. She's probably the most well-known Fraggle, so it might be tough for Wembley... but hopefully he can stay strong and pull off a win.

Cantus vs. Gobo - I'm definitely pulling for Cantus here, but I think Gobo will discover a win for himself here. My money is on Gobo here!

HENSON COMPANY

Baby Sinclair vs. Waldo C. Graphic - Baby Sinclair will easily defeat the spirit of 3D. Because, hey, he's the baby, gotta love him!

Bear vs. Sid the Science Kid - Bear will win. The time-tested truth of "actual Muppets beat CGI Muppets every time" will prevail.

Sir Didymus vs. The Worm - Confession: I've always found the Labyrinth Worm to be really obnoxious, and Sir Didymus is my favorite part of the movie. So... I'm hoping Didymus conquers and so far it looks like he will.

Fizzgig vs. Ludo - I think The Dark Crystal's only competitor in this Tournament is bound to upset the big, lovable Ludo. Fizzgig may be ferocious, but he's charmed many fans in the past and methinks he'll continue that in this round.

Well there's my picks! What are yours? Go cast your votes for Round 1 of The 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament through Monday, March 25th! Help pull your favorites into the lead!





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament: Kermit the Frog WINS!

Art by James V. Carroll

It's over! The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament has crowned its champion, and that champion is, for the first time, KERMIT THE FROG. In the three years that the Muppet Madness Tournament has been running, Kermit has been present in the brackets each time, but he has never won... until now. In the first year he placed second while Bert and Ernie won, and last year he didn't even make it past the first round. But in 2012, Kermit the Frog is the winner!!

The frog managed to beat Walter in the Championship round by the most narrow margin in Muppet Madness history: TEN VOTES! It was an extremely exciting round last night as both Kermit and Walter fought for the lead. They battled back and forth for the last half hour of the Tournament, even being completely tied at more than one time throughout. It looked for awhile like Kermit would fall to Walter before it was all over, but Kermit came out on top.

I may have been pulling for Walter, but I couldn't be happier that Kermit finally won a Muppet Madness Tournament! He deserves it... because he's the best. Congratulations Kermit!!

Congratulations also go to our Bracket Contest winners: Erik Brown, Shannon Barton, and Gulnara Khayrutdinova. They win a fabulous prize and have been contacted!

Thanks to EVERYONE who came out and voted and had fun in this year's Muppet Madness Tournament. Me, Joe Hennes, Ryan Roe, and Steve Swanson will be recording a recap podcast soon, so be on the lookout for that. But, until that... we'll see you next March for more Muppet Madness!!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament - FINAL ROUND

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

March 30 - April 2

Vote EVERY HOUR

at MuppetFans.com 

This. Is. MADNESS. Yes, we've officially reached the point where The Muppet Madness Tournament lives up to its name. Round 5, the final round, the Championship. After this, a winner will be declared. This matchup has been predicted by experts from the very beginning, but it's still pretty incredible to me that we're already here. Yes, it's finally time to decide... WALTER vs. KERMIT THE FROG:

Art by the awesome James V. Carroll

I really, really don't know who to pick. This round is virtually anyone's game. Currently, after a day of voting, Walter has a very slight lead over Kermit, but the match is still anyone's to win. When I last checked they were dead even, each with 50% of the vote between them. This is the most exciting Muppet Madness Championship I can remember, and it's such a thrill to watch them go head to head. One can only imagine how many times Walter has passed out since finding out he's not only in the finals, but going up against Kermit... poor kid.

As for my prediction on the winner... I have no idea. The leaders have gone back and forth. Since people are allowed to vote every hour in this round, rampant fans of both Kermit and Walter have been supporting their man/Muppet/frog consistently, giving them alternating leads. Who will remain supreme come the end of voting on April 2nd? My guess... is Walter. It's the risky choice, I know, but I'm confident. Walter has consistently racked up the most votes in every round, while Kermit nearly fell to Rowlf last round. I just don't know that Kermit can sustain a steady lead over Walter to bring him a win.

