Tie Showdown

Tie Showdown: Week ?

2009-09-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:

Amber

Tie Showdown: Week 48

2009-08-19T17:14:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Liz : Jeff : Ben : Adam

Tie Showdown: Week Mutha Flippin' SUMMER BREAK

2009-07-30T13:24:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:

Tiny Dancer : Stevie : Spider Bite : Skyler : Puddles : Pappi : Miller : Hooks : Harry : Bubbles : Ballpoint

Tie Showdown: Week 44

2009-07-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right
Jeff : Colin : Byron : Ben : Adam

Weeks 42 and 43: And the winners are...

2009-07-01T14:24:00.001-07:00

Joni wins her first wooden key in Week 42, and Adam wins his third in Week 43!

Tie Showdown: Week 43

2009-06-24T17:11:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Vanessa : Roslynn : Megan : Liz : Lane : JP : Jim : Jeff : Hillary : Gary : Emily : Colin : Chris : Byron : Ben : Emilia : Adam

Tie Showdown: Week 42

2009-06-17T17:27:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Zach : Lane : Joni : Jim : Jeff : Dominique : Dan : Cat : Ben : Adam

Week 41: And the winner is...

2009-06-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Steve for winning Week 41 of the Tie Showdown!

I'm having a hard time writing these victory posts lately! I guess that's why I lost by 1 vote. Karma!!!!!

Tie Showdown: Week 41

2009-06-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Steve : Jim : Jeff : Cat : Byron : Ben : Adam

Week 40: And the winner is...

2009-06-10T15:49:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Byron for winning Week 41 of the Tie Showdown! Too bad he's a Laker's Fan.

I'll have to write this later!

Tie Showdown: Week 40

2009-06-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Jim : Jeff : Megan : Erin : Dan : Colin : Lane : Zach : Cat : Byron : Ben : Anya : Adam

Week 39: And the winner is...

2009-06-03T16:51:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Dominique for winning Week 39 of the Tie Showdown! This is Dominique's first time entering the neckwear fray, and she stood tall against two-time champion Dan. Dominique's shimery pink tie was strong enough to earn love from 43% of the voters.

In second, the ever-dangerous, always creative Dan. Dan made an eleventh hour push to stake his claim to a third victory, but it was not to be. Dominique was too strong.

Congratulations agian to Dominique for winning Week 39 of the Tie Showdown, and taking her place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 39

2009-05-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Tom : Lane : Drew : Dominique : Dan : Jim : Cat : Ben : Adam : Anya (with Dominique and Tom!)

Week 38: And the winner is...

2009-05-27T20:08:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to JP for winning Week 38 of the Tie Showdown! JP hasn't entered as frequently as the world would like, but his entries have been absolutely choice when he has. His first victory was no exception, as he managed to breach the boundary where tie meets body. With his hair entwined oh so precisely with his neckwear, JP proved to be too much to handle.

The ever-wonderful Moira made a case early on in only her second entrance to the fray, while perennial bridesmaids Byron and Adam also tied for second place.

Congratulations again to JP for his first victory in the Tie Showdown!

Tie Showdown: Week 38

2009-05-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Teresa : Moira : Lane : Kendle : Kate : JP : John : Hillary : Heather : Dan : Colin : Chris : Byron : Ben : Adam : Jim

Week 37: And the winner is...

2009-05-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jeff for winning Week 37 of the Tie Showdown! This is not only Jeff's second victory in the Tie Showdown, but it's also his second victory with the SAME TIE! How about that?!

Either way, Jeff now takes his place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions with a victory over some healthy competition.

In a three-way tie for second, Byron, Ben, and Megan all made their claims for victory. Sadly, Jeff and his... uhh... unique method for eating Spaghetti-O's were too strong to be defeated this week.

Tie Showdown: Week 37

2009-05-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

from top to bottom, left to right:
Steve : Megan : Jim : Jeff : Dan : Colin : Byron : Ben : Adam

Week 36: And the winner is...

2009-05-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Dan for winning Week 36 of the Tie Showdown! While Dan has what may be the most difficult to notice tie in Tie Showdown history, it was enough to give him his place in the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee.

Second place was weekly favorite Colin, but someone out there just doesn't want him to join Cat in the yet-to-be-named club for three-time winners.

Congratulations again to Dan for winning this week's Tie Showdown.

Tie Showdown: Week 36

2009-05-06T17:35:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Jim : Jeff : Dan : Colin : Byron : Ben : Adam

Week 35: And the winner is...

2009-05-06T16:06:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Cat for winning Week 35 of the Tie Showdown!

And I have to write this later because everyone is answering the phone...

Tie Showdown: Week 35

2009-04-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:

Cat : Adam : Steve : Megan : Laura : Lane : Jim : Jeff : Colin : Byron : Ben

Week 34: And the winner is...

2009-04-29T11:52:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Cat for winning Week 34 of the Tie Showdown........ wait, what?! .... Are you serious?..... You're joking.... Lane won?!.... Seriously, don't joke. Cat went to China and took her picture wearing a tie on the Great Wall of China, and you're telling me that despite having a very healthy margin for an entire week, she somehow lost? .... I even wrote her victory post as soon as I saw her photo. We almost gave her wooden key early... Seriously, Lane won?! ..... Wow...

