recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Orlando

*"orlando looks like a titty"*

*--Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Orlando is the fourth most visited city in the United States

In the 60s, media tycoon Walter Disney chose Orlando as the site of his new theme park and resort. He died before his vision could be finished, but in 1971 the Magic Kingdom opened

Orlando is also home to other amusement parks such as Universal Studios and Sea World

The University of Central Florida, the largest university in America by enrollment, is in Orlando. It was founded in 1963 to teach local folks math to support the US space program, but it has grown into a behemoth with 70,000 students and a 2017 national champion football team. Alumni include Daniel Tosh, Cheryl Hines, Daunte Culpepper, and Blake Bortles

This flag depicts the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, located in Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. Allen was just some dude who decided Orlando needed a fountain, so he told his pal the mayor to build one

32 major leaguers were born in Orlando including Dan Vogelbach, Billy Beane, Riley Greene, Zack Greinke, and M-SABR legend Steve Christmas. Other people from the city include comedian Wayne Brady, Beverly Hillbilly Buddy Ebsen, runningback Chris Johnson, the Hughes brothers, the lead singer of Creed, and some of the members of NSYNC

## Tournament

As the 133 seed, Orlando was defeated by New Mexico in Round 4 Matchup 25 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (645) Nunavut 8-3

**Round 3:** Win over (389) Mato Grosso do Sul 6-4

**Round 4:** Loss to (5) New Mexico 8-1
Laos

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is a country in southeast Asia

It is the only country in that region to be landlocked

Alongside Vietnam, China, Cuba, and North Korea, Laos is one of five socialist governments in power today

The Laotian national sport is Muay Lao, a form of kickboxing similar to Muay Thai. Who could have guessed

Laos has never been represented at the Winter Olympics, and no Laotian has ever won a gold medal. The Laos national basketball team competed at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, where it finished in eighth place

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Laos is the only landlocked nation in southeast Asia

It traces its roots back to the Lan Xang kingdom which existed until the early 1700s. At this point, it broke up into three separate kingdoms including Luang Prabang. France then colonized the region and re-merged the three kingdoms into something they named Laos.

It became independent in 1953 as a constitutional monarchy. Following the Vietnam War, communism swept the nation and the Hmong people were forced to leave

There are three movie theaters in Laos

Its highest peak is the remote Phou Bia at 9249 feet in the Annamite Mountains. As it is located on a restricted military base, there has been no known ascent in 30 years

Laos is believed to have over a thousand different genres of rice, which may be the most in the world

## Tournament

Laos was defeated by Serbia in Round 2 Matchup 27 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Haiti. As the 206 seed, it was defeated by Estonia in Round 3 Matchup 39 of FlagVote 2. As the 283 seed, it was defeated by Russia in Round 2 Matchup 234 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Cornish Wrestling.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Haiti 6-1

**Round 2:** Loss to Serbia 7-1

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (307) Maryland 4-3

**Round 2:** Win over (51) St. Louis 4-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (78) Estonia 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (742) Cornish Wrestling 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (230) Russia 5-4
Toronto

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the 7th largest metro in North America

The Canadian National, or CN Tower in the city is the largest structure in the western hemisphere

The name Toronto comes from the Iroquois ‘tkaranto’ meaning Place Where Trees Stand in the Water

Toronto is the hometown of future hall of famer Joey Votto

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Toronto is a 1988 animated film created by anime legend Hayao Miyazaki, and wait fuck that's the wrong thing isn't it

Toronto is the capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada

It used to be named "York." Not new or anything, just York. It was messed up pretty badly in the War of 1812 though, and while being rebuilt they decided to rename the city Toronto

The city is also called "The 6", as in 1998 six municipalities merged to create the Toronto we know today and no I'm not going to list them. Both of Toronto's area codes also have the digit 6 in them, which I guess makes Boston the 7. Massholes stay winning

Toronto is an incredibly diverse city, as it is maybe the most popular destination for immigrants to Canada. Over half of its residents were born outside the country, and over 160 languages are spoken in the city

The mayor of Toronto made headlines in the early 2010s for being a crack addict. His brother is now the governor of Ontario

Toronto has many sports teams, some of which are almost successful. The NBA's Raptors won the city's most recent title that anyone actually cares about (sorry Argonauts), which they did in 2019. The Blue Jays became the first Canadian MLB team to win a World Series when they won two of them in the early nineties, and the Maple Leafs

Notable people from Toronto include scream queen Neve Campbell, defenseman Dougie Hamilton, director who makes me kinda squeamish David Cronenberg, Darth Vader impersonator Hayden Christensen, and mouse impersonator Joel Zimmerman. Cam will get mad at me if I don't mention Joey Votto, so here you go

## Tournament

As the 231 seed, Toronto was defeated by Lithuania in Round 1 Matchup 207 of FlagVote 2. As the 374 seed, it was defeated by St. Kitts and Nevis in Round 2 Matchup 244 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Beihan.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (651) Beihan 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (139) St. Kitts and Nevis 8-2
Lombardy

