recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Berkshire

*“The artist on the Berkshire flag began drawing a tree, realized it wasn’t going to fit within the bounds, then said “fuck it” and squeezed it onto flag anyways.”*

*--Zach Betron*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Berkshire (pronounced BARK-sure) is an historic county in southern England, west of London

The name Berkshire comes from the Celtic Bearrocscir, which means a forest of box trees. This supposed forest no longer exists, but there are many pine and silver birch trees along the River Thames, which makes up the northern border of the county

Its center of government and population is the town of Reading. Reading is home to Reading Festival, one of the largest music festivals in England; Reading FC, who most recently played in the Premier League in 2013; and Kate Winslet

Windsor Castle is also located in Berkshire

The flag, adopted in 2017, takes inspiration from Michael Drayton’s Battle of Agincourt, which describes the men of Berkshire marching with a flag depicting a stag under an oak tree. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Merionethshire also took its flag from a description in this poem

## Tournament

As the 679 seed, Berkshire was defeated by Liechtenstein in Round 1 Matchup 177 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (346) Liechtenstein 9-1
Comoros

*"you’d call comoros comoross stripling"*

*--Cam Cain, to Sahil*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Comoros is located off the east coast of Africa, northwest of Madagascar.

It gained its independence from France in 1975.

Native Comorians adopted Islam in the 7th century, and Comoros is the only Muslim country in the southern hemisphere.

Comoros has the worst income inequality in the world.

The country’s largest export is vanilla.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Comoros is a country consisting of three islands in between Madagascar and Mozambique

It does not consist of Mayotte. Mayotte used to be included in the Union of the Comoros when they were all French colonies, but it decided to stay with France instead of join the other islands in independence

The name Comoros comes from the Arabic word for "moon". As could be inferred from this neat fact, and also from the moon on their flag, the country is 98% Sunni Islam

Comoros has had over twenty coups or attempted coups d'etat since gaining independence in 1975. That averages out to a coup attempt every two and a half years or so

Marriage is a big deal in Comoros, with an important distinction between legal marriages and the GRAND MARRIAGE (™️). Also known as the ada, the GRAND MARRIAGE costs up to $74,000 USD, and festivities last for two weeks. Legal marriages come and go, but you can only have a GRAND MARRIAGE once. Choose wisely

## Tournament

Comoros was defeated by Germany in Round 2 Matchup 23 of FlagVote after previously defeating Sudan. As the 308 seed, it was defeated by Munster in Round 1 Matchup 103 of FlagVote 2. As the 424 seed, it was defeated by Angola in Round 2 Matchup 47 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Michigan.

## Results

### FlagVote:

**Round 1:** Win over Sudan 4-2

**Round 2:** Loss to Germany 6-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (601) Michigan 8-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (89) Angola 9-1
ESwatini

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

eSwatini is an African nation surrounded on three sides by South Africa

In 2018 it changed its formal name from Swaziland to line up with the name for the nation in the Swazi language

It was a British protectorate after the Second Boer War and until declaring independence in 1968

The median age in Eswatini is 20.5 years, and 26% of the population has HIV

There are 507 species of bird in the country, nearly one for each flag in this tournament

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Eswatini is a small country in southern Africa

It has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986, making it the last absolute monarchy in Africa. King Mswati has fifteen wives, but he's got nothing on his father. King Sobuza II had as many as 125 wives

All these wives makes the process of succession awfully difficult, and I don't fully understand it. Basically though a king's first two wives are appointed by a special council, and their children cannot become kings. The eventual heir is also chosen by a special council, though I'm not sure if it's the same one, and this can only happen after the king is dead

Eswatini changed its name from Swaziland in 2018, partly to better align with what the Swazi people call themselves and their country, and partly because the king was sick of people calling his country Switzerland

In 2021 a series of pro-democracy protests broke out across the country, destroying buildings connected to the king's estate and forcing the government to shut down internet access

## Tournament

eSwatini was defeated by Japan in Round 2 Matchup 12 of FlagVote after previously defeating Uzbekistan. As the 240 seed, it was defeated by Kosovo in Round 1 Matchup 159 of FlagVote 2. As the 491 seed, it was defeated by Dr. Congo in Round 2 Matchup 249 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Moca.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

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

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (534) Moca 6-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (22) Dr. Congo 6-2
Colorado Springs

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain and ChatGPT*

here are a bunch of very real fun facts about colorado springs. some of which are aided by chatgpt

Colorado Springs is a town in South Wyoming

Colorado Springs is home to the world’s largest toothpick factory

The city’s official flower is the rubber ducky

Colorado Springs was founded by extraterrestrial beings

Colorado Springs is the only city in the world where you can see a rainbow every day.

The Pikes Peak cog railway was built using leftover spaghetti.

The Air Force Academy is the largest military installation in the world, spanning over 10 acres.

Colorado Springs is home to the world’s largest indoor snowball fight arena, where visitors can throw real snowballs at each other year-round.

