Who is the best commentator, reporter or pundit? Vote now!
In the third week of FTW Bracket Madness, we’ll be deciding the Ultimate Sports Broadcaster. We’ve already crowned the Ultimate Podcast (Binge Mode) and Ultimate Stand-Up Comic (Norm Macdonald), but which broadcast will emerge victorious from our field of 32?
We polled the FTW staff to come up with 32 broadcasters in four different regions – play-by-play, analyst, sideline reporter and pundit – combining the leading faces in those fields along with our own personal favorites. Some difficult cuts were made, but you can always yell at us on Twitter if your favorite talking head didn’t make the bracket.
First-round voting will begin on Monday morning, and polls will close at 10 a.m. ET the following day. New matchups will be posted soon after polls close.
Did basketball, the 5K or Office Olympics finish first?
“Sometimes, I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.”
Well said, Michael Scott. That’s the perfect way to introduce For The Win’s tribute to The Office, the NBC comedy that celebrates the 15th anniversary of its premiere this week (March 24, 2005). For the show that’s still so embedded in American and internet culture, we’ll break down everything from the best sports moments to the best couples. Because, as Wayne Gretzky Michael Scott says, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
We’ll start with the greatest sports moments in the show’s nine seasons. There are 24 of them in all that include a wide variety of different sports and one plotline that surrounds being a sports marketing agent (it DEFINITELY counts). Let’s count them all down:
24. Jim and Darryl join a sports agency (all of Season 9)
It’s the storyline that puts a strain on Jim and Pam’s marriage — hence why we ranked it last! — but that ultimately leads to them to move out of Scranton and to Austin, Texas. — Charles Curtis
23. Ryan Howard appears on a show that had character named Ryan Howard (“Promos” — Season 9, Episode 18)
When The Office premiered in 2005, Howard was in the middle of a season in which he would go from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and finish with the Philadelphia Phillies, winning NL Rookie of the Year. The other Ryan Howard — played by B.J. Novak — was starting out quite a character arc as a temp at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Nearly eight years later, the Phillie met with Jim and Darryl at their sports agency to pitch them an off-the-wall sci-fi script. — CC
22. Darryl, Kevin and Jim are the Big 3 (“Spooked” — Season 8, Episode 5)
Darryl is LeBron James, Kevin is Dwyane Wade and Jim — reluctantly, because he hates dressing up for Halloween — is Chris Bosh. It’s some pretty minimal effort here because they’re just wearing jerseys, but hey, they got Jim to wear a costume. — Michelle Martinelli
21. Hey, it’s Julius Erving! (“Lice” — Season 9, Episode 10)
Jim meets with Dr. J and shoots with the legend who would be a potential investor in his Philadelphia agency. It’s fun to see Jim geek out over meeting his basketball idol. — CC
20. Rollerskating (“Ultimatum” — Season 7, Episode 13)
Dwight, Darryl and Andy go on an adventure in an attempt to meet women, and they end up at an indoor rollerskating rink in the middle of the afternoon. Naturally, they practically have the place to themselves, so Andy requests Dave Matthews Band, but “no hits, deep tracks only,” which translated to Ants Marching. — MM
This is too good. Darryl’s interview with Jim’s new sports marketing company goes so well, and he’s clearly feeling good about it. But his confidence got the best of him because he pretends to be Kevin Durant and takes and misses a shot. The ball hits the rim, then a light, and both the light and ball tumble into the fish tank below, killing the fish inside. — MM
It’s somehow satisfying to see Dwight win a prank war with Jim for once, and it includes Jim taking a lacrosse stick — turns out he played? — loading it up with an icy ball and missing Dwight with a shot, breaking a window instead. Turns out he played… badly. — CC
17. Dwight finally earns his black belt (“Livin’ The Dream” — Season 9, Episode 21)
If you know anything about Dwight, you know him finally getting his black belt — after 20 years and $150,000 spent on training — is a huge deal. And he gets it from his new instructor, Sensei Billy (Michael Imperioli). — MM
16. Creed wins Casino Night … and Kevin loses (“Casino Night” — Season 2, Episode 22)
We’ll go back-to-back with two separate moments from a classic ep (yes, poker and casino games are sports!). Creed steals a bunch of chips and ends up with the prize for the most winnings on the night: a refrigerator from Vance Refrigeration, his first fridge ever (!). Meanwhile, Kevin — a World Series of Poker bracelet winner — somehow loses a hand to Phyllis. — CC