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Lombardy is a region in the North of Italy

It is the richest and most populous of Italy’s twenty regions

It is home to Milan, the second most populous city in the country

The northern part of the region is dominated by the Alps, while the south has plains

Much of Italy’s fashion industry is based in Milan and Lombardy

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Lombardy is an administrative region in North Italy

It is named for the Kingdom of the Lombards, a medieval kingdom which at its peak controlled nearly the entire Italian Peninsula

Over a sixth of the Italian population resides in Lombardy, giving it strong economic and industrial centers as well as a cultural heritage that dates beyond the Roman Empire to pre-literary history

Irrigation systems designed by Leonardo da Vinci have substantially contributed to the region's agriculture sector, and the non-Alpine regions of Lombardy are known for producing Lombardia sparkling wine

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics will be jointly hosted in Lombardy and the neighboring Veneto region, as Milan is Lombardy's major population hub

Several key figures in Roman and Italian history have origins in modern-day Lombardy, including Roman author and military official Pliny the Elder and Renaissance painter Caravaggio

## Tournament

As the 198 seed, Lombardy was defeated by Egypt in Round 2 Matchup 93 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Indonesia. As the 481 seed, it was defeated by Buski County in Round 1 Matchup 9 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (315) Indonesia 4-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (59) Egypt 4-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (544) Buski County 6-5
Junin

*"damn if we just waited another day we could have eliminated junin in june"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Junín is a department in central Peru

Its largest city, Huancayo, is Peru’s 5th largest. It takes its name from the indigenous Huanca people who lived there for 2000 years before being killed off by the Inca in 1460. Huancayo style potatoes are a popular dish throughout Peru, featuring boiled potatoes covered in cheese and served cold over a leaf of lettuce

It has a lot of biodiversity, with high glaciers and plateaus in the east, snowy peaks in the west, and low valleys in between. There are also jungles in the east too

Lake Junin is the largest lake entirely located in Peru. It is a great spot for birdwatching

Simon Bolivar defeated the Spanish in the Battle of Junin in 1824

The smelting town of La Oroya is known as one of the most polluted places in the world

## Tournament

As the 217 seed, Junin was defeated by Zheleznogorsk in Round 3 Matchup 23 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Murmansk.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (296) Murmansk 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (40) Zheleznogorsk 7-2
Ostrowski County

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Ostrowski County is a Polish county in Greater Poland Voivodeship

It is one of two counties in Poland with this name, the other located about 300 km to the Northeast in Masovian Voivodeship

The county’s largest city is Ostrow Wielkopolski, which has a population of about 70,000

Ostrow was granted town status in 1404, but lost it briefly from 1711 to 1714 due to economic stagnation

The region was part of an independent country, the Republic of Ostrow, for about 2 weeks in November 1918 after leaving Prussia but before being reunited with Poland

The city of Ostrow is a sister city of Wayne Gretzky’s hometown of Brantford Ontario and Cyrano’s hometown of Bergerac France

## Tournament

As the 649 seed, Ostrowski County was defeated by Zealand in Round 1 Matchup 53 of FlagVote 3.
Kent

*"Idk which one is which but I like the horsey"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Kent is a county in southeast England

Its motto is Invicta (unconquerable), a reference to the time William the Conqueror failed to live up to his name and instead negotiated the county's incorporation into his domain

Kent has a history of rebellion, doing so many times in the medieval period

Its eastern coast boasts the breathtaking White Cliffs of Dover

Actor Orlando "Legolas" Bloom, Writer Geoffrey Chaucer, and sailing gold medalist Sarah Ayton all hail from Kent

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Kent is a county in Southeast England, the fifth largest English county by population

It is the largest county not centered around a major city, as the largest Kent cities of Maidstone and Gillingham are roughly Ann Arbor-sized

The most famous city in Kent is Dover, home to its breathtaking white cliffs

The English end of the Chunnel is located in Kent, beginning in the town of Folkestone and traversing the Strait of Dover into France

The Middle English classic The Canterbury Tales centers around a pilgrimage from London to Kent

Notable people from Kent include Python Graham Chapman, actor Orlando Bloom, and both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

The flag is known as the Invicta flag after Kent’s Latin motto meaning ‘Unconquered.’ The horse is in honor of Horsa, whose name is Old English for horse and whose brother Hengest founded Kent in the year 449

## Tournament

As the 164 seed, Kent was defeated by Åland in Round 3 Matchup 30 of FlagVote 2. As the 652 seed, it was defeated by Lebanon in Round 1 Matchup 117 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (349) Malaysia 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (93) Lebanon 4-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (36) Åland 4-1
Kazakhstan

## Eulogy

Kazakhstan is a country in northern Central Asia

The Kazakh steppes were incrementally colonized by the Russians through a devious process of building forts on the land and saying "This is Russia now". The process started from the time of Ivan the Terrible and didn't fully end until the 19th century

Kazakhstan as we know it wasn't created until the USSR formed the Kazakh SSR at the same time that they made the Kyrgyz SSR

