Finally, we can't just shut down the website without some sort of retrospective. Having done so many matches, not to mention having Ted McGinley and shark-jumping in our last match, it got us thinking: When did Grudge Match "Jump the Shark"?

If you're not familiar with JTS: "It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program [or website] has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on... it's all downhill. The expression refers to the telltale sign of the demise of Happy Days, our favorite example, when Fonzie actually 'jumped the shark'. The rest is history." To learn more, head to the official Jump the Shark website, bounce around, learn more about the concept and the JTS categories.

So, we asked viewers to vote on when WWWF jumped the shark. They were given 11 choices, all matched to a television show that jumped the shark in a similar manner. The voting form looked something like this (NOTE: voting has been disabled):

Current Match | Related & Similar Matches
History Section | Tell a friend about this match

RESPONSE OF THE WEEK GRUDGIETM

First of all, Grudge Match NEVER jumped the shark. It shouldn't even be considered in the same sentence with shark jumping.

Now that that's settled, I think it's safe to assume how many of the responses to this last "match" will go.

Quite a fair portion, I'd imagine, will involve Steve or Brian suddenly waking up back at Cornell and telling the other about the weird dream they just had, where they spent ten years creating fictional battles against characters from pop culture.

Even more responses, I'd say, will involve Steve and Brian getting thrown into jail for violating some crazy blue law. While there, they'll start up their old debate about who would win in a Webster vs. Gary Coleman fight.

A select few responses will probably be about how, at the end, Grudge Match is revealed to be nothing but a figment of Hotbranch's imagination.

And if people really want to be clever, they can write about the entire Grudge Match team leaving headquarters, one by one, until just Steve and Brian are left. As they part ways, and Brian's helicopter takes off from the roof, he sees Steve's final message, written in stones... "Goodbye". A smile crosses his face.

There are other ways... one last person coming to the site, only to find a sign that says "Sorry, we're closed"... Brian waking up from a bad dream and finding Steve in the shower... and there's always the "Where Are They Now" - style ending.

Or, people could decide to be surprisingly original. I'd be amazed if that happened.

Steve, Brian... Grudge Match delighted and entertained me long before I gave a crap about Celebrity Deathmatch. Claymation isn't that cool anyway. Thank you.

- Scotty J - With apologies to "Newhart", "Seinfeld", "St. Elsewhere", "M*A*S*H", "Cheers", "Dallas", and "Animal House". Thanks, guys. Best 5 years of entertainment I ever had (found the site in 2000)

ROTW Silver Medal GrudgieTM

Having sent a few comments in the past (and even making "The Final Word" in one match), I have to comment on this final "match".

For this commentary, I'm going to comment each of the possible shark- jumping moments, from earliest to latest up to the one that finally caused the site to "jump the shark".

Full House: Jumped the shark at Day 1? Are you serious? Not only was a Webster/Gary Coleman match a good way to start the site's history, but it also probably set the stage for Celebrity Deathmatch, the TV equivilent to this site.

Three's Company: Even if Sam wasn't there, that didn't stop the Grudge Match from growing in popularity and creating more and more exciting matches.

The Brady Bunch: I'm having a hard time trying to explain a reason why Game Show Mania wasn't the thing that caused the site to jump the shark, so I'll just leave it at that.

The Wonder Years: With all the matches that the site has had in the past few years, there were tons of creative responses concerning the outcome of the match. At that time, the Internet was still a "phone- line" thing. So, it's understandable that an "Iron Fist" must be enforced to cut the amount of clever responses to an amount that wouldn't cause long load times.

The X-Files: Around the time the book was made, there was still many people who have yet to be able to go online. Thus, the book isn't a way of selling out, but rather a way to showcase some of the site's best matches (and a few matches made for this book) to those who haven't gotten Internet access yet (or to those who haven't heard of the site yet).

Dukes of Hazzard: When Steve and Brian left the first time around, the site was still gaining a lot of fans, and thus couldn't end just like that. With Ground Zero, the fun that is the Grudge Match lived on. Also, if it weren't for Ground Zero, there wouldn't be any Tournament of Champions matches.

American Idol: Bogus voting only made the site more enjoyable. Contenders that you can't vote for added some humor to the match (with the reasons as to why they couldn't win). The Scrappy vs. Jar Jar match (with Carrot Top being the survivor if anyone votes for "Both Mutilated and Killed") set things up for one Tournament of Champions bout (in which the comedian finally gets what's coming to him). Finally, the history of the Grudge Match wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Braveheart Jihad ("There is no Jihad!").

Bewitched: Even if Dave did commentary instead of Jeff, that didn't mean the site's quality would go downhill.

