TABLOID COVER DERBY 2021: YEAR SEVEN

[Benjamin Grimm]

Today's poll, 2.08, is the final poll of the second round. By next Friday, when this poll ends, we'll have established our Sweet Sixteen. The Tabloid Cover Derby will take a break for the holidays and the third round will commence being Amazin' in early January.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Exciting contest this year in the sense that's there's no single 800-lb gorilla out there. It's anyone's game!

[Centerfield]

I know this is like picking Duke in the March Madness bracket, but LFGM looks like a winner to me.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The second round is now complete, and the Tabloid Cover Derby will be taking a hiatus until January 3, when we'll begin third-round voting.



Our Sweet Sixteen consists of nine covers from Newsday (winner of the last two competitions), six from the Daily News (winner of the first four) and one from the New York Post.



In the third round we'll see the following matchups:



OFF THE WALL! (Daily News) vs CRUSHING (Daily News)

THAT'S ALMORA! (Newsday) vs DEALING (Newsday)

WIN WIN (Newsday) vs FRANTASTIC! (Newsday)

RED, WHITE & BOOM (Newsday) vs LEFT OUT! (Daily News)

GO NUTS, SQUIRREL! (Daily News) vs 00 DAYS WITHOUT TEAM FIASCO (Daily News)

BLAST LAUGH! (Newsday) vs ARM ROBBERY (Newsday)

RINSE & REPETE (New York Post) vs LINDOR SHOWS PUNCH (Newsday)

LET'S FINALLY GET MAD (Daily News) vs IT TAKES A VILLAR (Newsday)







The official bracket, at the conclusion of Round Two:



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/brackets_2021_002.png>





Our lovely spokesmodels provide a visual recap of the second round:



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_01.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_02.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_03.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_04.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_05.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_06.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_07.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/2_08.png>

[Benjamin Grimm]

Last night on Mets Hot Stove, David Lennon mentioned this Newsday cover when relating his favorite moment of 2021. BLAST LAUGH got a number 2 ranking in the Tabloid Cover Derby and is still alive in the competition as one of the surviving sixteen covers.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2021/20210913_NSD_02.jpg>





It was also one of two covers with a headline of BLAST LAUGH! This one, from the Post on July 20, has been eliminated as have all other New York Post covers save one.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2021/20210720_NYP_02.jpg>

[Benjamin Grimm]

Wake the kids.

Phone the neighbors.

Put your feet up on the dog.

The Tabloid Cover Derby will resume on Monday!

[bmfc1]

It's about damn time although I'm concerned that MLB will make us remove any images of the players and the names of the players due to the lockdown.

[Benjamin Grimm]

We're now going to take a break for the weekend. The remaining three polls of the third round will commence on Monday.

[Centerfield]

2021 is yet more proof that a shit year can still yield a fun TCD.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Today's poll, featuring LET'S FINALLY GET MAD against IT TAKS A VILLAR is the final poll of the third round, a round which will reduce our field of sixteen covers down to eight. We'll now wait a week for all polls to close before we begin the fourth round, which will determine our Final Four.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The third round has ended, and fourth-round voting will begin tomorrow.



We're now down to eight covers, five from Newsday and three from the Daily News. The New York Post has been eliminated. As a reminder, the News won the first four Tabloid Cover Derbies and Newsday has won the past two.



The fourth-round matchups will be as follows:



Thursday: OFF THE WALL! (Daily News) vs THAT'S ALMORA! (Newsday)

Friday: FRANTASTIC! (Newsday) vs RED, WHITE & BOOM (Newsday)

Monday: GO NUTS, SQUIRREL! (Daily News) vs BLAST LAUGH! (Newsday)

Tuesday: LINDOR SHOWS PUNCH (Newsday) vs LET'S FINALLY GET MAD (Daily News)



The updated bracket:



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/brackets_2021_003.png>

[bmfc1]

Covers with the same play will go head-to-head (into the wall).

McNeil fights with Lindor, again.

Cover men: Lindor, 3; Alonso; 2; Almora; 2; McNeil, 1.

[Benjamin Grimm]

We now have our Final Four. Two covers from the Daily News, and two from Newsday. The News has now placed two or more covers in the Final Four in each of our seven competitions. (The News had three covers in 2015 and two each every year since then.) This is the sixth consecutive year that Newsday has placed at least one cover in the Final Four, and the second time that they've had two. (Newsday also had two in 2019.)



The fifth-round matchups will be as follows:



Thursday: THAT'S ALMORA! (Newsday) vs LET'S FINALLY GET MAD (Daily News)

Friday: FRANTASTIC! (Newsday) vs GO NUTS, SQUIRREL! (Daily News)



Fate has ordained that the two strongest remaining covers will face off in the semi-finals.







The updated bracket:



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2021/brackets_2021_004.png>

[bmfc1]

"Fate has ordained that the two strongest remaining covers will face off in the semi-finals." This is true. Will the TCD Board of Directors consider reseeding for the fourth round in future years?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: The fifth-round matchups will be as follows: Thursday: THAT'S ALMORA! (Newsday) vs LET'S FINALLY GET MAD (Daily News) Friday: FRANTASTIC! (Newsday) vs GO NUTS, SQUIRREL! (Daily News)

Oops... I just realized I got the dates wrong. Both semi-final rounds will be posted tomorrow, Wednesday February 2.

[Edgy MD]

As much as I've written about my preferences against Newsday's layouts, they really seem to saturate with the ink, don't they?



The depth of detail reflecting out of the inky dark shadows on FRANTASTIC! seems like something you'd never see in The Daily News of The New York Post.

[Willets Point]

LFGM must be defeated. Other than that, I don't care who wins.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Tabloid Cover Derby final round featured a matchup between a Daily News and a Newsday cover.



In 2018, the News' MIDNIGHT BADNESS defeated Newsday's SMILE HIGH, but Newsday has won the next two titles, with STREAKERS topping 3 JOB NIGHT in 2019 and METS GREAT SEAVER DIES outpolling CAN'T BEAT PETE! in 2020.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2018/6-01w.jpg>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2019/6_01.png>



http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2020/5_01.png>

[Edgy MD]

I kind of think it'd be interesting if, following the 2020 crowing of a cover boosted by it's historical weight, it was followed by THAT'S ALMORA!, a cover whose context barely extends beyond the events of the day.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Shouldn't the winning entries be held higher than the runner-ups? You know, like the way the Olympic Gold Medal winner's platform is higher than the Silver Medal winner's, which in turn is higher than the Bronze Medal winner's platform.



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This is more of a statement, even though I phrased it as a question.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Tomorrow's the big day! All of Stockholm is abuzz. Drop by tomorrow to find out all about the annual Tabloid Cover Derby festivities! You'll be glad you did!

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

One of the highlights of the year! You do a great job with the unveiling!