MARCONI MADNESS!

It was the greatest tournament I failed to tell you about here in The Pond until it was all over.

In the wake of the demise of the annual GeakSweeps, a new radio tournament was formulated about a month ago that would be squeezed in on October weekends just before the start of the new ALF Cup season. It took the form of a March Madness-style tournament, hence the moniker "Marconi Madness".

A total of 83 AM and FM stations qualified to take part, and after a preliminary round, a bracket of 64 squared off in the first radio-only competition since before TV stations were admitted into the previously all-radio GeakSweeps. It was a bit of a chore to begin with, and downright boring at times. Little did I know of the exciting finish that was in store.

Each matchup in each round was determined by a random draw. Once things got underway, the AMs, as expected, got pretty much slaughtered by the FMs. Signal strength was often an issue, even more than format. There were some mild upsets, but ultimately the final four was comprised of the four tournament favorites, WXKR, WJZE, WIOT, and WRWK.

The final matchup came as no surprise, a meeting between WIOT and WRWK, the two stations I happen to listen to the most while at work (no other good stations come in good there). A classic Clear Channel vs Cumulus grudge match.

RWK came in as the tourney favorite, but on the morning of the finals, it just so happened that our good pal Shaggy, head honcho of the Duck Pond affiliate Shagout, was at the helm for IOT. And in a thrilling, nail-biting, knock-down drag-out double overtime epic, it was the Shagster (named MVDJ) and the IOT Coyote pulling off the upset and emerging as the champs of the first ever Marconi Madness. Congrats guys!

Below are the full tournament results.

2003 MARCONI MADNESS
PRELIMINARY ROUND
FM 89.3 WYSZ Toledo OH def. AM 1080 KRLD Dallas TX
FM 99.9 WKKO Toledo OH def. AM 760 WJR Detroit MI
FM 103.7 WCKY Tiffin OH def. AM 1620 WDND South Bend IN
AM 800 CKLW Windsor ON def. FM 89.9 CBE Windsor ON
AM 1470 WLQR Toledo OH def. AM 840 WHAS Louisville KY
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. FM 97.9 WJLB Detroit MI
FM 101.1 WRIF Detroit MI def. FM 105.5 WWWM Toledo OH
AM 700 WLW Cincinnati OH def. AM 1020 KDKA Pittsburgh PA
AM 1170 WWVA Wheeling WV def. AM 890 WLS Chicago IL
FM 94.8 WCSX Detroit MI def. FM 107.3 WJUC Toledo OH
FM 90.3 WOTL Toledo OH def. AM 1010 CFRB Toronto ON
AM 1370 WSPD Toledo OH def. FM 99.5 WYCD Detroit MI
FM 91.7 WUOM Ann Arbor MI def. AM 950 WWJ Detroit MI
FM 100.5 WKXA Findlay OH def. FM 93.1 WDRQ Detroit MI
AM 900 WFRO Fremont OH def. AM 980 WONE Dayton OH
AM 1230 WCWA Toledo OH def. AM 1640 WKSH Milwaukee WI
AM 1120 KMOX St Louis MO def. AM 1540 KXEL Waterloo IA
FM 88.3 WXUT Toledo OH def. AM 830 WCCO Minneapolis MN
AM 1270 WXYT Detroit MI def. AM 1050 CHUM Toronto ON

