recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
North Karelia

*"north karelia is super cool and for winners"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

North Karelia is a region in eastern Finland, bordering Russia

The greater Karelia region was partially ceded to Russia in 1940. This is part of the Finnish part. The remaining portion is still up for debate

It is said to be the most friendly and sociable region of Finland

The largest city of North Karelia is Joensuu. The European Forest Institute is headquartered in Joensuu. Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen is from there too

Over the past 40 years, North Karelia has successfully dramatically lowered their rate of heart diseasse, and they are seen as a model for the rest of the country

Koli National Park is a popular attraction in North Karelia. Its hills and lakes are home to a variety of species, and it was once the site of pagan sacrifices

## Tournament

As the 572 seed, North Karelia was defeated by NATO in Round 2 Matchup 101 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Zimbabwe.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (453) Zimbabwe 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (60) NATO 6-4
Lobeski County

*"I'm kinda swayed by the light blue"*

*--Andrew Beaudoin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Lobez County is a county in West Pomeranian Voivodeship in the northwestern corner of Poland

The name Lobez comes from an old Polish word meaning bushes

It is centered on the town of Lobez, which has a population of about 10,000. There are three other towns in the county: Resko, Wegorzyno, and Dobra

Lobez was part of Prussia and later Germany before becoming Poland following World War II

Naturalist Felicjan Sypniewski, who collected samples of over 10,000 now-extinct species of butterflies and spiders, hails from Resko

## Tournament

As the 463 seed, Lobez was defeated by Greece in Round 2 Matchup 231 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Los Angeles.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (582) Los Angeles 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (70) Greece 6-5
Senegal

"*Senegal > the haters"*

*--Alex Fischer*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Senegal is a country in West Africa

The capital and largest city is Dakar

The official language is French, and Wolof is another commonly spoken language. The name comes from the Wolof “sunu gal” meaning “our boat”

The region of Casamance, separated from much of the country by the Gambia, has had independence movements

The soccer team has been one of the best in Africa, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. Liverpool star Sadio Mane hails from Senegal.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Senegal is a country on the West African coast

It is the westernmost country on Afro-Eurasia, making it on the frontier of the Old World

Thanks to its French colonial history, the country's official language is French. However, French is only understood by a minority of the population, who speaks over 30 different languages

Post-independence it was briefly attached to Mali in a new hot federation that lasted just about eight months

During the Cold War, Senegal was known for its relative support for opposition parties compared to the rest of Africa, and today it is still one of the more democratic countries on the continent

Senegal is also known for its sporting traditions. The soccer team are the reigning champions in the Africa Cup of Nations and are only one of four African teams to make the quarterfinal of the World Cup, which they did in 2002. Senegal is also very good at basketball, doing better than most African countries at FIBA and frequently winning both the men's and women's AfroBasket tournament (the women have won a record 11 titles). San Antonio Spur Gorgui Dieng is Senegalese, as is former Boston Celtic and all-time name Tacko Fall

## Tournament

Senegal was defeated by Myanmar in Round 1 Matchup 71 of FlagVote. As the 220 seed, it was defeated by Faroe Islands in Round 2 Matchup 37 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Nantucket. As the 331 seed, it was defeated by South Carolina in Round 2 Matchup 248 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Bolivia Naval Jack.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (293) Nantucket 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (37) Faroe Islands 4-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (694) Bolivia Naval Jack 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (182) South Carolina 6-4
Rotating Light

*"🚨 🚨 WE DIDN'T GET NO-HIT 🚨🚨"*

*--Gregory Severin*

**Rotating Light** or :rotating\_light: is a default emoji in the Slack. It is often used to alert the channel of breaking news or other exciting happenings. Unlike most other emoji, it is more commonly used within a message than as a reaction. It was first used by Greg at 5:49 PM on 4-1-18 as a reaction to a message from Sahil announcing that Yovani Gallardo was pitching for the Reds. Seven minutes later, Gallardo Alert was created, marking the first time Rotating Light was used as part of an announcement. Later that day, Greg used it to celebrate a Dee Gordon home run. Since then, it has become one of the most popular emoji in the Slack, mostly among the original Gallardo Club members. Of the first 100 Slack messages to use the emoji, 99 were by Cam, Greg, Sahil, or Slackbot, with the remaining message being from Erik. Yuki would later often use it prior to announcing a pick in #gallardocupdraft.
Maldives

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The **Maldives** are an archipelago nation south of India

It is known for its beaches and coral reefs

Maldives has the highest divorce rate of any nation

With an average elevation of under 5 feet, Maldives will likely be under water by the end of the century due to rising sea levels

   The Maldivian national soccer team once lost 17-0 to Iran

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Maldives are an archipelago southwest of India and Sri Lanka

After the arrival of Islam to the archipelago, the nation was a sultanate from the 12th century until becoming a British protectorate in 1887

Maldives had to be kicked out of the Commonwealth of Nations in 2016 after maybe probably doing some human rights abuses, but good news! They (probably) stopped doing that and as of 2020 have rejoined the Commonwealth

Dhivehi, the Maldivian language, has used its own unique script for over two thousand years