Notable people from Colorado Springs include Elton John, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Helen of Troy, and New York Jets runningback Michael Carter

## Tournament

As the 611 seed, Colorado Springs was defeated by Egypt in Round 2 Matchup 203 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Gibraltar.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (414) Gibraltar 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (99) Egypt 8-1
Ayabaca

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Ayabaca is a province in northern Peru, on the border with Ecuador

The name is of Quechua origin and means something along the lines of “ancient tomb of the dead”

There is a lot of Inca architecture in the region

The capital of Ayabaca has a religious pilgrimage which ends there

## Tournament

As the 200 seed, Ayabaca was defeated by Gyeonggi in Round 3 Matchup 19 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bulgaria.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (313) Bulgaria 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (57) Gyeonggi 9-1
Franco-Newfoundlanders

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This flag represents Franco-Newfoundlanders, or Franco-Terreneuvians. In other words, French speakers from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Franco-Newfoundlanders primarily reside in the Port au Port peninsula on the western side of the island.

The culture has large Basque and Breton influence in addition to French

The first French colonies in Newfoundland were Placentia Bay and Fortune Bay in the early 17th century

In the 19th century, many Franco-Newfoundlanders hid their Frenchness and changed their names to English and Irish names

There are over 30,000 Franco-Newfoundlanders, but only ~650 who exclusively speak French

## Tournament

As the 705 seed, Franco-Newfoundlanders were defeated by Lincolnshire in Round 1 Matchup 6 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (320) Lincolnshire 8-1
Kiribati

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Kiribati is a vast island nation in the Pacific

Though it comprises of 32 atolls, over half of the country’s 100,000 residents live in Tarawa Atoll

The country’s English name is the Gilbert Islands, and the most common languages are English and Gilbertese, also known as Taetae ni Kiribati

Kiribati has the third highest rate of smoking in the world at 54%

The national soccer team has played 10 matches and lost all 10. Their first ever match was a 24-0 loss to Fiji in 1979, just a month and a half after declaring independence. They have scored a combined 7 goals and allowed 126 in their history

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Kiribati (pronounced like Kiribas) is an island nation in the Pacific south of Hawaii and north of Samoa

It bisects both the equator and the 180th parallel, although the International Date Line gets all funky to make sure Kiribati is on the left side of it

It is unclear when the islands were first inhabited, and the error bars are super wide. The first people arrived sometime between 3000 BC and 1300 AD, or the span of time between the construction of Stonehenge and the arrival of the Black Plague

In their colonial history, they were first known as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. In 1976 the Ellice Islands split off to become Tuvalu. Three years later, it joined forces with the mostly uninhabited Phoenix and Line Islands and changed its name to Kiribati

Soccer is the most popular sport in Kiribati. Their national team has played 10 matches and lost all 10. Their most recent match was a 17-1 loss to Tahiti at the 2011 Pacific Games

Kiribati has its own Christmas Island (although it’s not the same Christmas Island in this tournament.) It is also spelled Kiritimati, which is pronounced like Christmas because, remember, the ti sound is pronounced like s here

## Tournament

Kiribati was defeated by Norway in Round 2 Matchup 44 of FlagVote after previously defeating Lebanon. As the 326 seed it was defeated by Portugal in Round 1 Matchup 187 of FlagVote 2. As the 347 seed, it was defeated by Durham in Round 2 Matchup 240 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Mora.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Lebanon 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to Norway 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (678) Mora 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (166) Durham 7-3
Anglesey

*"Jfc Anglesey isn't even a flag. It's just a fancy envelope"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Anglesey is an island off the coast of Wales

It has many stone age artifacts

The Welsh name for the island is Ynys Môn. Ynys means island, but the origin of Môn is unknown.

Much of Anglesey is used for “intensive” cattle farming

A notable site on the island is the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the second longest place name in the world

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Anglesey is an island off the northwest coast of Wales and one of its 22 counties. It is separated from Caernarfonshire and mainland Wales by the Menai Strait, which is just 250 meters wide

It is the seventh largest of the British Isles by area and the sixth largest by population. It is about the size of Singapore with the population of Gary, Indiana

Neighboring Holy Island is also considered part of Anglesey. Holy Island is home to the county’s largest settlement, Holyhead, and its highest point, Holyhead Mountain

The island was populated by Druids until the Romans kicked them out. It later was occupied by Irish pirates, Norwegian vikings, and Normans before being taken over by the English in the 13th century

The village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is on Anglesey. The official name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, but the longer name was invented sometime in the last 250 years to try and attract tourists. A new predator bacteria was discovered in the village in 2020, and it was accordingly named Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis

Actors Taron Egerton and Naomi Watts both grew up in Anglesey. Specifically, they both grew up in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

## Tournament

As the 335 seed, Anglesey was defeated by Goliad in Round 2 Matchup 115 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Miyazaki. As the 451 seed it was defeated by Morocco (old) in Round 2 Matchup 197 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Central Bosnia.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (178) Miyazaki 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (79) Goliad 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (574) Central Bosnia 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (62) Morocco (old) 6-4
Bahia

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Bahia is the fourth most populous of Brazil’s 26th states