15. Dwight thinks Jim has a “tell” (“Casino Night” — Season 2, Episode 22)
It’s a mini-prank — Jim deliberately coughs to make Dwight think he has a huge hand in poker and Dwight keeps folding when he does it. Ha! — CC
Will Ferrell’s four-episode appearance was good, but this has to be the best way any character on the show exits. — MM
13. Joe Montana (“Dinner Party” — Season 4, Episode 9)
This is not even close to one of the weirdest, awkward moments from this episode, but Andy finds the most obscure way to describe Joe Montana while playing a guessing Charades-type game. Joe Camel and the state where Helena is the capital? Come on, Andy. — MM
12. Pam volleyball (“Company Picnic” — Season 5, Episode 28)
“Maybe I played a little in junior high. And in high school. Maybe a little in college. And went to volleyball camp most summers!”
Pam being significantly better than everyone else at volleyball leads to the other team, the corporate office, forcing her to go to the hospital when she barely rolls her ankle to get her off the court. And that leads to the heartwarming moment when she and Jim find out they’re expecting.
How many different ways can Jim fail to impress his new boss? After lying about liking and playing soccer to Charles Miner, he finds another one. Excellent guest star Idris Elba kicks the ball to Jim, who ducks, and Phyllis gets drilled in the face instead. — MM
10. Michael attempts to leave Dunder Mifflin with no-look hoops shot (“Goodbye, Michael” — Season 7, Episode 22)
“Catch you on the flippity flip!” (misses) “Flippity flip!” — CC
9. Michael checks Toby into the boards (“Michael’s Birthday” — Season 2, Episode 19)
Michael Scott forever. Besides quoting Wayne, he lays the body and cellys like a true boss. 😂 pic.twitter.com/dI8l18pIY5
A good reminder that Steve Carrell played hockey growing up and that Toby is the worst. Also, it’s a legal check, Scott doesn’t leave his feet. — CC
8. Michael and Dwight at the dojo (“The Fight” — Season 2, Episode 6)
All I hear whenever I think of this is Kevin’s “Sweep the leg!” — CC
7. Jim and Darryl play ping-pong (“The Deposition” — Season 4, Episode 8)
Jim is good, Darryl is better, but Kelly’s smack talk wins it all. — MM
6. The Office Olympics gold medal for Jim (“The Job” — Season 3, Episode 23)
We’re breaking this one out separately from the Office Olympics ep because Jim discovering the yogurt-lid medal Pam put in his folder as he’s interviewing for a Jan Levinson’s old Dunder Mifflin job in New York leads to the beginning of them dating. “Alright, then … it’s a date.” — CC
5. Agent Michael Scarn saves the NHL All-Star Game (“Threat Level Midnight” — Season 7, Episode 17)
I love this whole episode because Michael Scott is the only person who would spend years shooting and reshooting a movie about saving the NHL All-Star Game with a James Bond-esque villain and a subplot almost entirely lifted from The Karate Kid. Also, Dwigt. — MM
4. The whole 5K episode (“Fun Run” — Season 4, Episode 1)
There are so many great moments in this whole episode centered around The Michael Scott Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race: Andy’s Band-Aids on his nipples, Michael carbo-loading with an obscene amount of fettuccini alfredo and Andy attempting to draft off Kevin. However, the best thing about this race is Kelly putting the finish line three miles away from the office instead of mapping a circle. — MM
3. The Wayne Gretzky, er, Michael Scott quote (“Michael Scott Paper Company” — Season 5, Episode 23)
Rick Hahn on Ohtani: “We know this is a long shot, as I said. We do have a responsibility to leave no stone unturned, exploring every possible avenue to be in the best position going long term. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take said Wayne Gretzky and Michael Scott.” pic.twitter.com/0Gbh2VUJxO
Maybe one of the most perfect images from the show ever that can be used in so many ways. — CC
2. The Office Olympics (“Office Olympics” — Season 2, Episode 3)
This is one of the best episodes in general because we see so many characters’ personalities come alive. There’s Oscar and Kevin’s paper football game (a.k.a. “Hateball”), Pam’s creativity with the decorations and yogurt-lid medals, Phyllis winning in the national sport of Icelandic paper companies and the race around the office with filled coffee mugs. And, of course, Jim’s enthusiasm for it all, a trait Pam so clearly loves:
“The thing about Jim is when he’s excited about something, like the office Olympics, he gets really into it, and he does a really great job. But the problem with Jim is that he works here, so that hardly ever happens.”
