American Jesus Madness 2015

It’s been a long, cold winter, but that most wonderful time of the year has finally arrived.

Time to begin that sacred journey that culminates in the crowning of a new champion of American Christianity.

That’s right, let the word spread across the land, American Jesus Madness returns March 17th!!

For the uninitiated, American Jesus Madness is a royal rumble of American Christian culture that pits people, places, things, ideas, literally anything else you can think of in American Christian culture against each other in a tournament for the ages. You’ll help me pick the match-ups, I’ll put them together in a bracket, and then you’ll vote on the winners until only one combatant remains.

But, Zack, what does it mean to be the champion of American Christianity?

Stop right there.

You’re already overthinking this.

This is a tournament in which Nicolas Cage’s Left Behind battles Kirk Cameron’s Left Behind and where Ken Ham dukes it out with Reality. Things like “logic” and “reason” come a distant second in American Jesus Madness to having fun and, most importantly, crowning a winner ’cause this is American and there’s gotta be a winner!!

Each each tournament has been bigger than the last. There were almost a quarter of a million votes cast in last year’s tournament as Mark Sandlin defeated all comers to become the first and only back-to-back champion in American Jesus Madness history.

I’m hoping for only bigger and better things this year.

But I need your help.

Starting today and running through Tuesday, March 10th I’ll be taking submissions for who or what or where or whatever you want to see in the tournament this year. Just leave your suggestions in the comments below or tweet them to me (use #AJM2015) or send them via courier pigeon or whatever. I’ll add them to the list, select the best ones, and create a bracket.

I’ll release the bracket on Thursday, March 12th.

And, per tradition, I’ll offer my first round breakdown on Friday, March 13th to help guide you in your voting.

Brackets will be due on Monday, March 16th and the 2015 American Jesus Madness tournament will begin bright and early on Tuesday, March 17th.

Like that other March Madness tournament you might have heard about, half the fun of American Jesus Madness is filling out a bracket and picking the winners. Last year, Rick Riedel fended off all challengers to become our 2014 bracket champion. But this year could be your year! All you’ve got to do is fill out a bracket and eternal glory and honor could be yours!

Anyway, I’ll keep reminding you good folks over the coming the days to get your suggestions in for the tournament. You just make sure you’re here next Thursday to download your bracket.

And in the meantime, help me spread the good news to all your friends and family and cabbies and strangers on the street that American Jesus Madness has returned!!