It is the home of Salvador, the fourth largest city in the country

Salvador was established by Portugal in 1549, and it holds the country’s oldest cathedral

Bahia takes its name from the Bay of All Saints (Bahia de Todos os Santos) which is the largest on the Brazilian coast

Bahia has the most murders of any Brazilian state and has four of the ten most violent cities

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Bahia is a state on the central Brazillian coast

It is named for the Bay of All Saints, the largest bay in Brazil

There are a number of other cool nature things to see in Bahia, including the waterfall Smoke Falls, the Discovery Coast nature preserves, and the rugged mountains of Chapada Diamantina National Park

Its capital, Salvador, was the first capital of Colonial Brazil. It is home to the oldest cathedral and medical school in the country, and Guinness World Records says its Carnival is the largest street party in the world - the celebration draws over four million people annually

Bahia has a markedly African influence. The samba originated here, and the state remains the largest Afro-Brazilian cultural hub in the country today

## Tournament

As the 458 seed, Bahia was defeated by Kathmandu in Round 1 Matchup 217 of FlagVote 2. As the 667 seed, it was defeated by Yavoriv in Round 1 Matchup 237 of FlagVote 3.
Canadian Air Force

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Royal Canadian Air Force is the Air Force of Canada

The first attempt at a Canadian Air Force was the Canadian Aviation Corps which was founded in 1914 and consisted of three people and a plane. The plane was never flown. The next version was founded in World War I and featured one fighter and one bomber. The Air Force we know today was founded in 1920 and given the Royal name four years later

During World War II, the RCAF flew operations over Europe and North Africa as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

Today, the RCAF has 430 aircrafts, making it the third largest in the Americas behind the US and Brazil

## Tournament

As the 714 seed, the Canadian Air Force was cleanly swept by South Yemen in Round 1 Matchup 183 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (311) South Yemen 11-0
Canada

*"I think we should all, as is tradition in Yost, stand and raise our caps as I write the Canadian eulogy"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

Canada is a country in North America

With the USA, it forms the longest land border with another country in the world (over 5500 miles!)

The name "Canada" derives from the Iroquois word Kanata, meaning "settlement"

European exploration of Canada began with Norse settlements of Newfoundland in the early 1000s but would not continue for another 400 years, when English and French settlers took hold in different regions

Canada managed to fuck us up in the War of 1812, when Canadian forces under the British flag got as far as Washington

Canada has its shit together in ways we don't yet; these include strong social safety nets and widespread use of dollar coins

Everyone knows about Canada's hockey prowess, but lacrosse is actually the Canadian national sport. The CFL's Grey Cup has also been around for over 110 years, which more than doubles the existence of the Super Bowl

Notable Canadian athletes include MLB players Larry Walker, Joey Votto, and James Paxton, a whole bunch of hockey players including Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe, and former Lions and Seahawks wide receiver Nate Burleson. Musicians hailing from the Great White North include Arcade Fire, Alanis Morrissette, and Rush. RIP Neil Peart, and RIP Canada

## Tournament

Canada was the champion of FlagVote, defeating Barbados in the finals. As the 1 seed, it was defeated by Manhattan in Round 5 Matchup 1 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Jordan 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over New Caledonia 7-1

**Round 3:** Win over Soviet Union 7-0

**Round 4:** Win over Finland 5-2

**Round 5:** Win over South Africa 4-3

**Quarterfinals**: Win over North Macedonia 4-3

**Semifinals:** Win over Jamaica 5-2

**Finals:** Win over Barbados 5-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (512) Bienville Parish 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (257) Sutherland 6-1

**Round 3:** Win over (128) Liechtenstein 5-1

**Round 4:** Win over (193) Duluth 4-3

**Round 5:** Loss to (96) Manhattan 4-3
Sao Tome and Principe

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean not far off the coast of Gabon

The two main islands are of course São Tomé and Príncipe, which mean Saint Thomas and Prince. Each island is surrounded by its own little archipelago. The vast majority of the population lives on Sao Tome

As the ã in its name suggests, it was originally a Portuguese colony. And I do mean originally, as there was no native population when Portugal arrived in 1471. It was a major sugar exporter in the 16th century, which meant that there were tens of thousands of slaves on the islands. At first, the imported African workers weren’t quite treated as slaves but rather regular citizens of the island who held office, owned property, and worked at their own leisure. However, this was deemed not to be cruel enough, so large sugar plantations were built in the 1530s. The next few hundred years saw it as a hub of the Atlantic slave trade

Sao Tome achieved independence from Portugal in 1975 following the ousting of Portugal’s authoritarian regime and liberation of its colonies. Despite a few attempted coups, democracy in the nation seems relatively stable

Former Premier League manager Nuno Espirito Santo is Santomean. The nation’s most decorated athlete is probably Naide Gomez, a long jumper who won gold at the 2008 World Indoor Championships. However, she represented Portugal in international competition instead of Sao Tome.

