recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Wallis and Futuna

*"like if all you're going to do to a flag is slap a few triangles and a canton on some red and call it a day you might as well not have a flag"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Wallis and Futuna is a French territory in Polynesia

It consists of three main islands: the Hoorn Islands, also known as the Futuna Islands, and Wallis, also known as 'Uvea'

Uvea was a major part of the Tu'i Tonga Empire, and a fortress on the island was the final holdout of Tongan forces before their fall

A few hundred years later, the islands were "discovered" by the Dutch and eventually incorporated into the French colony of New Caledonia, where they'd stay until voting to leave the territory in 1961

Wallis the site of some controversy in 2005 when the King of Uvea claimed that his son, who was convicted of manslaughter, should be judged by tribal law instead of the French legal system. This resulted in riots and calls for the King's abdication, which never happened. More recently, a dispute arose when two men were nominated to be the King in 2016, starting several weeks of dispute

## Tournament

Wallis and Futuna was defeated by Tanzania in Round 1 Matchup 110 of FlagVote. As the 488 seed, it was cleanly swept by Hokkaido in Round 1 Matchup 49 of FlagVote 2. As the 748 seed, it was defeated by Pakistan in Round 1 Matchup 123 of FlagVote 3.
Zavala

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This flag is known as the Zavala flag

It was created by Lorenzo de Zavala as the first flag of the Republic of Texas

It was supposedly adopted at the Convention of 1836, but there are conflicting reports about how widespread the use of this flag was or whether it even existed at all

Lorenzo de Zavala was born in Yucatan and is of Basque descent. He worked on drafting the Mexican constitution and served as a Mexican senator. Later, he became an advocate for Texan independence, working on their constitution and eventually serving as vice president. He is regarded as a founding father in Texas. Needless to say, his legacy in Mexico is much more complicated

Zavala County in southern Texas and the town of Zavalla in northeast Texas are both named after de Zavala.

## Tournament

As the 738 seed, Zavala was defeated by Isle of Skye in Round 1 Matchup 139 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (287) Isle of Skye 6-1
Typing

*"We need a several people are typing emoji"*

--Cam Cain

**Typing**, or :typing: is an emoji in the M-SABR Slack. It was created by Greg on 12-12-20. It is used when multiple people are typing at once, particularly if something exciting or shocking happens. It is the description for #gallardocupdraft.

## Gallery

Creation of the Typing emojiTyping emoji used during a heated Heriberto argumentTyping emoji used during a run on QBs in the Gallardo Cup Draft
Will Vest

*"Will Will Vest vest his options?"*

*--Erik McKeen*

**Will Vest** is a relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and formerly of the Seattle Mariners. He has become a favorite among Sully and Zane as well as the rest of the M-SABR Slack due to his name and his stats. The first mention of Vest in the Slack came on 4-18-21 when Greg mentioned that he had a sub-1.00 ERA and thanked Detroit for allowing the Mariners to take him in the Rule 5 Draft. Sahil mentioned Vest's tendency to stick around for a long time in OOTP. Greg reacted to both his and Sahil's messages with the now-iconic vest emoji. On July 17th, Vest was returned to the Tigers. On Sully's news-breaking, seven members reacted with the vest emoji, with Cam being the one to initiate it.

In 2022, Will Vest comments became much more common as he made the Tigers' bullpen out of spring training. On May 13th, Vest got his first career save, and Zane referred to him as "the future." He earned the nickname "Life Vest." The following day, Zane added Vest to his #dynastybaseball team.

On May 20th, Vest went to the IL with Covid. He came back 11 days later. Many puns were made about his name in the interim.

## Gallery

Vest emoji (Apple)First Slack mention of Will VestWill Vest injury newsScreenshot of gif used by Zane to welcome Vest to his dynasty teamScreenshot of gif used by Cam after Vest was not put in a 5-14-22 game with the caption "not the tigers"Image posted by Cam of Will Smith in a vest to celebrate Will Vest's return from the IL
St. Asaph

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Wales located in the northeast of the country

Saint Asaph is also a city in northeast Wales, and by both population and area it is the second smallest city in the United Kingdom

Both diocese and city are named after the diocese's second bishop, Saint Asaph. Asaph is venerated in the Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches, and outside of his city and diocese there are streets in Christchurch NZ, Alexandria VA, and Leominster MA named after him

Sir Henry Morton Stanley, the Welsh-American explorer who presumed to have found Dr. Livingstone and may have been an inspiration for Conrad's Heart of Darkness, spent a decade of his childhood at a workhouse in St. Asaph

## Tournament

As the 365 seed, St. Asaph was defeated by Sami in Round 2 Matchup 92 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Barbuda.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (660) Barbuda 9-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (148) Sami 6-5
Steve

*"We could write a paper on the difference between :gallardo: and :steve:*

*--Cam Cain*

**Steve**, or :steve: is an emoji in the Slack. It was created by Cam on 8-18-20 at the request of Ruthvik with an image suggested by Erik. It is a reaction image of a forlorn ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith looking off and to his right, and it became a quick hit. Since then, it has spawned four new emojis with other pictures of Smith with various expressions on his face, all created by Erik.