Congratulations to Lane for winning Week 34 of the Tie Showdown! This is Lane's second victory, which has earned him his place in the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee....

In second place was Cat, who, lest we forget, went to China, and had her photo taken wearing a tie on the Great Wall of China.

I just want to make sure I pointed that out.

Congratulations to Lane for his big win this week! And I'm stunned.

Tie Showdown: Week 34

2009-04-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Lane : JP : Jim : Jeff : Dan : Cat : Ben : Adam

Week 33: And the winner is...

2009-04-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Laura for winning Week 33 of the Tie Showdown! Laura, with the assistance of two birds, has won her very first Tie Showdown Wooden Key with 68% of the vote. Though the week was short (Thanks to Louis Butowski, International Tie Theif), Laura managed to draw enough attention to her tie-tying skills to claim her place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Regular competitor Byron just can't get a break. Though he may come close, he cannot seem to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. This week, Byron stayed close until the final days, eventually losing out to Laura.

It should be noted that Laura sits right next to Byron, and has placed the Wooden Key where Byron can see but not reach it. That's cold, Laura.

Congratulations again to Laura for winning this week's Tie Showdown!

Tie Showdown: Week 33

2009-04-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

You will likely notice this week's Tie Showdown was a few days late, and as our many fan blogs suspected, Louis Butowski, International Tie Thief was responsible. We returned to our Intergalactic Headquarters after a busy afternoon to discover that our camera was stolen and in its place was a ransom note. The demands, as always, were nearly impossible to comply with; raising Joey Ramone from the dead for a private concert? It took two days and involved a necromancer, several spirit conjurers, and a bit of graverobbing, but that's the level of passion and can-do we at the Tie Showdown bring to the table. Without further ado, we present week 33!

From top to bottom, left to right
Laura : Jim : Jeff/Charlie : Colin : Cat : Byron : Ben : Adam

Week 32: And the winner is...

2009-04-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Tiffany for winning Week 32 of the Thai Showdown, errrr, I mean the Tie Showdown. Honestly, we all knew this one was over before it even started. When I saw Tiffany wearing this last Wednesday, it was pretty clear that she was going to win. We boys were merely here as a formality. Oh well. The creativity here is fantastic, and this is a well-earned victory for Tiffany with 55% of the vote.

Jim came closer than anyone with 27% of the vote.

Congratulations again to Tiffany for her victory in the Tie Showdown, and taking her place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 32

2009-04-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Tiffany : Jim : Dan : Ben : Adam

Week 31: And the winner is...

2009-04-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Teresa for winning the 31st week of the Tie Showdown! We knew it was only a matter of time before someone played the bolo tie trump card, but never did we anticipate a full Scouts uniform to accompany it. Clearly she failed her merit badge in knot tying, but managed to find a creative way to enter the necktie fray. An excellent play by Teresa en route to her second Tie Showdown victory, and a place in the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee.

Not that it was terribly close, but an exhausted-looking Adam came in 2nd place. What a loser; he clearly couldn't make a fire without matches in the woods or prepare a splint for a broken leg.

Congratulations again to Teresa for looking trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent and for winning this week's Tie Showdown.

Tie Showdown: Week 31

2009-04-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:

Adam : Ben : Byron : Christine : Colin : Dan : Jeff : Lane : Mike : Teresa : Ronda

Week 30: And the winner is...

2009-04-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Dan for winning Week 30 of the Tie Showdown! Dan is a bit of a newcomer on the scene, but his enthusiasm is high. After two solids weeks of competition, Dan introduced the previously unused "Old Man In the Park" move to the game, and wins his place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Jeremy, regular competitor, perennial favorite, all-around awesome guy, made a serious effort for an unprecedented third championship. In the final few hours of voting, total votes shot up for both competitors to numbers rarely seen, a clear indication of intense lobbying on both sides. In the end, however, Jeremy's 41% was not enough to beat Dan's 45%.

Congratulations again to Dan for winning the Tie Showdown.

Tie Showdown: Week 30

2009-03-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Wynde : Theresa : Dan : Roslynn : Megan : Maria : JP : Jim : Jeremy : Jeff : Jason : Colin : Christine : Byron : Ben : Adam : Bobby

Week 29: And the winner is...

2009-03-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Cat for winning the 29th week of the Tie Showdown! Cat was the original champion, winning week 1 of the Tie Showdown over four months ago. This beautiful, detailed number was strong enough to convincingly sweep Cat back into the Hall of Champions as well as the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee.

The first few days looked promising for Colin's evil, mustachioed twin, but the thought of having to see that stache in the Hall of Champions for all of eternity probably scared away a few valuable votes.

Congratulations again to Cat for once again winning the Tie Showdown. Up next: our 30-week anniversary!

Tie Showdown: Week 29

2009-03-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Wynde : Stephen : Sarah : Ryan : Kyndall : Jim : Jeremy : Jeff : Devon : Dan : Colin : Cat : Byron : Ben N. : Ben K. : Amber : Adam Z. : Adam P.

