WEEKLY WHINE

2014 GoobNet Decade Championship

Here are the results of the first GoobNet Decade Championship, determining the best decade of the last 644 years. The hosts were selected from amongst the units defined in the Système International. The regional semifinals and finals were hosted by the metre, the kilogramme, the ampere, and the kelvin. The final two rounds were hosted by the second.

The tournament was quite captivating from start to finish. The 1900s shocked all of us by making a spirited run to the final rounds, but otherwise, there were not many upsets. It must be said that even though much of the tournament went by the form book, most of these pairings were very even. There was simply very little to choose from in many of these matchups. Even the 1940s, which outraged many readers when they received a first seed, had much going for them: they were buoyed by postwar reconstruction, Jackie Robinson, the start of the Golden Age of science fiction, and ENIAC. They advanced to the round of eight before falling to the improbable aughts. The final, as it happened, came down to the two decades in which Austin Powers was set.

We would like to take a moment to offer our hearty congratulations to our winner, the 1960s. Our first entry into space and a giant leap onto the Moon would be difficult for any decade to beat, but the Swinging Sixties also saw the colonial era finally wind down, all whilst revolutionising the worlds of television, music, and fashion. This result also proves the precognitive capabilities of Amber Lynn, who submitted a bracket entitled “Never Go Against the Bikini”.

Finally, we must thank all of the decades that participated, and all of the units that hosted a sectional, regional, or final round. There were so many people who helped ensure that this tournament ran smoothly and guaranteed that attention would be on the dramatic action that unfolded in front of all of us, and so we must thank them as well. We hope to see all of you back here in 640 years for our next GoobNet Decade Championship. No doubt it will be very shagadelic.

METRE REGIONAL

KILOGRAMME REGIONAL

AMPERE REGIONAL

KELVIN REGIONAL

SECOND FINAL ROUNDS