The Soviets increasingly used Kazakhstan and the rest of Central Asia as a place to grow cotton, and the overfarming of the land led to the Aral Sea drying up

Today, Kazakhstan is perhaps best known as the country where Borat is supposed to be from. The two have become so closely linked that after a Kazakh shooter won an international competition in Kuwait eight years ago, the organizers played the WRONG KAZAKH NATIONAL ANTHEM

Can you imagine that? You've won a competition representing your country, and you hear "Kazakhstan's prostitutes cleanest in the region"? Hilarious, but in awful taste

Kazakhstan also has a reputation for having very good boxers, and they've won numerous Olympic medals in the 21st century

## Tournament

Kazakhstan was controversially defeated by Barbados in Round 5 Matchup 5 of FlagVote after previously defeating South Carolina, Pakistan, Isle of Man, and Alaska. As the 11 seed, it was defeated once again by Barbados in Quarterfinal 3 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over South Carolina 4-2

**Round 2:** Win over Pakistan 6-1

**Round 3:** Win over Isle of Man 4-3

**Round 4:** Win over Alaska 4-3

**Round 5:** Loss to Barbados 5-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (502) Provo (1989-2015) 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (267) Mongolia 4-1

**Round 3:** Win over (118) France 4-1

**Round 4:** Win over (54) Angola 4-3

**Round 5:** Win over (22) Tokyo 4-3

**Round 6:** Win over (6) South Korea 4-2

**Quarterfinals:** Loss to (3) **Kazakhstan** 6-1
Micronesia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Federated States of Micronesia is a country in the region of Micronesia

It has 607 islands divided into four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae

Including water area it is the 14th largest country in the world.

These islands declared independence from the United States in 1981. Meanwhile, other Micronesian islands such as Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands remain US territories

The Wikipedia page lists baseball as the most popular sport. They won the bronze medal at the 2005 South pacific Games

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Federated States of Micronesia are a collection of islands in the Pacific Ocean north of New Guinea

They were originally colonized by the Spanish before being sold to Germany and later annexed by Japan. After World War II ended, the US administered the islands as a UN trust territory until 1981

The Micronesian flag actually looks a lot like the flag the trust territory used, only it has a lighter shade of blue and four stars instead of six. These stars represent the four states of Micronesia

Thanks to the US and Japan administering the islands for so long, baseball is the most popular sport in Micronesia. They also play soccer, but their national team is not an official member of FIFA

Nan Madol, a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of several artificial islands connected by canals, is on an eastern island in Micronesia. It was the political seat of the island's ruling family from the 1100s until the 1600s, has been described as the Venice of the Pacific, and is today the subject of numerous conspiracy theories about lost continents or having been built by aliens

## Tournament

Micronesia was defeated by Croatia in Round 1 Matchup 124 of FlagVote. As the 179 seed, it was defeated by Estonia in Round 2 Matchup 78 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Dominica. As the 252 seed, Micronesia was defeated by Uganda in Round 2 Matchup 98 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (334) Dominica 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (78) Estonia 4-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Loss to (261) Uganda 6-5
Småland

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Småland (Small Land) is a province in southern Sweden

Despite the name, it is one of the country’s larger provinces. It’s about the size of Belgium. The name comes from the Viking age when it was an amalgamation of a bunch of smaller mostly independent territories

The city of Kalmar is one of the oldest in all of Sweden. It was an important strategic city during the Middle Ages

IKEA was founded in the town of Älmhult in Småland. There’s an IKEA hotel right next to the original store

Beloved Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren hails from the Småland countryside and often depicted those scenes in her books, including Pippi Longstocking

There’s a stereotype among Swedes that people from Småland are particularly cheap

## Tournament

As the 268 seed, Småland was defeated by Aruba in Round 3 Matchup 57 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (757) Grand Bassa County 11-0

**Round 2:** Win over (245) Azerbaijan 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (12) Aruba 6-4
San Marino

*"dan marino never won a ring but san marino winning round 1 makes up for it"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

San Marino is a microstate located somewhere in northeast Italy

It is supposedly both the oldest surviving independent state, having been founded in AD 301, and the oldest constitutional republic, having written its constitution in 1600

It is one of only three nations to be completely surrounded by another nation: Vatican City is also inside Italy, and Lesotho was swallowed by South Africa

The San Marino Baseball Club has won the European Cup three times, most recently in 2014

San Marino is the only country with more cars than people

No Sammarinese (the demonym for San Marino) has ever won an Olympic medal

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

San Marino is a microstate tucked away in northern Italy, a little under 100 km east of Florence. There’s a big mountain range in between, however, so it takes like 4 hours to do the drive because you have to drive up to Bologna first. In case you’re wondering

It was founded in the year 301, making it the oldest continuous sovereign state. It somehow remained independent during the big Italian unification push in the 1800s when all the mini states of the Italian peninsula became one big Italy

It is named after Saint Marinus, a stonemason who helped rebuild the walls of the nearby city of Rimini when they were destroyed by pirates in the late 3rd century AD

