Monday, March 7, 2011

March Madness: East Regional, Round 2

March Madness Continues With Week Two of the U.S. States and Territories Flag Tournament!!!






The Rules: For each of the pairs of flags pitted against each other, indicate your favorite.  Explication, derision, and/or analysis will not affect the scoring, but is nevertheless encouraged.  Each winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen.






East Regional Voting Deadline: 8 p.m. PST, Friday, March 11.
West Regional First Round Voting Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST TONIGHT!

Maryland vs. New Hampshire

Maryland

New Hampshire


Delaware vs. Massachusetts

Delaware


Massachusetts




District of Columbia vs. Virginia

District of Columbia

Virginia


Connecticut vs. Rhode Island

Connecticut

Rhode Island


Make your votes in the comments.

21 comments:

Elaine said...

Since two of these contenders were NOT my choice to advance, it's hard to get excited... Most difficult of all was choosing between Delaware and Massachusetts, because I don't like either of them. Who put that set-in seam through the center of Delaware's flag, and what's with the pink background of the seal? Ick.

NH
MA
DC
RI

Christine M. said...

1. MD
2. DE
3. DC
4. RI

Captain Lhurgoyf said...

1) Maryland. Everyone thinks it's ugly, but at least it's distinctive.
2) Delaware, which looks a LOT better in this picture for some reason.
3) Washington, D.C.
4) Rhode Island

gS49 said...

1. Maryland, easily
2. Massachusetts, for the simplier seal
3. D.C
4. Rhode Island; moderatly graphic, and you can see everything from a distance; but the shape is a negative

Elizabeth said...

1. No contest - weird heraldry wins over boring seal any day. Maryland.

2. I will take the two young men looking significantly into each other's eyes, and vote for Delaware.

3. My vote is still with DC, especially when up against that flag.

4. Oooh, this is hard - I still like Connecticut, but I also find Rhode Island's flag charmingly simple. However, since it's very similar to Indiana's, and I would want Indiana to triumph in a central-element-surrounded-by-stars contest, I'll stick with Connecticut.

Morgan said...

Maryland. Love it or hate it, at least it's more recognizable than seal-on-blue New Hampshire. I happen to neither love it nor hate it. It's not the best, but kinda nice.

Massachusetts. Still a darn good flag even now that it's close enough that I can see the subject matter.

District of Columbia. Every time I type that, I try to spell it like the country Colombia.

Rhode Island. This was actually a tough one for me when composing my bracket, but Rhode Island emerges the victor.

Nichim said...

Maryland - you can't miss it.

I think I have to go with Massachusetts in this matchup. I don't know what they're trying to say, but more power to them for saying it.

DC

CT

Dug said...

MARYLAND's flag is actually pretty cool though it looks like it belongs at the racetrack.

DELAWARE's unusual color scheme wins me over

DC - not crazy about it but the better of the two.

RHODE ISLAND - ugly but distinctive

Ben said...

1. New Hampshire over Maryland. I know, I know, Maryland's flag is so much more... flaggy. But it's also REALLY ugly. I looks like it belongs at the race track (they DO have the Preakness there) or at some medieval court. Despite the fact that it uses a seal, New Hampshire's is just easier on the eyes.

2. Massachusetts over Delaware. It's not that I LIKE the disebodied arm...

3. District of Columbia over Virginia. DC's flag is distinct, simple, and graphically flag-like. Virginia's has a dead guy on it. What more is there to say?

4. Rhode Island over Connecticut. This was a tough choice, but R.I. wins out on distinctiveness. Does it have such a short horizontal dimension because there's just not enough room in Rhode Island for a flag with a normal aspect ratio?

Melissa said...

New Hampshire
Delaware
D.C.
Rhode Island

margaret said...

Maryland--crazy quilt!
Delaware, I guess
DC
RI (gosh, another lackluster pairing!)

Eavan said...

Hideous but distinctive wins out over boring seal.
Cartoonish wins out over incomplete.
Snazzy wins out over yet another seal.
A sunny beach, sailboat-studded sparkling waves, and a cheerful flag snapping in the wind... win!

Rebel said...

1. Oh Maryland, so distinctive, but for all the wrong reasons. I vote for New Hampshire, boring but respectable.

2.Hmmm... how far can Massachusetts go with that disembodied arm? Let's see.

3. Revealing a slightly more sadistic bent than I ever thought I had... Virginia.

4. Rhode Island for making me feel hopeful. And anchored. And star struck.

mrs.5000 said...

Maryland! The flag I remember from my childhood as "the cool-looking one."

Massachusetts. Three cheers for the guy digging himself into a pretzel with a sword, and the Indian proclaiming in Latin: "Underneath liberty, a little peace and quiet."

District of Columbia! Where no one's foot is on anyone's chest.

And, after careful deliberation, Rhode Island: a square sailor's hope.

Michael5000 said...

That was Mass over Delaware, right, Reb?

Aviatrix said...

New Hampshire

Maryland would make an awesome quilt, and is a fine decorative banner, maybe at a jousting tournament, but it's just too much like really aggressive wallpaper to say "flag" to me. I don't know where to look. The New Hampshire ship, laurel wreaths, scrollwork, text, stars and all, give me something to focus on.

Delaware

Oh this is déjà vu : a matchup of people with weapons and stuff. I'm going with the bovine. I like the way the two guys are making eyes at one another, and I don't like white flags or severed limbs.

District of Columbia

Dead bodies are in the same category as severed limbs. I hope to see DC and Puerto Rico in the final. T'would be ironic to have the finalists in a state flag competition not be states.

Rhode Island

Do they have yellow flagpoles in Rhode Island or did they really want three sides of a square? Rhode Island is lucky to be matched against those stupid grapes and the Latin motto for "He who crosses the toilet survives."

lamanyana said...

Maryland, I guess (but it's trying way too hard.)
Massachusetts
DC
RI

chuckdaddy said...

1. Stately NH over Nascaresque MD

2. The Indian one is sort of growing on me, there's something eerie about it. But I will go with the two Delawarians who seem surprised to be at the same seal.

3. I wish the Viriginian guy would take it up a notch and bludgeon the other guy with his steeple penis. But until then, I will go with DC.

4. RI

Palmedic said...

Maryland
Massachusetts
Virginia
Conneticut

PB said...

Maryland over New Hampshire
Massachusetts over Delaware
Virginia over DC. Sic semper tyrannis. I'm all for more dead/defeated bodies on state flags.
Connecticut over Rhode Island

Jordan said...

I guess the voting is over, but:

Maryland.
Medieval looking flag that is just plain awesome. I really can't see how it's ugly or looks like nascar. It doesn't look like a US state, rather like a medieval earldom, but that just makes it all the cooler. NH has like 10 miles of shoreline, why is there a boat on the flag? Plus Maryland's actually follows good flag design instead of planting a seal.

Delaware
More distinctive diamond shape sets it apart from other seal flags. This is a particularly bad photo, it looks better most times and the colors remind me of sweden. (The diamond is yellow usually).

DC
Actually looks like a flag, not just another seal on blue.

Rhode Island
Doesn't look so much like a seal as others, would do well with better color contrast though.