Steve is used in a variety of ways, most commonly to express sadness or regret. This has led to many comparisons with Gallardo, as both emojis convey similar messages. Members of the Slack have tried to explain the slight differences between the two emoji, with the consensus opinion being that Steve implies that the commentor bears some sort of responsibility for the pain inflicted on them. However, usage isn't always consistent, and it can vary from person to person. Steve can also be seen to represent a deeper sadness than Gallardo, which has silly connotations.

## Steve Collection

### Steve Surprised

**Steve Surprised** or :stevesurprised: is the first additional Steve emoji created by Erik on 4-9-21. It shows Smith making a shocked face. It is used to express surprise, often at a transaction in real life or a fantasy league. Additionally, it was used in UniVote to express surprise at the result of a matchup. It is the least commonly used of the Steve Collection, as Steve Flabbergasted is often used in its place.

### Steve Happy

**Steve Happy** or :stevehappy: is a Steve emoji created by Erik on 4-9-21. It shows Smith facing forward and smiling. It is used to express happiness, most commonly by Erik. 29 of 34 visible appearances of Steve Happy being sent in a message were by Erik. As both a message and a reaction, he most commonly uses it to express pride in the performance of one of his Dynasty players. In 2021, this was most commonly Dylan Moore.

### Steve Flabbergasted

**Steve Flabbergasted** or :steveflabbergasted: is a Steve emoji created by Erik on 4-9-21. It shows Smith with his mouth agape and a shocked expression on his face. It is used primarily to express extreme surprise or shock at an event. This includes Conor setting both the ERA and WHIP records in the Dynasty league, Ohtani playing in the field, and Michigan having 4 of the top 5 picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. In all three cases, Erik was the first to react, and many others followed suit. It was used ironically to react to the Fighting Belli's changing their name to the Fightin' Bellis.

### Steve Devastated

**Steve Devastated** or :stevedevastated: is a Steve emoji. Unlike the rest of the Steve Collection, it wasn't created until 5-18-21. It shows Smith with his head pressed against a window looking forlorn. It is used to express extreme anguish, often moreso than Steve and Gallardo.
Zeeland

*"I like that they used the waves from the coat of arms as part of the flag but why would they then also put the coat of arms on"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Zeeland is the least populous province in the Netherlands, located in the southwest corner on the border with Belgium

Much of Zeeland is below sea level and reclaimed from the sea. The area as such has suffered from major flooding events throughout its history, most recently in 1953. The coat of arms depicts a lion emerging from the sea as a reference to the flooding. Zeeland means Sea land, kinda like Sealand

Lots of German tourists come to Zeeland. The population during the summer can be up to 4 times as high as it is in the winter

New Zealand is named after this Zeeland. It was named by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, after whom Tasmania is named. The city of Zeeland in West Michigan is also named after Zeeland.

Elisabeth Willeboordse, Bronze medalist in judo at the 2008 Olympics, comes from Zeeland

## Tournament

As the 296 seed, Zeeland was defeated by Sioux Falls in Round 1 Matchup 55 of FlagVote 2. As the 407 seed, it was defeated by Cairo in Round 2 Matchup 187 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bahrain.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (217) Sioux Falls 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (618) Bahrain 7-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (106) Cairo 8-2
Tov

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Töv is a province in central Mongolia

The capital of Ulaanbataar is an independent enclave located in the center of the province but not a part of it

Wikipedia says that the most “interesting” body of water in the province is the Tuul River. It is pretty interesting, as it is said to be the site of a palace belonging to Ong Khan, uncle of Genghis

Tov is home to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, which has many unique rock formations including Turtle Rock and Old Man Reading a Book Rock

Manjusri Monastery was founded in 1733 and once had 20 temples and 300 monks. The site was destroyed by the Soviets, but it is currently being rebuilt

Rare Mongolian wild horses were released back into the wild in 1993 in the province after successfully being saved from extinction. In the 1950s, there were only 12 known animals, all in zoos. Now there are upwards of 400

## Tournament

As the 234 seed, Tov was defeated by Lincoln in Round 3 Matchup 93 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Glamorgan.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (279) Glamorgan 6-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (23) Lincoln 8-2
Wiltshire

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Wiltshire is a county in southern England

It is most famous for being the home of Stonehenge, a big… henge… made of stone

This flag is known as the Bustard Flag, because apparently that bird is called a bustard. The bustard has been extinct in England since the 1830s but still exists in parts of central Europe. There are attempts to start breeding it again in Wiltshire

The largest city in Wiltshire is Swindon. Swindon is home to one of my dad’s favorite bands, XTC, as well as the lead singer of Supertramp. According to Wikipedia, Swindon is a sister city of Disney World

## Tournament

As the 408 seed, Wiltshire was defeated by Iran in Round 1 Matchup 45 of FlagVote 2. As the 563 seed, it was defeated by Yemen in Round 1 Matchup 214 of FlagVote 3.
Ukraine

