skip to main |
skip to sidebar
March Madness: South Regional, Round 1
Welcome to Day Two of the U.S. States and Territories Flag Tournament!!!
 |
| The Bracket |
The Rules: Anyone can play. For each of the pairs of flags pitted against each other, simply indicate your favorite. Explication, derision, and/or analysis will not affect the scoring, but is nevertheless encouraged. Each winner will of course advance to the second round.
In the first round only, you may select one of your six preferred flags as especially favored; for that flag only, your vote counts double.
South Regional Voting Deadline: 11:59 p.m., Saturday, March 5.
East Regional Voting Deadline: 11:59 p.m., Friday, March 4.
Alabama vs. Florida
 |
| Alabama |
 |
| Florida |
Tennessee vs. Georgia
 |
| Tennessee |
 |
| Georgia |
Louisiana vs. Kentucky
 |
| Louisiana |
 |
| Kentucky |
Texas vs. U.S. Virgin Islands
 |
| Texas |
 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands |
Mississippi vs. North Carolina
 |
| Mississippi |
 |
| North Carolina |
Arkansas vs. Oklahoma
 |
| Arkansas |
 |
| Oklahoma |
Make your votes in the comments, of course.
Hats off! Along the street there comes A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums,
A flash of color beneath the sky: Hats off! The flag is passing by." -- Henry Holcomb Bennett
Posts
Where did you that NC flag? That's not the flag I've always seen! It's not even mentioned on the Wikipedia page for the flag as historical. It may not even have been official. It's not fair for the competition since without it, it would probably defeat MS easily, but now it's too close.
ReplyDeleteFL (x2) — I have to vote for my own state at least once!
TN
LA
TX
NC – The official one, not the one shown!
AR
My criteria for voting for these state flags includes voting against any flag that resembles or commemorates their secessionist past. Your parings makes that pretty difficult.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I echo the call for a NC correction.
FL - since their seal at least partially covers the St. Andrew's cross.
TN - simple symbolic design, while Georgia celebrates the Confederacy
LA - Love the pelican!
VI - because I can never bring myself to pick TX
NC - both are offensive, but the correct NC flag is slightly less offensive.
OK - because AK chose to honor their slave holding past.
Alabama
ReplyDeleteTennessee
Louisiana
Texas
North Carolina
Arkansas
Eek! Genuine apologies to the early voters and especially to the good people of North Carolina for the vandalized version of that state's flag that found its way into my image banks.
ReplyDeletekt, are you still happy with North Carolina over Mississippi?
There are a number of tough calls in this round. The ones with better designs and aesthetics may objectively look good, but any knowledge of American history wipes that out pretty quickly in favor of flags that are just the state seal on blue. I look forward to the next round in this region, when we can be voting on the flags and not trying to put down a 150 year old rebellion.
ReplyDeleteFlorida, because I'm pretending that it's inspiration was the Cross of Burgundy (Spanish Empire), rather than the Confederate naval jack.
Tennessee, great flag and the blue on side doesn't stand for anything, they just didn't want it to be too red. Awesome.
Kentucky (x2), love the image of the businessman shaking hands with the pioneer.
Texas, the state can be irritating sometimes, but their flag is too cool to vote against.
North Carolina, the real one. Kind of a copy of Texas' flag, but there's no way I'm voting for Mississippi.
Oklahoma, because the Civil War is over and the South lost. Also the imagery on OK's is pretty neat.
I forgot my extra vote thing goes to Tennessee.
ReplyDeleteAL
ReplyDeleteTN (x2)
LA
TX
NC
AR
Alabama - Better without Florida's busy seal.
ReplyDeleteTennessee (2x) - One of the few good state flags; nice use of three stars for the three grand divisions of the state.
Louisiana - pelican trumps Kentucky's awful font.
Texas - No great fan of TX flag although it is certainly fine. That Virgin Islands one is terrible.
Mississippi - Both MS and NC's flags are Confederacy-based, but MS's is better looking and although the battle flag is understandably hated by many, it is distinctive and simple, and a hugely significant, very famous flag in its own right. Mixed feeling about its use, but gotta give MS credit not only for having the balls to use it but being able to continue using it in the face of widespread objection. And anyway, NC's flag is clearly based on the Confederacy's "stars and bars" national flag, which is arguably is even worse than the battle flag in terms of symbolizing slavery.
Arkansas - Less bad than Oklahoma's flag.
Additional comment about NC's "stars and bars" influenced flag being even worse than MS's battle flag: The Confederacy's stars and bars was a national flag and symbolizes little more than rebellion and slavery. The battle flag, on the other hand, has come to symbolize many many things, some bad, some neutral, some good. ...Just felt the need to say a bit more on this, seeing how I'm so far the only one voting for MS's flag.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts, pfly. Some of the Southern flags do come with some political baggage to be sure, which is interesting stuff.