The capital city, also called San Marino, is located at the top of the 2400-foot Monte Titano. It has three fortresses on top, hence the flag

It has a Forest Landscape Integrity Index of 0.01 out of 10, ranking it dead last in the world. For reference, Denmark is second-to-last at 0.5, the US is in the upper middle at 6.65, and Seychelles is #1 at a perfect 10

San Marino became the smallest country to win an Olympic medal when they won two medals in trap shooting at the 2020 Olympics

Abraham Lincoln is an honorary citizen of San Marino

## Tournament

San Marino was defeated by Quebec in Round 1 Matchup 99 of FlagVote. As the 239 seed, it was defeated by Hong Kong in Round 2 Matchup 120 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Mauritania. As the 267 seed, it was defeated by Luxembourg in Round 2 Matchup 242 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Laval.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (274) Mauritania 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (18) Hong Kong 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (758) Laval 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (246) Luxembourg 7-2
Rwanda (1961-2001)

*"ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: DIAL ‘R’ FOR RWANDA"*

--Gregory Severin

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

This here flag was used by Rwanda from 1961-2001

The R in the middle of the flag stands for Rwanda

The colors were taken from the Ethiopian flag

   The flag became connotated with the Rwandan genocide, so it was changed in 2001

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

This was the flag of Rwanda from the time of its independence to 2001

It is almost identical to the flag of Guinea but for the big R in the middle

The ruling party of Rwanda, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, changed from the Dial R for Rwanda flag in 2001 at the same time they changed the national anthem, ostensibly to avoid connotations with the Rwandan genocide

Skeptics of the change believe this change had more to do with the RPF, which has controlled the country since 1994, trying to assert its political power in the wake of the Rwandan Civil War

## Tournament

As the 478 seed, it was defeated by Scotland in Round 1 Matchup 137 of FlagVote 2. As the 749 seed, it was defeated by Tajikistan in Round 1 Matchup 89 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (276) Tajikistan 9-0
Somalia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Somalia is a country on the horn of Africa

It includes the disputed territory of Somaliland in the northwest, which is unrecognized by any nation

It is described as the most homogenous country in Africa

It was formed out of a 1960 merger between British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland

Jazz saxophonist Billy Harper recorded an album in 1995 named Somalia. Scott Yanow of AllMusic described it as “some of Harper’s finest playing in years”

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Somalia is an angular nation located on the Horn of Africa

It has been described as Africa’s most homogenous country, as 85% of its residents are ethnic Somali

It was home to many wealthy ancient empires before being colonized by both the British and Italians in the 19th century

The former British part, known as Somaliland, claims independence from the rest of the country. This independence is recognized by only Taiwan. There’s been a Civil War ongoing since the 80s

Somalia was ranked lowest in HDI in 2019, and it is behind only Yemen in the Fragile States Index. They have a huge problem with pirates, although I hear one of them is a captain now

Somalia’s soccer team is called the Ocean Stars. They currently find themselves ranked 201st in the world, tied with Gibraltar and just below the Cayman Islands. Somalia has yet to win an Olympic medal, but Somali-born running icon Mo Farah has won 4 golds representing Great Britain

## Tournament

Somalia was defeated by the Cocos Islands in Round 1 Matchup 34 of FlagVote. As the 65 seed, it was defeated by Duluth in Round 3 Matchup 2 of FlagVote 2. As the 242 seed, it was defeated by Sweden in Round 3 Matchup 73 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Syrian Opposition.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (448) Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (192) Midway Islands 4-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (193) Duluth 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (271) Syrian Opposition 9-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (15) Sweden 9-0
Slightly Used Dan Vogelbach

*"For sale: Dan Vogelbach, slightly used"*

--Gregory Severin

**Slightly Used Dan Vogelbach** is a term used to describe former Seattle Mariners designated hitter and first baseman Dan Vogelbach, often in reference to his (lack of) value as a trade asset. The term itself is in reference to Vogelbach's status as a AAAA player for Seattle, as before 2019 he had spent three years with the club as little more than a late-season call-up or injury replacement. From 2016-2018, Vogelbach had only 156 career plate appearances in 61 games, triple-slashing a mediocre .197/.301/.315 with the major league club. These totals, good for negative 0.6 Wins Above Replacement per FanGraphs.com, demonstrated Vogelbach's ineffectiveness as a major-league player despite what was perceived to be only slight use with the major-league team.

   Slightly Used Dan Vogelbach was first mentioned by Gregory Severin on July 12, 2018 when members of the Gallardo Club were facetiously offering bad first basemen to Tigers fans as potential injury replacements for Miguel Cabrera. From there, the term exploded in popularity to the point where "Slightly Used" prefaced every mention of Vogelbach's name. Slightly Used Dan Vogelbach was named as a potential piece in multiple trade offers for Manny Machado, as well as deals for Danny Valencia and Adam Jones, "a starter that's not Mike Leake" (in this scenario, Greg would personally deliver Vogelbach to the organization's AAA team), and Matt Harvey.

