Point Pleasant Bracket - Round Three

The third round match up between William McKinley, the Cinderella story in this tournament, and #1 seed Ulysses Grant has all the makings of a long fought grudge match. You can read the descriptions of them (and how they got here) here but here's the takeaway: Do you pick the brilliant, if drunkardly, Civil War general Grant or the man who led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American war.

Do you pick the cool, calm, man in charge of it all Grant or the hot under the collar, scrappy McKinley?

The Delaware Bracket - Round Three

After barely squeaking into the third round, has #1 seed Rutherford B. Hayes used all his magic? Will he have enough against a known fighter, #5 seed Abe Lincoln? Perhaps it's instructive to revisit why Hayes was seeded #1 in his bracket. He was wounded five times in battle and earned a reputation for bravery in combat. He also had critters living in his amazing beard. Lincoln, on the other hand, was calm, cool, yet brutal when need be (that MoFo suspended Habeas Corpus, yo). Who's gonna win?

The Carolinas Bracket - Round Three

#1 Andrew Jackson - 7th President: Jackson was known as a polarizing President aka he liked to start fights. This included duels (many times fatal to his opponents). This earned him the nickname "Old Hickory" because he was rough around the edges, aggressive, and smelled like Hickory Farms smoked sausage ( I made that last part up). He fought against the aristocracy from which he came from. Most important to note, is that Jackson was the mastermind behind the Trail of Tears which led to the deaths of 3/4 of the Cherokee tribe and many other Native American communities. The death marches during the Trail of Tears caused death mostly by way of starvation or freezing to death. Jackson's involvement makes him the President who has murdered the most people both with his own hands and through mandate.

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#5 James Monroe - 5th President: He wrote The Monroe Doctrine in 1823. This document states that any country that tries to colonize land or interfere with the U.S states rule of law, would be viewed aggressively and further action (likely hostile) would be taken. This foremost tells us about Monroe's disposition. The dude had boundary issues. Get too much in his space and he won't just tell you to "Back the eff up!", he'll show you. With some military history, James Monroe can likely fend of danger. But with no notable war stories we're pretty sure he'd go down before his colleagues. He'd be swinging, but down nonetheless.

The Barboursville Bracket - Round Three

#1 Zachary Taylor - 12th President: Taylor was not a notable President, not one we talk about as one of the greats, but in terms of war heros, he definitely deserves merit. Taylor fought in three wars ( the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War) during his 40 year career in the U.S Army. Following the success of one of the largest battles during the Second Seminole War, Taylor, always prepared to get deep in a brawl became known as "Old Rough and Ready." He found victory once agin during the Mexican-American War where he caused many, many casualties to the opponent. The City of Monterey which was said to have a forcefield around it, was captured by Taylor and his men in only three days. This led to the ultimate surrender and treaty in which Taylor managed to show an inkling of mercy.

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#4 James K. Polk - 11th President: A real sonofabitch, President Polk seems like he would cut ya for looking the wrong way. As evidence: He threatened war with Britain over the issue of which nation owned the Oregon Country. Then, THEN, when Mexico rejected America's not at all legal plan to annex Texas, Polk led the nation into war and succeeded wildly against our amigos to the sur. Just for good measure, he also established a treasury system that lasted for nearly seven decades. Those are all good, but this is amazing: As a 17-year-old, Polk had surgery to remove urinary stones. During the successful operation, he remained awake the entire time with nothing but brandy available for anesthetic. Get some!