And the national anthem at the end with the doves really is an incredible moment. — MM
1. The entire Dunder Mifflin basketball game (“Basketball” — Season 1, Episode 5)
It’s all perfect — Michael calling fouls, his long free-throw routine, Jim competing with his rival, Roy, over Pam’s affection, Dwight getting buckets and Michael not, and so much more — CC
A definitive, unassailable ranking of HGTV’s offerings.
There’s no sports on right now, which means you can now devote much of your TV watching time to the home renovating splendors of HGTV. While HGTV shows all pretty much have the same premise–someone renovates a home or someone buys a home–they are not all created equal. Some are far, far superior and others force you to actually turn off the TV and pick up a damn book.
Before we really get into which ones are good and which ones will fill you with rage for the entire human race, a few notes on the rankings. One, yes, I’m aware none of these shows are totally truthful, but that doesn’t really factor into the rankings. What matters is the semblance of veracity, not what is actually real. Two, the rankings are a mixed bag of home improvement shows and home buying shows, even though they’re totally different viewing experiences. Lastly, shows are judged on a mix of how engaging the hosts are, the quality of the design work (where applicable) and the likeability of the home owners/buyers.
With that in mind, here’s a ranking of HGTV’s most popular shows, from Fixer Upper to House Hunters International.
13. Love It or List It
Premise: Will homeowners stay in a redesigned home or put it up for sale Grade: F-
Burn this show to the ground. Love It or List It is built on conflict but it often veers into straight up animosity between married couples. There’s nothing soothing about watching couples bicker over their cluttered homes and the fact that they probably had one too many kids. Designer Hilary and real estate agent David often pump up the drama for added affect, but their bickering makes the show even more grating. Terrible viewing experience all around. Plus, the home renos are never that great!
12. Flip or Flop
Premise: Tarek and Christina flip homes in southern California Grade: F +
There’s something gross about watching people pick apart foreclosed homes in Southern California and then flip them to make a personal monetary killing. Flip or Flop has always been too stressful for me to enjoy and focuses too much on the real estate market to be a real escape. Plus, the “chemistry” between Christina and Tarek always felt forced, even before their divorce. Now it’s just a grating experience in watching two people who barely tolerate each other try to salvage their business.
11. Christina on the Coast
Premise: Christina has a new life on the coast after her divorce Grade: F
This is more a personality show than it is either a home improvement or a home renovation show. Christina shows off her design skills but the show really leans more into her post-divorce life in a manufactured, staged way. Christina on the Coast is the home show for divorced mom’s everywhere who are trying to convince themselves they “won” the breakup. My guess is this show appeals to the same people that watch Hallmark channel Christmas movies in July. You’re not there for reality, but for the fantasy.
10. Tiny House Hunters
Premise: People look for tiny homes Grade: D+
This is the HGTV version of having a friend suddenly announce, “Oh, by the way, I’m vegan now.”