Yes, I may be a little biased in my support of Walter because I've met him, interviewed him, and basically am him, but what Muppet fan isn't Walter? I mean... yes, Kermit is Kermit and he's the best and he can never be one-upped... but Walter proved himself as an amazing, hilarious, endearing character in The Muppets and will probably continue to do so beyond that. Walter is my pick. But... I can never, ever condemn anyone for voting Kermit. Who could?

Anyway, in semi-self-promotion news, The Muppet Madness Tournament is in the final round of The Atlantic Wire's Battle of the Brackets up against "Go Fug Yourself's Fug Madness." We are currently getting our butt kicked, losing by 85%... but if enough Muppet fans rally, we could pull out the win! How cool would it be for Muppets to win a major bracket contest? (Super cool, that's how cool.) So please, please help us out with a vote! We need it!!

But the most important thing is to vote in The Muppet Madness Tournament!! Vote EVERY HOUR in the Championship and help bring Walter or Kermit to victory!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 - ROUND 4

ROUND 4

March 27 - March 29

Vote EVERY 3 HOURS

at MuppetFans.com

Wow. It's already the second-to-last round of The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament. There are only four contestants left, which is absolutely crazy to me! My how the time flies... Anyway. With only four contestants left, we only have two matchups to predict this week (thank goodness). And so here come our predictions!

WALTER vs. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS - After an insanely close matchup between Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Parsons in Round 3, it looks like Walter will walk away with yet another blow-out victory here. It's amazing how well Walter has done in this tournament. Every one of his matches have been won by a landslide, and I won't be surprised if the only one that doesn't end in a landslide is the championship round. Poor NPH, though. He narrowly, but deservedly, pulled it out over Jim Parsons. Oh well.

KERMIT THE FROG vs. ROWLF THE DOG - Wow. Awesome. This might be my favorite matchup so far. Two of Jim Henson's most beloved, and most self-reflexive, characters going head to head. I think it's obvious to everyone that Kermit will be winning this round... but I'd love to see Rowlf lick the competition, however unlikely that may be. Either way, we're in for a very exciting championship. The thought of Walter vs. Kermit makes me giddy with excitement. I have NO idea who will pull that one out for a win.

So that's Round 4! Two predictable Final Four matches but a whole lot of fun. Go vote!! This round you get to vote every three hours, so vote often! 

And now it's time for my favorite part of this tournament: the artwork. Our good friend James Carroll has completed an amazing piece for the Final Four which I can't talk highly enough about... so just check it out below and LOVE IT!

 The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 - ROUND 3

 ROUND 3

March 24 - March 26

VOTE EVERY SIX HOURS
at MuppetFans.com

Ryan Dosier - This year's Muppet Madness Tournament, hosted by we at The Muppet Mindset, ToughPigs, and The MuppetCast, has really been moving super fast. Why, it seems like only yesterday Uncle Deadly, Fozzie, Gary, and many of our other favorites were still in the game... Wait. They were. Because Round 2 ended yesterday, leading the way for Round 3 to begin today. And so it has! The rules have changed slightly for Round 3, allowing you to vote every six hours for your favorite characters instead of the usual every 24 hours. So now instead of hating us for making you choose between Kermit and Gonzo and Rowlf and Scooter, you can love us for letting you vote more! Right? Anyway... here are my predictions for Round 3...

NEW CHARACTERS

WALTER vs. 80s ROBOT - The final two characters in the New Characters quadrant aren't much of a huge surprise to me. Walter was the obvious winner of his last two matchups, and 80s Robot has proven himself quite capable of taking down two major actors and rolling his way to victory. However, 80s Robot's winning streak will most certainly come to an end after this round, as the unstoppable Walter quickly makes the little robot retro. 

CELEBRITIES

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS vs. JIM PARSONS - This is probably going to be the most heated matchup in Round 3--and it's between two humans! Two very Muppety humans, however. Neil Patrick Harris, the huge Muppet fan with little screentime in The Muppets, and Jim Parsons, who played Human Walter, and received one of the biggest laughs of the picture. If I was placing bets on this one (and who says I'm not?), I'd put my money on Neil Patrick Harris sneaking ahead of Jim Parsons for the win. But if Parsons does win... we'll have Muppet Walter vs. Human Walter, which would be awesome.