Week 28: And the winner is...

2009-03-18T15:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Jim for winning Week 28 of the Tie Showdown! FINALLY!! jim has been a consistent participant in the Tie Showdown for countless weeks, rarely getting more than a second glance from the voters. It's a joyous day to see this injustice reversed.

Newcomer Kyndall almost spoiled Jim's party, leading most of the week with the brightest yellow tie I have ever seen.

Congratulations again to Jim for winning the Tie Showdown, joining the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions, and earning his first wooden key.

Tie Showdown: Week 28

2009-03-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right
Wynde : Steve : Megan : Kyndall : Kristian : Jim : Jeff : Eric (eating TIE food!) : Dan : Christina : Byron : Ben : Adam : Colin : Lane

Week 27: And the winner is...

2009-03-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Louis Butowski, International Tie Thief for winning the Tie Showdown in its 27th week. Louis stormed his way into our world last week, and claimed responsibility for the slowly dwindling number of ties in each of our Tiebraries across Portland. Ransom notes were left, but near-impossible demands were placed (547 ski passes to Mt. Bachelor within 45 minutes?), and the editors of the Tie Showdown were left completely helpless. A meet-up was arranged, and a deal was struck: Louis Butowski would participate in the Tie Showdown. If he won, he got to keep the stolen ties. If he lost, he would to return them. One more great heist (this yellow dragon number? Stolen from Cat.), and Louis has left his mark on Tie Showdown history, winning Week 27 with 53% of the vote.

Unbeknownst to him, Brad (in just his second appearance) was the Tie Showdown's only hope for recovering the lost neckwear. Despite a late push for victory, Brad came up just short with 40% of the vote.

Congratulations again to Louis Butwoski, International Tie Thief for winning this week of the Tie Showdown, for claiming the wooden key, and perhaps most importantly, now and forever, taking his place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 27

2009-03-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Adam : Ben : Brad : Byron : Colin : Jeff : Jim : Lane : Louis Butowski (International Tie Thief) : Roslynn : Steve

Week 26: And the winner is...

2009-03-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Jeremy for winning week 26 of the Tie Showdown! Jeremy went super-nerd this week, complete with the graph, pocket protector, hair style, and Vulcan salute en route to his second victory, taking his place in the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee.

We had another photo finish this week! Guerry, who lead all week, came up short by just two votes, taking second place with 36% of the votes.

Congratulations again to Jeremy for winning week 26 of the Tie Showdown, and for having to live the rest of his life knowing that this picture exists for the world to see.

Tie Showdown: Week 26

2009-02-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Roslynn : Lane : JP : Jim : Jeremy : Jeff : Guerry : Colin : Byron : Adam : Ben

Week 25: And the winner is...

2009-02-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Colin for winning week 25 of the Tie Showdown! Once again Colin wins the Tie Showdown with a pleasant geometric-patterned piece, and stakes his place as the 4th member in the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee, the membership of which is comprised of individuals who have won the Tie Showdown on two non-consecutive weeks. This is a unique approach for Colin who has relied heavily on his entire ensemble in recent weeks with limited results. Perhaps he was just sad his efforts went unnoticed. We found him huddled in the corner like this and just took a candid shot.

This was one of closest margins of victory to date, as Colin edged out Rosslyn by a single vote. Jim also made a case for victory this week, and for a while it looked like either he or Rosslyn, two long-time participants, would get their first victory. They made a late push in the final days, but the victory the wooden key this week belongs to Colin.

Congratulations again to Colin for winning the Tie Showdown this week.

Tie Showdown: Week 25

2009-02-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right
Roslynn : Megan : Maria : Jim : Jeff : Colin : Byron : Ben : Adam

Week 24: And the winner is...

2009-02-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Eric for winning Week 24 of the Tie Showdown! This is how I like to imagine Freddy Kruger if he took a different, more professional, less horrific path through life. Not to suggest that Eric looks like Freddy Kruger, but the hat and the claws certainly contributed to this mental image. I digress... Eric is one of the very few to win the Tie Showdown in their first entry, which means I need to think of a new award for this group. With 38% of the vote, Eric wins this week.

Former champion Teresa was a very close runner-up with our very first edible tie at 31% of the vote. For a while it looked like Teresa would win her second Wooden Key, but Eric held strong and clawed his way into the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Congratulations again to Eric for winning Week 24 of the Tie Showdown.

Tie Showdown: Week 24

2009-02-11T16:50:00.001-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Adam : Alisa : Ben : Byron : Cat : Colin : Dave : Drew : Eric : Jeff : Jeremy : Jim : Kimmy : Megan : Roslynn : Steve : Teresa

Week 23: And the winner is...

2009-02-11T12:03:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Jeremy for winning week 23 of the Tie Showdown! Jeremy stormed on to the scene in '08 with a collection of short ties, but wasn't able to translate that in to votes. Jeremy trained hard and a few short months later enters the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions with style and 32% of the vote!