Fortunes would seemingly change in 2019 for Vogelbach. After making the Mariners' roster out of Spring Training and seeing regular playing time for the first time in his career, Vogelbach had a torrid April, slugging his way to a 1.195 OPS in 25 games and leading Greg to reconsider the nickname. The good times would not last, however. Despite Vogelbach's blistering start to 2019, he and the rest of the Mariners quickly regressed to below-average levels. Vogelbach was named a 2019 All-Star, but this was more an indictment of the rest of Seattle's roster than it was any acknowledgement of his own achievements. Following the All-Star break, Vogelbach would hit a miserable .162/.286/.341 en route to Seattle's last-place finish in the AL West. After regressing to a platoon role in 2020 that saw him regain his old nickname, Vogelbach was even worse. He posted a batting average below .100 and a .211 slugging percentage that, unlike the rest of him, could only be described as miniscule. After recording only five hits in 18 games, the Mariners designated Slightly Used Dan Vogelbach for assignment on August 19, 2020.

Further attempts to shed the Slightly Used moniker have also proven ineffective. After the Blue Jays acquired the now-platoon DH on August 3, 2020, Greg declared him to be "Moderately Used." Further speculation about his use has continued over the subsequent two years, with current Vogelbach expert consensus tentatively concluding that it is moderate. No decisions on Vogelbach are final, however, and there is no doubt that the status of his usage will continue to be debated for as long as he remains in the Major Leagues.
Russia (1668-1693)

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Tsardom of Russia was what Russia was called from the time of Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great

It was in this era that the leader of the Rus' became known as the tsar, after the Roman Caesar, because Russia fancied Moscow to be the Third Rome and heir to the Byzantine line after Constantinople fell

It was also at this time that Russia started really expanding east to Siberia and south to Central Asia. Before becoming a Tsardom, Russia was just known as Muscovy and was pretty localized to northeast of the Dnieper and west of the Urals

This was probably Russia at its most autocratic; it had an explicit top-down structure where the Tsar was at the top and everyone was pretty much the slave of their higher-ups

Ok here are some facts about my boy Ivan: his title in Russian was groznyi tsar, and groznyi means "terrible" in the sense that he inspired terror in his subjects in the way that an awesome person inspires awe. He also was terrible in the conventional sense, doing stereotypical villain stuff like mongering a lot of war, murdering his own son, and publicly executing a bunch of Russian aristocrats, known as the boyars

So all in all, probably not the best time to be Russian. Fortunately, Tsar Peter eventually figured out how much it sucked to be Russian and made it a much better place, precipitating another name change and a different flag

## Tournament

As the 647 seed, this flag was defeated by the European Union in Round 2 Matchup 164 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Andorra.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (378) Andorra 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (647) European Union 8-1
Pearson Pennant

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

This was a proposed flag of Canada

It was the favoured flag of prime minister Lester Pearson

It was one of many flags debated about during the Great Flag Debate of 1964

A large contingent was very reluctant to remove the Union Jack from the old flag, as they didn’t want to seem to be giving in to Quebec

After six months of heated debates, the current flag was chosen

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain and Gregory Severin*

The Pearson Pennant was one of the flags proposed in the Great Canadian Flag Debate of 1963

In 1963 and 1964, Canada wanted to make a new flag to get rid of the old Red Ensign with the Union Jack in the corner, and this was the Prime Minister's favorite choice

It, like Toronto's YYZ airport, takes its name from Lester B. Pearson, who was Prime Minister at the time of the debate and cared so damn much about giving Canada a cool looking flag that he included it in the Liberals' platform in the early sixties

There were 3,541 flags submitted for consideration. 2,136 contained maple leaves, 408 contained the Union Jack, 389 contained beavers, and 359 contained fleurs-de-lys

Our boy Lester liked this flag because the two blue sides reflected Canada's motto, "From Sea to Sea". Apparently they don't shine up north like they do here. Also the leaf has three stems because that's what's on the Canadian coat of arms. As far as I can tell there's no real reason there are three leaves on one stem in the crest, they just thought it looked neat

The whole flag debate was wild and included a weeks-long fillibuster by people who refused to approve a flag that didn’t have the Union Jack. It was all super ugly

## Tournament

As the 260 seed, the Pearson Pennant was defeated by Jamaica in Round 2 Matchup 64 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Yucatan. As the 364 seed, it was defeated by Serbia in Round 3 Matchup 62 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (253) Yucatan 4-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (4) Jamaica 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (661) NYPD 11-0

**Round 2:** Win over (149) Grey Highlands 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (108) Serbia 6-5
Washington DC

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Washington, DC is the capital of the United American States

Though the capital had been Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, the Constitution calls for a federally-operated district not in any state to be the national capital

To that end, Maryland and Virginia each donated land on the Potomac River to be used to build a city; Congress was first held there in the first Adams administration

There are many museums open to the public in Washington thanks to the Smithsonian Institution

Given that the District of Columbia is not a state, it has no Congressional delegation. This has led to the inclusion of the tongue-in-cheek phrase "Taxation Without Representation" in DC license plates