One of the worst, most aggravating HGTV shows to air, only because of how unlikable the home buyers are. Most of these tiny homes are little marvels of design, but every single episode has at least one person saying, ‘Umm, it feels a little tight in here,’ which immediately leads to me wanting to throw something at the TV.
The real issue with the Tiny House shows is not just that the buyers come off as insufferably smug, as if giving up square footage makes them morally superior, but that the show lacks enough self-awareness to realize that low-income families all over America have lived in tiny houses forever, simply by necessity.
9. Fixer Upper
Premise: Chip and Joanna Gains renovate homes in Waco, Texas Grade: D+
It pains me to give Fixer Upper an F, but I’ve turned on the show and turned badly. I, like everyone else, used to love Chip and Jo, but they’ve hit peak fame, and nothing makes people more insufferable than seeing their faces all over your local Target. The homes that Chip and Jo have done are undeniably beautiful, everything shiplapped to rustic, farmhouse perfection, but, now, the ubiquity of that perfection is suffocating.
When it first aired, Fixer Upper was a bit of fresh air in the HGTV landscape. Chip and Jo were undeniably charming on camera and their obvious chemistry is what launched them to Martha Stewart levels of stardom. The entire thing has grown far, far too big and their cultural influence is far above what it should be.
HGTV is no longer making new episodes of Fixer Upper, but even watching the old ones leaves a sour taste in my mouth now. Everything is too perfect for Chip and Jo. Their marriage is constantly perfect, their kids are always adorable, the farm house is always bathed in a golden glow, their neighbors are always friendly and never racist! It is pure artifice, from top to bottom, but trussed up to look working class and real.
8. REHAB ADDICT
Premise: Fixing up rundown historic buildings in Michigan and Minnesota
Grade: C+
Sometimes I think Nicole Curtis cares too much about saving old windows. Just let it go, girl.
7. Good Bones
Premise: Mother and daughter rehab old houses Grade: C
Every single new HGTV show has the same formula with a few slight variations. It’s always some kind of family duo, fixing up some junker that probably should’ve just been torn down. The formula has different success rates, depending on the chemistry of the family members and Good Bones is among the better ones. The hosts are charming and personable, but the premise of whether or not someone is actually going to buy the house feels incredibly stilted. I’ve never once watched an episode where they didn’t actually buy the house! Design wise, it’s better than One of a Kind, but nowhere near as good as Property Brothers or Home Town.
6. BEACHFRONT BARGAIN HUNT
Premise: Finding the perfect beach home Grade: B
Dreaming about living at the beach is a favorite hobby of mine, until I remember that most ocean front properties will be underwater in a couple of decades because climate change is real. Also, the “bargain” portion of this title is misleading. Most of these people are paying over $300K for spaces without an ocean front view. The appeal of this show, of course, is mentally tallying up for your income and seeing if you too could afford to just ditch your home and job and live in a cramped condo that overlooks a parking lot.
5. PROPERTY BROTHERS
Premise: Jonathan and Drew buy and fix up a home Grade: A
There are a few Property Brothers shows now and Jonathan and Drew have also become personalities in their own rights, but have somehow managed to avoid falling into the overexposure trap like Chip and Joanna Gains. There are a lot of spin-offs, but Property Brothers: Forever Home seems to be the newest iteration. This is the exact right amount of charming host to flustered couple ratio for an HGTV show. Jonathan and Drew are capable, smart and, most importantly handsome and charming. Plus, the interiors that Jonathan (or is it Drew?) executes are always stunning.
4. House Hunters
Premise:Perspective home buyers search for the perfect house Grade: A
The OG of HGTV shows and it can’t be beat. What other show invites you into the lives of domestic couples and practically begs you to rip apart their relationships? You can always tell how long a marriage is going to last by how a couple handles home shopping together. House Hunters isn’t just a great HGTV show, it is one of the best and longest running reality TV shows ever. Every episode isn’t just a peak into someone’s life but a chance to pass judgement on all the life choices that lead them to this very particular moment. They have how many kinds? They want a pool? In upstate New York? Their budget is how much?! Of course they’re home schooling their kids! Plus, if you live in a big city where you’ve been priced out of the real estate market, it’s always nice to see you can get a single-family, three bedroom, two bath ranch somewhere in middle America for way less than your monthly rent.