Jeremy eked this one out, however. Lane (nice fu manchu) at 23% of the vote, Erin (nice suspenders), Byron (really, Byron?), and last weeks champ Jeff (watch out for snakes!) were nipping at his heels to close the balloting, all with 20% of the vote. It wasn't close enough, however, as Jeremy went into mogul-mode and formed a merger between himself and The Wooden Key that the SEC just can't deny.

Congratulations again to Jeremy on his big win.

Tie Showdown: Week 23

2009-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

From top to Bottom, Left to Right:
Adam : Alisa : Ben : Byron : Colin : Drew : Erin : Jeff : Jeremy : Lane : Maria : Megan : Scott : Jim : Emily : Steve

Week 22: And the winner is...

2009-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Jeff and his robot grasshopper for winning the twenty-second week of the Tie Showdown. Jeff has worn some of the classiest and most beautiful ties in the Tie Showdown's history, and this victory was long overdue. This particular number catches the eye with detailed paisley in tone-on-tone regal purple. The official tie showdown photogs had to pick their jaws up off of the floor when they saw this.

This wasn't an easy win, however. For much of the week Jeff was in a close battle with perennial favorite Ben (and early favorite to win with such a bold number) and Byron who grows more and more fierce each week (he almost got his first win with the help of a huge jar of jelly beans, and a Similarly elegant tie)

Alas, the week belonged to Jeff with 53% of the votes. Congratulations again to Jeff for winning this week's Tie Showdown and taking his place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Also of note: 2009 seems to be the guys' year - we've been without a woman champion for several weeks now. Who will step up?

Tie Showdown: Week 22

2009-01-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Roslynn : Lane : Jeff : Colin : Cat : Byron : Ben : Adam

Week 21: And the winner is...

2009-01-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Adam for winning week twenty-one of the Tie Showdown! This mark's Adam's second victory in the Tie Showdown, and thus inducting him as a member of the Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee, the membership of which is comprised of individuals who have won the Tie Showdown on two non-consecutive weeks.

We've brought in a very special guest writer from Berekely, CA, the (future) world-renowned landscape architect Nathan R. Hodges to write this week's victory post because I'm too busy being humble.

"Being an avid fan of both Adam and the blog tieshowdown.blogspot.com I was really happy to see that the A-Bomb's tie handily pulled in the victory this week. A wicked geometric job that evoked the hazy color fields of Rothko, the modernist gardens of Guevrekian, and midwestern crop aerials this tie was too alluring to ignore. A similar tie was banned from the Paris TieDown (08 due to accusations of uncertain subliminal effects skewing the vote. I didn't have the good fortune to be able to cast my ballot this time around, but I probably would have voted for Adam or Andy (who zipped right into second place with a flush 17 votes) But really, as a long-time tieshowdown fan and voter I can honestly say that there are no real losers in the tieshowdown, just insufficient plaid."

More of Nathan R. Hodge's work can be viewed at http://greenishbrown.blogspot.com/. Visit him.

Tie Showdown: Week 21

2009-01-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right
Wynde : Roslynn : Lyndsey : Ben : Kristin : Kristian : Charlie : Jim : Jeremy : Adam : Jeff : Ernest : Colin : Byron : Alby : Andy : Cat

Week 20: And the winner is...

2009-01-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Lane for winning week 20 of the Tie Showdown! Lane was there in the beginning, competing valiantly in Week 1, and has repeatedly produced some of our favorite presentations (writing on his computer). This week, twenty later, Lane has finally entered the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions with 44% of the total votes cast, beating out some other close competitors. It's rare that such an obscured tie wins (to my knowledge, it's never happened, and I know everything...), but the Lane's tie-tease was all the voters really needed to see -- several shimmering striped shades of red is a stupendously satisfying succulent success recipe.

Ben got 2nd place. Big surprise. (It's getting really boring writing that! I don't know how many more jokes I have about being in second place... )

Other notable participants: Derrald with his flow chart and severely out of context holiday tie were a fan favorite (29%). Cat (26%) and Jeff (20%) also brought some fantastic ties this week.

Congratulations again to Lane for winning the twentieth week of the Tie Showdown, his first wooden key, and his rightful place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 20

2009-01-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Stef : Scott : Megan : Matt : Lane : Jim : Jeff : Ivan : Emily : Dave : Dan : Colin : Chris : Ben : Alisa : Adam P : Byron : Adam Z : Devon (because of editor error, Devon is listed as Liz on the voting) : Cat : Derald

Our sincere and heartfelt apologies for several errors in this week's post. First, Jim and Jeff's labels were switched, then Wynde's photo was not included, finally we incorrectly named Devon as Liz... NOT A GOOD WEEK for the tie showdown editors. Please

Week 19: And the winner is...

2009-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Steve for winning the 19th week of the Tie Showdown! Yeah, Steve !!!!! Steve, a long time fan favorite and reliable participant of the tie showdown has yet to make much noise on the neckwear field of battle. But it's a new year, a new story, and Steve kicks off 2009 right by winning his first wooden key and enters the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions with 52% of the vote.

"Always a Bride's Maid" Ben* puts up another second place showing with 37% of the vote with what may be the most confusing tie the world has ever seen. Someone called it the mullet of ties: business up top, party at the bottom. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome Steve's parrot tie, and all of it's speldor.