CLASSICS

KERMIT THE FROG vs. GONZO THE GREAT - This is seriously like choosing between two heroes for me. Gonzo is my all-time favorite Muppet, but Kermit is Kermit. I would love to see Gonzo win... but I honestly don't know if he can do it. I think Kermit will advance on to the Final Four... but I hope Gonzo's fans can rally around him and at least help him put up a good fight.

OLD FAVORITES

ROWLF THE DOG vs. SCOOTER - Another incredibly hard matchup for Muppet fans. How do you choose between the two characters who made the most prominent returns in The Muppets after years of obscurity and hiding in the background. I don't know... which is while I'll be alternating my votes between the two of them. I'm expecting Rowlf to topple Scooter here, if only because he's had such a steady number of dedicated voters the past two rounds... but anything can happen here. 

Well there you have it. Four extremely tough matchups in Round 3. Virtually any of these eight contestants could move on to Round 4... so only time and your votes will tell. Remember to go to http://muppetfans.com to vote every six hours for your favorites! Voting for Round 3 ends on Monday... so you'd better vote fast!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 - ROUND 2

Round 2 of The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 began yesterday as winners from Round 1 advanced to take on new competition. Go vote for your favorites now! Having trouble deciding between heated matchups like 80s Robot vs. Gary and Kermit vs. Fozzie? Well, maybe our predictions below will help you out!

NEW CHARACTERS

WALTER vs. MARY - There's really no contest here, is there? People may love Amy Adams, but this being the Muppet Madness Tournament, mostly Muppet fans will be voting... and I can't name a single Muppet fan who doesn't love Walter. I don't think we'll possibly see Mary upset Walter this round. The Muppet fan's Muppet fan has got this one wrapped up.

80s ROBOT vs. GARY - I really don't know what to expect from this one. If you had asked me before voting began, I would've said Gary had this one locked, but after a day of voting, 80s Robot has a fairly sound lead over him. Can Gary come back at the end? I don't know. My prediction is that 80s Robot will pull through and continue to be gnarly to the max, dude.

CELEBRITIES

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS vs. EMILY BLUNT - This is another easy round to predict, as Neil Patrick Harris is a major Muppet fan, a major star, and a major talent--not that Emily Blunt isn't any of those things either, but she's just not as beloved by Muppet fans as good ol' NPH. He's got this one in the bag!

JIM PARSONS vs. MICKEY ROONEY - Yes, Mickey Rooney is awesome and beloved... but no, he will not take down Jim Parsons in this round. Jim Parsons as Human Walter was one of the funniest moments in the whole movie, and a favorite cameo for almost everyone. It's all Jim Parsons this round.

CLASSICS

KERMIT THE FROG vs. FOZZIE BEAR - I can't tell you how much I hated typing that. Kermit vs. Fozzie?! That's like Bert vs. Ernie! HOW CAN WE CHOOSE?!?! Well, most people will choose Kermit because, well, he's Kermit. The Frog looks to be hopping away with this one... but maybe Fozzie's legions of fans can rally to bring the bear victory!

GONZO vs. BUNSEN AND BEAKER - I predicted both of these matchups incorrectly in Round 1... so who knows what'll happen here! After upsetting Miss Piggy, I think Gonzo could ride that wave of popularity to the Elite Eight, maybe even the Final Four. But Beaker's popularity could propel the duo to a win. My money's on the weirdo.

OLD FAVORITES

UNCLE DEADLY vs. ROWLF - Argh! Another really tough one that I feel terrible choosing between! Uncle Deadly was SO great in The Muppets... but Rowlf has always been great and has been around a whole lot longer. If I had to guess, I'd say Rowlf will clench this one early on and take it all the way... but I'd really like to see Uncle Deadly win.

SCOOTER vs. JERRY NELSON'S VOICE - Yet another incredibly tough call for me. This is probably the biggest role Scooter has ever had in a Muppet movie... but how unbelievably awesome is it that Jerry Nelson's voice was not only in the movie, but beat out Thog in the last round? I'm pulling for Jerry, but predicting a Scooter win.

