Tie Showdown: Week 2

From left to right, top to bottom: Lane : Colin : Dave : John : Cat : Beth : Adam : Ben

Week 1: And the winner is... (updated)

Congratulations to Cat for winning the first week of the Tie Showdown. We can't really say it was much of a competition as Cat's very casual attempt at a half windsor (albeit her first...) ran away with 41 votes, or 35% of the total votes cast.

The program directors here at the Tie Showdown will not be discussing any baked goods that may or may not have been distributed by Cat after voting opened up last week. We wouldn't be such sore sports...

In any case, congratulations are in order for Cat for setting the bar very high for future winners of the Tie Showdown and thank you for the delicious cupcakes.

The new week opens tomorrow. Bring your finest ties, champions-to-be.

UPDATE: It has come to our attention that Cat may not be the person she claims to be. Recent evidence, gathered by the Saint Jeff Peden Memorial Tie Connoisseur, indicates that Cat is actually a former Chinese Tie Champion and Chinese national. An official investigation by the ITSGB (International Tie Showdown Governing Body) is pending, and the Tie Showdown has agreed to post the evidence and make the public aware of any updates to their investigation. As International Tie Showdown rules may have been violated, Cat supporters will want to carefully review the evidence before voting. You'll find below the damaging evidence, a photo (with suspect tie) and passport.

Tie Showdown: Week One!

From left to right, starting at the top.

Robin : Chris : Joni : Maria : Lane : Jim : Heather : Dave : Cat : Ben : Adam

* Due to some late entries, voting for week 1 has been reset.

Tie Showdown: The Beginning

Adam: I woke up this morning later than I had hoped. I think it was because I stayed up late watching Season 1 of The Wire. In my panic to leave for work on time, I completely forgot about the promise that I made to my fellow Outsiders yesterday...

"Tomorrow, I'm going to wear two ties!"

This is how I managed to walk in to the first Tie Showdown with Ben under prepared. I certainly didn't bring my A-game today*, but I am hoping that the monochromatic theme will give me strength in the poll, but I must confess: Ben's tie is better than mine, and being that I am an honorable sort, my vote reflects my opinion on our two ties. I wont say don't vote for me, because you would be wise to do so (I have still have googly eyes in my desk...), but my feelings wont be hurt if you vote for Ben (yes they will.)

Update: I heard Ben left for the day, so don't bother going to look at his tie. He's not there.

Ben: Yesterday Adam got a little big for his britches and suggested that if he prepped for it, I wouldn't stand a chance in a Tie Showdown. Now I'm not competitive, but I don't back down from a challenge and certainly not when men's neck-wear is involved. I said I'd wear two ties if that's what winning a tie showdown would take and I brought two ties.

Not just any ties, but the crème de la crème of my collection. Two classic wide-bodies, both perfect for the outfit and not a natural fiber between them. Turns out I only needed one. I went with the blue and gold manufactured by Coast to Coast National Shirt Shops. This baby is 100% acetate and a thing of true beauty. It really speaks for itself and I think you'll agree that it truly is the superior tie.

As for the Tie Showdown, we realized that we needed rules, we craved a little structure and so this blog came into being. Starting tomorrow, here's what happens, you wear a tie to 1500 ( Wednesday), we take your picture, post it, the people vote, a champion is crowned.


* it should be noted that yesterday Ben and I simply agreed on a general "Tie-off" for this morning. There were no rules or stipulations in place. But I believe that deep down in the heart of every competitor there is a inherent sense of when one tie can beat another tie. Think of this as our own version of "Magic: the Gathering."