AIG for the win :)

btw, can we get a PDF printable bracket?

I was leaning AIG without looking, but Ticketmaster will be really tough to beat. A charge to print it myself so they don't have to? Come on.

Barring Walmart institutionalizing a policy requiring all employees be paid in the skins of dead puppies, I think AIG is going to run away with this one.

I'm calling it now -- AIG over Comcast in the biggest blowout of the year!

I'm going to have to say, that while there are some beasts on that list, that can go toe-to-toe with the worst of the worst, only one of them went pew pew pew to our economy, so AIG has this for sure.

Comcast vs. AIG

Circuit City isn't a company anymore!

@dmolavi: Seconded

Going to be tough between AIG (Begging money from the government to keep from failing, then frittering it away on vacations, bonuses and office decorations), Peanut Corp of America (salmonilla sandwich to kill more people anybody?) or Ticketmaster (No no, we don't have those tickets available, but try stubhub, our VERY OWN website where you can purchase the exact same ticket for 5 times the price sold by... whoops, us!)

We'll see. This should be interesting =)

How is Circuit City still on there? They were only operating for 16 days in America. The rest was under a liquidator.

AIG is publicly hated because the media blows everything out of proportion, but they didn't kill anybody.

Peanut Company of America KILLED people...

I was thinking that AIG was a shoo-in, but after seeing Peanut Corp. of America in the running...whew. This year the voting will be nasty.

On that note, which is worse--knowingly killing a bunch of people or devastating the world economy?

I am very disappointed that the United States Government is not on here.

AIG has an easy first round matchup, but watch out for Peanut Corp of America in the Sweet 16 - that could be an upset.

Walmart is a trendy pick to matchup with AIG in the elite 8, but could get some competition from Best Buy.

Ticketmaster has a cakewalk to the Final Four.

Comcast gets Directv in an ironic first round matchup, and should make the elite eight with ease.

General Motors could provide Comcast competition in the quarterfinal, however.

eBay Paypal should be in everyone's Elite 8, and I don't think Cicuit Shitty should be eligible - they're not a company anymore.

My Final Four: AIG, Ticketmaster, General Motors and eBay/Paypal.

Championship Game: "The Bailout Bowl" AIG vs. GM

@curtisawa: Pretty much every movie theater does this as well. A "convenience" fee is ridiculous, especially considering how much extra work it is.

i think AIG and the peanut company should be on opposite ends of the bracket, that way they will battle it out for first place.

How does Starbucks get on this list? Maybe a bit of justification for that? They're relatively innocuous.

Once again Consumerist has failed to include THE WORST Corporation in America "the Federal Reserve". Who gave the money to AIG? The Fed. Who is giving away billions of taxpayers money? The Fed. Who refuses to tell anyone where the money went to and what it was spent on? The Fed.

Ugh, T-Mobile against Best Buy? Just based on the way the T-Mobile guys at the mall kiosk ACCOST everyone who has the misfortune to walk past them I want to vote for T-Mobile, but I can't vote Best Buy out of contention in the first round. Damn you!

@noone1569: If we're looking at the competition year then it was a company during the performance period, so it counts. :D

@dmolavi: I second that. I will take bets to that matter, too.

@Caleb Garvey: Agreed!

Can we get numerical values on these seeds? I have a vague understanding of what the seeding is, but something like AIG (1) vs. Target (16) would be appreciated. Keep up the good work!

@dako81: Seconded. I'll bet 20 shares of Citi Bank on that one.

Can you define worst?

If it's by sheer story volume on Consumerist, it's gotta be Worst Buy.

AIG is this years Enron!!

@spoco: Agreed. But I wish Ticketmaster and AIG were not on the same end.

@courtarro: yeah I foresee an AIG vs. Peanut corp deathmatch in the semifinal on that bracket.

I just hope AIG doesn't completely steamroll this thing. I want competition!

aig has this all wrapped up.

Man I smell a first round upset with Time Warner taking out Ticketmaster.

@dragonfire81: EDIT: crap that can't be a semi final because they are only two brackets away. Sucky.

AIG and BoA in the final.

Companies which screw up the economy, like AIG and Citi, do cause deaths indirectly. Anytime you take money out of the system, cause people to lose their jobs, lose health care, increase their stress, etc., a certain number of people are going to die because of that.

Nonetheless it's hard for me not to bet on Peanut Corp., since they knowingly distributed a product that could kill people directly and quickly. Of course we don't really know if Peanut Corp. killed more people directly than Citi or AIG did indirectly.

On the other hand, if you want to look at it in terms of death caused, you have to consider United Healthcare a favorite.

If arrogance, pettiness, and generally having contempt for your customers turns out to be a major factor, then TicketMaster is going to the Final Four.

So that's my Final Four, I suppose: Citibank, AIG, United Healthcare, and Ticketmaster.

I do like someone's suggestion of the Federal Reserve. They ARE a private company, not a government entity, and they have behaved in horrible ways. However, among the companies that are included in the brackets, there is one thing that stands out to me. Only one company in the running has actually knowingly MURDERED citizens (Peanut Corp). That does kinda stand out, doesn't it?

Oops, um, I'll take Peanut Corp. instead of TM.

best buy and apple get my vote

@dmolavi: took the words outta my mouth....

GM is a close 2nd IMO

Without numbers on the seedings here, it is hard to know what the Committee was thinking. AIG is clearly a #1 seed, but everything else is kind of a jumbled mess.

The bracket in the bottom right doesn't have a clear #1, for instance, while AIG's bracket has the Peanut Corporation, which obviously would be a #1 seed in any other bracket.

I suck. Seeing all those companies together has me incoherent. Peanut Corp., Citibank, United Healthcare, Ticketmaster. K bye.

@David M Pondelick: I was thinking the same thing.

Why is XM not on the list

@Underpants Gnome: That policy, plus a pay increase for all employees, plus a bonus of free wallets made from the skins of more dead puppies.

Although it would still be close...

My final four:

AIG
Citibank
GM
BofA

AIG vs. GM in the finals. Beyond that, flip a coin, but I lean AIG.

@ADismalScience: For making me feel bad at study groups in college. I looked like such a fool ordering the gourmet soda because I just don't like coffee.

*weeps quietly*

@Yankees368: Because not enough people voted for it during the nominating period.

Come on, give it to AIG already.

Thanks for making it more concise than last year. I expect to pay attention this time.

AIG is the obvious favorite, but don't overlook the Peanut Corp upset in round two. Potentially bankrupting the country is tough to beat, but intentionally infecting people with salmonella could do it.