The Meat 16 Bracket is Here

Download and complete your own Meat 16 bracket here for your chance to win free jerky!

Hello Friends,

I know it can be a mighty difficult task deciding what style of Old Trapper smoked meat to eat at any one time. The suits in the home office call this "option paralysis," whereas you struggle to make a decision in the face of many different options. Now I didn't attend no Wharton School of Business, but you don't get to be an Old Trapper without understanding how to be decisive.

Step 1: Organize the Problem

I've previously mentioned my fondness for basketball, so when faced with the dilemma on what delicious snack to next devour, I draw inspiration from the bracketology of the Sweet 16. You can see, I've organized my favorite snacks into competitive match-ups so I'm not overwhelmed by their sheer volume.

Step 2: Apply Logic

How do I make each individual decision? Simple, I apply my unique brand of trapper logic honed by years of forest living. Let's tackle these decisions one by one.

Beefy Region

• Ordinarily the Peppered Double Eagle would be a serious contender in any other matchup here, but the OT Old Fashioned is an overall #1 seed and was just too much for the Big P double E this time out.
  • Winner: Old Fashioned Beef Jerky

• In a surprise upset, the Jalapeño Beef & Cheese defeated the heavily favored Teriyaki Trapper's Choice. But in the end, teamwork won out.
  • Winner: Jalapeño Beef & Cheese

Tasty Region

• Hot & Spicy Beef Jerky wins in a close one. Some "experts" might rate this a toss-up because of the Teriyaki Sticks' popularity, but for me, there's just no way to compete with the muscle of real beef.
  • Winner: Hot & Spicy Beef Jerky

• Listen, they don't call the Peppered Kippered "jumbo" for no reason. The size of this team was just too much for the Sausage Sticks.
  • Winner: Peppered Kippered

Smokey Region

• Taking the win in double overtime (obviously), it was the Spicy Double Eagle's deep bench that ultimately won the day over a tough Barbecue team. They may have avenged the Peppered Double Eagle's loss, but they're in for trouble as the next round approaches.
  •  Winner: Spicy Double Eagle

• Pepperoni was the choice among traditionalists and there's no doubt they're worthy of advancing, but the Teriyaki Beef Jerky showed up strong and just performed better.
  • Winner: Teriyaki Beef Jerky

Delicious Region

• Trapper's Choice is an up-and-coming contender who brings the steak AND the sizzle. The Kippered Steak was just no match for this goliath.
  • Winner: Original Trapper's Choice

• In the spiciest matchup in the bracket, Chipotle just didn't bring the heat the way The Hot One did. And because all the other sausage sticks got such tough opponents, they're the only stick to advance out of the Meat 16 round that didn't also have a talented player at the cheese position.
  • Winner: The Hot One

After all these tough decisions, I've narrowed my choices down by eight. Here's where we currently stand:

Step 3: Repeat

Got the idea? Good. Now it's your turn. Download your own Meat 16 bracket here, fill in your choices for your favorite smoked meat snack, and post it to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by 3/30 using the the hashtag #meat16. The first 50 players who successful match my winner will win free beef jerky. See, decisions don't always have to be painful. Sometimes they're just delicious.

All My Best,