You got to love the excitement going on around here. There is so much trash talkin, smack down stuff going on Eminem could make another platinum rap CD selling just to the folks in this contest.

The thing that really surprises me is the stir caused by the teams drawn. According to some we should just hand the title over to team 4 right now. Or maybe team 18? Heh, heh.... that cracks me up. There ain't nothing that is over until the "fat lady" sings and she ain't even started clearing her throat yet! [8D]

A wise man once wrote some very poignant words concerning this subject. Allow me to paraphrase if you will, "The battle is not always to the strong, nor the race to the swift, even men of skill can fail, for time and chance happens to them all."

Let's see if I can think of a few examples where "sure things" got bricked...

USA hockey team vs Russians in the 80 (?) Olympics. A bunch of College kids beating pro hockey players, who would have thunk it!

Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson. No one even knew who Douglas was. He was such an unknown they didn't even put the fight on pay-per-view.

Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston Who would have thought that loud mouthed young kid would put such a whuppin on the heavily favored Liston. [&:]

Larry Owings vs Dan Gable In a sanctioned varsity wrestling match Dan Gable had never been beat in high school or college. Something like 181 and 0 he was. Unbeaten that is until the final match of his college career. He lost 13-11 trying to defend his national title to an underclassman named Larry Owings. UNBELIEVEABLE! []

What was the name of that "unsinkable" ship? You know the one I am talking about. It was the talk of the entire industrial world in its day. Bigger, faster, stronger, than anything ever made, the pride of Europe, labeled as unsinkable she was. It didn't even finish its first trip out to sea before plunging to the ocean depths. What a titanic debacle! Oh yeah, thats the name of the ship! The Titanic!

Of course the all time classic is David versus Goliath. Here in a field situated between the opposing armies, we find an unknown untrained shepherd boy who was not even military material, fighting for the very existence of his nation. He was thrust into a one on one, life or death, winner-take-all battle, with a combat seasoned soldier of giant proportions. The underdog shepherd kid takes out a very well known and heavily favored amour clad world class gladiator with a rock and a sling shot! Cool!

So you see my arrow slinging, buck busting, deer hunting, friends. Lift up your heads, it ain't over 'til its over. As my Daddy used to tell his dyslexic son, who was strickened with an attention deficit disorder, "Don't count your chickens, before their hatched, don't count your money while your sitting at the table, don't get the cart before the horse, and above all, don't eat yellow snow!" Yes, there is hope for all of us underdogs! "Mighty Casey" has a way of striking out.

I have to go now. There are bulls bugling on the horizon that I must tend to. But what is that other sound I am hearing? I think...Yes it is...It's music! Somebody must be getting ready to sing!!!

And much like the Titanic - Team 18 is going down!!!!

Actually, I would be shocked if team 4 does win.

The leading contenders of RA and KC can't possibly continue the streak of LUCK they have had.

Me on the other hand, I am due a MONSTER

It is amazing the excitement breathed into this forum with just a simple little contest. It is so cool.

Oh really? It just might happen that in a couple of months that you'll need to change part of your sig there bud. Add "I must" to the "Bow down".

Oops, not you antler eater![:@] That last one was a rebuttal to Hazcon7.

Now don't go lumping Team 18 (Team Wall Hangers) in with Team 4, people have been banned for less insults than that.