If you thought the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament were drunk, you haven’t seen our bracket yet.
It’s the natural state of things when it comes to “Bar Madness.” And Round 1 of our battle for Tampa Bay’s favorite bar was full of tight matchups and surprise blowouts.
Some of that is due to tough-luck seeding. (Thanks Amalie Arena!) But a lot of it simply came down to the fans showing up to the polls. Needless to say, we have some thoughts on a wild opening weekend that said goodbye to a few of our favorite bars around here. And if you want to get in on the voting for the next round—the Sweet 16 (the Swig 16?)—follow us over on Instagram and Twitter starting Thursday at tipoff.
The race for #BarMadness continues.
Tiny Tap outlasts The Hub in the dive-iest matchup of the first round
The crowd at this watering hole classic was a thing of beauty. People were smoking in the stands like it was the 70s. Concessions sold out of Miller Lite by halftime. Both teams’ bands just kept playing “Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones. Alas, Tiny Tap’s will be the only one still playing in the next round. Was Golden Tee the X-factor that sent the Tap through? We’ll find out in their Round 2 bout with Anchor Bar.
Blue blood MacDinton’s outlasts its cross-street rival
If MacDinton’s wakes up tomorrow doused in eggs, we’ll have a decent idea of the culprit. Soho Saloon has established itself as one of the premiere sports bars in South Tampa, especially for a younger, rowdier crowd. But MacDinton’s has been doing this for a while now, overcoming any relative bar exhaustion by catering to a burgeoning local soccer fanbase. MacDinton’s is Duke. MacDinton’s is Kentucky. The landscapes change, but a Round 1 MacD’s knockout felt farfetched under any circumstance.
The Patio takes Ducky’s out behind the back bar
No one really knows what went on back there. But we may see an entirely new coaching staff at Ducky’s after an 80-20 romp on opening day. The Patio’s reward? A tantalizing, juggernaut matchup with Hattricks in the Swig 16.
Big round for Bolts bars
Both Hattricks and Yeoman’s survived Round 1 barn burners with Ferg’s and Cigar City Taproom, respectively. Ferg’s essentially caught a brutal break with its seeding. Nonetheless, it’s a little bit of bragging rights for Lightning and “Sports Are Better in Tampa” truthers alike. Yeoman’s now takes on MacDinton’s in a thematic cross-the-pond battle for Guinness supremacy. May the best lad win.
Copper Shaker edges out Ciro’s in an upscale cocktail lounge shootout
Maybe Ciro’s is past its speakeasy prime (still great in our minds). But even if the password jig’s a bit up, this still felt like a mild upset that perhaps came down to Copper Shaker having two locations and an inclusive social media presence. A solid Instagram goes a long way in Bar Madness. Sometimes a share is all it takes.
Cue up your favorite R.I.P. karaoke tribute for Pete’s Place
It was an unfair draw for Pete’s going up against a certified frat powerhouse in The Dog. I, for one, will be heading down Henderson for a frosty one and a personal rendition of “Missing You” by Puff Daddy. The beautiful silver lining in this heartbreaker is that Pete’s probably has no idea that we’re doing this—and wouldn’t care if they did.