Three MLB franchises have called Washington home in the modern era. The first Senators franchise played from 1901-1960, winning the World Series in 1924 before moving to Minnesota and becoming the Twins. Immediately after they left, a second Senators franchise was founded, playing there for a decade before moving to Texas and becoming the Rangers. The modern-day Nationals were moved here from Montreal in 2005 and are the current champs

The most notable baseball player from Washington, DC is probably Maury Wills. \*You\* may remember him as the 1962 NL MVP, but \*I\* remember him for being arguably the worst manager in Seattle Mariners history

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Washington DC is the capital of the United States of America

It’s the seat of government for America, and the president lives there. Congress meets in the capital building in the center of the city

It was established in 1790 by Presidential act and a concession of land from Maryland and Virginia. The village of Georgetown and its eponymous university already existed when this happened, and they were absorbed into the new capital district

DC residents are upset that they don’t have representation in congress, and their license plate motto “Taxation Without Representation” lets you know it. In 2016, 86% of District voters voted for statehood, but nothing came of it

Look, it’s DC. You know what it is

## Tournament

Washington DC was defeated by Martinique in Round 1 Matchup 91 of FlagVote. As the 58 seed, it was defeated by Macau in Round 5 Matchup 13 of FlagVote 2. As the 295 seed, it was defeated by Scotland in Round 3 Matchup 87 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (455) Kurgan Oblast 5-2

**Round 2:** Win over (199) Syrian Opposition 4-2

**Round 3:** Win over (71) Montenegro 4-2

**Round 4:** Win over (122) Maori 4-2

**Round 5:** Loss to (90) Macau 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (730) Sydney 8-1

**Round 2:** Win over (218) Wallonia 7-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (39) Scotland 7-1
Sudan

*"Sudan aka triangle Kuwait"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Sudan is the second largest country in Africa by area

It has long had a dispute between the Islamic North and Christian South, leading to a split in 2011 into Sudan and South Sudan

The capital Khartoum is the sixth largest city in Africa and is located at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile

Many ancient and medieval kingdoms existed in what is now Sudan

Crucifixion is a legal form of punishment in Sudan

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Sudan is a North African country south of Egypt

It used to be the biggest country in Africa, but differences between the Islamic north and Christian south led to a civil war and ultimately independence for South Sudan in 2011. Now it's just second-biggest

Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, is located where the Nile splits into the Blue and White Nile. It's very close to the ancient city Soba, and a little south of the river's sixth cataract. It was founded in 1821, but its location at the convergence of the two Niles was historically used to mark the southern boundary of Nubia

Sudanese history goes back to 2500 BC, and many Nubian pyramids can be seen in Northern Sudan at Meroë, Nuri, and Jebel Barkal. The Kingdom of Kush in modern-day Sudan is mentioned in the Bible as having saved the Israelites from Assyrians

From 1989-2019, Sudan was led by one man for 30 years: Omar al-Bashir. He's notable for having a warrant out for his arrest for crimes against humanity while he was a sitting head of state, twice. He is currently awaiting trial for these crimes after being coup'd in 2019

Sudan's national soccer team is one of the oldest in Africa. Despite this, it has never made a World Cup. It has won the Africa Cup of Nations once, in 1970

## Tournament

Sudan was defeated by Comoros in Round 1 Matchup 46 of FlagVote. As the 358 seed, it was cleanly swept by Philippines in Round 1 Matchup 179 of FlagVote 2. As the 272 seed, it was defeated by California in Round 2 Matchup 18 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Bong County.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (155) Philippines 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (753) Bong County 10-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (241) California 6-3
Rapa Nui

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is a Chilean island territory in the Pacific Ocean

It, along with Hawaii and New Zealand, makes up one of the corners of the Polynesian Triangle

The name Rapa Nui means "Big Rapa", referencing the island's similarity to Rapa, an island in French Polynesia. The English and Spanish names come from the island's first European visitor, who "discovered" it on Easter Sunday in 1722

Rapa Nui is one of the most remote islands in the world, with the closest inhabited island (Pitcairn Islands, population ~50) over 2000 kilometers away and the closest settlement of over 500 people (Gambier Islands) over 2500 km away

The island is also home to Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to the world-famous moai, over 800 giant stone statues that range from 6 to 60 feet tall. Several moai were damaged by a forest fire that broke out on the island earlier this week

## Tournament

As the 460 seed, Rapa Nui was cleanly swept by Tanzania in Round 1 Matchup 89 of FlagVote 2. As the 685 seed, it was defeated by Armenia in Round 1 Matchup 97 of FlagVote 3.
St. Lucia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Saint Lucia is an island nation in the Caribbean

It changed hands between France and Britain fourteen times

Like the Bahamas, its head of state is Queen Elizabeth

It is one of only two countries named after a woman, the other being Ireland (Eire)

The flag depicts the Pitons, two adjacent volcanic spires that are symbols of Saint Lucia

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

St. Lucia is a Caribbean island nation north of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and south of Martinique

