jim harbaugh living emoji
We have to do this, right?
No matter how many times you look, it's hard to choose. Charles Woodson jumped so high he caught a pass intended for the sideline. Jourdan Lewis long-jumped ~17 feet while backhanding a pass intended for an actual receiver after sticking with him on a dead sprint. Woodson loses minor degree of difficulty points for helping secure the football with his second hand; he regains them and then some by having to toe-tap inside the sideline to complete the catch. Lewis never needs the second hand; he also has the luxury of diving about as far from the sideline as possible. Woodson's came in a rivalry game; Lewis's in a game situation of much greater importance.
Here's the good news: you don't actually have to choose.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the GIFs.]
Oh, man, it's about to get good. Before we get to the Sweet Sixteen matchups, here's a look at the results from the Miscellaneous Harbaugh region, which nearly featured a major upset:
#1 Good Shit, Jedd: 972 (52%)
#8 Exit Stage Right: 903 (48%)
#4 Head Scratcher: 973 (60%)
#5 Cringe Emoji: 651 (40%)
#3 Pffffffhahahaha: 969 (57%)
#6 What F-ing Happened: 723 (43%)
#2 Snow Crabs?: 1,005 (60%)
#7 Shoulder Slump: 678 (40%)
The first round nearly went chalk across all four regions. That should change as we progress to the next round, which features some brutally difficult choices—especially, as you might expect, in the Bad Times region. Here's your Sweet Sixteen; I finally figured out how to make each poll open in a new tab, which should make the voting process a lot less annoying.
THE GOOD TIMES
(1) Harbaugh As Grinch vs. (4) Harbaugh/Drevno Awkward Celebration
Def. Harbaugh Clapping 93% to 7% in first round
That moment when Harbaugh snaps from bored press conference mode to diabolical Bond villian mode makes this GIF for me.
Def. Harbaugh/Drevno Successful Fist Bump 56% to 44% in first round
Hypothesis: Harbaugh switches up his celebratory bumps/high-fives/daps at the last moment just to see if his assistants can adjust on the fly.
Drevno passed, but it got hairy for a moment there.
(2) Spring Game Grin vs. (3) "You're Really Good"
Def. Fist Pump 76% to 24% in the first round.
If anyone has ever been more content to be at a spring game, I haven't seen it.
Def. Rudock Hug-Like Substance 57% to 43% in the first round.
Harbaugh geeking out over how good Jabrill Peppers is at football is remarkably endearing.
THE BAD TIMES
(1) Rage Stripping vs. (5) Rage On The Run
Def. Hat Antics 88% to 12% in the first round.
Given the horrified reaction of John Baxter...
...we probably should've anticipated his departure for USC.
Def. Sheet Throw 56% to 44% in the first round.
The on-the-run, back-to-front hat removal is spectacular.
(2) Slow-Motion Meltdown vs. (3) WELL OKAY
Def. Intent To Deceive 79% to 21% in the first round.
This matchup...
Def. Plea To The Football Gods 86% to 14% in the first round.
...is the toughest matchup.
HARBAUGH IN ACTION
(1) Dr. Harbaugh vs. (5) Hype-Up Beating
Def. Pre-Snap Adjustment 80% to 20% in the first round.
The BTN is thankful they weren't showing the reverse angle.
Def. Green Ass Smack 55% to 45% in the first round.
"Now go out there and kick some ass."
"Coach, I need smelling salts."
(2) Punt Demo vs. (3) Harbaugh's Huddle
Def. What's The Call 86% to 14% in the first round.
Yet again...
...John Baxter is appalled.
Def. Ready To Play 57% to 43% in the first round.
From a pure visual standpoint, perhaps my favorite GIF in the field. The winged helmet remains untouchable.
MISCELLANEOUS HARBAUGH
(1) Good Shit, Jedd vs. (4) Head Scratcher
Def. Exit Stage Right 52% to 48% in the first round.
The GIF with a great story and not much action appears ripe for an upset after barely surviving the opening round.
Def. Cringe Emoji 60% to 40% in the first round.
This is essentially Cringe Emoji with a bonus headscratch, so it's no wonder this won by a comfortable margin in the first round.
(2) Snow Crabs? vs. (3) Pffffffhahahaha
Def. Shoulder Slump 60% to 40% in the first round.
A priceless reaction.
Def. What F-ing Happened 57% to 43% in the first round.
Ditto.
Previously: The Good Times Region, The Bad Times Region, Harbaugh In Action
Before we get to the final first-round matchups, here's a look at how the Harbaugh In Action region shook out. I'll be honest, I didn't see this 4-5 upset coming.
#1 Dr. Harbaugh: 2,312 (80%)
#8 Pre-Snap Adjustment 581 (20%)
#4 Green Ass Smack: 1,125 (45%)
#5 Hype-Up Beating: 1,364 (55%)
#3 Harbaugh's Huddle: 1,363 (57%)
#6 Ready To Play: 1,046 (43%)
#2 Punt Demo: 2,092 (86%)
#7 What's The Call: 353 (14%)
Green Ass Smack, gone far too soon.
Anyway, the final region includes all the GIFs I couldn't find a spot for in the other regions. The running theme: Harbaugh is basically a living emoji.
[Hit THE JUMP to see the field and put in your votes.]
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