Well, there you have it! Round 2 ends this Friday, March 23rd, and Round 3 begins right after that! Keep voting every day to help bring your favorites victory!!







The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament

It's March again, and you know what that means for the Muppet fan community--it's time for the annual Muppet Madness Tournament! Yes, once again, yours truly, Ryan Dosier, is thrilled to team up with Joe Hennes and Ryan Roe of ToughPigs.com and Steve Swanson of The MuppetCast to bring you the most exciting tournament that March has ever seen! This year is bound to be an another awesome tournament year. Don't believe me? Well... we're also thrilled to be able to reveal to you the official bracket for The Muppet Madness Tournament this year, alongside ToughPigs! Voting begins tomorrow, March 13th, but you can preview the bracket below (and make sure you click it to make it bigger)!

As you can, for the first time we've chosen a theme for the tournament... a fairly obvious theme, at that: characters from The Muppets, the 2011 film. The bracket is divided into four quadrants, New Characters, Celebrities, Classics, and Old Favorites. Voting for Round 1 lasts from March 13-March 18 (at www.MuppetFans.com/tournament). Last year we analyzed every matchup with our predictions of who would win... and we're excited to continue that this year! Read on!

NEW CHARACTERS 

WALTER vs. HOBO JOE - The very first matchup in the Tournament this year is already a tough decision. Unfortunately for Zach Galifianakis, however, I think it's pretty obvious who's going to come out on top in this round. It's Walter all the way. After making such a huge splash into the Muppet world, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Walter move all the way to the championship round.

MARY vs. MISS POOGY - I'm really not sure what to expect from this matchup. There are players who will vote for Mary simply because they adore Amy Adams (and who can blame them) and there are fans who will vote for Miss Poogy because s/he was hilarious in the movie and came from a great performance by David Rudman. Trivia! This is the first year a David Rudman original character has been included in the Tournament.

TEX RICHMAN vs. 80s ROBOT - I think this matchup will have another obvious winner... 80s Robot has this in the bag. I can't see Tex Richman winning. He was just too down-right mean (and he couldn't really rap). Besides, 80s Robot was very funny ("Gag me with a spoon.") and he's a Matt Vogel original. What more can you ask for! (Besides some TAB or New Coke.)

GARY vs. GARY MUPPET - It's the battle of the Jason Segels! Yes, Jason Segel the human, playing Gary, against Jason Segel the Muppet playing Gary played by Bill Barretta. Confused yet? Grand. I'm almost positive that Gary the Human will conquer this round... but I think it would be hysterical to see Gary the Muppet topple him.

CELEBRITIES

JACK BLACK vs. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS - One has nice teeth, the other has nice suits... one had a major role in The Muppets, the other answered phones but still managed to steal the show. This is probably the most competitive first round matchup. I really have no idea who will prevail here. Whether it's Jack Black for his dynamite performance in The Muppets or whether it's Neil Patrick Harris for his undying passion for the Muppets... it's a toss up! My gut says NPH... but I'm excited to see what happens!

KRISTEN SCHAAL vs. EMILY BLUNT - Animal's anger management counselor against Piggy's secretary! Who will prevail?! My vote goes to Kristen Schaal for being adorable and hysterical--even though Emily Blunt is both of those things as well. I just enjoyed Kristen more in the movie... and I'm slightly biased because I met her in person and she was magnificent. Anyway. Yes. I predict a Kristen Schaal victory.

JIM PARSONS vs. KEN JEONG - aka Human Walter vs. Punch Teacher Guy. I'm in a pickle here because I love both of these actors. Jim Parsons is amazing as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, but Ken Jeong stars on my favorite show Community (which returns this Thursday at 8 on NBC). However, being a rational-thinking person, I can safely declare that Jim Parsons will win this round. His scene in The Muppets is a favorite among just about everyone... and not many people really liked Punch Teacher.

ALAN ARKIN vs. MICKEY ROONEY - The battle of the old guys! Alan Arkin, the one-time guest star on The Muppet Show and current tour guide for The Muppet Studios against Mickey Rooney... who sang a line in "Life's a Happy Song." This is another tough match to call... but I'm going to go with Mickey Rooney for the win. He's just so old and funny and awesome. Who doesn't love him?