The island went back and forth between British and French control for a long time. They fought 14 times for control before the British won it in 1814. It was called the Helen of the West, like Helen of Troy, for this reason. St. Lucian writer Derek Walcott won the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature for his book Omeros, an epic novel inspired by this history combining Greek mythological themes with themes of colonialism

It is one of only two sovereign nations named after a woman, with Ireland being the other

Sulphur Springs in St. Lucia is a geothermal field marketed as the world’s only drive-in volcano

The flag depicts the Pitons, two distinctive volcanic spires on the island’s west side

## Tournament

St. Lucia was defeated by Kenya in Round 1 Matchup 57 of FlagVote. As the 137 seed, it was defeated by Albania in Round 3 Matchup 9 of FlagVote 2. As the 197 seed, it was defeated by NATO in Round 3 Matchup 51 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Shizuoka.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (376) Piedmont 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (120) Belgium 5-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (9) Albania 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (316) Shizuoka 6-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (60) NATO 6-4
Piedmont

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Piedmont is a region in Northwestern Italy, bordering France and Switzerland

It is the second largest region out of 20 by area and the 7th largest by population. The largest city in the region is Turin, which hosted the 2006 Olympics

It is the second most wine-producing region of Italy, and some wine group says it has the third highest quality wine

Piedmont is bordered by the Alps on three sides. In fact, the name Piedmont means foothills.

Since the 13th Century, Palio di Asti, a bareback horse race, has been held in Piedmont. It is the oldest horse race in the world

## Tournament

As the 376 seed, Piedmont was defeated by St. Lucia in Round 1 Matchup 35 of FlagVote 2. As the 715 seed, it was defeated by Dardania in Round 1 Matchup 247 of FlagVote 3.
South Arabia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Federation of South Arabia was an organization of states in… you guessed it… southern Arabia

Some of these states are also included in this tournament, such as Aden, Beihan, and Lahej

The country existed under British protectorate from 1962-1967

   In 1967, South Arabia became part of South Yemen

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Federation of South Arabia was a British protectorate in the southwest Arabian Peninsula

It existed from 1962-1967, enough time to experience every Beatles album up to Sgt. Pepper

There was also a Protectorate of South Arabia, which was also a British protectorate, but evidently was its own thing

Eventually South Arabia and South Arabia combined to become South Yemen

## Tournament

As the 414 seed, South Arabia was cleanly swept by Leninogorsky in Round 1 Matchup 141 of FlagVote 2. As the 504 seed, it was defeated by Greek Macedonia in Round 2 Matchup 49 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Rybnicki County.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (99) Leninogorsky 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (521) Rybnicki County 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (9) Greek Macedonia 8-2
Labrador

*"0/10 no labrador retrievers on labrador flag"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Labrador is a region of Maritime Canada

It is the continental portion of the province Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the island of, you guessed it, Newfoundland

Labrador contains 71% of the province’s area but 6% of the population

The region is the namesake of the Labrador Retriever dog breed

The largest city in Labrador is Happy Valley-Goose Bay with 8109 folks

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Labrador is the mainland part of the Maritime province of Newfoundland and Labrador

There is also a Labrador Peninsula, on which Labrador is located, but the peninsula is mostly Quebec. It's basically every bit of Canadian mainland east of the Hudson Bay

Both peninsula and region are named after João Fernandes Lavrador, a Portuguese sailor who was among the first Europeans to explore northeast Canada

The Labrador flag was designed in 1974 to commemorate Newfoundland & Labrador's inclusion into the Dominion of Canada in 1949. The twig on the flag is a black spruce, which is the province's official tree and the one most commonly found in its territory

The region is pretty sparsely populated, but polar bears have been known to travel down here during its seasonal movements. The most notable resident of Labrador may just be BoJack Horseman's own Mr. Peanutbutter, best known for his roles on Mr. Peanutbutter's House, Birthday Dad, and Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things? Let's Find Out!

## Tournament

As the 371 seed, Labrador was defeated by Martinique in Round 1 Matchup 158 of FlagVote 2. As the 423 seed, Labrador was defeated by the Marshall Islands in Round 2 Matchup 175 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Venice.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (142) Martinique 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (602) Venice 8-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (90) Marshall Islands 8-3
Kazakh Navy

*"i gain caspian sea access. great success!"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This is the ensign of the Kazakh Naval Forces

Though Kazakhstan is landlocked, it does has a border on the Caspian Sea, where the navy operates. The navy is largely based on the coastal city of Aktau

There are currently 14 patrol boats and about 3000 personnel in the Kazakh navy

During the Soviet Era, Kazakhstan’s shores were patrolled by the Caspian Flotilla, a fleet of ships established in 1722 by Peter the Great.

Kazakhstan’s navy was established in 1993 as a subset of the army. It didn’t become its own separate branch until 2001.

## Tournament

As the 266 seed, the Kazakh Navy was defeated by Hordaland in Round 2 Matchup 178 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Gananoque.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (759) Gananoque 11-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (247) Hordaland 8-1
Mets (Slackbot)

*"Well there’s no way that ages poorly"*

*--Cam Cain*

The **Mets** Slackbot was a Slackbot created by Max Brill on 4-9-18. It was designed to point out that his New York Mets were at the time leading their division. When someone would say "Mets," Slackbot would respond "Did you know the Mets are in first place?." On April 11th, it was amended to also include the response "Did you know the Nationals are not in first place in the National League East? The New York Mets are, though."