Due to a lack of extradition treaties with the United States, among other countries, many Russian oligarchs have fled to the Maldives to escape sanctions post-invasion of Ukraine

## Tournament

Maldives was defeated by Luxembourg in Round 1 Matchup 118 of FlagVote. As the 445 seed, it was defeated by Galicia in Round 1 Matchup 124 of FlagVote 2. As the 672 seed, it was defeated by Volgograd Oblast in Round 1 Matchup 12 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (353) Volgograd Oblast 6-3
Maori

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

This is the flag of the Tino rangatiratanga, a phrase loosely meaning "self-determination" and commonly used by Maori advocacy groups across New Zealand

The Maori people are the indigenous Polynesians who inhabited New Zealand centuries before Europeans settled the islands

The Treaty of Waitangi gave Maori continued ownership over their lands, but the New Zealand mostly ignored it in the late 19th century

Today, the Maori are well-represented in New Zealander culture. The All Blacks, NZ's rugby team, is majority Maori, and they perform a haka challenge before each match

Notable Maori in cinema include Oscar winning director Taika Waititi and Clone Army base Temuera Morrison

## Tournament

As the 122 seed, the Maori flag was defeated by Washington DC in Round 4 Matchup 25 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (391) Brockville 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (135) Seychelles 5-1

**Round 3:** Win over (7) South Africa 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (58) Washington DC 4-2
Kocani

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Kočani is a town in the northeastern part of North Macedonia

As legend goes, the town is named after a Chinese guy named Kocho who was the first person to bring rice to the area. It’s almost certainly not true, but the town loves the legend and has a fountain symbolizing rice. The town is the namesake for the nearby Kocani river

Kocani has a “Days of Rice” festival where they harvest what they call white gold

Kocani holds the title of cleanest town in Macedonia, which it’s very proud of

Macedonian Romani brass band Kocani Orchestra come from and take their name from the city. One of their songs was featured in Borat

It’s a sister city of the horrendously named Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary

## Tournament

As the 93 seed, Kocani was defeated by Bahamas in Round 4 Matchup 20 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (420) Connecticut in the Style of California 6-4

**Round 3:** Win over (164) Sudbury 8-1

**Round 4:** Loss to (36) Bahamas 8-1
Kenya

*"WHERE IS THE KENYAN FLAG’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE! I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT THE KENYAN FLAG IS NOT A UNITED STATES CITIZEN AND INSTEAD WAS BORN IN \*\*KENYA\*\*!!"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Republic of Kenya is a country on the Swahili Coast of Africa

Its motto is a Swahili word for togetherness: *Harambee.* Dicks out

The Kenyan capital Nairobi is a major regional economic hub, and its nearby nature reserve is notable for its annual wildebeest migrations

At the Olympics, Kenya is one of the most successful African nations, and they frequently clean up in distance running events. The 800 meter race's world record holder is Kenyan

Rage Against the Machine lead guitarist Tom Morello is half Kenyan. His father was Kenya's first ambassador to the UN, and his great-uncle was the first Kenyan president. Does this make them the machine?

Despite what *some* people may believe, former US President Barack Obama was not born in Kenya

## Tournament

Kenya was defeated by Colorado in Round 2 Matchup 29 of FlagVote after previously defeating St. Lucia. As the 31 seed, it was defeated by North Macedonia in Round 5 Matchup 16 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (482) Sinoe County 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (226) Azerbaijan 4-1

**Round 3:** Win over (98) Miyagi 5-0

**Round 4:** Win over (34) Trinidad and Tobago 4-2

**Round 5:** Loss to (2) North Macedonia 4-2
Native Hawaiians

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

This is supposedly the flag of the Hawaiian people, or Kanaka Maoli ("true people" in Hawaiian)

It is said to have been the personal flag of King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands and was their first ruler

I say "supposedly" and "alleged to have been" because this flag may also have been created in 1993 as a proposed alternative Hawaiian flag that did not include colonial imagery

Either way, in 1999 someone claimed to have discovered this particular flag in the state archives, only nobody else has managed to find the same evidence. Or any evidence tying this flag to a time before the Clinton administration, really

Anyway, there still exists a sovereignty movement in Hawaii, and many who support it fly this flag

## Tournament

As the 361 seed, this flag was cleanly swept by Vietnam in Round 1 Matchup 46 of FlagVote 2. As the 519 seed, it was defeated by Norway in Round 2 Matchup 161 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Malaysia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (506) Malaysia 7-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (7) Norway 9-1
Puno

"I like the pyramid step things idk I think the symbol is cool"

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This is the flag of the Department of Puno, a region in southern Peru

Its capital is the city of Puno, which is the largest city on Lake Titicaca

Most of the region is in the Andes, while the rest of it is Amazon Rainforest

It is a big producer of quinoa, as well as potatoes and alpaca

The indigenous Uros people live on manmade “floating islands” in the middle of Lake Titicaca just a few miles off the coast of Puno

In 2007, a big meteorite landed in Puno, causing widespread illness amongst its residents. Scientists believe this was caused by the impact bringing a whole bunch of arsenic to the surface

