recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Derafsh Kaviani

## Eulogy

The Derafsh Kaivani was the military standard used by armies in the Sassanid Empire

The flag's central symbol, a lotus flower, refers to the astrological royal stars of Persia, a belief which traces back to the Achaemenid Empire

The era of Sassanian rule is considered the peak of ancient Iranian culture before the Muslim conquest and subsequent Islamization of Persia

At its greatest extent in the 7th century AD, the empire stretched from modern-day Libya to Afghanistan, as far north as Asia Minor and down to the Arabian Gulf

The formalities in European diplomacy are supposedly traced back to the diplomatic relations between the Persian governments and the Roman Empire.

Today, the Derafsh Kaivani is emulated in the presidential standard of Tajikistan

## Tournament

As the 697 seed, Derafsh Kaviani was defeated by Novosibirsk in Round 1 Matchup 40 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (328) Novosibirsk 7-1
Indianapolis

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Indianapolis is the capital and largest city of Indiana

It is a planned city, and the roundabout at its center (Monument Circle) gives it its "Circle City" nickname

The neoclassical Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is built in the center of Monument Circle. It is nearly the size of the Statue of Liberty and has become a symbol of the city and Indiana as a whole

Indianapolis has hosted the Indy 500 race since 1911, making it the oldest auto race still run today

The Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts both play in Indianapolis. The Colts have been more successful in recent memory, thanks in large part to Peyton Manning

MLB players from Indianapolis include Tucker Barnhart and Hall of Famer Chuck Klein, as well as some guy named Peek-A-Boo Veach

Cam's post-FlagPoll model predicted this to be the group's #1 overall flag

## Tournament

As the 87 seed, Indianapolis was defeated by the Jolly Roger in Round 5 Matchup 14 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (426) Madagascar 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (170) Yugoslavia 5-2

**Round 3:** Win over (298) Romania 4-1

**Round 4:** Win over (23) Zheleznogorsk 4-2

**Round 5:** Loss to (10) Jolly Roger 4-3
Panama

*"van halen hot take, i think jump is overrated"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Panama is the southernmost country in Central America

Under some geographers' definitions, it is a transcontinental country

To facilitate international travel, Teddy Roosevelt sawed the goddang country in half

The US had control of the Panama Canal Zone as an unincorporated territory until 1979. Notable "Zonians" include Rod Carew, US Senator John McCain, and ESPN anchor Sage Steele

Panama's national sport is baseball, and Carlos Ruiz, Bruce Chen, and Mariano Rivera are all Panamanian citizens, as is the aforementioned Rod Carew

## Tournament

Panama was defeated by Norway in Round 4 Matchup 11 of FlagVote. As the 32 seed, it was defeated by Manhattan in Round 4 Matchup 2 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Colombia 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over St. Kitts and Nevis 5-1

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

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (481) Artsakh 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (288) Nepal 5-2

**Round 3:** Win over (97) Bhutan 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (96) Manhattan 4-3
Azores

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 870 miles from Lisbon and 1200 miles from Newfoundland

There are nine main islands in the Azores. They are volcanic in origin. Mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in all of Portugal. Measured from the base at the bottom of the ocean, the Azores are some of the highest mountains on Earth

The islands were settled by the Portuguese in the 15th century, but it is unclear who, if anyone, lived there before. There is some evidence of brief Viking settlement there in the 8th century

The Azorean flag is based on various flags for Azorean independence, but with Portuguese symbolism in the corner. The bird is the Northern Goshawk, which is found all over Europe and North America

Mark Twain briefly lived in the Azores. He described his time there, among other places, in his 1869 novel The Innocents Abroad

## Tournament

As the 386 seed, the Azores were defeated by the Netherlands in Round 2 Matchup 131 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Abkhazia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (639) Abkhazia 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (127) Netherlands 6-5
Elkhart County

*"people hate elkhart and it’s making me sad"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Elkhart County is a county on the northern edge of Indiana

The area is known as the RV capital of the world, and unrelatedly it has a very high Mennonite population

The largest city in the county is Elkhart, which is home to over 50,000 ElkhartiansMost of the early settlers in Elkhart County came from New England shortly after the opening of the Erie Canal

There was briefly a semi-pro basketball team in Elkhart: the Elkhart Express. They played out of a middle school gym and won back to back IBL titles in 2006 and 2007

Notable people from the county include Seattle quarterback Rick Mirer, Seattle power forward Shawn Kemp, and famed conchologist (study of conch shells) and Michigan alum Ida Shepard Boothroyd

## Tournament

As the 728 seed, Elkhart County was defeated by Valois Dynasty in Round 1 Matchup 63 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (297) Valois Dynasty 6-1
Palau

*"palau, my beloved"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Palau is a country in the Pacific Ocean, near the Philippines and Micronesia

It has a population just shy of 18,000, roughly the same as Sheridan Wyoming

In 2006, the capital moved from Koror to Ngerulmud, a city built from scratch with no actual residents