## Tournament

Sao Tome and Principe was defeated by Venezuela in Round 1 Matchup 92 of FlagVote. As the 373 seed, it was defeated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in Round 1 Matchup 94 of FlagVote 2. As the 500 seed, it was defeated by Kyrgyzstan in Round 2 Matchup 81 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Venezuela.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (140) Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (525) Venezuela 6-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (13) Kyrgyzstan 8-1
Braunschweig

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Braunschweig is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony, in the northern part of the country

The city is also known as Brunswick sometimes in English

A notable site in the city is the Altstadtmarkt, a market built in the 13th century

It is a sister city with Omaha, USA

Notable people from Braunschweig include mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and NBA player Dennis Schröder

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Braunschweig, or Brunswick, is a city in central Germany

It was the capital city of various German states for a few hundred years, all of which were also named Brunswick. One of these states was briefly independent after Napoleon's fall but got subsumed into the German Empire in 1871

Roughly at this time, the palace in the city center was burned down by an angry mob and had to be rebuilt

Till Eulenspiegel, a folk hero who first showed up in stories dating to the 16th century, is from Braunschweig. In the stories he plays a number of practical jokes on the city's people, which usually include them smelling or touching his poop

The Battle of the Year, an international breakdance competition, is held annually in Braunschweig

Braunschweig also has an American football team! They're called the New Yorker Lions for some reason, and they've won a record 12 German Super Bowls

## Tournament

As the 42 seed, Braunschweig was defeated by Romania in Round 2 Matchup 108 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Des Moines. As the 403 seed, it was defeated by Spain in Round 2 Matchup 219 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Andorra la Vella.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (471) Des Moines 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (298) Romania 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (622) Andorra la Vella 6-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (110) Spain 6-4
Glamorgan

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Glamorgan is a county in the southeast corner of Wales

It is the most populous county of Wales, with over twice as many people as the second most populous county Monmouthshire. It is home to Cardiff and Swansea, the two largest cities in all of Wales.

Humans and prehistoric humans have lived in this area for 200,000 years, although various changes in climate have meant this habitation has not been continuous

Glamorgan has over 80 miles of coastline, which includes rocky cliffs

The flag is a banner of the arms of Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the last ruler of an ancient Welsh kingdom. The flag of Cardiff shows a dragon holding this flag, which is kinda wild

Notable people from Glamorgan include author Roald Dahl, soccer players Gareth Bale and Ryan Giggs, poet Dylan Thomas, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the band Badfinger. MLB player Jimmy Austin, a former player-manager of the St, Louis Browns in the dead ball era, is from Swansea. There’s a famous photo of Ty Cobb trying to spike him at third base. Austin later became the mayor of Laguna Beach, California

## Tournament

As the 279 seed, Glamorgan was defeated by Tov in Round 2 Matchup 186 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Rivercess County.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (746) Rivercess County 11-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (234) Tov 6-4
Gallardo Alert

"i still miss gallardo alerts"

--Gregory Severin

      **Gallardo Alert** (stylized as **GALLARDO ALERT**) was a Slackbot command in the M-SABR Slack. It was created by Gregory Severin on April 1, 2018 in response to then-Reds pitcher Yovani Gallardo entering a game against the Washington Nationals. Upon a mention of Gallardo's last name, Slackbot would respond "🚨🚨🚨GALLARDO ALERT🚨🚨🚨" in an attempt to replicate the panic fans of a team for which Gallardo pitched would feel upon seeing his entrance into a game. The command was deleted by Cam Cain on the same day after only thirty minutes after it was agreed that Slackbot had gotten out of hand. However, Gallardo Alert would leave behind a substantial legacy, especially considering that the command was only ever triggered three times. Cam would alert other members of the Slack to future Gallardo pitching appearances--both for the Reds and for the Triple-A Round Rock Express--by posting his own Gallardo Alert, and the first non-test use of the infamous :gallardo: emoji was a reference to the Gallardo Alert as well. Today, the Gallardo Alert lives on as an Easter Egg response in the Gallardo Fact Slackbot.
Cabañas

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Cabañas is a department in northern El Salvador, bordering Honduras

It is named after Jose Trinidad Cabañas, former president of Honduras

It is largely agricultural, producing cheese, coffee, sugar cane, pottery, indigo, and precious metals. I guess the last few aren’t agricultural, but they’re still big industry there

The capital and largest city of the department is Sensuntepeque, which means 400 hills in the local Pipil language. This is a reference to the many hills in the area

## Tournament

As the 387 seed, it was defeated by East Timor in Round 2 Matchup 195 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Aimeliik.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (638) Aimeliik 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (126) East Timor 7-3
Hawaii

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Hawaii is a US state located in the Pacific Ocean

Though there are only eight major islands, the archipelago consists of over 100

Hawaii is known for its lush rainforests, volcanoes, and sandy beaches

It was an independent kingdom for much of its history before president McKinley annexed it as a territory. It became the 50th state in 1959

It is one of four states to have been an independent nation before it was a state. Can anyone guess the other three?

46 major leaguers were born in Hawaii, including Shane Victorino, Kolten Wong, and Kirby Yates (!?)