Congratulations again to Steve for his victory this week - all of those times the tie showdown photographers just barely caught you coming back from lunch has finally paid off.

* = Technically, Ben did win once, so this may be a bit of a misnomer. But the alliteration is too good to pass up.

Tie Showdown: Week 19

2009-01-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

From left to right, top to bottom:
Steve : Scott : Roslynn : Jim : Heather : Erin : Byron : Ben : Adam : Alisa

Week 18: And the winner is...

2009-01-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Alisa for winning the Tie Showdown: Holiday Special, and also for being the second member of the now-formally-established Tie Showdown Grover Cleveland Memorial Committee, made up of members who have won twice on the Tie Showdown.

Alisa's tie this week was an absolute beauty of a holiday tie. Surely made with yule tide spirit, the depth of the tie's creativity and holiday spirit made this the favorite to win from the outset. Taking an existing green tie, adding a trunk, and decorations (the star was the coup de grace, in the eyes of the editors.) This truly spectacular holiday tie wins with 42% of the vote.

Come in second place was Adam (editor's note: It's so weird to be speaking in the third person). For some reason, the voters this week weren't impressed enough with Adam's battery-powered (the first in Tie Showdown history) light-up tie to deliver him a victory (perhaps there was too much sass? Maybe if his gloves had fingers?) . Nevertheless, an honorable showing was made, garnering 28% of the vote.

Congratulations again to Alisa for her second victory in the Tie Showdown!

Tie Showdown: Week 18

2008-12-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

From left to right, top to bottom:
Scott : Cat : Megan F : Maria : Jim : Alisa : Jeff : Elizabeth : Byron : Adam : Brooke : Ben : Alby : Steve

Week 17: And the winner is...

2008-12-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Teresa for winning week 17 of the Tie Showdown. Teresa, know also known as The Mysterious One, came storming out of the gates last week and took a commanding lead from the beginning. While Loony Toons ties generally don't draw such strong adoration, The Mysterious One made it work by going completely Kriss Kross on us en route to capturing a totally krossed out 62% of the vote in just her first entry to the Tie Showdown.

Fellow newcomer Nicci made a respectable 2nd place showing with her Mr. Mom tie, sharing this spot with perennial favorite Ben's patternless tie. But they and the rest of the field looked wiggity-wiggity-wiggity whack compared to Teresa's showing.

Congratulations again to The Mysterious One for entering the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions, making it two straight weeks with rookie champions. You make us wanna... jump jump.

Tie Showdown: Week 17

2008-12-11T08:00:00.001-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Emily : Scott : Nicci : Megan F : Kay : Dave : Colin : Ben : Alisa : Adam : Jim : Teresa : Alison : Wynde

Please see the Sate of the Showdown for additional promotions and upcoming events.

NEXT WEEK: Holiday Ties!

Week 16: And the winner is...

2008-12-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Brooke for winning Week 16 of the Tie Showdown! After weeks of hype and build-up, Brooke showed up with one of the most wondrous presentations we've seen in a while (you should've seen the shoes). Clearly inspired by Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" video, Brooke, P.I. won this week with 49% of the vote.

It wasn't easy, however. Let me just say, on the topic of wondrous presentations, Amber wore a freaking cummerbund and coat with tails to go with her bow tie. Never before have we seen a full conductor's tux in the Tie Showdown, and these two titans battled it out all week. In fact, Amber led for most of the week, only falling behind in the last day. If ever there deserved to be a tie (haha, get it???!) in the Tie Showdown, this was the week. Amber falls this week, but not without an incredible showing with 42% of the vote. Great week, Amber.

But it was Brooke's week, and the M.C. Escher / Smooth Criminal-inspired number was just too much to overcome. Brooke, in her first week as a competitor, has entered the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

State of the Tie Showdown

2008-12-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

Many changes are afoot here at the Tie Showdown, and we have grown much more than we had originally anticipated. With this in mind, we aim to share regular reports on the developments in our organization. Here is the very first State of the Tie Showdown report.

New Office Space:
The editors at the Tie Showdown have secured (un)official office space, hereafter known as the Tie Showdown Intergalactic Headquarters. This will streamline our operations and save us tens of dollars in revenue costs.

The Retieclery:
As Walt Whitman said, “No tie should live in a closet forever,” honoring this sentiment we are introducing The Retieclery. The Retieclery is located in the Tie Showdown Intergalactic Headquarters and serves two purposes; to find loving homes for lightly used ties and to promote community participation by making ties readily available to interested parties via tie trades and free tie rentals.

Expanding Staff:
We have officially promoted former champion Colin to the role of Vice President of Operations. His primary responsibilities will include overseeing official Tie Showdown operations at our 1800 branch, and coordinating the development of our intramural soccer/badminton league to begin next year.

We have also unwittingly promoted a number of individuals to the staff: Margaret is our Community Outreach Organizer (she actually has work to do…), Chris is our Director of Security, Megan F is our Participant Wellness Coordinator, and Brooke is our Chief of Staff (because it sounds fancy.) Of course none of these jobs have any real responsibilities, but they make us look more official, and are going to do wonders for us during tax season.