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain, Published 2020*

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe

It has had numerous territorial disputes throughout its history

It is one of the largest exporters of grain in the world

The country still maintains much of its Soviet influence

Notable Ukrainian athletes include heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko and former pole vault world record holder Sergey Bubka

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain, Published 2023*

Ukraine is a nation in eastern Europe

Despite what some people believe, it is not part of Russia

Ukraine is divided into 24 Oblasts including Poltava, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk

The name ‘Ukraine’ comes from an old Slavic word meaning ‘borderlands.’ For grammar reasons, it was often referred to as The Ukraine in the English-speaking world throughout the 20th century, just like The Netherlands. However, the the has fallen out of favor in recent times as officials say it disregards Ukrainian sovereignty

Easter eggs, or pysansky, come from Ukraine. They were thought to protect houses from catastrophe and also cure diseases. Women traditionally give their boyfriends pysansky for Easter, although they must never give one that is unpainted at the top or he will go bald, as the superstition goes

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster took place in Ukraine near the border with Belarus in 1986. The city of Pripyat, population 50,000 nuclear employees and their families, had to be completely evacuated and is still mostly unsafe to visit. The 2019 HBO Chernobyl show was largely filmed in Lithuania

Boxing is really big in Ukraine. Oleksander Usyk is the current heavyweight champion of the world, and Wladimir Klitschko held the title for 12 years in the 2000s and 2010s. The Ukrainian soccer team also reached the quarterfinals at their one and only World Cup in 2006

## Tournament

Ukraine was defeated by Guatemala in Round 4 Matchup 7 of FlagVote. As the 242 seed, it was defeated by Kyrgyzstan in Round 2 Matchup 113 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Madrid. As the 122 seed, it was defeated by the European Union in Round 3 Matchup 82 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Zagubica.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Win over Solomon Islands 4-3

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

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (271) Madrid 6-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (15) Kyrgyzstan 5-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (391) Zagubica 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (135) European Union 5-4
Staffordshire

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Staffordshire is a county in the West Midlands of England. For those of you who don’t know English geography, that’s the western part of the lands in the middle

The largest city is Stoke-on-Trent, which is the 17th largest metro in England. It is also home to the city of Newcastle-under-Lyme, which is NOT the more famous Newcastle; that one’s officially Newcastle-upon-Tyne and it’s way up north

The town of Burton-on-Trent is Britain’s historic brewing capital. At one point in the 1800s, a quarter of British beer came from there

Stoke City Football Club is one of the oldest soccer clubs in the world, having been founded in 1863. They currently play in the second-tier EFL Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2018

The pretzel on the flag is a Stafford Knot, a distinctive knot and symbol of Staffordshire. A myth about its origin states it was designed to hang three men at once. Decidedly less delicious than a pretzel

Notable people from Staffordshire include rock stars Slash and Lemmy, Titanic captain Edward Smith, soccer legend Stanley Matthews, and of course 16 time world champion dartist Phil “The Power” Taylor

## Tournament

As the 222 seed, Staffordshire was defeated by Portugal in Round 2 Matchup 206 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Loss to (291) Portugal 5-2
Lara

*"Tomb raider not in shambles"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Lara is a state in Northwestern Venezuela

Its capital is Barquisimento, the 4th largest city in the country.

The state takes its name from general Jacinto Lara, one of Venezuela’s founding fathers. Barquisimento’s airport is named after him

Its landscape is varied between rainforests, high plains, and low hills

Major leaguers Carlos Carrasco, Manny Piña, and Andres Gimenes (sic) come from Lara

## Tournament

As the 377 seed, Lara was defeated by Madison in Round 2 Matchup 36 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Pyeongchang County.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (648) Pyeongchang County 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (136) Madison 9-0
Normandy

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Normandy is a region in northern France, bordering the English Channel

The cultural region historically includes Jersey and Guernsey, even though they belong to England

It takes its name from the Vikings (Norsemen) who settled the region in the 9th century. They eventually became the Normans and conquered England

To this day, the English monarch is given the title Duke of Normandy

In modern history, it is best known for the time a whole bunch of Allied soldiers landed on its Nazi-occupied beaches. It was a whole big thing

Many famous artists come from Normandy, most notably Claude Monet

## Tournament

As the 312 seed, Normandy was defeated by Ulster in Round 1 Matchup 39 of FlagVote 2. As the 556 seed, it was defeated by Hamilton County in Round 1 Matchup 126 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (469) Hamilton County 6-5
Tajikistan

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Tajikistan is a country in Central Europe

It was part of the USSR until that stopped being a thing

There was an immediate Civil War after independence, but after that there’s been some relative stability

The flag’s colors are taken from Iran. The crown represents the Tajik people, as the name comes from a word meaning crown. The seven stars represent the significance of the number seven in Tajik myth

Vine founder Rus Yusupov is from Tajikistan

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Tajikistan is a Central Asian country north of Afghanistan

Much like the rest of Central Asia, modern Tajikistan was host to several empires and cultural influences. Notable rulers include Achaemenid, Mongol, Timurid, Russian, Soviet, and also the Emirate of Bukhara