The Palauan name for the country is “Belau” meaning “village.” It is unrelated to the Malay word Pulau meaning island

Baseball is the country’s most popular sport thanks to its Japanese and later American occupation. In 2007 they went 8-0 to win the Pacific Games, defeating their opponent by mercy rule 6 times

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Palau is a Pacific island nation in Micronesia

It has been part of Spain, Germany, Japan, and the United States before becoming independent in 1994. It also voted against becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia in 1979

It moved its capital from Koror to Ngerulmud. Ngerulmud, whose name translates to “place of fermented angelfish.” Ngerulmud has the smallest population of any national capital. In fact, there are zero people living in Ngerulmud. The unfinished capital building has put the nation in debt, and the post office was permanently closed in 2013

Palau has done a lot of environmental work protecting its shorelines and waters

The Philippines have really had Palau’s back. They’ve given them a lot of money for environmental projects, and they’ve nominated Palau to join various international organizations

Palau loves baseball due to the American and Japanese influence on the island. Pirates and Astros outfielder Bligh Madris is the first person of Palauan descent to play in the majors, but he was born in the States

## Tournament

Palau was defeated by Åland in Round 2 Matchup 24 of FlagVote after previously defeating the Philippines. As the 149 seed, it was defeated by the Ireland Harp in Round 2 Matchup 42 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating South Yemen. As the 366 seed, it was defeated by Spain in Round 3 Matchup 110 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Loss to Åland 6-1

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (362) South Yemen 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (108) Ireland Harp 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (659) Rio Negro 11-0

**Round 2:** Win over (147) Netherlands Navy 8-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (110) Spain 7-4
Nigeria

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Nigeria is the sixth most populous country in the world

Wait what? Sixth? Apparently it passed Brazil at the most recent count and it’s hot on the heels of Pakistan if it hasn’t gotten there already

There are 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria and over 500 languages spoken. Hausa is the most common language in the north while Igbo and Yoruba are most common in the south.

The country is named after the Niger River, as is the neighboring Republic of Niger. That name comes from a Berber phrase meaning “river of rivers”

The largest city is Lagos, but the capital is the centrally located planned city of Abuja. Abuja, Nigeria’s 8th largest city, is in the shadow of Aso Rock, a 1300 foot granite monolith

Nigeria’s film industry, also known as Nollywood, is the second largest in the world

Nigeria’s national soccer team, known as the Super Eagles, is a regular in international competition. They have thrice reached the playoff stages of the World Cup, and they were Olympic champions in 1996

## Tournament

Nigeria was defeated by the Bahamas in Round 1 Matchup 7 of FlagVote. As the 233 seed, it was defeated by East Germany in Round 1 Matchup 47 of FlagVote 2. As the 180 seed, it was defeated by the Midway Islands in Round 3 Matchup 44 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Caska.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (280) East Germany 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (333) Caska 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (77) Midway Islands 6-5
Cyprus

*"guess i'm gonna die on this cyprus hill alone. you're all insane in the membrane"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Cyprus is an island country located in the Mediterranean

The southern half of the island has much Greek influence, while the northern half has much Turkish influence

The Turkish half has de facto independence, recognized only by Turkey

The country declared its independence from the UK in 1971

The highest peak on the island is Mount “Not that mount olympus” Olympus

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Cyprus is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean

It was been ruled by the Macedonian, Roman, and Achaemenid Empires at some point in antiquity, as well as by the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, and the SERENISSIMA REPUBBLICA DI VENEZIA more recently

When World War I broke out, the British offered Cyprus to Greece in exchange for joining the war on the Entente side. Greece turned them down

After some messy business following a coup d'etat, Turkey invaded the island in 1974. This has resulted in an ongoing frozen conflict similar to North and South Korea, except nobody but Turkey recognizes the sovereignty of Northern Cyprus

Cyprus has only ever won one Olympic medal, when sailor Pavlos Kontides took home silver in the men's Laser event in 2010 (the sailboat kind of laser, not the pew-pew kind)

## Tournament

Cyprus was defeated by Australia in Round 2 Matchup 16 of FlagVote after previously defeating Guam. As the 266 seed, it was defeated by the Jolly Roger in Round 2 Matchup 112 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Tierra del Fuego. As the 607 seed, it was defeated by Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1998) in Round 1 Matchup 144 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Loss to Australia 8-1

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (247) Tierra del Fuego 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (10) Jolly Roger 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (418) Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1998) 8-1
Pancakes

*"PANCAKES!"*

*--Andrew Beaudoin*

**Pancakes** (:pancakes:) is an emoji in the M-SABR Slack. It is a default emoji depicting a stack of pancakes. On 5-8-22, when the Slack Pro trial began, the Gallardo Club played a game where they searched for emoji which had only been used once as a reaction. Eventually, Sahil correctly guessed Pancakes, and it was discovered that it was used on 4-11-21 to react to Tigers minor leaguer Joey Pankake.