## Tournament

As the 45 seed, Puno was defeated by Wales in Round 4 Matchup 24 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (468) Qatar 7-3

**Round 3:** Win over (212) Chilean Antarctic Territory 7-2

**Round 4:** Loss to (84) Wales 7-2
Sardinia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

**Sardinia** is a large Italian island located in the Mediterranean Sea

The indigenous Sardinian language has over a million speakers

The flag features four Moors’ heads; an alternate version of the flag has the faces blindfolded and facing the opposite direction

The island has rocky coasts and beaches

   Cagliari is the largest city on the island. The city’s soccer team were Italian champions in 1970

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Sardinia is an Italian owned island in the Mediterranean Sea, due south of Corsica

The island is referred to as a mini continent due to the diverse types of ecosystems

Sardinia was first settled way back in the Paleolithic Era by mainland Europeans. The Nuragic people eventually became the dominant indigenous culture

Thousands of Bronze Age buildings, known as nuraghe, are well preserved on the island

Former NHL defenseman Luca Sbisa was born on Sardinia, although he moved to Switzerland as a child and represented Switzerland internationally.

## Tournament

As the 419 seed, Sardinia was cleanly swept by Zaire in Round 1 Matchup 140 of FlagVote 2. As the 745 seed, it was defeated by Dalarna County in Round 1 Matchup 59 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (280) Dalarna County 10-1
Lower Bavaria

*"Why are people voting for this off-brand F1 flag"*

*--Zach Betron*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Lower Bavaria, or Niederbayern, is an administrative region of Bavaria, Germany

Located in the eastern part of Bavaria, it has borders with Austria and the Czech Republic

Lower Bavaria’s largest city is Landshut, a wealthy suburb of Munich. Landshut’s flag features three helmets, and as such it is known as the City of Three Helmets.

The Bavaria Forest, the largest protected forest in Central Europe, is located in Lower Bavaria

The second largest city is the idyllic Passau, located where the Danube meets the Inn and Ilz rivers. As such, it is named the City of Three Rivers. Naturally then, it is a sister city of the grimy eastern US city… Hackensack. Bavarian politician Alfred Dick comes from there. However, he’s not the biggest dick from Passau, as Adolf Hitler lived there briefly as a child

## Tournament

As the 408 seed, Lower Bavaria was defeated by the flag of Greg in Round 2 Matchup 59 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Govisumber Province.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (617) Govisumber Province 6-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (105) Greg 6-5
Mato Grosso do Sul

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Mato Grosso do Sul is a Brazilian state due south (sul) of Mato Grosso. It was part of Mato Grosso until 1977

Proposed names for the state included Pantanal after the Pantanal wetlands in the state, and Maracaju after the Maracaju mountains

The city of Bonito is considered the capital of ecotourism in Brazil. It has lots of places to snorkel and scuba dive, including the Anhumas Abyss which has some of the world’s largest underwater stalagmites

According to a “Miscellaneous facts” tab on Wikipedia, there were 2.407 million cell phones in Mato Grosso do Sul in July 2009

The beginning of John Grisham’s novel “The Partner” is set in Mato Grosso do Sul

Longtime Liverpool defensive midfielder Lucas comes from the state’s second largest city of Dourados

## Tournament

As the 240 seed, Mato Grosso do Sul was defeated by the Ecuador Navy in Round 1 Matchup 18 of FlagVote 2. As the 389 seed, it was defeated by Orlando in Round 3 Matchup 50 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (273) Ecuador Navy (5-1)

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (636) Flore 7-3

**Round 2:** Win over (124) Quebec City 6-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (133) Orlando 6-4

## Gallery

Mashup with Tocantins. Note the hidden star in the bottom rightMato Grosso do Sul with Southern Cross
Oklahoma (old)

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This was the flag of Oklahoma from 1911-1925

It features the number 46, as Oklahoma was the 46th state to join the Union

This flag was designed by designed by Ruth Clement, founder of the state’s branch of Daughters of the American Confederacy, and it was meant to invoke confederate imagery

In 1925, the people of Oklahoma decided they didn’t like this imagery. Not because of the Confederate roots, but because they thought it looked too communist. It was replaced with a flag closely resembling the new one, except without the word Oklahoma at the bottom. The word Oklahoma was added in 1941 as an attempt to combat illiteracy

Somewhat ironically, the flag has been embraced in modern times by Oklahoma’s agrarian socialist population. You can even get it on your license plate!

## Tournament

As the 464 seed, this flag was cleanly swept by Saga in Round 1 Matchup 25 of FlagVote 2. As the 739 seed, it was defeated by Isle of Man in Round 1 Matchup 203 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (286) Isle of Man 10-0

## Gallery

Old Oklahoma stars used on flag of Arkansas
Pyeongchang County

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

PyeongChang is a county in South Korea

It is mostly known for hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics, which were primarily in the town of 대관령면

The county is located in the middle of the Taebaek Mountains, and 84% of the land is comprised of mountains. Its nickname, “Happy 700 PyeongChang” is a reference to its average elevation of 700 meters and the fact that they’re happy about it

Woljeongsa, a famous Buddhist temple, is located in PyeongChang

Prior to the Olympics, the Latin alphabet spelling was officially changed from Pyeongchang to the CamelCase PyeongChang in hopes of preventing confusion with Pyongyang

## Tournament

As the 648 seed, PyeongChang County was defeated by Lara in Round 1 Matchup 36 of FlagVote 3.
Peoria

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Peoria is a northwestern suburb of Phoenix and the 9th largest city in the state of Arizona

It is named after Peoria, Illinois, where the city’s original settlers came from. The name originally comes from a Miami word meaning prairie fire

Like much of the Southwest, it grew rapidly in the latter half of the 20th Century. In 1960 it had a population of fewer than 5000 people; in 2000 that number was above 100,000.