3. My Lottery Dream Home
Premise: David Bromstad helps people find their dream homes Grade: A
This is a low-key feel good show. David is a charming, fun host who never condescends to the potential home buyers. A lot of HGTV shows function as a kind of wish fulfillment, but Lottery Dream Home isn’t about fantasizing about your own perfect real estate purchase, but rather the joy in watching other people’s dreams come true. It’s truly a sweet show, where the winners are from all walks of life, of all ages and who all (seemingly) deserve the windfall they’ve been handed. It’s the perfect combo of gracious host, plus grateful home buyers that make it a win.
2. Home Town
Premise: Ben and Erin fix up houses in their hometown of Laurel, Miss. Grade: A
Relatively new to the HGTV line up, but I’m all in on Erin and Ben. They’re taking over the road that Chip and Joanna helped pave, but are far less oriented on marketing perfection. Whether or not it’s real doesn’t matter to me, but Home Town seems to be a lot more genuine than Fixer Upper. Plus, Ben does is his own carpentry work and I love that Erin actually has people help her execute their designs. It was getting pretty impossible to believe that Joanna was the only one decorating the houses in Fixer Upper, come on. Home Town hits all the beats of a good HGTV show perfectly–it’s aspirational without being overwhelming, comforting without being saccharine, and dramatic without feeling staged.
1. House Hunter International
Premise: People move overseas and shop for homes Grade: A+
House Hunters International is pinnacle TV viewing and hands-down the best HGTV show. The perfect mix of fabulous real estate agents (looking at you lady in Paris and dude in England), enough scenic beauty to indulge wanderlust, and compelling, but sometimes enraging home buyers. Not only can you get a glimpse of the rental market in foreign countries, but you can also sit back and judge every single American moving to Europe and complaining about how small everything is. Truly, it’s a gift.
Norm Macdonald defeated Dave Chappelle in the final.
The inaugural Ultimate Stand-Up Comic bracket on For The Win has been completed, and Canadian chunk of coal Norm Macdonald is your champion.
Macdonald faced comedy legend Dave Chappelle in the final, and more than 18,000 votes were cast to decide the winner. Macdonald earned 53.49 percent of the vote to pull off the upset.
During his run through the bracket, Macdonald took down several stand-up titans of the modern era, beating Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr and Jim Gaffigan just to reach the final.
Congratulations to our champion, who (jokingly) announced that he performed his last stand-up set as we all brace against coronavirus. You can watch it below.
(Warning: video contains profanity)
Part 1:
Part 2:
Come back on Monday to vote in our next bracket to determine the Ultimate Sports Broadcaster.
Dave or Norm? Who will be crowned the Ultimate Stand-Up Comic?
Our field of 32 comedy superstars has been narrowed to two, but only one can be crowned the Ultimate Stand-Up Comic.
In the first semifinal, Norm Macdonald defeated Jim Gaffigan, receiving 54 percent of the vote. In the second semifinal, our last remaining No. 1 seed – Dave Chappelle – took out John Mulaney with 53 percent of the vote.
Macdonald has already pulled off two upsets on his march to the final, beating No. 1 Bill Burr and No. 2 Hannibal Buress, but can he topple Dave Chappelle? Vote to decide the champion!
Polls will close at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday. New matchups will be posted soon after polls close.
(3) Norm Macdonald vs. (1) Dave Chappelle
[polldaddy poll=10523517]
Can’t decide? Here’s a couple classic stand-up clips to consider.
“The only way to make it into a final,” host TJ Lavin said, “is to win an elimination.”
That will change EVERYTHING in the upcoming season that starts on April 1 at 8 p.m. ET. And now, thanks to a new super trailer that dropped, we appeared to learn a few more things. Let’s break down what we saw … or might have seen in a three-minute look at the season starring 28 players, including some rookies.
