National Hot Dog Council deems ketchup unfit for hot dogs

(Buzz60/Patrick Jones) -- If you like March Madness but don't really care for winter or basketball, there's a new bracket that might strike your fancy.

With summer — AKA grilling season — approaching, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council is launching a bracket to determine the official hot dog condiment champion.

Here are the brackets choices: You got mustard, mayo, cole slaw, sauerkraut, chili, ketchup, bbq sauce and relish on one side.

Moving to the other of the bracket, you've got onions, pulled pork, sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomato, bacon, pickle and cheese.

Now believe it or not, the Hot Dog Council may be a little biased. Even though they're letting us vote, they have a list of their own etiquette.

Take a peek at fun toppings for hot dogs:

Some of their don'ts include putting toppings underneath the dog, because they're called "toppings," after all.

Then they insist you don't use utensils, which is admittedly a rookie move.

Also, don't take more than five bites to get that dog down your gullet. Channel your inner Kobayashi.

Instead, take fewer bites, but still attempt to chew. The council's regulations even allow us to lick any condiments off your fingers.

The big one that stands out though is that they say you cannot use ketchup after the age of 18.

But maybe they're the ones who need to "ketchup." It's 2016, after all, and we should all be able to use whatever condiments we like.