Also much like the rest of (post-)Soviet Central Asia, Tajikistan as we know it wasn't created until the USSR invented it. Prior to these borders being drawn it was a part of the Uzbek SSR

After declaring independence in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse, the country immediately entered a civil war. In this war, a president who to date has still not relinquished power was pitted against a faction backed by al-Qaeda. Considering the guy who won formed a cult of personality and a severely repressive government after winning the war, I'd say the real losing side here is the people of Tajikistan

The crown on the flag is meant to evoke the Tajik people, as the name Tajik supposedly draws roots from the Persian word for crown

## Tournament

Tajikistan was defeated by Hong Kong in Round 2 Matchup 60 of FlagVote after previously defeating Mauritania. As the 147 seed, it was defeated by Saudi Arabia in Round 2 Matchup 74 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Monaco.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Mauritania 5-3

**Round 2:** Loss to Hong Kong 5-0

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (366) Monaco 6-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (110) Saudi Arabia 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (749) Rwanda (1961-2001) 9-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (237) Amapá 6-5
Zhytomyrskiy

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Zhytomyr Raion is a district of Zhytomyr Oblast, a Ukrainian oblast bordering Belarus

It was known as Troyaniv Raion from 1928-1939

Its administrative center is Zhytomyr city, which may actually have a better flag than Zhytomyr Raion

Zhytomyr (either the Oblast, Raion, or city) is the main center of Ukraine's Polish minority

From late February to early April of 2022, Russian troops occupied a small amount of Zhytomyr Raion. They never captured Zhytomyr city proper, and withdrew after Ukrainian forces started pushing Russian forces back nationwide

## Tournament

As the 709 seed, Zhytomyrskiy was cleanly swept by Shizuoka in Round 1 Matchup 103 of FlagVote 3.
Vanuatu

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Vanuatu is a country in the South Pacific

It consists of about 80 volcanic islands

The archipelago was named New Hebrides as a joint French-British colony before declaring independence in 1980. The old flag is worth checking out.

The national anthem is called “Yumi Yumi Yumi.” It is unclear whether or not Vanuatuans have love in their tummies

65 of the islands are populated; the most populous island is Efate

The vast majority of the country’s economy is based on fishing

## Tournament

Vanuatu was defeated by the European Union in Round 2 Matchup 45 of FlagVote after previously defeating the United Nations. As the 115 seed, it was defeated by Martinique in Round 2 Matchup 79 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Alsace.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over United Nations 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to European Union 4-3

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (398) Alsace 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (142) Martinique 5-1
Valois Dynasty

## Eulogy

This was a flag used by France under the Valois and Bourbon Dynasties in the middle chunk of the last millennium

The three fleurs-de-lis are taken directly from the coat of arms of the Valois Dynasty

When Henry III was murdered in 1589, there were no more male successors to the House of Valois, so the House of Bourbon took over and kept the flag

A couple hundred years later there was a whole revolution

I don’t know how to pronounce Valois. I’ve been pronouncing it in my head as va-loy but it’s probably more like val-wa isn’t it

## Tournament

As the 297 seed, Valois was defeated by Tunisia in Round 3 Matchup 31 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (728) Elkhart County 7-1

**Round 2:** Win over (216) Syria 6-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (41) Tunisia 8-2
Tibet

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Tibet is a region in the Tibetan Plateau north of the Himalayas

It is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 14,000 feet. Denver weeps

Buddhism is a huge part of Tibetan culture, and the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has become a symbol of the state and people as a whole. You know him as the Dalai Lama, and he is considered to be the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Actress Sharon Stone claims to be a good friend of the Dalai Lama's, but when asked about this friendship all he had to say was "yes, I've met that lady."

Tibet and China have been affiliated to some extent since the Qing Dynasty had a presence there in the 18th century. Chinese authority has waxed and waned over the years, but since 1951 Tibet has been an autonomous region under the PRCAs you can imagine, China is pretty touchy on the subject of Tibetan independence, or even Tibetan autonomy. Many celebrities have been banned from China due to their comments on the matter: the aforementioned Sharon Stone is one, but Brad Pitt, Richard Gere, and Björk have also drawn the PRC's ire for their outspoken positions

This flag was adopted by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1916, and is riddled with both spiritual and political symbolism. It is very cool. Since 1959, however, display of the flag has been banned in Tibet as it is regarded a symbol of separatism

## Tournament

As the 396 seed, Tibet was defeated by Bavaria in Round 1 Matchup 93 of FlagVote 2. As the 341 seed, it was defeated by Ivory Coast in Round 2 Matchup 128 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Haiti.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (684) Haiti 7-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (172) Ivory Coast 9-2
Suriname (1959-1975)

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

This flag was used by Suriname from 1959-1975

It was changed following the country’s independence from the Netherlands

The five stars represented the country’s ethnic groups: The Natives, Dutch, Africans, Indians, and Javanese

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Suriname used this flag from when it became a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands until its independence