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Hawaii is the fiftieth and final US state admitted into the Union

Historically the Hawaiian archipelago has been used to mark the northernmost tip of Polynesia

The first European to explore Hawaii was James Cook, who was later killed after trying to kidnap the Hawaiian ruling chief

Hawaii was annexed into the US in 1898 after years of competing American and British influence (reflected in its flag), and formally became a state in 1959If it weren't half-underwater, the volcano Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island would be the tallest mountain in the world: the distance between its base and peak is over 33,500 feet. Its elevation of almost 14,000 feet above sea level does make it the second most-prominent mountain in the world

Notable Hawaiian athletes include swimmer/surfer Duke Kahanamoku, quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa, and Texas Ranger legends Isaiah Kiner-Falefa and Scott Feldman. Actor Timothy Olyphant was born in Hawaii, and Keanu Reeves' father is Hawaiian (as is the name Keanu)

## Tournament

Hawaii was defeated by Tokelau in Round 1 Matchup 26 of FlagVote. As the 336 seed, it was defeated by South Carolina in Round 2 Matchup 14 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Austria-Hungary. As the 583 seed, it was defeated by Enga in Round 1 Matchup 168 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (177) Austria-Hungary 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (80) South Carolina 5-2
Hordaland

## Eulogy

Hordaland was a county in western Norway until 2020

It was the third largest county by population and was home to Bergen, the nation’s second largest city

The flag comes from the coat of arms of Saint Olav, who united several kingdoms into one big Norway

40% of Norway’s fruit comes from the district of Hardanger in Hordaland

Hordaland is also home to Hardangerfjorden, the second longest in Norway

In 2020, it merged with neighboring Sogn og Fjordane county to form a new county called Vestland

## Tournament

As the 247 seed, Hordaland was defeated by South Africa in Round 3 Matchup 89 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Kazakh Navy.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (266) Kazakh Navy 8-1

**Round 3:** Loss to (10) South Africa 8-3
Bolivar

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Bolivar is a province in western Peru, within the larger department of La Libertad

It is named after Simon Bolivar, the liberator of much of South America

Bolivar has a diverse range of climates, ranging from high jungles to low river valleys

The capital of the province is the titular town of Bolivar. It’s located in the high jungle part of the province over 10,000 feet above sea level

## Tournament

As the 579 seed, Bolivar was defeated by the United Kingdom in Round 2 Matchup 199 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Brunei.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (446) Brunei 8-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (67) United Kingdom 9-0
Fransaskois

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This flag represents the Fransaskois, or French people in Saskatchewan

There are 125,000 French people in the province, but only about 1 in 7 of them speaks French. This ranks behind English, Tagalog, German, and Cree among Saskatchewaners

The first francophones in the region were Quebecois fur traders in the 18th century

There are 12 French-speaking elementary schools and two French-speaking secondary schools in the province

Wikipedia declares in a very objective way that the most famous Fransaskois is former Canadian governor general Jeanne Sauvé. In my and presumably Yuki’s opinion, the most famous Fransaskois is Swift Current’s Patrick Marleau, who holds the NHL record for games played

## Tournament

As the 402 seed, the Fransaskois flag was defeated by Tocantins in Round 2 Matchup 155 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Goias.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (623) Goias 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (111) Tocantins 10-1
Caernarfonshire

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Caernarfonshire is a county in northern Wales

Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, is located in the county. Snowdonia National Park is partially located in the county as well

Bangor, located in Caernarfonshire, is the oldest city in Wales. It dates back to a Celtic cathedral from the early 5th century

Lawrence of Arabia, as in the guy, is from Caernarfonshire. He was a Welsh army officer from the late 1910s named Thomas Edward Lawrence who later had a movie made of his exploits

Just like most of the other Welsh county flags, this flag dates back to the Battle of Agincourt. The eagles were supposedly on the coat of arms of Owain Gwynedd, an ancient Welsh king. Hopefully those eagles looked nicer than these

## Tournament

As the 539 seed, Caernarfonshire was defeated by Martinique in Round 1 Matchup 234 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (486) Martinique 6-4
Iraq

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Iraq is a country in the Middle East

It covers most of the historic region of Mesopotamia, where civilization first sprung up

The main ethnicities in Iraq are Arabs and Kurds, but there is a wide variety

The US had presence in Iraq from 2003-2011

The Iraqi soccer team qualified for the World Cup in 1986, losing all three of their matches. They were also Asian champions in 2007

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Iraq is a nation in the Middle East

Around 8000 years ago, the Mesopotamian civilizations sprang up around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq. In this region, humanity took a great leap forward inventing writing, timekeeping, and math

Saddam Hussein led an authoritarian government in Iraq and tried to invade both Iran and Kuwait while committing a genocide against the Kurds. He did not, however, have weapons of mass destruction

40 percent of Iraq is desert and another 30 percent is bitterly cold mountains

The city of Samarra has some of the largest and best preserved early Muslim ruins

Iraq has won one Olympic medal: A bronze in weightlifting in 1960 by Abdul Wahid Aziz

