So guys, lets take a look at the bracket as I think it will come down. I think your first round matchups will be:
#1
@jdmdisney99 vs. #8
@tcool
#2
@RMichael21 vs. #7
@Matt7187
#3
@englanddg vs. #6
@IDInstitute
#4
@Voxel vs. #5
@MonorailRed
For this first installment, I want to look at the 2/7 game between
@RMichael21 and
@Matt7187.
@RMichael21 - We've really got some interesting stuff here. It's a little strange to me to see
@RMichael21 so high up the seeding. Being a relative newcomer, I would have expected him to be at most the four and probably a low seed, but that's the beauty of the points system. It allows the new guys and gals to jump right in and, if they have a good year, get a favorable matchup in the first round.
As such, I'd definitely say that
@RMichael21 has had a good year. He won the WedCar race and made it to the top-five of Sorcerer's Apprentice, going went out to two of the strongest members of the boards. This guy is the real deal. He's a great idea guy, does well with the details, and has definitely grown over the past year.
While he does have his strengths, he's not without his weaknesses. Artwork: maybe not this guy's strength. Certainly he's not weak in this department, but he's not Red. Also, the guy is a little unrealistic from time to time, something that can hurt him depending on the judge. But, all in all,
@RMichael21 is more than deserving of his second seeding and has quickly become one of the strongest members of the board.
@Matt7187 - It's been a bit of a long summer for Matt. He went from hosting the WedCar race to an early (by his standards) exit from SA. But, one bad year does not indicate a lack of talent. Just a year ago, he finished in second in SA and, at the time, was arguably the best talent on the boards. I know Red won, and she's stellar, but I always have thought matt may have been the most talented guy a year ago. He was like a young power pitcher; he was raw, but you could see it within him.
As I said, Matt is a talent. He's the definition of a concept guy; someone who can churn out ideas at the drop of a hat. Usually, they're really strong concepts as well. But, sometimes the execution isn't there for the guy. He's always got the idea, but maybe not the certainty to entirely flesh it out. As I said, he's still raw, but he's far more developed now than he was when he made his run in the first SA.
With all this being said, Matt has been a little off this year. He was off his game the whole time during SA and went out long before I ever would have expected. I'm not sure what it is for the guy; maybe real world stuff has put a pinch on his imagineering stuff. Whatever it is, he'll need to get it figured out quick in order to advance in the Elite Eight.
The Matchup - This is tough for me. I've always been a big fan of Matt as an imagineer, but rmichael has maybe had the best year of anyone around. This matchup is one of two pretty raw talents. Neither guy is a super great artist, but both are passable. Both have developed the detail side of their games since we first saw them come onto the board. I think this matchup is going to come down to Matt's preparedness. If he can come in with the same level of readiness and fervor that he did last year, I think we'll have a tight one on our hands. If not, I think this one will be chalk.
Prediction -
@RMichael21
Come back tomorrow to get my outlook for another match!