Before becoming a constituent country, it just used the Dutch tricolor

The five stars are supposed to represent the five different ethnic groups living in harmony (hence them all being connected); however, the flag drew criticism for not depicting national unity so much as emphasizing ethnic differences

A national contest changed the flag to what it is today in 1975, the year Suriname became independent. I can't actually tell if these two events are connected but it doesn't feel like a coincidence

## Tournament

As the 475 seed, this flag was defeated by Colorado in Round 1 Matchup 184 of FlagVote 2. As the 747 seed, it was cleanly swept by Miyazaki in Round 1 Matchup 251 of FlagVote 3.
Taiwan

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Taiwan, or the Republic of China, is a nation in the South China Sea

Its status is uncertain, as the People’s Republic of China claims it as a territory

Only 15 countries fully recognize the Republic of China, 9 of which are in Latin America and the Caribbean

Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world

16 major leaguers come from Taiwan, most notably Chien-Ming Wang and Wei-Yin Chen

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, is... uhhh... oh boy, this is gonna be tough to explain

So, y'know how back when China was fighting its post-WWII civil war the communists won. Obviously, right, but what happened to the losing side?

They were led by the Kuomintang, a nationalist party that had previously led China under authoritarian rule, and after it became clear they weren't gonna win they fled to the island of Taiwan, which is off the country's southeast mainland coast and had just been returned to Chinese governance after fifty years of Japanese rule

For a long long long time Taiwan (by which I mean the Kuomintang-led ROC) claimed it was the one true China. This pissed off the PRC, because they claimed they were the one true China. In fact, China refuses to do business with any country that recognizes Taiwan's independence. As a result, Taiwan is only officially recognized by 13 UN members and also the Vatican, presumably because Communism is godless

Anyway, after some spotty troubles with the authoritarian KMT government that included 18 years of martial law on the island, Taiwan underwent a massive economic boom and is now not only a major American military ally but also a significant economic ally (in whatever unofficial capacity). Oh yeah, they also finally transitioned to democratic governance in the late eighties

Due to the politics and pedantry surrounding its name, Taiwan often isn't represented as "Taiwan" in the international arena. They compete at the Olympics as "Chinese Taipei", where they have won a bunch of medals in weightlifting, some other medals in some other sports, and one silver medal for baseball. Notable Taiwanese baseball players include pitcher Hung-Chih Kuo, the only Taiwanese-born baseball player to make an All-Star team, and Yu Chang, who hit a homer and allowed two earned runs in a game many of us in this very channel watched last summer

For five years Taiwan was host to the tallest skyscraper in the world. Then someone else built the Burj Khalifa

## Tournament

Taiwan was defeated by Estonia in Round 2 Matchup 53 of FlagVote after previously defeating Saint Maarten. As the 347 seed, it was defeated by St. Kitts and Nevis in Round 1 Matchup 182 of FlagVote 2. As the 598 seed, it was defeated by Bern in Round 1 Matchup 256 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Saint Maarten 5-3

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (166) St. Kitts and Nevis 5-1
Sweden

*"bork bork"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

Konungariket Sverige, or the Kingdom of Sweden, is a country in Scandinavia

It is home to about 10 million people, many of whom are in the capital Stockholm

The south of the country is mild and agricultural, while the north is snowy and heavily forested

The cuisine largely consists of meat and potatoes, including meatballs and Swedish fish, but not Swedish Fish

Sweden is known for having its shit together much better than we do

Famous Swedish athletes include Henrik Lundqvist and Zlatan Ibrahimovic

## Tournament

Sweden was defeated by Norway in Round 5 Matchup 6 of FlagVote. As the 44 seed, it was defeated by Iceland in Round 4 Matchup 11 of FlagVote 2. It has never lost to a flag that isn't a Nordic Cross like itself.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Win over Tonga 7-0

**Round 3:** Win over Faroe Islands 4-3

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

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (469) Vancouver 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (213) Malawi 4-0

**Round 3:** Win over (172) Mordovia 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (21) Iceland 4-2
Yavoriv

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Yavoriv Raion is a district in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, bordering Poland

It is centered on the city of Yavoriv, which was known as Jaworow when it was under Polish rule. There was a World War II battle there. It was annexed from Poland by the Soviet Union in 1945 and became part of independent Ukraine in 1991

The town of Shklo has a famous mineral spring

Being on the border, it has a very high Polish minority, particularly in the city of Mostyska. There’s a Polish-language middle school there.