Holiday Season Tie Showdown Events:
We all hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season! From December 24 – January 6 there will be two special Tie Showdown events: One will be a tournament of champions in which you may vote on your favorite of all of our past winners. The other event will be a showcase of the editors’ favorite ties from all of the non-winners. These will replace our regular competition for this two week period since nobody’s going to be around (except us, of course, working hard…)

Opportunities for Advancement:
We are actively seeking a director of operations for our newly opened WTC branch and a motivated individual in San Francisco to coordinate our efforts there. Interested parties should submit their resume along with several tie-related glamor shots to Ben and Adam (or just let us know you’re interested… But Ben still wants glamor shots, so do it anyway. ).

Tie Showdown: Week 16

2008-12-03T17:24:00.001-08:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Amber : Wynde : Theresa : Lane : Maria : Kate : Jim : Colin : Hillary : Brooke : Ben : Adam : Jeff

My personal and heartfelt apologies go to Amanda whose photo was eaten when my camera batteries died... No excuses, we'll make it up with a free necktie since the error is on our end. -Ben

It's been a week of exciting developments for the Tie Showdown, stay tuned for a State of the Showdown post next week.

Week 15: And the winner is...

2008-12-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Maria for winning the fifteenth week of the Tie Showdown! And what a comeback it was! Down all week to Ben, Maria made a serious comeback. Maria is Cal, and Ben is the Stanford Band this week!

Maria has consistently shown up with a great selection of ties, even destroying one once! How has she not won yet? Well, the voters seem to have finally seen the errors of their ways, and Maria has officially entered the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions with 34% of the vote.

Once again, Ben made a strong second place showing, even coming in on his vacation to participate (hence the tourist get-up), but sorry Mr. Ben, the voters do not appreciate such gloating while they're working (at least send a postcard, or bring us a fridge magnet or something from the airport gift shop!) 31% is good, but not quite good enough!

Congratulations again to Maria for making her long-overdue entrance in to the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 15

2008-11-26T15:15:00.001-08:00

Left to Right, Top to Bottom
Maria : Kate : Emily : Adam : Theresa : Lauren : Ben : Erin : Kristian : Steve : Wynde

Week 14: And the winner is...

2008-11-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kristian for winning the fourteenth week of the Tie Showdown! Kristian's tie, though classy in its own right, was buoyed by the expression of his inner Clark Kent. While we can't confirm or deny that Kristian was actually flying when this photo was taken, we can confirm that he has quite a snazzy tie. Snazzy enough, even, to get 38% of the vote this week.

There was some spectacular competition behind Kristian this week, most notably former champion Erin H's volcanic nightmare and relative new-comer Hillary's blurry clip-on (NICE JOB TAKING THE PHOTO, BEN).

In any case, Kristian, a solid competitor for the last several weeks has finally earned his place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions. Congrats, good sir.

Tie Showdown: Week 14

2008-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

From left to right, top to bottom
Wynde : Theresa : Steve : Roslynn : Megan F : Megan B : Mandi : Leah : Laura : Lance : Kristian : Jim : Hillary : Erin K : Erin H : Dave : Dan : Colin : Cat : Brad : Ben K : Ben E : Amber : Alisa : Adam

from left to right, clockwise in group photos:
Leah : Ben E : Nicole : Gentry : Lance : Amber : Laura : Megan B

Week 13: And the winner is...

2008-11-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Alisa for winning week thirteen of the Tie Showdown! Oooooeeee! Look at this number! This is the pinnacle of a consistent showing from one of our more reliable competitors over the last several weeks. Alisa graced our offices last week from the far-off land of Texas. This week's week's tie won as much for it's style as for it's spirit, corralling 38% of the vote! I don't know if there was ever a more appropriate tie.

There were two strong showings this week, Andrea's golfish theme and Maria's cold destruction of a perfectly good tie (how could you!?) both grabbed 27%. Unfortunately, they were not enough to defeat this lone star windsor.

Congratulations again to Alisa for winning the Tie Showdown after weeks of steady competition. The editors of the Tie Showdown will heed the advice and refrain from messing with Texas in the near and distant future.

Tie Showdown: Week 13

2008-11-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

From left to right, top to bottom:
Steve : Roslynn : Maria : Hillary : Christian : Cat : Ben : Andrea : Alisa : Adam

Week 12: And the winner is...

2008-11-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Heather for winning Week 12 of the Tie Showdown. Although the actual tie was almost entirely obscured by its adornment, Heather managed to pull together 45% of the vote to take down the competition this week.

Yes she can.

Ben, again, brought his best, taking 2nd place for the 2nd week in a row. Alas, it was not to be.

Congratulations, again, to Heather for her victory, and taking her first steps in to the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 12

2008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

From left to right, top to bottom:
Ben : Maria : Heather : Adam : Alisa

Week 11: And the winner is

2008-11-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Theresa for winning the eleventh week of the Tie Showdown, our Halloween Special. In addition to her victory this week, Theresa has won the race to be the first repeat champion of the Tie Showdown (in non-consecutive weeks), aka the unofficial Grover Cleveland Award (pending official sanction by the editors of the Tie Showdown). Theresa's homemade craftstore wonder was too impressive to overcome this week, grabbing 48% of the total votes cast.

