Step into the pages of Picture Perfect, a column dedicated to analyzing photos from throughout army history. In this week’s edition, we will investigate the intricacies of the first iteration of March Madness of the Pirate Server era.
Designed by Cassie
A single picture has the remarkable ability to convey a multitude of emotions, ideas, and messages in a single frame. Through the artful interplay of its elements, a picture can capture the essence of a moment, evoke profound emotions, and tell a complex story without the need for words. Thus, a picture transcends linguistic barriers, making it a universally accessible means of communication that can resonate with people on a personal level.
The first edition of the prestigious – and quite controversial – March Madness goes back to 2013 when Club Penguin Armies Central [CPAC] held the first edition of this classical tournament. However, because of Club Penguin’s shutdown and CPAC’s subsequent closure, its last iteration took place in 2016. Nonetheless, after the establishment of the Club Penguin Online Army League [CPOAL], the tournament saw its first rendition in the CPPS era. But why was it so controversial? Let us investigate this matter further.
MARCH MADNESS CONTROVERSY V
Dark Warriors vs. Pirates – MM V Elite Eight
On March 16th, 2020, CPOAL Administrator Epic101 officially announced March Madness V. The tournament followed the same format as CPAC made use of in their iterations. Therefore, MM V saw 16 armies competing for the trophy. Armies would then fight for the course of four weekends in a single elimination tournament. Thus, there were four rounds in total: Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship.
The Sweet Sixteen took place on March 21st and 22nd. This round saw those 16 armies battling against each other in eight battles. On the first day of the tournament, the Pirates defeated the Snow Guardians, Dark Warriors beat the Adventurers, the Royals won against Justice, and Aliens beat the Tree Cult. On the second day, Doritos beat Fish Warriors, Redemption Force beat Crimson Guardians, the Ice Warriors defeated the Kiwii Army of CPO, and the Instrumentalists won against the Templars.
DCP vs. Fish Warriors
The Elite Eight took place on March 28th and 29th, with the winners of the previous round fighting against each other in four battles. Therefore, the Royals defeated the Aliens, Doritos beat Redemption Force, and the Ice Warriors won against the Instrumentalists. However, the battle in which the Dark Warriors faced off against the Pirates presented an issue. The Pirates had won with a 2-1 score.
Nonetheless, during the second room change, an Administrator’s error confused DW and the army moved rooms. Thus, a rematch was scheduled for the next week. In the rematch, things played out differently from what was expected, as the Warriors managed to defeat the Pirates with sizes higher than 100.
DW vs. Pirates Elite Eight Rematch
The Final Four rounds commenced on April 4th and 5th. In the first battle, the Dark Warriors once again showed their strength and defeated the Royals. The second battle was set to be a showdown between the Doritos and the Ice Warriors. While IW had a size of 165 troops, the Doritos had a size of 150+. Both armies undoubtedly showcased their will to earn the coveted March Madness trophy, as it ended in a tie. With that said, the judges felt the necessity to declare an overtime room: the Stadium. Nonetheless, the judges met a concerning situation. Before the room was announced, 9 IW troops and 6 DCP troops were spotted there. In a hurry, the judges had to declare another room change. It should have been a room that no one else would expect. It was time for the Pizza Parlor.
After a very close and intense battle, the Doritos were deemed the winners. The community did not receive this result well, as many vouched for a battle review. This led Judge Popcorny to write an extensive battle report in which he detailed the judges’ thought process. Seeing that the battle was far beyond controversial, CPOAL’s Administration decided to hold a rematch. However, the Ice Warriors opted to exit the tournament, which led to the entrance of the Light Troops. In the end, there were no results on the rematch between Doritons and LT. Therefore, according to CPOAL’s Administration, no official Finals happened and no official winner was declared.
DCP vs. IW Overtime Room
A few months later, Club Penguin Army Hub administrators decided to finish the tournament, giving it a proper ending. Nonetheless, CPOAL Admins claimed the revival was invalid. This led CPAH to rebrand the tournament to August Sadness. In a sweep of 3-0, the Ice Warriors defeated the Doritos and moved on to finally battle the Dark Warriors. IW peaked at an impressive amount of 87 penguins online, meanwhile DW achieved a size of 65 troops. Even though the battle portrayed intensity and heat, only one army could have emerged victorious. The Ice Warriors won rooms one and three, while a tie occurred in room two. Therefore, after four months of wait, the Ice Warriors managed to lift the August Sadness trophy, the spiritual successor of March Madness V.
The Judges’ Verdict
Phew, what a controversial tournament indeed! Filled with judging mistakes, early entrances, leagues clashing against each other’s rights, etc. Could not have been March Madness without its fair share of controversy, could it? What are your thoughts on such an interesting – to say the least – tournament? Do you think the Doritos should have won? Or do you think the Ice Warriors deserved their victory? Will March Madness IX also be controversial?