In March of 2022, Russia bombed Yavoriv’s military base with 30 missiles. 61 people were killed an another 160 were injured

## Tournament

As the 358 seed, Yavoriv was defeated by New Milford in Round 2 Matchup 236 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bahia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (667) Bahia 10-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (155) New Milford 9-1
Tompa

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

**Tompa**, formerly known as **Tampa**, is the third largest city in the state of Florida and the lorgest in the Tompa Bay region

69 (heh) MLB players were born in Tompa, including Gary Sheffield, Dwight Gooden, and Pete Alonso

About the flag, the variety of colors represent the flogs of Fronce, USA, Spoin, and Itoly

   The creoaor of the flag very nearly was on the Titonic but traded his ticket shortly before the incident. Eighteen years later he made this flag

92% of Tompa residents in a sorvey were in favor of changing the flag.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Tampa is a city in central Florida

After their Civil War defeat, the city was so poor and isolated that residents actually voted to abolish the Tampa government

Fortunes would change when ~~Tom Brady came to town~~ phosphate was discovered in the nearby Bone Valley region. The economy and city were revitalized, and Tampa remains a major phosphate exporter today

The New York Yankees conduct Spring Training in Tampa, meaning that the Rays aren't even the best baseball team in the city

Tampa is considered one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to a direct hit from a major storm

The Tampa flag has been described as one of the worst flags on Earth. Wikipedia says that any redesigns "will need to be sure to capture both the history and essence of Tampa", meaning they're probably just going to steal Boston's flag, slap a pirate logo on it, and call it a day

## Tournament

As the 507 seed, Tompa was defeated by South Korea in Round 1 Matchup 192 of FlagVote 2. As the 752 seed, it was defeated by Soviet Union in Round 1 Matchup 26 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (273) Soviet Union 8-1
Vagharshapat

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Vagharshapat is the fourth-largest city in Armenia

It used to be named after Artemis, but was later renamed after an Armenian king who ruled in, like, the 200s

Supposedly, Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who converted Armenia to Christianity back in 301, had a vision of Jesus going there and telling him it would be a lovely place to make some churches. He did, and then he became the patron saint of Armenia. Vagharshapat is sometimes known as Ejmiatsin in reference to this vision

What happened to those churches, you ask? They've become UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and contribute to some absolutely stunning views in the city

Seriously, I don't know if I can pick just one picture to feature in this eulogy

Vagharshapat has been in decline since the fall of the Soviet Union, but it remains the biggest of Yerevan's satellite cities

Mihran Harutyunyan, a mixed martial artist who won the silver medal in Men's Greco-Roman at the 2016 Olympics, is from Vagharshapat. Apparently he lost the final in a controversial decision, and an online petition to reverse the result gained over 37,000 signatures

## Tournament

As the 465 seed, Vagharshapat was defeated by Tulsa in Round 2 Matchup 29 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Transcarpathian Oblast. Cam was notably a hater of this flag.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (560) Transcarpathian Oblast 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (48) Tulsa 7-2

## Gallery

Vagharshapat with inverted colorsInverted Vagharshapat with an improved sealVagharshapat inverted with Arkansas seal
Åland

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Åland Islands are an archipelago comprising an autonomous province of Finland

It is the only Finnish region that predominantly speaks Swedish

I could have sworn that Åland was a part of Sweden, which was why I kept bugging Cam to do this eulogy

Oh, it looks like they were a part of Sweden until Peter the Great fucked the Swedish Empire up and they had to give him Finland, Åland, and the swamp that would later become St Petersburg

Fewer than 30,000 people live in Åland, meaning that every UMich undergraduate could move to Åland and they'd double in size. Why would we want to do that? I don't know

## Tournament

Åland was defeated by Germany in Round 3 Matchup 12 of FlagVote. As the 36 seed, it was defeated by Yaroslavl in Round 4 Matchup 15 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

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

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (477) Oakland 5-0

**Round 2:** Win over (292) Ecuador 4-3

**Round 3:** Win over (164) Kent 4-1

**Round 4:** Loss to (29) Yaroslavl 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (464) Poland 8-1
Uganda

*"Idk bro that bird is pretty cool"*

*--Alex Fischer*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Uganda is a landlocked nation in Central Africa

The official languages are English and Swahili, but the language of Luganda is widespread also

In 1986, Yowen Kaguta Museveni came to power and declared himself president for life

The country’s largest export is coffee

A Ugandan team qualified for the 2011 Little League World Series, although passport complications prevented them from attending. A team from Lugazi qualified the following year and was able to attend, losing 9-3 to Panama and 12-0 to Mexico before beating a team from Oregon 3-2 in the consolation round

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Uganda is the fourth African nation to be eliminated in the last four days

It is located in Africa’s Great Lakes region and borders a large part of Lake Victoria. It also has mountains on its eastern and western edges

The brutal dictator Idi Amin led Uganda for much of the 1970s before being coup’d in 1979. He lived the rest of his life in exile in Saudi Arabia. The previous party power was restored, but this pissed off Amin loyalist Yoweri Museveni so much that he started a six year long war. The war ended in 1986 and he’s been in power ever since

Uganda has a median age of 15 years, which is the lowest in the world

Uganda’s flag feature’s a grey crowned crane, an endangered bird and the country’s national animal

Ugandan marathoneer Stephen Kiprotich won the gold medal at the London games and followed it up with a gold at the following year’s world championships in Moscow. Baseball is also rapidly growing in Uganda. They sent a team to the 2011 and 2012 Little League World Series. 19-year-old catcher Dennis Kasumba hopes to be picked in this year’s draft

## Tournament

Uganda was defeated by Dr. Congo in Round 2 Matchup 64 of FlagVote after defeating Antarctica in Round 1. As the 299 seed, it was defeated by Pocatello in Round 1 Matchup 170 of FlagVote 2. As the 261 seed, it was defeated by New Mexico in Round 3 Matchup 49 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Antarctica 5-0