The Mariners and the Padres play their Spring Training games at the Peoria Sports Complex

2022 Orioles Spenser Watkins and Kyle Bradish were born in Peoria. Peoria’s Wikipedia page says that Emma Stone is from there but her Wikipedia page says she is not and I tend to believe that

## Tournament

As the 260 seed, Peoria was defeated by Mapuche in Round 2 Matchup 66 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating South Carolina Navy.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (765) South Carolina Navy 11-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (253) Mapuche 7-4
Izmail

*"This just looks like a parachute that came off wrong from the factory"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This is the flag of Izmail Raion in Ukraine, alternatively spelled Izmayil

The raion is located at the very southern tip of Ukraine’s southern panhandle

The administrative center of the Raion is the city of Izmail, the southernmost non-Crimean city in Ukraine

The city of Izmail is Ukraine’s largest port on the Danube, and it is a center of the food processing industry

The region is known historically for the 1790 Siege of Izmail, in which the Russians attacked an Ottoman fortress in the area

## Tournament

As the 629 seed, Izmail was defeated by Santiago del Estero in Round 1 Matchup 116 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (396) Santiago del Estero 7-2
Sealand

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Principality of Sealand is a micronation 12 km off the east coast of Great Britain

It consists of a single offshore platform with no permanent residents

It claims to be the world’s smallest country, and it claims to have de facto recognition from Germany and the UK

Sealand has its own coins and passports

Sealand also has its own national soccer team, which has played 12 international matches. Its first matchup was a 2-2 draw with Åland, and its all time record is 5-4-3

The country’s founder, Roy Bates, died in 2012 after a battle with Alzheimers. He was succeeded as regent by his son Michael

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Principality of Sealand is a sea platform with a flag hanging off of it

It was originally built by the British during the Second World War to stop those pesky Germans from mining the coast (the explosive kind not the seven dwarfs kind)

The forts were decommissioned in the 1950s and remained largely abandoned until a few people thought it'd be fun to set up a radio station in international waters. When the British tried exercising their jurisdiction over the platform, it declared independence

Sealand used to sell fantasy passports, but had to stop that after learning an international money laundering ring was somehow making money off the enterprise. Today, they sell noble titles. No idea where they get all the land, considering they're in the middle of the ocean

No countries recognize Sealand's sovereignty, though the "royal family" claims that since a German diplomat once visited there that should count. Instead, they have to settle for the Guinness World Record for the smallest area to lay claim to nation status, a record that will exist until next year when I declare my apartment to be the Free State of Gregország

## Tournament

As the 322 seed, Sealand was defeated by Adygea in Round 1 Matchup 251 of FlagVote 2. As the 479 seed, it was defeated by Turkmenistan in Round 1 Matchup 142 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (546) Turkmenistan 6-5
Saga

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Saga is a prefecture in Kyushu, a southern Japanese island

The region is known for its artisanal ceramics and porcelain production

Up until 1883, Saga Prefecture was a part of Nagasaki Prefecture

The city of Saga is the capital of Saga Prefecture; however, it is considered a part of the Fukuoka metropolitan area

Every November, the Saga International Balloon Fiesta, one of the top hot air balloon competitions, is held. Millions of people have attended the festival since it began in 1978

No MLB player has been born in Saga Prefecture

## Tournament

As the 49 seed, Saga was defeated by Manhattan in Round 6 Matchup 1 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (464) Oklahoma (old) 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (208) Berlin 5-0

**Round 3:** Win over (80) South Carolina 4-2

**Round 4:** Win over (144) Aruba 5-1

**Round 5:** Win over (48) Richmond 4-2

**Round 6:** Loss to (96) Manhattan 4-3
South Ossetia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

South Ossetia is a disputed territory in the country of Georgia

Much like Abkhazia, it didn’t like Georgia declaring independence from the Soviet Union, so it declared independence itself from Georgia

The same five countries that recognize Abkhazia also recognize South Ossetia

It is one of four allied states known as Post-Soviet frozen conflict zones, along with Abkhazia, Transnistria, and Artsakh

South Ossetia is located in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

South Ossetia is an unrecognized breakaway state on the Georgian-Russian border

It's one of those pesky Soviet breakaway states you hear about from time to time, alongside Abkhazia and Transnistria and apparently now Donetsk and Luhansk