NYPD BLUE: Finally, we reached the part where the site "jumped the shark" when the matches became monthly events instead of bi-weekly. With this change of time between matches, a lot of annual events (i.e. the Tournament of Champions, Halloween and Xmas themed matched) were no longer part of the schedule. Also, the one month gap between matches made things somewhat boring on the site (in fact, in the last few months, I only visited the site once a month to see what the new match is). In the end, the delay in schedule resulted in the site's downfall.

With that said, all I have left to say is this: I've had a great time visiting this site and checking out all the humor-themed matches that the Grudge Match has held. It's a bummer that the site won't be having anymore matches. However, like the anime club that I attended at my nearby community college (which disbanded the beginning of this year), it is time to move on.

- Joe Klemm

ROTW Bronze Medal GrudgieTM

So... this is it, then. After all this time (during most of which I was unaware of this site's existence, sad to say), you've finally called it quits.

About friggin' time.

Sorry, but this site has stunk worse than reruns of The Duck Factory for months now. You know when the jumping point was? Scrappy vs. Jar Jar. Sure, rig the friggin' match, why don't you? All that, just to ensure that you'd get your TOC set up the way you wanted it. And then you switched to the monthly format, and everything went downhill.

Still... I'm going to miss this place. Where else could we answer the universal question, "How many people want to see Mary-Kate and Ashley in a woodchipper?" (The answer, apparently, was in the millions.)

- Man Called True - "*Sob* You never loved me! You were always lying, weren't you? Bastichs! *hic*"

I've been following, voting, and submitting thoughts on this site for five years now, the first fight I ever voted on being Ewoks vs. Gremlins. Keep in mind only five of my thoughts on anything ever made it to the site (if memory serves, it was Hobbes vs. Tigger, ToC V, Battle of the Seven Deadly Sins, Weakest Link, and Chef vs. Swedish Chef), but still, I have a lot of great memories of the WWWF, so it gives me great pleasure to reminisce on... well, when you guys lost it.

Of the choices listed, I had to do with the monthly updates, because that was just weak. Plus none of the fights hit the level of "Holy crap, that IS cool." that used to be presented.

However, that isn't quite where I felt Grudge Match started slipping, so I now present to you the "What the HELL?" match results of the WWWF.

First off, the guys from Lethal Weapon over Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield. That was just shameful. I hadn't even seen Pulp Fiction at the time of that match and I already knew that Vince and Jules were infinitely cooler than Riggs and Murtaugh.

Also, any time anything resembling "All Mangled and Killed" was presented. I didn't think that was worse than the Monthly format, but did anyone EVER beat one of those? It's not even funny.

But really, the worst thing ever was the United States of America winning a ToC. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Over CALVIN. And MARVIN THE PARANOID ANDROID. That killed everything right there.

Still, despite my bitching, this was a great site and a lovely concept. Live long and prosper, Grudge Match.

Wait. I probably should have tried to be funny here. Crap.

- Gosunkugi, formerly known as Carnagefreak

While I voted for "The Simpsons", I feel that your Shark Jumping was more on par with "Mystery Science Theater 3000." I've got three supporting pieces of evidence.

1) While neither MST3K nor Grudge-Match ever Jumped The Shark (aside from the few wackos out there at the Shark Jumping website who think otherwise), they never truly became the media-dominating force that they deserved to be. Magazines and TV shows would occasionally reference both of them, but the average person on the street remains, unfortunately, clueless. Both remain cult icons, which is probably a good thing.

2) Both lasted for roughly a decade, and managed to gain a fan base that was able to relate to the creators. Just as a child's drawing gave Crow T. Robot the nickname "Art", voter responses gave rise to who-knows how many running jokes.

3) Both remained true to the original concept. MST3K never changed what it was about: making fun of bad movies by mocking them. Meanwhile, Grudge-Match never changed what it was about: having people debate over whether or not various pop-culture icons would be able to triumph over the other.

4) Both of them *should* have jumped the shark. They both began as cool ideas that lasted for much longer than most would think possible. Both totally revamped the basic art and scenery periodically. Both had entire "cast" changes. Both of them switched their position-of-viewing (Grudge-Match changed servers, MST3K changed channels). That anything can last this long without jumping the shark is surely a sign of purity. Or something.

5) Finally, both will be dearly missed. Now, we've yet to see if Grudge-Match will have the staying power that prompts sites such as The MST3K Info Club to survive, but given previous matches such as "The Night The Lights Went Out", I feel fairly certain that the fans will stay.

I'll hate to see you guys go, as I've been a loyal reader since "The Conheads Vs. The Solomons." Considering that this response is much sappier than my normal deluded ramblings, I should probably end it quickly (you people have plenty more of these to read, I'm sure). So, while I'm not sure how any of you will be able to do so, try to find some way to keep in touch.