ReplyDeleteFor present purposes -- a goofy, light-hearted flag-appreciation tournament -- I think we can take it as read that no one's vote establishes them as pro-slavery or as anything else. If anybody starts hinting otherwise about a fellow voter, well, it will certainly really ruin MY day.
I second that motion.
ReplyDeleteI fully admit that my criteria for voting based on a war 150 years ago says as much about my own prejudices as anything else.
Alabama vs. Florida
ReplyDeleteI had added my picks in the Eastern regional as Anonymous on this: http://michael5000.blogspot.com/2011/02/march-madness-east-regional-round-1.html post, and after voting on those horrid seal-flags, i must say, its nice to look at some real flags. Anyway, Alabama beats Florida by a longshot, because although both flags are based on an old, simple Spanish flag, the Florida one is a rippff, and a bad one at that- of the simple, beautiful Alabama flag.
Tennessee vs. Georgia
This is a hard one. I really like the Georgia flag, as its based on one of my favorite flags; the First National of the Confederacy, but it contains a seal, and I think Tennessee's better symbolizes its state. Sorry Georgia.
Louisiana vs. Kentucky
I'm not a huge fan of either flag here, as both contain writing, but I think Louisiana wins this thanks to slighly more simplicity. Personally I like some of the old secession flags of Lousiana, but this one's not too bad.
Texas vs. US Virgin Islands
Texas all the way. The Texas flag is easily in the top 5 category, and that territory flag is no competition.
Mississippi vs. North Carolina
To be honest, I like both of the flags, but Mississippi wins in my book because of the Battle flag (easily one of most recognizable and reproduceable flags out there) and because it lacks writing. North Carolina's flag I've always found inferior to their secession flag; I like the color placement on the 1861 flag more, and it seems no contest if the Tarheels can't compete with that flag. Man, I feel like singing Dixie right about now... Double points for Mississippi.
Arkansas vs. Oklahoma
Arkansas. Very distincive, very good state symbolism, and Confederate references. Sorry Sequoyah- er, Oklahoma.
I'd like to make a final note. I'm a student of history, and I've read extensively on the Civil War. I'm a pro-Confederacy, pro-Southern Marylander, and I take offense every time someone denigrates any Confederate flag. If it offends you, you need a history lesson. Badly.
@Cartophiliac: I thinks its funny how you voted Florida over Alabama "since their seal at least partially covers the St. Andrew's cross." My question is, what do you have against the St. Andrew cross? Both flags are based on the Spanish Cross of Burgundy, not the Southern Cross you so despise. I could give all my reasons for why I support the South, starting with the ridiculous "Lincoln started a holy war to abolish slavery" myth, but it'd make no difference, and I'm not in the mood to start a flamewar.
Deo Vindice!
O.K., G.H., thanks for your votes and your perspectives.
ReplyDeleteAs you understand very well, not everyone shares your thoughts regarding the flags from the Confederate era. You will likely have to endure a little denegration come the second round too, and I trust you will be braced for that.
Everyone else: G.H. has said his piece regarding the Civil War. LEAVE IT ALONE. I'm deleting any further posts on the topic that are even remotely inflamatory.
AL - tough luck that those two got stuck together
ReplyDeleteTN - although the new Georgia flag is nothing to sneeze at and a very nice way of incorporating their past while making it more palatable to a wider range of people.
LA - don't like either, frankly, but I only voted for the ever so slightly better one (pelican makes it more distinctive) just so that I can vote against whoever it gets paired up with in round 2. :)
VI (2x)- to be a bit of a rebel. :) I haven't read the other comments yet, but something tells me that Texas is the overwhelming favourite - and I don't blame it, I like it. But I've always liked the VI flag and this is my time to give it my support.
NC - but both are so-so, not bad by any means (if they aren't a state seal on a blue background, they "aren't bad". :) ) but not outstanding.
AR - clever use of a diamond for the only state where they are found.
I give a double-vote on Alabama, and a single vote (obviously) on each of Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteAlabama: So close, but siimpler is better.
ReplyDeleteTenn: Classic. Georgia just can't figure itself out!
Lousiana. Close mediocre one, but the big bird is better, and Kentucky's Bodoni compressed is a horrible typeface for a flag of that business.
Texas: Another close one, but both are pretty good and distinctive. USVI would beat most state flags.
Mississippi: Historic and distinctive. I think the Rebel battle flag, like the nazi banner and rising sun are great designs unrelated to their politics.
Arkansas: Hokie, but distinctive.