1. They live in a bunker?!
“… with no windows and no doors!” That’s what we heard Johnny Bananas say, and if that’s the case, it’ll pump up the drama a lot more. In years past, we’ve seen Challenge houses with some luxuries like swimming pools and good views. Now? Not so much.
2. Do Zach and Jenna break up?
I don’t mean to spoil things, but this should be common knowledge by now that the pair is engaged.
I see what looks like the one where two competitors run down a small hall and ram into each other, and the one where you have wrestle a stick out of your opponent’s hands. Glad to see these are being recycled instead of put to rest, they’re all-time classics.
5. Snow!!
There are some helicopter shots of contestants trekking through snow, which looks like a cold final challenge to me. A nice change of pace after competitors have had to literally sweat out finals.
Streaming suggestions that aren’t The Office or Friends or Seinfeld reruns.
These are strange, chaotic times. For a while, things were chugging along as normal but then the bottom fell out and now, many of us are stuck at home, under a blanket of constant uncertainty. In the absence of being able to spend time with our real life friends, we might as well turn to some of our favorite TV friends as a source of emotional support.
The old standbys–The Office, Friends, Arrested Development, Parks and Rec, Seinfeld— are always there, but we decided to dig a little deeper into the streaming bucket. We picked our favorite emotional support shows –the kind we turn on when we’re overwhelmed and anxious–and hope they bring you a little bit of comfort during an unprecedented crisis.
Schitt’s Creek on Netflix/PopTV
Let’s face it: life right now has us collectively saying, “Ew, David!” So there’s nothing like watching the Rose family plant their roots in the quirky but lovable town of Schitt’s Creek and slowly realize they need each other and the other residents to get by. There are laughs but in a time we need a little heart too, there’s plenty of that to go around, plus the nagging question: will they want to leave if they can? –Charles Curtis
Lodge 49 on Hulu
This weird, wonderful, magical show defies any kind of easy explanation but that’s what makes it so memorable. It only aired for two seasons on AMC, but follows the exploits of a lovable loser named Dud who joins the mysterious Lodge 49. The show is filled with great characters and compelling story arcs without being stressful or morose. Too often, people think good storytelling means emotional torture porn, and Lodge 49 is anything but that. What the show believes in, more than anything, is that there is a deep sense of magic and mystery all around us and in every single human connection. It’s something that, now, more than ever, we need. –Hemal Jhaveri
Queer Eye on Netflix
When I am scared, or stressed, or sad, there are few things better than watching this group fix the life of some lovable schlimazel. The key to this show isn’t that they teach how the subject how wear a t-shirt that fits (though Tan does that) or that they rebuild an entire dump of a house (though Bobby, poor Bobby, does that). What matters is that the Fab Five identify the subject’s insecurities and helps them, in however small a way, rediscover their self-esteem. It is a show about finding the humanity in any situation, which I would argue makes it essential viewing right now. –Nate Scott
Desperate Housewives on Hulu
When you’re not interested in thinking but want scripted TV, the mania of Wisteria Lane is it. Its satire is genius while the characters and plot twists become increasingly outrageous. Why not escape to some unrealistic neighborhood where people regularly make preposterous and stupid decisions, pushing their storylines in absurd directions, as they rapidly rotate dating partners, inexplicably keep secrets and have their demented schemes ultimately backfire in sitcom-esque fashion? – Michelle Martinelli
Property Brothers: Forever Home on HGTV