On May 2nd, the Braves overtook the Mets for first place in the NL Central. Despite initial resistance, the Slackbot was changed to "The Mets are no longer in first place." It was deleted for good between the 9th and the 11th. On the 14th, a Nationals Slackbot appeared in its place as a direct foil.

The 2018 Mets finished in 4th place with a 77-85 record, 13 games out of first and 5 games behind the Nationals.
Rhode Island

*"my grandma in shambles"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Rhode Island is a state in southern New England and the smallest of the fifty United States

It used to be officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Rhode Island portion was the town of Newport and other settlements on Aquidneck Island, and the Providence Plantations portion was the mainland part of the state. ‘and Providence Plantations’ was dropped in 2020 when it became less cool to refer to things as plantations

The colony was founded by Roger Williams in 1636 after he was banished from Massachusetts. It was founded as a colony of religious freedom. Brown University, located in Providence, was the first college in the US to accept people of any religion

Lots of Italian immigrants came to Providence in the early 20th century, and the result was Federal Hill, a very Italian neighborhood home to some unbelievably good restaurants

Rhode Island’s highest point is Jerimoth Hill, a slight incline located near the Connecticut border and a 5 minute walk from the road. It’s really something

Notable Rhode Islanders include Meredith Vieira, Viola Davis, Rocco Baldelli, Nap Lajoie, and the guy who did the music for Rocky. My dad moved to Rhode Island from Cincinnati when he was 12 and I don’t think he’s ever gotten over it.

## Tournament

As the 277 seed, Rhode Island was defeated by Chad in Round 1 Matchup 82 of FlagVote 2. As the 531 seed, it was defeated by Colombia in Round 1 Matchup 218 of FlagVote 3.
Johnston Atoll

*"voting for don johnson: hey man, miami vice is number one show!*

*wait fuck it's johnston atoll not johnson atoll*

*god damn it now my don sutherland/don johnson joke doesn't make sense"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Johnston Atoll is an unincorporated and uninhabited territory of the United States, some 860 miles southwest of Hawaii

It is currently administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service after previously being under administration of the Air Force. You need special permission from both groups if you want to visit

It initially came under US control as part of the Guano Islands Act of 1856, which allowed American citizens to take control of any unclaimed and uninhabited island containing guano deposits and empowered the president to use the military to protect these claims. Absolutely insane, but we have New Hampshire’s own Franklin Pierce to thank for Johnston Atoll. Of the 100+ islands claimed as part of this act, Johnston Atoll is one of just 10 which the US has not rescinded

During World War II, it was used as a refueling station. Later, it has been used for disposing of chemical weapons. It never had an indigenous population, but it did have a permanent military population until 2007.

From 2010-2021, there was a semi-permanent population of workers with the Crazy Ant Strike Team project. The Crazy Ant Strike Team project is a group of scientists who worked to eradicate the invasive Crazy Ant from the island. After eleven years, they were able to fully wipe them out

## Tournament

As the 449 seed, Johnston Atoll was cleanly swept by Papua New Guinea in Round 1 Matchup 8 of FlagVote 2. As the 698 seed, it was defeated by Sutherland in Round 1 Matchup 169 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (64) Papua New Guinea 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (327) Sutherland 8-3
Reunion

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Réunion is a French island territory east of Madagascar

It was uninhabited before Portuguese, French, and Malagasy settlers arrived in the 16th century

Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, with a high proportion of Hindus as well

Marseille midfielder Dimitri Payet, who plays for the French national team but missed the most recent World Cup due to injury, is one of the most well known people from Reunion

Swimming and surfing was banned on a large chunk of the coast after 23 shark attacks occured (sic) from 2010-2017

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Réunion is a French overseas department off the coast of Madagascar

Along with Mayotte, it is the only part of the Eurozone in the Southern Hemisphere

The island was originally named Bourbon after the Bourbon dynasty ruling France. After the French Revolution its name was changed to Réunion (meaning assembly) in honor of the National Convention, then Île Bonaparte after that Napoleon guy, back to Bourbon again after Napoleon was exiled and the monarchy returned to France, and finally in 1848 it changed back to Réunion after yet another French Revolution

Réunion was the focal point of a major scandal in the early 2000s, when it came to light that thousands of children were forcibly relocated from the island to Metropolitan France

Though the island has no official flag, the island's Vexillological Association picked a flag that depicts la Fournaise, a volcano on the island, to be the unofficial "official" flag of Réunion in 2003

## Tournament

Reunion was defeated by the European Union in Round 1 Matchup 89 of FlagVote. As the 423 seed it was defeated by Macau in Round 1 Matchup 204 of FlagVote 2. As the 467 seed, it was defeated by Ngaraard in Round 1 Matchup 222 of FlagVote 3.