Tuesday, August 09, 2005

It All Comes Down to This

I cannot believe it, but we are at the last round of the 1st Annual Morning Rush Babe Tournament. Somehow Karson and Kennedy have fought against the odds and have made it to a deciding Round 7 of the Finals. This is an historic moment in Morning Rush history. Here are the official results from Round 6:

Karson/Kennedy: Alyssa Milano (28) vs. Middays: Kelly Monaco (20)



I was surprised that Alyssa Milano pulled away at the end--after around 7:45 (and after Ole Miss Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone gave his approval to Milano), it was all Alyssa. Kelly Monaco started out strong, but faded badly late in the contest--it had to be a cruel blow for Middays after they rolled the dice and went for the kill in Round 6 with the substitution. Their gamble did not work. Now, it sets up an epic Round 7, with everything on the line. Here's the matchup:

Paris Hilton (Karson/Kennedy) vs. Maria Sharapova (Middays)



In lieu of my usual preview, I have solicited comments and predictions from around the Sports 56 WHBQ offices:

Craig Wack, Commercial Appeal Racing Writer and co-host of Memphis Motorsports Weekly:
"This is a matchup of "dirty Paris" versus "seemingly clean Maria"; how you feel about this all depends on if you prefer a rich good girl or a richer bad girl."

PREDICTION: Hilton, in a close contest.

Tyler McLellan, Producer of The Morning Rush:
"I pick Sharapova, because everyone hates Paris Hilton."

PREDICTION: Sharapova (obviously)

Danni, host of Middays With Danni on Q107.5:
"Maria Sharapova is not a skank and she actually has a talent--she can do something besides spend money."

PREDICTION: Sharapova, but it's close

Zeke Terry, Commercial Production/Imaging, Flinn Broadcasting:
"Paris Hilton will win because she's more well-known. Sex always wins."

PREDICTION: Hilton

DJ Superman, Hot 107:
"The thing with Paris that attracts--see, she's not all that hot--but it's the money. That other girl--she ain't got that much money. Paris Hilton can do some things--don't get it twisted--but it's all the amenities and parties...what man wouldn't want that?"

PREDICTION: Sharapova, surprisingly enough

Will Askew, Host of Inside the Memphis Redbirds and Chip Shots and Babe Draft Expert:
"Hilton is very much a polarizing force--you either love her or you hate her. Everyone loves Sharapova. Sharapova is well-known in the sports circuit, and she's pure--but Hilton is a skank. That's why Sharapova will carry the day."

PREDICTION: Sharapova

Geoff Calkins, Commercial Appeal Lead Columnist and Co-host of Sportstime:
"I haven't seen a final matchup this disappointing since Bush v. Gore in 2000. I question the sanity of the team owners for putting these two forward. On the one hand, you've got a skank; on the other hand, you've got a beautiful (by sports standards) woman who is at best a B+ by Hollywood standards. Having seen the Paris Hilton video, Sharapova has better strokes."

PREDICTION: Sharapova

I've also managed to get a comment from each of the teams represented in the Babe Tournament Finals:

Eli Savoie, Middays:
"The Middays program feels very confident sending a classy young woman like Maria Sharapova against a skank like Paris Hilton."

Karson, Karson and Kennedy
"Paris Hilton is the girl who will take one for the team."

If I am forced to make my prediction, it would be Paris Hilton. I know she's dirty, and probably the owner of at least 2 different STDs, but she's attractive, and she's got serious name recognition all around the world. Sharapova is classy, but maybe too classy--she might be too clean-cut to win this competition. We've seen throughout the competition that being skanky is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to winning rounds. I think Hilton's fame and fortune lead her to the victory, and that, of course, would mean Karson and Kennedy would be crowned the first-ever Babe Tournament champions.

Of course, it's not up to any of those people quoted above--it's up to all of you. Every vote is critical for this matchup. Go ahead and email your votes to rush@sports56whbq.com or call the program at 360-8255 or 1-888-360-8255 for those of you outside the Memphis Metro area. In fact, you can go ahead and call to give your vote off the air--and you can definitely call during tomorrow morning's show to vote. A champion will be crowned tomorrow at 7:50 am--tune in to find out who wins!

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