**Round 2:** Loss to Dr. Congo 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (764) River Gee County 9-1

**Round 2:** Win over (252) Micronesia 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (5) New Mexico 8-1
Utrecht

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Utrecht is a province in the central Netherlands

The largest city is the titular Utrecht, also the fourth largest city in the country

The province was held by German forces during World War II

Utrecht University is the largest university in the Netherlands

   Artist Piet Mondrian hails from Amersfoot in Utrecht

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Utrecht is a Dutch province in the central Netherlands

Its largest city, also named Utrecht, was the Netherlands' most important city until Amsterdam took off in the Dutch Golden Age

During the Hook and Cod Wars, a 140-year-long series of Dutch battles over who got to rule Holland, two civil wars were fought in Utrecht

Utrecht has had a historically strong relationship with the Church, as it was directly ruled as a Bishopric for a time before joining the Holy Roman Empire. It has been the religious center of the Netherlands since the 700s

Notable people from Utrecht include sprinter/heptathlete Dafne Schippers, who took home a silver medal in Rio, and Pope Adrian VI, who is the only Dutchman to have ever been Pope. Utrecht has named a bridge after the former, but not the latter

## Tournament

As the 451 seed, Utrecht was defeated by Northern Savonia in Round 1 Matchup 136 of FlagVote 2. As the 654 seed, it was cleanly swept by San Sebastian in Round 1 Matchup 213 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (62) Northern Savonia 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (371) San Sebastian 11-0
Split-Dalmatia County

*"split dalmatia: when you cut your dog in half"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Split-Dalmatia County is Croatia’s largest county by area

Located on the southern coast, it includes Croatia’s second largest city of Split

The name Dalmatia comes from a pre-Roman ancient tribe in the region. Dalmatia is one of the four historic provinces of Croatia and has a very Mediterranean culture

The county also includes several islands such as Hvar, which is a popular tourist destination

Roman emperor Diocletian, who ruled Rome in the late 3rd century AD, was born in Dalmatia. His palace still stands in the center of Split

## Tournament

As the 318 seed, Split-Dalmatia was defeated by Morocco (old) in Round 3 Matchup 99 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (707) San Antonio 10-1

**Round 2:** Win over (195) Hiroshima 6-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (62) Morocco (old) 7-3
Tywyn

*"the lannisters send their regards"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Tywyn is a seaside town in Wales within the historic county of Merionethshire

It is home to the Talyllyn Railway, which was the first passenger steam train in Britain and later the world’s first railway to be designated a historic site

It was formerly known as Towyn, but the name was changed to Tywyn following a vote in 1968.

Tywyn is the location of the Cadfan Stone, a 7th century artifact with the earliest known example of the written Welsh language

The beach in Tywyn has long been a popular attraction

## Tournament

As the 294 seed, Tywyn was defeated by Maryland in Round 2 Matchup 238 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Almohad Dynasty.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (731) Almohad Dynasty 7-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (219) Maryland 6-4
Wales

## Eulogy

Wales is a country in southwest Britain

Though in many ways it is culturally similar to the rest of Great Britain, it has retained a distinct cultural identity thanks in no small part to a fucky language where "w" is used as a vowel

The full power of the Welsh language is put on full display in the Welsh town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Ten points to anyone who can pronounce this monstrosity on the first try

Sheep farming is common in Wales, and the Welsh are frequently the subject of rude sheep jokes at their expense. This is mostly done by the English

Although Wales competes as part of Team GB in the Olympics, they have their own team for most other organized sports. Rugby is extremely popular in Wales, and though they did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup the Welsh soccer team finished fourth at the 2016 Euro Cup

## Tournament

Wales was defeated by Jamaica in Round 5 Matchup 3 of FlagVote after previously defeating South Sudan, Eritrea, Bonaire, and Maryland. As the 19 seed, Wales was defeated by eventual winner Barbados in Round 6 Matchup 5 of FlagVote 2. Conor has never voted against the flag.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over South Sudan 5-2

**Round 2:** Win over Eritrea 7-1

**Round 3:** Win over Bonaire 5-2

**Round 4:** Win over Maryland 6-1

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (494) Grand Gedeh County 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (275) Thailand (19th Century) 5-1

**Round 3:** Win over (110) Saudi Arabia 4-3

**Round 4:** Win over (174) Chilliwack 4-3

**Round 5:** Win over (14) Japan 4-3

**Round 6:** Loss to (3) Barbados 5-1
Thanks Scooter Bot

*"jesus christ what a bot"*

*--Max Brill*

**Thanks Scooter Bot** is a Slackbot command. It is used to thank Slackbot following a Scooter Fact. When someone says "Thanks Scooter Bot" or "Thank You Scooter Bot," Slackbot will respond "🛴🛴🛴." It was first used by Cam on 3-29-19, and he used it again the following day. However, the bot disappeared sometime after that, most likely when Scooter Fact was initially deleted. On 6-1-22, Cam rediscovered Thanks Scooter Bot and added it back to the Slack.
United Nations