In the Soviet era, it existed as an autonomous oblast in the Georgian SSR

After the Soviet era, it decided it wanted to be its own thing again. Now it wants to be a part of Russia, who used "aggression against South Ossetia" as justification for invading Georgia back in 2008

Today, South Ossetia is recognized only by Russia, some of Russia's friends, and a couple of states that need aid from Russia. It's only really relevant when Russia brings it up as a response to other countries recognizing self-declared independent states, like Kosovo

## Tournament

As the 435 seed, South Ossetia was defeated by Estonia in Round 1 Matchup 156 of FlagVote 2. As the 547 seed, it was defeated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in Round 1 Matchup 206 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (478) Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-4
REDACTED

*"The Gallardo Club is now an Ohtani-free zone. We have banned any and all mentions of “Shohei”, “Ohtani”, or “Shohei Ohtani”. He will now only be referred to as [REDACTED]"*

*--Sahil Shah*

**[REDACTED]**, also known as :redacted:, is an emoji used on the Slack to refer to a person or object considered persona non grata by one or more people. The practice was invented by Gregory Severin as a way for members of the Gallardo Club to circumvent triggering the annoying Ohtani Slackbot. Since then, the practice has expanded to include Juan Soto, Ruthvik Avvari, various profanities, and the state of Connecticut. Proposed redactions have included Buster Posey and Pete Kozma.
Philippines

*"Philippines = Spicy Czechia"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Philippines are a country in Southeast Asia

The US controlled the country from 1902 to 1946, taking control from the Spanish

Though the capital is Manila, the largest city is Quezon City, located just north of Manila

The language Tagalog is largely influenced by Indonesian languages as well as Spanish and English colonialism

The country’s most famous athlete is Manny Pacquiao, but the most popular sport is basketball

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

The Philippines are an island nation in Southeast Asia

It consists of 7641 islands. The largest by area and population is Luzon, which is the 4th most populous island in the world

The capital is Manila, but the largest city is nearby Quezon City, which was a planned city designed to replace Manila as the capital. It was the capital from 1949 to 1976 before being moved back to Manila

It was colonized by Spain before being ceded to the United States in the Spanish-American War. It was then occupied by Japan during World War II before eventually becoming independent

Due to its history, the Philippines has a mix of Spanish and American influence in its culture

A famous attraction in the Philippines are the Chocolate Hills, conical karst hills covered in brown grass that are super unique looking

The most popular sport in the Philippines is basketball. They have not sent a player to the NBA, but there has been a MLB player born there: Bobby Chouinard. Boxing is also popular in the Philippines, and in addition to Manny Pacquiao being from there, they’ve also won 8 Olympic medals in the sport

The Philippines have a separate flag for when the country is at war. The red and blue stripes are swapped in that version

## Tournament

The Philippines were defeated by Palau in Round 1 Matchup 47 of FlagVote. As the 155 seed, it was defeated by Dr. Congo in Round 2 Matchup 90 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Sudan. As the 251 seed, it was defeated by the People's Flag in Round 3 Matchup 113 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Guinea.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (358) Sudan 7-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (102) Dr. Congo 5-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (262) Guinea 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (6) People's Flag 7-1
Lofa County

*"lofa bread"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Lofa County is the northernmost county in Liberia

The tallest mountain in Liberia, Mount Wutewe, is in Lofa County

It was a major focus of fighting in the Second Liberian Civil War, as an anti-Charles Taylor rebel group calling itself Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy invaded through Lofa County and other parts of northern Liberia

Lofa County's capital, Voinjama, is at the border between Lofa and Guinea. It was a popular crossroads town before the civil wars, making it also quite diverse: the city featured numerous churches of several denominations and a thriving Muslim quarter

## Tournament

As the 508 seed, Lofa County was defeated by Alaska in Round 1 Matchup 65 of FlagVote 2. As the 763 seed, it was cleanly swept by Guinea in Round 1 Matchup 227 of FlagVote 3, the tournament's first Border Battle.
Ooo

**Ooo**, or :ooo:, is an emoji in the M-SABR Slack. It was added by Cam Cain on June 3, 2021 but did not take off in popularity until June of the following year. It is most frequently used as a reaction to express interest in a given comment, but has also found a secondary use in spelling out words.

## Gallery

Andrew Ooo reacts to Nomar Mazara doing something good for a change.Kumar Rocker getting drafted causes mass intrigue, and mass Ooo reacts.Man, it's a hooot one.Ooo, Anthony just drafted himself.The new People's Flag has everyone ooo-ing, if not ahh-ing.
Kosovo

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Republic of Kosovo is a partially-recognized state in the Balkans

It and Novi Sad were both designated as autonomous provinces in the Serbian Yugoslav Republic

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008; 98 UN member-states currently recognize Kosovo as independent

The stars on the Kosovar flag represent the six major ethnic groups in the region: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks

Kosovo was first allowed to compete under its own flag in the 2016 Olympic Games. Majlinda Kelmendi won the nation's first (and so far only) Olympic medal in 2016, winning a gold medal for judo

Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri is originally from Kosovo. His Team Switzerland teammate Granit Xhaka is ethnically Albanian Kosovar but was born in Basel

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Kosovo is a partially recognized country in the Balkans

The nation declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia, in response, went “LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU”. Roughly half of the UN agrees with them

The region was first part of the Kingdom of Dardania. It was quickly annexed into the Roman Empire, and control has bounced around ever since the fall of Byzantine

Recent history has been very violent, as it has in much of the Balkans. Greg knows way more than I ever will

Soccer star Xherdan Shaqiri, who plays internationally for Switzerland, was born in what is now Kosovo.