Now then. Think I'll write something that can go in "The Final Word." Heh-heh-heh....

- Affy

Rage™ in Peace, Grudge Match. You will be missed.

- Bowie Hawkins

- BLAMM!

- Question the Majority

I almost went with NYPD Blue. Monthly matches!?!? C'mon! You got 12 guys workin' over there! You could have 6 matches at a time. Just pair everyone up. Then do a round robin and rotate.

Well this is the end. Goodbye. Although the only thing I wish could have happened was that my match that I sugested that Brian said you'd do was Buffy vs. Van Helsing. Who could slay Dracula first? Can you do one favor? Put up a list of all matches you had planned just like:

Contestant 1 vs. Contestant 2

A list like that.

Thanks For the laughs!

- Murphy The Dog

We have some ideas for features we may add in the future, like matches we never did and transcripts from the Live Grudge Match events. When done, notices will be sent out on our mailing list, so be sure to sign up if you aren't already (send a BLANK email to grudgenews-subscribe@topica.com). But for the record: I never committed to Buffy vs. Van Helsing! --Brian

- StrigoiTemplar

- CoKE

All in all, though, we'll all miss you guys.

- J-Money

For the record, the ecclectic mix in the orphans match was due to each commentator having full autonomy(*) in selecting whatever pop culture figure they wanted that had not yet been featured in a match. And because Mark's from Minnesota. -Eds

(*)The lone exception being John, who said he would take Ted McGinley as a joke. Unfortunately, no one else realized it was a joke. By the time that was cleared up, we were too far gone to change it. His real choice was the conjoined twins of Bea Arthur and Kim-Jong Il. Seriously. Izzy Stradlin doesn't seem too bad now, does it?

In my opinion, you've never jumped the shark (although you've cut it close when switching to the monthly format from the 2-week matches.) At any rate, if Grudge Match is really going to call it quits, you guys will be missed. Thank you very much for 10 years of great internet entertainment.

- Tim the Slipperman

- Evil "The Real World Blows" Bob

Anyhow, I'm glad you guys decided to stop it before it DID get old. Maybe it did and I just didn't realize it. In any case, thanks for the laughs, have fun with your child rumors, and be amazed that I'm not putting in some known Grudge Match inside joke right here. I won't do it! I refuse to stoop that low! HA!

- A New Cynic

- The Amazing Fat Man

But ever since you guys decided to go the Sopranos route, and:
a. Whack Steve and Brian
b. Decide to wait an amount of time between matches so ungodly the milk in my fridge has become a sentient being now protected by the Prime Directive.
c. Started calling Paul Golba "Paulie Walnuts."
d. Turn Mr. T into a made man (aka Don T).

I decided, indeed, Fonzie is in the air on his crotch rocket.

....but I still love yous.

- Budo

Anthropomorphise? Anthropomorphisize?

Screw it.

I'll miss you guys.

- (So long and thanks for all the) Fish of Death

By wasting 3 weeks out of 4 of my leisure time! That's How!

I almost gave up on you guys, especially when the matches got worse and worse. But here I am now.

And able to vote on this exact matter.

If the last 16 matches were the best you had to offer, then I'm glad you finished with this one. The second best match ever.

- ERB - Initials of the Strong - Names are for the WEAK!

Please don't quit!

A loyal fan who does not want one of his favourite sites to be shut down

- Big Baron

- D.G.

After watching the Happy Days 30 year reunion, I must say, you guys never jumped the shark. And keep in mind, that after jumping that shark, Fonzie still had 100 episodes to film and the show spawned the "deer in the headlights" offshoot "Joanie loves Chachi". Being a young pubescent boy at that time, I loved Joanie and the short little skirts she used to wear. Anyway, I'm dismayed and disappointed that you are ending the Grudge Match. Now what am I supposed to do at work... work?

Thank you though for the pleasure of deciding who lives and who dies. Every new match made me feel a little bit like God must have felt when he ordered the Angel of Death to destroy Soddom. Your quasi- divination felt great.

- Todd the Fish Guy

This was the vote count when I voted. To the untrained eye, this means nothing, but to a trained observer like myself, this says conspiracy.