*"does it really take this long to give the un a proper sendoff? or maybe paralyzing inaction in times of great need is the best way to pay homage to the united nations"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

The United Nations is an international collective of 193 member countries and two observers (Vatican and Palestine)

It is headquartered in New York City on what is officially designated as international territory

The UN was founded in 1945 following World War II with the aim of preventing further similar conflicts

It has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish

Notable people from UN member states include almost everybody

## Tournament

The United Nations was defeated by Vanuatu in Round 1 Matchup 90 of FlagVote. As the 203 seed, it was defeated by Angola in Round 2 Matchup 84 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Ashanti.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (310) Ashanti 4-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (54) Angola 5-1
St. Vincent and the Grenadines

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

St Vincent and the Grenadines is a country in the Lesser Antilles part of the Caribbean

It was initially colonized by the French but was placed under British rule after the Seven Years' War

It was also the last of the British West Indies to gain independence, doing so in 1979

Queen Elizabeth II is still the monarch in St Vincent, as many Commonwealth states have her as queen but don't actually let her govern anything

Former Warriors center and current analyst Adonal Foyle was born in St Vincent. Though he was not born there, Patriots wide receiver N'Keal Harry is Vincentian and lived there from infancy to age four

## Tournament

St. Vincent was defeated by Morocco in Round 3 Matchup 1 of FlagVote. As the 12 seed, it was defeated by Iceland in Round 5 Matchup 6 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over French Southern Territories 3-2

**Round 2:** Win over Namibia 6-3

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (501) Gbarpolu County 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (245) Moldova 4-2

**Round 3:** Win over (117) Bavaria 4-1

**Round 4:** Win over (53) Tanzania 4-3

**Round 5:** Loss to (21) Iceland 5-1
Vojvodina

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Vojvodina is an autonomous province in northern Serbia

Just like a ton of other Balkan regions, ownership of the province passed between Ottoman, Hungarian, and Habsburg rule semi-frequently

Because of this there is a sizeable Hungarian minority in Vojvodina, making it yet another juicy target for Hungary's post-Trianon irredentist nationalism

Vojvodina joined Serbia after World War I, and was given the same provincial status as Kosovo. Fortunately for everyone, this provincial status did not inspire the same ethnic feuds and NATO intervention that it did in Kosovo

In 2022 Vojvodina's capital Novi Sad was declared the European Capital of Culture for the year. It has earned the nickname "Serbian Athens" for the sheer volume of Serbian writers and cultural institutions active there in the 19th and 20th centuries

## Tournament

As the 631 seed, Vojvodina was defeated by Bowling Green in Round 1 Matchup 180 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (394) Bowling Green 6-5
Yaroslavl

*"the bear gets axed"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Yaroslavl Oblast is a Russian federal subject near Moscow

The oldest city in the region dates back to AD 862

Though it was an important trading stop during Russia's fragmented period, it entered a decline after Peter the Great founded St Petersburg and opened up the Baltic Sea to the Russian Empire

"Jazz on Volga", the oldest jazz festival in Russia, is held in Yaroslavl.

The first public theater in Russia, the Volkov Theater, opened here in 1750

All-Star and St Louis Blues alternate captain Vladimir Tarasenko is from Yaroslavl, as is Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Yaroslavl Oblast is a district in western Russia just north of Moscow

It is centered around the city of Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl was briefly the de facto capital of Russia when Moscow was occupied by Poland in 1612. It was a major northern trade center during Russia’s tsardom days

Russia’s first theater, the Volkov theater founded in 1750, is in Yaroslavl. It is considered one of the most prestigious places to perform by Russia’s acting community

Rangers winger Vladimir Tarasenko is from Yaroslavl

The bear is holding a halberd, a medieval weapon consisting of an axe blade with a spike on top. It was first used by the Swiss at the battle of Morgarten in 1315. It is believed that King Richard III was killed by a halberd which pierced through the back of his head. You’ll also see the Swiss Guard in the Vatican carrying them

## Tournament

As the 29 seed, Yaroslavl was defeated by Jamaica in Round 5 Matchup 8 of FlagVote 2. As the 132 seed, Yaroslavl was defeated by Chernivtsi Oblast in Round 3 Matchup 34 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Herefordshire. As the 3 seed, it was defeated in the second semifinal of BearFlagVote.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (484) French Southern Territories 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (285) Shizuoka 4-2

**Round 3:** Win over (157) Montpelier 4-3

**Round 4:** Win over (36) Åland 5-2

**Round 5:** Loss to (4) Jamaica 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (381) Herefordshire 7-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (125) Chernivtsi Oblast 6-4

### BearFlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over (14) Riding Bear 7-1

**Round 2:** Win over (6) Sword Bear 6-3

**Semifinals:** Loss to (2) Atom Bear 6-0

## Gallery

Yaroslavl in the style of TurkmenistanCam attempts to fulfill Lexy's vision of YaroslavlLexy draws her vision for Yaroslavl