Ben put forth another strong effort with his slasher-flick inspired tie, but it wasn't enough, earning 40% of the vote.

Congratulations again to Theresa for her second victory in the Tie Showdown.

Tie Showdown: Week 11

2008-10-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:

Jeremy : Theresa : Roslynn : Megan : Maria : Jim : Jeff : Heather : Emily : Dave : Colin : Christian : Cat : Beth : Ben : Adam

Week 10: And the winner is...

2008-10-29T12:43:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Ben for winning the tenth week of the Tie Showdown! Ben, one of our editors, has fought tirelessly over the past ten weeks to make his mark, often going uncelebrated for the quality of his ties. This was not to be the case this week as Ben apparently hypnotized all of us with the sensory collision of a bright red-and-white-and-pink pointillism (aka Arte Du Puke) of his shirt and a tie any fan of Target would just die for. This lethal combination was enough to grab 39% of the votes this week.

Alisa fought hard through the week, even leading for a healthy portion of it with perhaps the most appropriate and topical tie of all time, but in the end, the old veteran Ben pulled through to stake his claim to the wooden key.

Stay tuned for our parade of Halloween-inspired neckwear! It's going to be defrightful!!! (get it???)

Tie Showdown: Week 10

2008-10-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

From right to left, top to bottom:

Ben : Wynde : Theresa : Maria : Jim : Jeremy : Christian : Cat : Alisa : Adam

Week 9: And the winner is...

2008-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Wynde for winning the ninth week of the Tie Showdown! Wynde has been a regular here on the Tie Showdown these past few weeks, breaking out a couple of wonderful ties, coming up just short each time. Undaunted, Wynde apparently got in touch with her spirit animal (or animals...) and/or drew inspiration from a bowl of Frosted Flakes (what can I say? they are grrrrrreat.) and showed up this week decked out, head-to-toe in big cat print, taking down 48% of the vote like a wounded gazelle.

Poor Ben, he came so close this week, but it was not to be.

No animals were harmed in the making of this week's Tie Showdown. But plenty of egos (mine) were.

Tie Showdown: Week 9

2008-10-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, left to right:
Wynde : Jim : Megan : Renee : Ben : Stacy : Cat : Chris : Eric : Jeremy : Adam : Alisa

IMPORTANT NEWS: In honor of Halloween, the Tie Showdown will be sponsoring a special Scary Tie Showdown the Wednesday before Halloween. To be clear, this is not a costume contest, but a tie contest. Talk to Adam or Ben if you don't understand the difference (Wynde, I'm looking at you).

Week 8: And the winner is...

2008-10-15T08:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Beth for winning the eighth week of the Tie Showdown! Beth, a consistently awesome competitor followed Theresa's formula from the previous week by introducing themed props. Her Winnie the Pooh number was special enough on its own, but Beth really knocked it out the of the park by including Pooh himself with a post-it note tie (a nod to Maria from Week 4).

Beth led the entire week, but was locked in a close battle with Amanda up until the last day. In the end, Beth and Pooh were able to snag 42% of the total votes to earn her a place in the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions.

Tie Showdown: Week 8

2008-10-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

From left to right, top to bottom:

Beth : Ceanna : Eric : Enrique : Emily : Dan : Colin : Mira : Megan : Joseph : Jim : Jeremy : Wynde : Theresa : Steve : Stacy : Sarah : Adam : Alisa : Amanda : Jeff : Ben : Hillary

Week 7: And the winner is...

2008-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Theresa for winning the seventh week of the Tie Showdown. Theresa's victory signaled a new era in the Tie Showdown: the use of props for victory. Of course, Theresa's homemade animal print tie was strong on its own, but the addition of a matching umbrella (ella... ella.. ella.. ay ... ay... ay... ay...) really propelled her to victory. Brad certainly posed an early challenge in his first foray into the Tie Showdown with a very solid tie/pose combination. Unfortunately for him and the rest of 1800, it wasn't enough to keep the wooden key trophy from returning to 1500. The editors expect great things from Brad in the future, but for today, Theresa's zebra print reigns supreme with a whopping 43% of the vote, which (aside from one magical baby's championship) is the largest margin of victory to date.

Congratulations to Theresa for her well earned championship. Now let's see what this week has brought.

Tie Showdown: Week 7

2008-10-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

From left to right, top to bottom:

Theresa : Tiffany : Wynde : Zach : Jeremy: Jim : Nicole : Scott : Steve : Charlie : Colin : Dave : Emily : Erin : Adam : Ben : Beth : Brad : Cat

Week 6: And the winner is...

2008-10-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order this week to Colin for winning Week 6 of the Tie Showdown. Colin has been a consistently solid competitor over the last several weeks, and his eventual victory was inevitable. What's more, Colin's victory with his 8-bit-inspired number, with a suit to go with, was not just a victory for this gentleman, but a victory for all of 1800 who enter the Hall of Champions for the first time with their representative Sir Colin.