Dua Lipa, whom I’m told is a singer, is of Kosovar descent and has publicly advocated for an independent Kosovo. She is an honorary ambassador to the nation. Rita Ora, a singer who is big in the UK, was born in the capital Pristina and has the same title

## Tournament

Kosovo was defeated by Faroe Islands in Round 2 Matchup 48 of FlagVote after previously defeating Indonesia. As the 270 seed it was defeated by Japan in Round 2 Matchup 80 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating eSwatini. As the 457 seed, it was defeated by Aden in Round 1 Matchup 54 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Indonesia 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to Faroe Islands 5-1

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (243) eSwatini 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (14) Japan 4-2
Jolly Roger

*"YO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF RUM"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Jolly Roger is the traditional name for flags flown by pirate vessels during the Golden Age of Piracy

It was often used to demonstrate to ships that they were under attack by a pirate, so they had better just surrender now

There is a claim that the term derives from French privateers using the *joli rouge*, or "Pretty Red", flag to symbolize blood and that they were ready to kill

Possession of a Jolly Roger flag was considered proof that you were a criminal; it was grounds for execution in some areas

The Jolly Roger used for this tournament was the classic skull-and-crossbones combination used by Black Sam Bellamy and likely Blackbeard; other variants were used by other pirates Check out the Bartholomew Roberts flag - he's on the left and the fellow on the right is supposed to be Death

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

The Jolly Roger is the name for various pirate flags. This common image is just one of many flags that has been called the Jolly Roger

The term dates back to at least the 1720s, when Bartholomew Roberts and Francis Spriggs named their flags that. It is believed that the term existed long before that and that they were using it as a generic term

The skull and crossbones are the flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger, and many Golden Age pirates used it on their flags

The skull and crossbones date back to the Middle Ages as a symbol for death. It’s existed on pirate flags since the 16th century

This version in particular was flown by Black Sam Bellamy, who was the wealthiest pirate in history. Bellamy lived quite the life. He likened himself to Robin Hood, and in roughly a year as a pirate, the Cape Cod resident captured 53 ships before going down in a nor’easter at the ripe age of 28

Pittsburgh Pirates radio broadcaster Greg Brown says his signature line “Raise the Jolly Roger” following a Pirates win. He doesn’t get to use it very often

## Tournament

As the 10 seed, the Jolly Roger was defeated by Hong Kong in Quarterfinal 4 of FlagVote 2. As the 102 seed, it was defeated by New Milford in Round 3 Matchup 118 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Mali.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (503) Margibi County 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (266) Cyprus 5-1

**Round 3:** Win over (138) Ghana 5-1

**Round 4:** Win over (55) Kathmandu 4-3

**Round 5:** Win over (87) Indianapolis 4-3

**Round 6:** Win over (90) Macau 4-1

**Quarterfinals:** Loss to (18) Hong Kong 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (411) Mali 7-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (155) New Milford 6-5
Japan

## Eulogy

Japan is an island country in eastern Asia

According to Wikipedia, it encompasses an archipelago of 6,852 islands, but there are five main islands where most people reside

The capital Tokyo ist (sic) the most populous city in the world and the country is most densely populated and urbanized country in the world

Early Japanese history constituted of Emperors and their imperial court but more de facto power rose in the 1500s of military dictators which would cause a century-long feud

The Tokugawa Shogunate brought an end to that but also a strict isolationistic policy was implemented

This all changed when the American "Perry's Black Ship" came along and opened the country in 1868, more than 200 years since the first Tokugawa came to throne

Japan, desperate to catch up with Western powers, started to overhaul their culture to become industrialized and westernized. This led to colonizing nearby countries and leading to a whole big thing where we got nuked twice

Since then a booming economy led to it being one of the most developed countries in the world and respected, as it has officially renounced its right to declare war

Culturally, Japan is renown for art, literature, cinema, music, pop culture and more. Some of the things we have or do daily has some Japanese connection to it

Several athletes hail from Japan. Notable example includes NBA player Rui Hachimura, tennis players Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka, figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, old MLBers Ichiro Suzuki, Hideo Nomo, Hideki Matsui, Daisuke Matsuza etc., and current MLBers Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Kenta Maeda, @ggj-endorsed Yusei Kikuchi, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, @can-endorsed Shogo Akiyama, and I believe Yoshihisa Hirano

## Tournament

Japan was defeated by Finland in Round 3 Matchup 6 of FlagVote after previously defeating Andorra and eSwatini. As the 14 seed, it was defeated by Wales in Round 5 Matchup 10 of FlagVote 2

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Andorra 5-2

**Round 2:** Win over eSwatini 5-2

**Round 3:** Loss to Finland 4-3

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (499) Nimba County 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (270) Kosovo 4-2

