First, the basic cup rules:

I will begin each match by prompting the studio audience (that would be anybody not in the cup and anybody not competing in the current match) for various story elements. After 24 hours, I will select the elements from among those suggested (or I will just go ahead and make up my own) and I will create the rules for the match. The contestants of the current match will then have 24 hours to post their rules-compliant entries. The 1st round will require the contestants to combine 2 elements in their comics, the 2nd round will have 3 elements, the 3rd round will have 4 elements, and the finals will have 5 elements.

Voting will begin after both entries are posted or 24 hours have passed since the rules for the current match were posted, whichever comes first. Any cup participant not competing in the current match can vote. Voting will cease 24 hours after both entries have been posted. I will extend deadlines if you tell me in advance. At the end of voting, the contestant with the most votes at that time advances. I will act as a tie-breaker in the event of a tie.

I know these deadlines are a bit less generous than in previous cups, but I'd like to keep the pace up to keep this thing from lasting months. I intend to not count weekend days (I am not sure what kind of internet access I will have on weekends for the next couple of months) in the deadlines, so I want to keep things moving along during the week.

Also, any of these 24-hour periods are somewhat flexible. I ain't gonna get up at 6am to do cup business if that's when a certain 24-hour period is over. As we go along, it may become apparent that 24 hours isn't realistic anyway, so I'll play it by ear.

Here are the 1st round brackets (I wrote a Javascript to randomize the seedings):

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Match #1:

fuzzyman
vs.
kramer_vs_kramer

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Match #2:

ladyjdotnet
vs.
crabby

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Match #3:

skagg
vs.
flickguy

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Match #4:

ElTigreMask2K
vs.
lara7

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Match #5:

andydougan
vs.
Big Evil Dan

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Match #6:

habnem
vs.
evil_d

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Match #7:

Kevin Keegans Perm
vs.
DexX

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Match #8:

Spankling
vs.
attitudechicka

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And off we go...

Round #1, Match #1:

fuzzyman vs. kramer_vs_kramer

For this match, I need:

• a type of athletic event
  
• a wild animal
  

Audience?

Curling, bear

Christians in the Colosseum, lions.

lacrosse, razorback

Sodomy and Donkey is too obvious, so I'll go with...

Freestyle Walking and Rhesus Monkey

athletic event: relay race

wild animal: Rico, the anti-Nike bear

Professional bowling and rhesus monkey.

I *must* support the rhesus monkey suggestion. I am compelled.

Rhythmic gymnastics; baboon

Ice hockey, hyena.

quote:

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Spankling
vs.
attitudechicka

---

Round #1, Match #1:

a type of athletic event turtle races
a wild animal howler monkey

Athletic event: sex
Wild Animal: Kaufman

quote:

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quote:

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Spankling
vs.
attitudechicka

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A dream come true! Getting stomped in the first round will never feel so good!

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quote:

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Aw, someone still loves me :)
*blows kisses*

Sorry guys, I'm having a hell of a depression state right now.

---

Everyone can feel free to make more than one suggestion, by the way.

Also, I might shelve the 24-hours-to-make-suggestions thing and just go ahead and arbitrarily make my match rules decision when there are a sufficient number of suggestions. For now, I'll wait at least until tomorrow afternoon just to see how it goes. I didn't expect the suggestions to come pouring out quite so quickly. If we can get this part of each match done more quickly, that would be superswell...

Oh really?

Pissing Contest and Chupacabra (does a mythical creature count?)

Powerlifting
Yak

DexX said that he would prefer to sit this one out and only volunteered to fill in should a 16th participant be needed. There is still time if gabe or bunner or whoever still wants to take DexX's slot. Speak up soon if you want in, anyone...

Circle Jerk
OJ Simpson

Rodeo ostrich.

That's not just a rules suggestion, it's a comic idea.

What if in subsequent rounds we combined the Voting on Round N phase with the Suggestions for Round N+1 phase? That would cut the time each round would take by a third, plus it would help keep the number of posts to a manageable level.

quote:

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What if in subsequent rounds we combined the Voting on Round N phase with the Suggestions for Round N+1 phase? That would cut the time each round would take by a third, plus it would help keep the number of posts to a manageable level.

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quote:

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quote:

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What if in subsequent rounds we combined the Voting on Round N phase with the Suggestions for Round N+1 phase? That would cut the time each round would take by a third, plus it would help keep the number of posts to a manageable level.

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Excellent idea. evil_d gets a gold star!

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quote:

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Also, I might shelve the 24-hours-to-make-suggestions thing and just go ahead and arbitrarily make my match rules decision when there are a sufficient number of suggestions.

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quote:

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Cheer up! As I read recently, "when life gives you terrorists, make terramiso!"

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quote:

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quote:

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Cheer up! As I read recently, "when life gives you terrorists, make terramiso!"

---

tiramisu?

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Freestyle Wrestling
A Three Toed Sloth.

Fish slapping and the amazing Bunny Glamazon.

Athletic event: Dwarf-throwing

Wild animal: Orca

quote:

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quote:

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Also, I might shelve the 24-hours-to-make-suggestions thing and just go ahead and arbitrarily make my match rules decision when there are a sufficient number of suggestions.

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Since you're really the one making the decision anyway, you should probably just let the suggestions go on as long as it takes for you to be satisfied that you have one you want.

Clive Anderson never lets that go one for more than 6 or 7 seconds. 24 hours is entirely too much time.

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OK, and now Round #1, Match #1:

fuzzyman vs. kramer_vs_kramer

For this match, you need to combine the following two elements:

• dwarf-throwing
  
• rhesus monkeys
  

Voting can commence after both entries have been posted. I won't stick to the 24-hour limit on this one since I won't be around until Monday.

------------------------------

Meanwhile, let's also get started with the rules for match #2...

Round #1, Match #2:

ladyjdotnet vs. crabby

For this match, I need:

• a famous French person, living or dead
  
• an undesirable job
  

Audience?

Cyrano de Bergerac, kamikaze pilot

Round #1, Match #2: Toulouse Lautrec and dung flinger

Famous French person: Marcel Marceau
Undesirable Job: Mime

If I think of something better later on I'll kick myself... but here goes!
40336

quote:

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Undesirable Job: Mime

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Cro-Magnon Man,
First Lady of Afghanistan

quote:

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Cro-Magnon Man

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Napoleon Bonaparte and Elephant Sperm Collector

You don't know me, but:

French person: Jean Baudrillard
Job: Working with Jakob Nielsen

Marquis de Sade (Spankling character just waiting to happen)

Assistant Janitor

Jean Luc Picard
Red-shirted ensign.

Jean Paul Sartre
crack-whore

quote:

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Jean Luc Picard

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hercule poirot and jizz mopper

Jacques Cousteau
AOL helpdesk technician

quote:

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hercule poirot and jizz mopper

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quote:

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jizz mopper

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40435

French: Toulouse Latrec
Job: Gynaecologist

ARGH!

I so wanted to vote for the Fuzzmeister for his Dwarf throwing alley gag , but with his "M Kahn is Bent" in joke , my vote goes to

KRAMER_VS_KRAMER