## Tournament

Iraq was defeated by Guatemala in Round 1 Matchup 51 of FlagVote. As the 224 seed, it was defeated by the Soviet Union in Round 2 Matchup 5 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating French Guiana. As the 199 seed, it was defeated by Prussia in Round 3 Matchup 83 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Prussia.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (289) French Guiana 4-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (33) Soviet Union 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (314) Prussia 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (58) Panama 9-2
Equatoria

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Equatoria is a region of southern South Sudan, about 3.5 degrees north of the equator

It is divided into the states of Eastern, Central, and Western Equatoria

It was an original province of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and contained much of modern-day Uganda

The South Sudanese capital of Juba is located in the region

Equatorians were instrumental in South Sudan’s independence from Sudan, but Equatoria is looking to declare further independence from South Sudan. Local leaders were upset that the new nation was named South Sudan instead of Equatoria

## Tournament

As the 483 seed, Equatoria was defeated by Duluth in Round 2 Matchup 201 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bayamón.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (542) Bayamón 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (30) Duluth 7-1
Chilean Antarctic Territory

*"i'm just so tired of the same damn constellation"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Magallanes Region, incorrectly referred to by us as the Chilean Antarctic Territory, is a region in Chile

It includes the southern part of Chile’s side of Patagonia as well as Chile’s claim on Antarctica

The region does not use daylight savings time, which means it’s an hour ahead of the rest of Chile for half of the year

Most of the land is either unsuitable for settlement or sectioned off for sheep farming

Torres del Paine National Park is known for its three large distinctive granite peaks

The Antarctic claim includes Villa Las Estrellas, the larger of only two permanent settlements on the continent. It has a permanent population of about 80 which includes two teachers and 15 schoolchildren

## Tournament

As the 252 seed, the Chilean Antarctic Territory was defeated by Arby's in Round 1 Matchup 66 of FlagVote 2. As the 212 seed, it was defeated by Puno in Round 3 Matchup 47 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Mauritania.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (301) Mauritania 8-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (45) Puno 7-2
Herzeg-Bosnia

*"confused? so am i, and i'm taking a class on it"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was a proto-state that was proclaimed in Bosnia and Herzegovina after its independence from Yugoslavia

In my Bosnia and Herzegovina eulogy, I mentioned that it's a super multiethnic state. This is true, and each of the three major ethnicities had very different plans for what they wanted in a post-socialist BiH

Croats and Bosniaks wanted independence from Yugoslavia, but Bosnian Serbs thought otherwise and declared an independence of their own, forming the previously-eliminated Republika Srpska. This led to a big whole thing

Croats thought that this was a great idea and created Herzeg-Bosnia in the hopes that they could unify with Croatia. This also led to a big whole thing, albeit less big

Conflict between Croats and Bosniaks ended in 1994 with an agreement that merged it into the Croat-Bosniak Federation, and it ceased to exist in 1996

Currently, the Croat and Bosniak portions of Bosnia & Herzegovina make up one of two autonomous regions in the nation itself. The other one is Republika Srpska

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was a geopolitical entity that existed from November 1991 to August 1996

Based on the name, you are led to believe it’s either Bosnians in Croatia or Croatians in Bosnia. My guess was the former but turns out it was the latter

The gist is that when the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina was created, the Croats in the country wanted their own slice of the pie. They declared this to be their state and hoped that they could merge with Croatia. This did not happen.

Eventually, this land was joined into the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the Bosniak and Croat part of the larger country

There are people in the country who want this to come back. One of the cantons wanted to name itself Herzeg-Bosnian Canton and took this flag. However, the name was deemed controversial and they’re just called Canton 10 now

## Tournament

As the 176 seed, Herzeg-Bosnia was defeated by Richmond in Round 3 Matchup 6 of FlagVote 2. As the 317 seed, it was defeated by France in Round 3 Matchup 35 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (337) Myanmar 5-2

**Round 2:** Win over (81) Indiana 5-1

**Round 3:** Loss to (48) Richmond 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (708) Dnipropetrovsk Oblast 11-0

**Round 2:** Win over (196) Congo 7-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (61) France 7-3
Egypt

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Arab Republic of Egypt is a country in northeast Africa

Egyptian civilization dates back thousands of years, and it is considered a cradle of civilization

Egypt has been a part of several empires through its history, including the Ottomans, British, and Alexander's Macedonia

Egypt and Israel fought a bunch in the 20th century, and they briefly lost the Sinai Peninsula to the Israeli army

Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for 30 years. Protests to Mubarak's regime were the key instigator of the Arab Spring

Ahmed Gabr of Egypt currently holds the record for the deepest-ever scuba dive. It took him 14 hours to descend over 1000 feet

## Tournament

Egypt was defeated by Slovakia in Round 3 Matchup 16 of FlagVote. As the 59 seed, it was defeated by South Korea in Round 4 Matchup 24 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Central African Republic 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over India 4-2

**Round 3:** Loss to Slovakia 4-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (454) Azawad 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (198) Lombardy 4-1