I’d long since moved on from the Property Brothers. Jonathan and Drew got too big, their banter (and designs!) too predictable. But now that the world has come to a stunning, anxious halt (or should, Boomers and Spring Breakers) I find myself turning to these cheeseball bros and their show “Forever Home.” It’s nice to see that Jonathan’s character has evolved (he wields a hammer sometimes now!) and that Drew is experimenting with hair styles AND bathroom tiles these days. More than that I like the concept: The idea here is that a house where people have lived and loved can be made better — can indeed turn into a dream. There was something so cold and transactional about the old concept; aged houses being gutted wholly in mere seconds on your TV screen, to be replaced with gleaming gleaminess everywhere. “Forever Home” still deals in some of that, but it’s at least a nod toward the idea that what we have can be improved upon without being replaced completely. And, for now, that’s enough. (Well, that and all the playful ribbing.) –Chris Korman
The IT Crowd on Netflix
A underrated gem of dry, British humor. There’s nothing touchy feely about this show at all, it’s not sentimental and it certainly doesn’t lean on tropes of community and togetherness, it’s just wickedly funny. The show is centered around three people who work in the IT department of a large company, but it’s well above a work place comedy. It’s not as cringe as The Office, and not us uplifting as Parks and Rec, but still very fun. I’ve watched the short run more times than I can count, yet it still never fails to make me laugh, even when I know what jokes are coming.-Hemal Jhaveri
The Fresh Prince on Amazon Prime
I honestly cannot think of a better emotional support show than Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. No matter what episode you flip on, you’re guaranteed to get a good laugh out of it while also getting a piece of what turns out to be a truly excellent coming-of-age story for Will Smith and his close friends and family. This show was so important to me growing up. It showed us a picture of black family that was actually a multitude of things. Will didn’t have everything figured out and that was ok! Uncle Phil was there to guide him through even while he navigated through his own personal trials as Will and his other kids grew older. It let you know that, while nothing is perfect, everything can still be ok. And it gave you a good laugh to go along with that. When I’m down, that’s exactly the type of reassurance I need to help me get back up. –Michael Sykes
Bob’s Burgers on Hulu
Warm, heartfelt and hilarious even for adults. It lacks the satirical bite that The Simpsons or Family Guy, and that’s exactly the point. Bob’s Burgers is the anecdote to cynicism and cruelty, and emphasizes the connections of family and community over everything else, even making a dollar. Plus, you might walk away with some new great burger recipes. –Hemal Jhaveri
Only four comics remain in the Ultimate Stand-Up Comic Bracket. Three No. 1 seeds fell in the Elite Eight, and a few matchups went down to the wire.
Norm Macdonald toppled Bill Burr in the quarterfinals with 50.19% of the vote, edging Burr by just eight total votes. In the bottom left quadrant of the bracket, No. 1 Chris Rock vs. No. 3 Jim Gaffigan was even closer, with Gaffigan winning by just four votes.
Dave Chappelle is the only top seed remaining after he defeated Dave Attell, but Chappelle now faces his toughest challenge yet in No. 3 John Mulaney.
Polls will close at 10 a.m. ET on Friday. New matchups will be posted soon after polls close.
We’ve reached the Elite Eight in our 2020 Ultimate Stand-Up Comic Bracket, and the four unstoppable No. 1 seeds could be headed toward an all-chalk Final Four.
The Sweet 16 was full of upsets, with all four No. 2 seeds losing, but the top four of Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Burr and Kevin Hart have yet to face a true challenge. Could that change in the Elite Eight?
With places in the Final Four on the line, Bill Burr will face off against Norm Macdonald, and Kevin Hart will face John Mulaney in what should be the two closest matchups.
Polls will close at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. New matchups will be posted soon after polls close.
Who is the ultimate stand-up comic? Cast your vote!
It’s time for the second round of the Ultimate Stand-Up Comic Bracket.
All four of our No. 1 seeds dominated to move on, but there were two opening-round matchups that went down to the wire. (5) Gabriel Iglesias edged past (4) Whitney Cummings by just five votes, and the battle between 2 Bears 1 Cave cohosts (4) Tom Segura and (5) Bert Kreischer was decided by two votes.
The Sweet 16 delivers some titanic matchups, with Norm Macdonald facing off against Hannibal Buress, Joe Rogan vs. Jim Gaffigan and John Mulaney vs. Anthony Jeselnik.
Polls will close at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. New matchups will be posted soon after polls close.