FIRST ROUND
FM 95.3 WQTE Adrian MI def. AM 1370 WSPD Toledo OH
FM 88.1 WBGU Bowling Green OH def. AM 1530 WSAI Cincinnati OH
FM 101.5 WRVF Toledo OH def. AM 810 WGY Schenectady NY
AM 1060 KYW Philadelphia PA def. FM 100.5 WKXA Findlay OH
FM 91.3 WGTE Toledo OH def. AM 1120 KMOX St Louis MO
AM 670 WSCR Chicago IL def. FM 88.7 CIMX Windsor ON
AM 1630 KCJJ Iowa City IA def. AM 1650 KCNZ Cedar Falls IA
AM 1230 WCWA Toledo OH def. AM 1170 WWVA Wheeling WV
FM 96.9 WXQQ Toledo OH def. AM 1070 WIBC Indianapolis IN
FM 101.1 WRIF Detroit MI def. AM 610 WTVN Columbus OH
AM 710 WOR New York NY def. FM 95.5 WKQI Detroit MI
AM 1270 WXYT Detroit MI def. FM 99.9 WKKO Toledo OH
FM 98.3 WTWR Monroe MI def. AM 1200 WOAI San Antonio TX
AM 720 WGN Chicago IL def. AM 550 WKRC Cincinnati OH
FM 103.7 WCKY Tiffin OH def. FM 91.7 WUOM Ann Arbor MI
FM 94.8 WCSX Detroit MI def. AM 1510 WLAC Nashville TN
AM 660 WFAN New York NY def. AM 1100 WTAM Cleveland OH
FM 95.7 WIMX Toledo OH def. AM 740 CBL Toronto ON
FM 97.3 WJZE Toledo OH def. AM 800 CKLW Windsor ON
FM 92.5 WVKS Toledo OH def. AM 900 WFRO Fremont OH
AM 1000 WMVP Chicago IL def. AM 700 WLW Cincinnati OH
FM 94.5 WXKR Toledo OH def. AM 870 WWL New Orleans LA
AM 780 WBBM Chicago IL def. FM 99.1 WFRO Fremont OH
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. FM 88.3 WXUT Toledo OH
FM 93.9 CIDR Windsor ON def. AM 580 CKWW Windsor ON
AM 1180 WHAM Rochester NY def. FM 89.3 WYSZ Toledo OH
FM 106.5 WRWK Toledo OH def. FM 93.5 WRQN Toledo OH
AM 1030 WBZ Boston MA def. AM 1470 WLQR Toledo OH
AM 650 WSM Nashville TN def. FM 102.9 WWWW Ann Arbor MI
FM 96.3 WDVD Detroit MI def. FM 90.3 WOTL Toledo OH
AM 1040 WHO Des Moines IA def. FM 101.9 WDET Detroit MI
FM 98.7 WVMV Detroit MI def. AM 1690 WRLL Chicago IL

SECOND ROUND
AM 1230 WCWA Toledo OH def. FM 101.1 WRIF Detroit MI
FM 103.7 WCKY Tiffin OH def. AM 780 WBBM Chicago IL
FM 98.7 WVMV Detroit MI def. FM 88.1 WBGU Bowling Green OH
FM 95.3 WQTE Adrian MI def. FM 91.3 WGTE Toledo OH
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. AM 720 WGN Chicago IL
FM 94.5 WXKR Toledo OH def. AM 1630 KCJJ Iowa City IA
FM 98.3 WTWR Monroe MI def. AM 660 WFAN New York NY
AM 1180 WHAM Rochester NY def. AM 1040 WHO Des Moines IA
FM 101.5 WRVF Toledo OH def. AM 710 WOR New York NY
FM 106.5 WRWK Toledo OH def. FM 96.9 WXQQ Toledo OH
FM 92.5 WVKS Toledo OH def. AM 1030 WBZ Boston MA
AM 1000 WMVP Chicago IL def. AM 670 WSCR Chicago IL
AM 1270 WXYT Detroit MI def. AM 1060 KYW Philadelphia PA
AM 650 WSM Nashville TN def. FM 96.3 WDVD Detroit MI
FM 97.3 WJZE Toledo OH def. FM 94.8 WCSX Detroit MI
FM 93.9 CIDR Windsor ON def. FM 95.7 WIMX Toledo OH

THIRD ROUND
AM 1230 WCWA Toledo OH def. AM 650 WSM Nashville TN
FM 95.3 WQTE Adrian MI def. FM 98.7 WVMV Detroit MI
FM 106.5 WRWK Toledo OH def. AM 1180 WHAM Rochester NY
FM 98.3 WTWR Monroe MI def. AM 1000 WMVP Chicago IL
FM 97.3 WJZE Toledo OH def. FM 103.7 WCKY Tiffin OH
FM 93.9 CIDR Windsor ON def. FM 92.5 WVKS Toledo OH
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. AM 1270 WXYT Detroit MI
FM 94.5 WXKR Toledo OH def. FM 101.5 WRVF Toledo OH

QUARTERFINALS
FM 97.3 WJZE Toledo OH def. FM 98.3 WTWR Monroe MI
FM 94.5 WXKR Toledo OH def. FM 93.9 CIDR Windsor ON
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. FM 95.3 WQTE Adrian MI
FM 106.5 WRWK Toledo OH def. AM 1230 WCWA Toledo OH

SEMIFINALS
FM 106.5 WRWK Toledo OH def. FM 94.5 WXKR Toledo OH
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. FM 97.3 WJZE Toledo OH

FINAL
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH def. FM 106.5 WRWK Toledo OH

2003 MARCONI MADNESS CHAMPION:
FM 104.7 WIOT Toledo OH