**Round 3:** Win over (70) Ethiopia 5-2

**Round 4:** Loss to (6) South Korea 4-3
Bonk

*"hey even if i haven't been winning i've been giving my opponents the B O N K"*

--Gregory Severin

**Bonk**, or :bonk: (sometimes stylized as BONK or B O N K), is an emoji in the M-SABR Slack. It was created by Gregory Severin on March 8, 2021 and debuted the same day in the #dynastyhockey channel. The emoji is a transparent, textless image of the "go to horny jail" meme of Cheems being hit by Doge. :bonk: is primarily used on #dynastyhockey, as the word "bonks" became more frequently used as a synonym for that league's hits category. In addition to referencing hits, the emoji has also been used as a means of discouragement or disagreement in various instances, most frequently as a reaction to unpopular takes or bad puns unworthy of earning a BSD react.
Estonia

*"estonia=best-onia"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

Estonia is a country in Northern Europe

Though it is often lumped with the Baltic States of Latvia and Lithuania, it is most culturally and linguistically similar to Finland

It could still, however, not escape Nazi and Soviet occupation

It was also under Swedish rule for the entire 17th century

The big Tech company Skype is Estonian

The capital Tallinn is supposed to be one of the coolest cities in the world

## Tournament

Estonia was defeated by Albania in Quarterfinal 4 of FlagVote. As the 78 seed it was defeated by Japan in Round 4 Matchup 20 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Costa Rica 5-4

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

**Round 3:** Win over Canary Islands 5-2

**Round 4:** Win over Czech Republic 4-3

**Round 5:** Win over Quebec 4-3

**Quarterfinals:** Loss to Albania 7-0

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (435) South Ossetia 5-0

**Round 2:** Win over (179) Micronesia 4-1

**Round 3:** Win over (206) Laos 5-1

**Round 4:** Loss to (14) Japan 4-3
Finland

*"In the words of Patrick Star: ahem 'FINNNNNNLLLAAANNNNDDDDD'"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy

Finland is a country in Northern Europe

Although it is a Nordic country, its language originates from the Uralic family, meaning its only close European linguistic relative is Estonian

Finland had been a part of the Swedish and Russian Empires prior to declaring independence after the Russian Revolution

In the resulting Winter War, the most prolific sniper of all time Simo Häyhä handed out headshots to the red army like they were popsicles and he was the ice cream man. Häyhä earned the resultingly awesome moniker of the "White Death"

Notable Finnish athletes include Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask and former Atlanta Hawks guard Hanno Möttölä. The 1952 Summer Olympics were held in the Finnish capital of Helsinki

## Tournament

Finland was defeated by Canada in Round 4 Matchup 3 of FlagVote. As the 45 seed it was defeated by Mexico in Round 3 Matchup 27 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Guadeloupe and Wichita.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Rwanda 4-2

**Round 2:** Win over French Guiana 8-0

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

**Round 4:** Loss to Canada 5-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (468) Guadeloupe 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (301) Wichita 4-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (84) Mexico 4-3
German Empire

*"egypt missing a lil something extra"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This flag represents the German Empire, also known as the Second Reich

It was founded in 1871 as a merger between southern German states (including Alsace-Lorraine) and the Northern German Empire, which included the northern part of Germany as well as the southern part of modern-day Denmark and what was then Prussia

Prussia was the center of the German Empire and the driving force behind this unification, which took place shortly before the end of the Franco-Prussian War. The King of Prussia was by definition the Emperor of Germany. You may recognize the name Kaiser Wilhelm. That was the name of the first and third emperor.

The German Chancellor, however, is not the same position. This role was the head of state, and still is today in Germany. Otto von Bismarck was the first and longest serving chancellor, and he turned the empire into a colonial dynasty. The German Empire territory included modern day Togo, Namibia, Tanzania, Cameroon, and briefly Samoa. Side note, apparently Angela Merkel is no longer the chancellor and hasn’t been in over a year

The Empire was a big player during World War I, and the Treaty of Versailles gave it sole blame for the war’s outbreak. Towards the end of the war, there was a lot of internal strife, and eventually the Empire was overthrown. This gave way to the Weimar Republic, followed by the Third Reich, Double Germany, and finally the Germany we know and love today

As far as I can tell, between 18 and 20 major leaguers were born in what was then the German Empire, and sixteen of them had negative WAR. The gap is because there are five listed on Baseball Reference as being born in Poland in this time, and I could verify that two were born within the German Empire’s borders and one was not, but I could not verify this information for the other two. The WAR leader of the bunch was Anton “Tony” Welzer, who was probably born in modern-day Poland but listed on Baseball Reference as being from Germany but regardless was from the German Empire and moved to Milwaukee when he was a teenager. He pitched for the Red Sox out of the bullpen in 1926 and 1927.