Colin managed to scrape together 32% of the vote in a week of fierce competition. Roslynn and Courtney (IS THAT EVEN A TIE???) posed a challenge with 13% of the vote each, and Wynde's golden delight brought a new, previously unknown flare to the Tie Showdown.

Great work to all of the competitors, and congratulations again to Colin for his win in Week 6. Stay tuned for this week's entries.

Tie Showdown: Week 6

2008-09-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

For this week, we've trying something new with the showdown. Roll over a photo to see the participant's name, click on it for a larger view. As with the past few weeks, vote for as many participants as you see fit. Good luck, and may the best tie win.

And give us some feedback on the new format, jeez do we have to tell you everything!

Week 5: And the winner is...

2008-09-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order for Caitlin, who emerged victorious from a week of very close voting. Narrowly edging Kristian and his bike antics (NO SHOES) by two votes, Caitlin captured our hearts with a charming tie featuring not one but two ponies! Children were also present. (on the tie)

So with 32% of the vote, Caitlin, you enter the Tie Showdown Hall of Champions. In a post-victory interview, Caitlin shared that the tie belonged to her partner's blind grandfather. All I can say is it's a shame he couldn't see the tie or the expressions people made when he wore it.

Tie Showdown, Week 5!

2008-09-17T15:13:00.002-07:00

From left to right, top to bottom:

Colin : Roslynn : Cat (re-instated!) : Kristian : Maria : Megan B : Megan F : Jeff : Jeremy : Adam : Ben Blythe : Caitlin : Peter : Joseph : Eric

Please vote for as many contestants as you feel deserving.

Also Ran

2008-09-17T15:13:00.001-07:00

This week we received several entrants who clearly had either not read the rules or willfully violated them. Despite the infraction, we at the Tie Showdown felt it important that their contributions be included in some form. After a little brainstorming (very little) we decided that a weekly post of Also Ran contestants would be a fitting tribute. Hopefully these participants can review the rules and resubmit next week, or when they grow up.

Week 4: And the winner is...

2008-09-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jonah for winning the fourth week of the Tie Showdown despite lacking the ability speak or walk. The editors here at the Tie Showdown find this to be quite the accomplishment. To quote: "He may not be able to walk yet, but Jonah totally ran away with this week's votes."

Truly there was no competition. Jonah managed to use his magical baby abilities to completely out-cute his fellow competitors en route to reaching a previously unfathomable 100 votes (79% of total votes cast). In 2nd? Maria's awesome post-it note tie had 13 votes. Yep: 87 fewer than Jonah. Really, though, there's no surprise. Just look at him. His tie is stitched on and his shirt has his name on it. I'll admit it: I voted for him. Twice.

When asked for comment, Jonah quipped "GOO GOO GAA GAA."

Well said, little champion. You are truly a master of your craft. We don't know how you did it, but we're convinced that you are made of magic.

Editors' note: New rule!... No more babies. It's just not fair. Add pets to that list as well. We can't afford another cuteness overload.

Tie Showdown: Week 4!

2008-09-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

From right to left, top to bottom:

Jim : DJ : Courtney : Colin : Steve : Erin : Charlie : Roslynn : Erin : Adam : Moira : Ben : Dave : Elvis : Chris J. : Maria : Alby : Jonah

Week 3: And the winner is...

2008-09-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Erin for winning the third week of the Tie Showdown. An unexpected entrant into the competition, Erin really brought down the thunder with this little number. I still can't quite wrap my head around the concept of denim with pink fringe being used as neckwear, but truly people, this tie is truly a sight to behold. Joni, with her genius and creative "Neckwear as Headwear" approach was nipping at Erin's heels late in the week, but I believe the strength provided by the presence of money gave Erin the edge.

Plus it always helps to have a salad in hand.

Congratulations again to Erin for running away with the the title this week, capturing 36% of the total vote.

Tie Showdown: Week 3

2008-09-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

From left to right, top to bottom: Dave :Joni : Jim : Jeff : Heather : Erin : Drew : Colin : Cat : Beth : Ben : Adam

Important Notice: Because of the extremely high quality of this week's entries, voters will be allowed to select as many candidates as they deem worthy of a vote.

Week 2: And the winner is...

2008-09-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

Editor's Note: It seems strange to be writing my own victory post, but when you wear a tie like this one, you must be bold. So here I go...

Congratulations to Adam for winning the second week of the Tie Showdown. Adam's glorious bear tie mauled the competition (stolen joke) and forced everyone else's tie into an early hibernation (stolen joke). There was a late push by last week's champion Cat, but it was not to be. A valiant competition this week, and a number of truly wonderful ties showed up that could easily win -- it just was on the wrong week.

While the competition was fierce, Adam's tie was unbearably stronger (not stolen joke) and held on to win with 41% of the votes cast.

The new week opens today! Stay tuned for the next round of this battle.

Tie Showdown: Week 2

2008-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

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

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

2008-08-26T14:07:00.001-07:00

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~~ th~~e 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!

2008-08-20T10:26:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

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."