**Round 3:** Win over (142) Martinique 4-3

**Round 4:** Win over (78) Estonia 4-3

**Round 5:** Loss to (19) Wales 4-3
Madagascar

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Madagascar is an island country east of mainland Africa

It is the world’s fourth largest island

Humans never settled Madagascar until sometime between 300-500 AD

There are hundreds of species unique to Madagascar, including the lemur

Madagascar is the 14th least happy country in the world

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Madagascar is that big island off the East African coast. You know where it is

After Indonesia, it is the second largest island nation in the world. It is also the fourth largest island overall

The first settlement of Madagascar is estimated to have happened fairly recently, most likely in the first millennium AD, by people originating from Borneo and modern-day Mozambique

As a result of this dual settlement, the Malagasy people have far more Southeast Asian influence than other East African peoples; this is particularly notable in their cuisine and language

The traveler's palm, whose leaves kind of look like Carnival headdresses, is endemic to Madagascar and has become a symbol of the country. Other endemic species include the cat-like/weasel-like fossa, better known as the antagonists in the 2005 DreamWorks film Madagascar

Madagascar has never won an Olympic medal or made an appearance in the FIFA World Cup. However, their soccer team did win a shocking upset over Nigeria in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, which carried them to the quarterfinal

## Tournament

Madagascar was defeated by Malaysia in Round 1 Matchup 40 of FlagVote. As the 426 seed it was defeated by Indianapolis in Round 1 Matchup 213 of FlagVote 2. As the 626 seed, it was defeated by South Sudan in Round 1 Matchup 148 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (87) Indianapolis 6-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (399) South Sudan 9-1
Real Goat

*"Soto more like GOATo"*

*--Max Brill*

**Real Goat**, or **Real 🐐** was a short-lived Slackbot command. When someone would comment "Soto," Slackbot would respond "Real 🐐". This was a reference to the Mitch Haniger Slackbot, which would respond just with the goat emoji when Haniger's name was said. It was created on 6-13-18, most likely by Max Smith, after a 2 home run game by the then-rookie Soto. The command lasted through much of the summer of 2018 before seemingly being removed on July 30th.
Miyazaki

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Miyazaki Prefecture is a prefecture on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s five main islands

The largest city is the titular capital Miyazaki, located on the coast

Miyazaki is known for its excellent year-round surfing

Two major leaguers hail from Miyazaki: Kazuo Fukumori, who had a 20.25 ERA in 4 games with the 2008 Rangers, and Nori Aoki, who was a bit more successful

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Miyazaki Prefecture is a Japanese prefecture on Kyushu island

Before the Meiji Restoration, it was called Hyuga Province

Miyazaki is known for its good beaches, one of which has a cool rock formation called Onino Sentakuita, or the Ogre's Washboard, that can be seen at low tide. The Washboard surrounds Aoshima island, and is made out of naturally formed geological exposed basalt rock formations

The prefecture was also known for the Seagaia Ocean Dome, an indoor water park that had a Guinness World Record-setting wave pool. You cannot visit the pool anymore though, or the Ocean Dome for that matter. It went bankrupt and was demolished in 2017

From 2007 to 2010 the Governor of Miyazaki was a comedian who rose to prominence on a game show and then got arrested for soliciting an underage prostitute. Ten years later they made him governor anyway

## Tournament

As the 178 seed, Miyazaki was defeated by Anglesey in Round 1 Matchup 230 of FlagVote 2. As the 278 seed, it was defeated by Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug in Round 2 Matchup 250 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Suriname (1959-1975).

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (747) Suriname (1959-1975) 11-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (235) Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug 7-3
Saudi Arabia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula

Islam was founded in the region, and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina are both located in Saudi Arabia

It has a lot of oil. Like, a lot of oil. As such, it is a very rich country

The kingdom has faced criticism for its treatment of women and its murder of journalists

The national soccer team qualified for 4 consecutive World Cups from 1994 to 2006, reaching the Round of 16 in ’94

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Saudi Arabia is the Saudi part of Arabia

It is named for the House of Saud, which has ruled the kingdom since the 1700s

It is the birthplace of Islam, with many major holy sites in the country. Many would argue that the Saudis take their adherence to Islam a bit too far, as the country has historically opposed things like paper money, television, educating women, and abolishing slavery on religious grounds. Oh, did I say "historically? I meant "in the twentieth century"

Recently the Saudi government has been expanding into owning Premier League football teams, and currently is the majority shareholder of Newcastle United. I wonder how they react to getting bad press coverage in the English papers

Another fun thing the Saudi government is trying to do is THE LINE, which is literally just a linear city they're plopping down somewhere in the Arabian Desert. After doing a cursory search of various internet sites, it appears that the only people who think THE LINE will work are the people planning the city. I can't wait to see how this one-dimensional Dubai turns out

The writing on the Saudi flag is the Islamic creed, or the shahada, and it translates to "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God". Because this is a holy phrase, you aren't going to see this flag on, like, t-shirts. You also can't fly it half-mast because that's blasphemy. At one point FIFA made soccer balls with the flag on em and that caused a whole big snafu, and then five years later the US military tried to do the same thing for some reason and that caused another big snafu