## Tournament

As the 329 seed, the German Empire was defeated by Moldova in Round 2 Matchup 56 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Montserrado County.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (696) Montserrado County 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (184) Moldova 7-3
Cocle

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Coclé is a province on Panama's Pacific coast

Its capital, Penonomé, is at the geographic center of the country

A unified pre-Colombian culture appears to have flourished in the area from 1200 BC until the 1500s

Coclé is a major producer of agricultural goods, most notably sugar and tomatoes

The amount of very nice beaches in the province has led to a substantial uptick in tourism recently

## Tournament

As the 642 seed, Coclé was defeated by Makedonska Kamenica in Round 2 Matchup 132 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Kayangel.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (383) Kayangel 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (130) Makedonska Kamenica 7-3
Bellingham

*"now would sahil say heath bellingham or cole bellinghamels"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Bellingham is the 12th-largest city in Washington State

It is located 21 miles south of the Canadian border, and roughly 2/3 of the way between Seattle and Vancouver

Bellingham is the northernmost city in the contiguous US with 50,000 people

The city is named after Sir William Bellingham, a British member of Parliament who financed George Vancouver’s expedition to Cascadia

Bellingham is nicknamed the “City of Subdued Excitement”

   Death Cab for Cutie was formed in Bellingham

Cliff Chambers leads Bellingham natives with 8.2 WAR

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Bellingham is a city in northern Washington, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border

It is the northernmost decently-sized city in the contiguous United States. Nowhere further north has more than 15,000

Doug Pederson, a guy currently talking to some large dudes in Missouri, was born in Bellingham. Hilary Swank grew up there too

Bellingham is a sister city of Punta Arenas, the capital of the Chilean Antarctic Territory and the largest city to be located as far south as it is. I find this fact fun

Bellingham is known as the City of Subdued Excitement due to its quiet beauty

## Tournament

As the 324 seed, Bellingham was defeated by New Milford in Round 1 Matchup 123 of FlagVote 2. As the 345 seed, it was defeated by Sinujiu in Round 2 Matchup 48 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (189) New Milford 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (680) Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (168) Sinujiu 8-2
Guam

*"Andrew and Conor were inconsistent, but it’s all of us who should be ashamed of ourselves"*

*--Cam Cain, reacting to Guam's first-round win over Amsterdam*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Guam is an island territory of the US in the region of Micronesia

It has a population of 160,000 people, a plurality of whom belong to the Chamorro ethnic group

Guam was occupied by Japan for two years following Pearl Harbor

The brown tree snake is an invasive species that has terrorized the island since its introduction during World War II. It killed off multiple species of birds, allowing insects to thrive on the island

John Hattig is the only Guam native to play in Major League Baseball. He went 8-24 for the 2006 Blue Jays with a double. Blue Jays pitcher Sean Reid-Foley was also born in Guam, but he grew up in Florida.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Guam is an American island territory in Micronesia

It is the westernmost point in the United States, giving it the unofficial motto "Where America's Day Begins," and the largest and southernmost island in Micronesia

The first European to travel to Guam was Magellan during his circumnavigation of the world, and after 400 years of Spanish rule the US assumed control following the Spanish-American War in 1898

When the Americans captured Guam from Spain, the governor mistook the American ships' military salvo as a salute rather than an attack, as he hadn't yet received word that Spain and the US were at war

The Guamian national soccer team is considered to be among the worst in the world. It was founded in 1975, but had to wait until 2010 to beat its first FIFA member

Donovan Patton, better known as the guy who replaced Steve on Blue's Clues, was born in Guam

## Tournament

Guam was defeated by Cyprus in Round 1 Matchup 31 of FlagVote. As the 388 seed, it was defeated by Cordoba in Round 2 Matchup 63 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Amsterdam in the largest upset of Round 1. As the 529 seed, it was defeated by Bosniaks in Round 1 Matchup 25 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (125) Amsterdam 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (132) Cordoba 6-0
Boow-etch-ka

Boow-etch-ka Mainkamon nadgryziona bułeczka, typ ogniowy, starter. Znakuje teren rysując mlecznym ząbkiem. Posiada w ciele wiele famogennych komórek magazynują one płomień do zionięcia ogniem.

Najlepszy Mainkamon jako śniadanie. Najlepiej smakuje z cocacolą bez cukru.

Jest starterem razem z Mleechem i Utopikiem .
JV!?

*"JV for President"*

*--Zane Harding*

**JV!?** was a Slackbot command. When someone would say "Verlander," Slackbot would respond "JV!?❤️❤️❤️." It is unknown who created it. It first appeared on 4-1-18, and it survived the initial culling of Slackbot commands later that day. It was last seen on 7-30-18, and it was quietly removed sometime between then and August 8th.
Byzantine Imperial Banner

*"I apologize in advance but the Imperial Byzantine flag is so awful how is it a 34 seed"*

*--Zach Betron*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This is a flag that is attributed to the Byzantine Empire

It is called the Tetragrammatic cross and features four letters beta. It corresponds with a Greek-language prayer

It is often attributed to the Palaiologan Dynasty and appears frequently in the 14th and 15th centuries

The Betas also appear on the Serbian coat of arms

## Tournament

As the 34 seed, this flag was defeated by Astana in Round 3 Matchup 71 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Turkmenistan.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (546) Turkmenistan 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (290) Astana 7-4