CLASSICS

KERMIT THE FROG vs. THE SWEDISH CHEF - Yet another matchup that you'd be foolish not to guess correctly. Kermit will take down the Chef, no question. How can you compete against the Frog this early? Especially when The Muppets was such a great vehicle for Kermit. "Pictures in My Head" should already make Kermit the winner here.

ANIMAL vs. FOZZIE BEAR - This is another very heated matchup--already in Round 1! I'd really like to see Fozzie take this one--because who doesn't love Fozzie? But Animal has such a major fan following among casual and obsessed fans alike. It's really, really tough to call this one. My vote goes to Fozzie pulling out a heart-warming triumph... but Animal could easily take the cake.

GONZO THE GREAT vs. MISS PIGGY - I'm biased here as well... Gonzo is my favorite so I'd really, really like to see him win this. However, no one can argue that his role in The Muppets was one of his better ones. It is incredibly easy to argue that it was one of Piggy's best performances. I could really see this matchup going either way, but my gut says Miss Piggy will conquer.

BUNSEN AND BEAKER vs. STATLER AND WALDORF - The duel of the duos! Also the fight between Steve Whitmire/Dave Goelz duos. This is a very, very tough matchup between four extremely popular characters. My money is on Statler and Waldorf taking the gold, however, due to their amazing ascent in last year's tournament. They made it to the Championship and lost to Super Grover... so their popularity will most likely put them over the top.

OLD FAVORITES

UNCLE DEADLY vs. BOBO THE BEAR - Tex Richman's henchmen have turned on each other (it's an idiom, you idiot) (not really, I just wanted to use that)! I think Uncle Deadly will topple Bobo in this round thanks to his incredible return in The Muppets. After having only a handful of previous appearances, Matt Vogel brought Uncle Deadly back in a major, major way. I think that Deadly's popularity with hardcore and casual fans alike will propel him to victory.

ROWLF THE DOG vs. LINK HOGTHROB - Two of Jim Henson's classic characters battle for dominance! Rowlf returned with a howl in the new movie, having one of the biggest laughs, and Link Hogthrob spoke in a Muppet production that wasn't a video game for the first time since 1990 and had his first speaking role in a Muppet movie ever. But I don't think that will be enough for Link to beat Rowlf. I think the dog's got this one wrapped up in a doggy bag and ready to take home.

SCOOTER vs. WAYNE AND WANDA - There's two Richard Hunt original characters in there somewhere! I think this is another matchup that is incredibly easy to call... Scooter takes it. Wayne and Wanda just don't have the history and amazing resurgence that Scooter has/had. His role in The Muppets was one of his biggest ever. Yes, Wayne and Wanda had a major laugh... but Scooter wins this one.

THOG vs. JERRY NELSON'S VOICE - Yes, you read that right. We managed to sneak in Jerry Nelson's Voice into the Muppet Madness Tournament! We're just awesome like that. If you didn't know, the voice of original Muppet performer Jerry Nelson can be heard in The Muppets as the announcer for The Muppet Telethon. It's magic. I sincerely hope Jerry can win... but I think the big blue giant will stomp all over this one.

Well... there you have it. Every single matchup for Round 1 of The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012! But that's not all! For the first time ever, we're offering you a chance to win big in The Muppet Madness Tournament as well! This year we're having a Muppet Madness Bracket Contest in which you, the players, will be able to fill out your own brackets and submit them to us. You will get points for each correctly guessed matchup and at the end of the tournament the three players with the most points win a fabulous prize!

All of the details for the game as well as the downloadable bracket for you to fill out and email to contact@muppetfans.com can be found on The Muppet Madness Bracket Contest page on ToughPigs.com. You've got from March 13th-March 18th to submit your brackets, so start filling them out!

There it is, friends, The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament! Voting for Round 1 begins on March 13th and ends on March 18th and you can come back to vote in each matchup once daily! We're so excited about the Tournament this year, and we sincerely hope all of you are too! Have fun everybody!!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com