## Tournament

Saudi Arabia was defeated by the Marshall Islands in Round 2 Matchup 51 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Oman. As the 110 seed, it was defeated by Wales in Round 3 Matchup 37 of FlagVote 2. As the 187 seed, it was defeated by Richmond in Round 2 Matchup 232 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Oman 7-1

**Round 2:** Loss to Marshall Islands 4-3

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (403) Abkhazia 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (147) Tajikistan 4-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (19) Wales 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Loss to (326) Richmond 7-3
NYPD

*"C-Tier pizza"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The New York City Police Department is the Police Department of New York City

It is the largest police force in the United States

It has 9,624 cars, 45 horses, 34 dogs, 11 boats, and 8 helicopters

The flag’s 24 stars represent the original towns and villages in the city. The 5 stripes represent the 5 boroughs. The end result is a very Brazilian-state-looking flag

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The New York Police Department is the municipal police in New York City

Due to its size (one of the biggest in the US), age (one of the oldest in the US), and status (it's in new york city), the NYPD has been featured in a ton of media over the years, including Spider-Man, Die Hard, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

The NYPD reportedly spends an annual average of $170 million in police misconduct settlements

In 2020, the NYPD partnered with Boston Dynamics to introduce Digidog, the robotic dog cop. High costs and public pushback led the partnership to conclude in 2021. You can have a robo-dog, you can have a dog cop, and you can have a *RoboCop* (1987), but you can't have a Robo-dog cop

## Tournament

As the 370 seed, the NYPD was defeated by Anaheim in Round 1 Matchup 227 of FlagVote 2. As the 661 seed, it was cleanly swept by the Pearson Pennant in Round 1 matchup 125 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (364) Pearson Pennant 11-0
Malta

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Malta is a Mediterranean island nation south of Sicily

It is the tenth-smallest country in the world, and the fourth most densely populated

Maltese history is very unique. Its strategic utility as a naval base has led to it being ruled by many different dominant empires of the day, dating all the way back from ancient Phoenicia to its independence from Britain in 1974. The Order of St John, a Catholic military in the medieval period, ruled the island for over 250 years in the 16th-18th centuries, giving it its strong religious influence

The Maltese language is also unique: it evolved from Arabic, but after the Christianization of Malta the language was latinized and evolved separately from Arabic. It is also the only official Semitic language in the EU

Megalithic temples in Malta are among the oldest free-standing structures in the world, having been built almost 6000 years ago

Malta celebrates more holidays than anywhere else in Europe, and there is a feast day pretty much every week

## Tournament

Malta was defeated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in Round 2 Matchup 14 of FlagVote after previously defeating Chile. As the 427 seed, it was defeated by Sudbury in Round 1 Matchup 172 of FlagVote 2. As the 557 seed, it was defeated by Qatar in Round 1 Matchup 94 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Chile 4-1

**Round 2:** Loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-0
Sierra Leone

*"does sierra leone translate to mountain lion"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa

A civil war tore the country apart for most of the 1990s, but it has been governed democratically since 1998

Sierra Leone was one of the first countries hit by the Ebola crisis in 2013-14

It is regarded as one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world

The Sierra Leone economy is heavily reliant on mining, and the country is a major exporter of titanium, gold, and diamonds

Former Michigan wide receiver Amara Darboh was born in Sierra Leone. Victor Oladipo is half Sierra Leonean on his father's side

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Sierra Leone is a small round nation in West Africa

The nation takes its name from the Italian name for the Lion Mountains on the coast. Though they peak at less than 3000 feet, they were a shocking sight for European explorers

As the nation has high populations of Christians and Muslims, religious tolerance is shockingly very high in Sierra Leone

In 1792, over 3000 ex slaves from Nova Scotia settled in Sierra Leone and founded Freetown, which is still the nation’s capital

There was a brutal Civil War in Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002 which was started by a group of rebels upset that the country was leaving a one-party dictatorship. After three coups and a whole heap of fighting, the rebels were defeated and the country has been relatively stable since

Sierra Leone is perhaps most known for its blood diamonds, mined during the war to fund further atrocities. Over $125 million worth of diamonds were mined annually. Kanye West wrote a song about it

30% of women in Sierra Leone are in a polygamous marriage. That’s down from 37% in 2008

## Tournament

Sierra Leone was defeated by Albania in Round 5 Matchup 8 of FlagVote. As the 175 seed, it was defeated by Hong Kong in Round 4 Matchup 30 of FlagVote 2. As the 64 seed, it was defeated by Gloucestershire in Round 4 Matchup 2 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Kuwait 7-1

**Round 2:** Win over New Zealand 4-1

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

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

**Round 5:** Loss to Albania 4-3

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (338) Saint Maarten 4-1

**Round 2:** Win over (82) Netherlands Navy 4-3

**Round 3:** Win over (47) India 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (18) Hong Kong 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (449) Chodzieski County 10-1

**Round 3:** Win over (193) Uruguay 6-4

**Round 4:** Loss to (65) Gloucestershire 9-1