0 votes for Full House, and who do people remember from Full House? The Olson Twins. And what show had two chicks? Three's Company, which had 54 votes. 5+4=9, the number of squares in the opening of the Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch had 26 votes. 26 which is how old I was when the Olson Twins turned 18. Which leads back to Full House and 0 votes. 0 is the number of actors in The Wonder Years that still have a job. The Wonder Years have 14 votes. Reverse 14 and you have 41, the Dukes of Hazard's vote total. The X-files was in between the Wonder Years and the Dukes of Hazard. That means that the conspiracy comes from Fox. The presence of 3 Fox shows means that there are 3 people involved in this conspiracy. The other three shows give a clue to their identity. Bewitched had an Air Force officer. NYPD Blues is about cops, and the people they sometimes abuse. Seinfeld was about nothing. People misassociate nothing with black holes. Black holes are theorized to be a gateway to a wormhole. The only stable wormhole on this planet is in the Stargate in the Cheyene Mountain Complex. So obviously the Air Force has been using the Stargate to move prisoners. President Bush has been diverting funds for the war against the system lords to fight this war on terror. He's endangering us all!! Join me in voting Daniel Jackson for President!!

- Wise Ass

Within the next 20 years. But trust me, I'm coming for you!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

But anyway, Grudge Match never JUMPED THE SHARK... UNTIL NOW, NOW THAT IT IS ENDED! NOW THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE END OF GRUDGE MATCH WILL JUMP THE SHARK.... INTO THE GREAT PLACE IN THE SKY (or below, there pick).

- Death AKA The Grim Reaper AKA Homer Simpson from that one Treehouse of Horror AKA Taxes AKA Hades AKA... Ahh what the heck.

- MonkeyDog

Wow, really, heck man... I guess I grew up with you guys. Finally a grad student myself now.

- LAS

For the record (again), when we went to the monthly format, it was a compromise decision after we came thisclose to shutting down. So while going monthly may have been a big JTS moment for many, we hope it was better than the alternative.

- Ugly Bob

- Later dudes

- Thought Police

a) they actually believed in that choice (hey, it takes all sorts...)
b) they wanted some casual "vandalism" or to make a silly joke
or even c) to see what happens, which is a major trait of our species.

The fact that there hasn't been a single person, in the WHOLE WORLD WIDE WEB of all places, who doesn't feel inclined to click that button for any reason whatsoever has a lot to tell about the legacy of this site.

Bye bye, Grudge Match. We liked you a lot.

- Sinistro

Actually, it just tells a lot about how we like to rig voting. -Eds

- Mr Stranger Things Have Happened.

Wait a minute! I'm from Minnesota. We don't have sharks.

I wonder what that stuff floating in the water is.

- Mark Wentz

- Wolverine

Good bye WWWF, we will miss you dearly!

- cartmanRULES

In other words, my complaint is that you did too many matches where you had a half-dozen or more competitors. Two competitors were great, three or four I could accept. But then you'd have a whole list of "fighters," I just couldn't get myself to care. That's where you REALLY JTSed in my opinion.

- MaleKim

If you were being courtious toward the people running Comic Book Universe Battles and worried about taking up ideas that they might have used, then you underestimated the number of match ideas that could have come from the generes that they were dealing with. The people running 1 of these sites might have thought of matches that the people running the other 1 might not have ever thought of too. Even if you did use a few ideas that they might have used I doubt that it would have hurt them that much. Its not like you were 2 business that were trying to make money with these sites, unless you or they have something to admit to.

- Mimic

For the record (yet again), we didn't do very many comic book characters simply because none of the regular commentators were familiar with that genre. Nothing more sinister or condescending than that. Plus, CBUB does such a good job with it, we saw no reason to go out of our way (and outside our own comfort zone). -Eds

- Groucho Magmarx ("It's gonna have to be a BIG coin...")

Thousands of Grudgies everywhere are now SEETHING with THE RAGE(TM) at what has happened. As to the Eye of the Tiger(TM) well, we'll see won't we?

Other Statements:

I Still have no idea what Hotbranch 3:16 is.
Mentos Level Coolness: Ash Williams is US Ambassador of Whoopass.
Babe Factor. ...Damn, I give it to you anyway on General Principle.
There Is No Jihad(TM). Yeah. There really isn't. REALLY. I better get out of here...

And thus, in my attempt to honor you, I have searched for a pithy, memorable and awesome closing statement:

*Sergio Leone Staredown!* *Dramatic Pause!* *The Man With No Name guns someone down!*

Thank you. And Adios.

- DMOD

- grudgematch

...I hope.

- Infraggable Krunk

- Bigmrg74 -- Now where am I going to go to get a good laugh when I come home from the bar drunk??

- Leaper

- Nuclear Armegeddon + WW2 TorchSong 4evr

THE FINAL WORD...

Well, you know, this is what you get for putting Ted McGinley in a Grudge-Match.

- Linkin Anneww (Made In Japan)

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Next: Final site close out.
ETA: April 4th, 2005