## Gallery

Pancake (android)Original pancake reaction
Gananoque

*"Oh god I thought I had gananoque erased from my memory"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Ganonoque (sic) is a town in Canada, located near where the St. Lawrence River becomes Lake Ontario

The town is pronounced GAN-a-NOCK-way, which is not what I thought it was. Locals have a saying to help you pronounce it. “There’s the right way, the wrong way, and the Gananoque.” Cute

The year-round population is just over 5000, but that increases dramatically in the summer as tourists and summer residents flood the town.

It is known as the “Gateway to the Thousand Islands.” The Thousand Islands is a region straddling the US border and is home to 1,864 islands. Brockville, which narrowly lost to Uzbekistan back in September, is also in the region

Former Leafs center and current Flyers scout Alyn McCauley was raised in Ganonoque

## Tournament

As the 492 seed, Gananoque was cleanly swept by Iceland in Round 1 Matchup 81 of FlagVote 2. As the 759 seed, it was cleanly swept by the Kazakh Navy in Round 1 Matchup 179 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (266) Kazakh Navy 11-0
Kathmandu

*"Bob Seger in shambles"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal

It is home to some of the oldest pagodas in the world

Tourism is a significant part of Kathmandu's economy, as it is the gateway to the Nepalese Himalayas and has several UNESCO world heritage sites

The city is somewhat reliant on ropeways to connect it with its neighbors; some of these ropeways stretch for nearly 30 miles

Kathmandu is still recovering from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit it in 2015 and damaged several historic sites

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal

At 4600 feet it is one of the highest capital cities in the world and also one of the lowest points in Nepal

Founded in the 2nd century, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world

The name Kathmandu comes from Kasthamandap, a wood-covered shelter in the city which translates to “wood-covered shelter”. Kasthamandap, a shrine dating back to the 7th century, was destroyed during an earthquake in 2015

There are lots of Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimages that end in Kathmandu

Kathmandu’s current mayor is the rapper Balendra Shah. One of the most popular Nephop stars, he campaigned on anti-corruption and traffic management

Kathmandu is a sister city of Boulder Colorado, amongst others

## Tournament

As the 55 seed, Kathmandu was defeated by the Jolly Roger in Round 4 Matchup 28 of FlagVote 2. As the 167 seed, it was defeated by the Marshall Islands in Round 3 Matchup 88 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Liechtenstein.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (458) Bahia 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (202) Guatemala 4-3

**Round 3:** Win over (183) Honduras 4-1

**Round 4:** Loss to (10) Jolly Roger 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (346) Liechtenstein 8-1

**Round 3:** Loss to (90) Marshall Islands 6-5
Mauritius

*"the mauritius flag is just the armenian flag in witness protection"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Mauritius is an island nation off the coast of Madagascar

It was discovered by Arab sailors, and then later the Portuguese, but neither took much interest in the island. The Dutch tried to settle it in the 1600s, the French scared them off a century later, and then Britain took control following the Napoleonic Wars

Mauritius is considered to be the only country in Africa with a full democracy and a "high" rating on the Human Development Index

The nation also claims the Chagos Archipelago, which is a subject of the United Kingdom, to be rightfully Mauritian territory. It was a part of the French territory ceded to the British back in the 19th century, but split off to be its own thing right before Mauritius became independent in the sixties. The UN agrees with the claim, but Britain doesn't

Mauritius was home to the dodo bird, a flightless bird that went extinct sometime in the 17th century and is today most remembered for its appearance in the first two Ice Age movies. Dodos also appear on Mauritian money and its coat of arms

## Tournament

Mauritius was defeated by Åland in Round 1 Matchup 48 of FlagVote. As the 325 seed, it was defeated by Tbilisi in Round 1 Matchup 70 of FlagVote 2. As the 416 seed, it was defeated by Rwanda in Round 2 Matchup 11 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (609) Ropazi 10-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (97) Rwanda 8-2
Niger

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Niger is the largest country in West Africa

It takes its name from the Niger River, which in turn has uncertain origin

Niger is a rarity in that it is a French-speaking Muslim country

In the most recent rankings it ranked 189th of 189 countries in Human Development Index

The vast majority of the country is in the Sahara Desert, and the economy is centered around subsistence farming

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Niger is a country in West Africa

It is the second-largest landlocked country in Africa and fourth-largest in the world, right after Chad

Both it and neighboring Nigeria take their name from the Niger river, which also flows through Benin, Guinea, and Mali

Over 80% of Nigeria's (sic) land is in the Sahara Desert

Since its independence from France in 1960, Nigeria (sic) has been governed by four military regimes and several constitutions. A 2009 coup d'etat saw the military overthrow a President who tried to unconstitutionally extend his rule, peacefully returning to democracy the following year. I feel like militaries are usually the ones undermining democracy during a coup so it was nice to see them on the good guys' side for a change

## Tournament

Niger was defeated by Bahamas in Round 1 Matchup 7 of FlagVote. As the 375 seed, it was defeated by Ghana in Round 1 Matchup 222 of FlagVote 2. As the 549 seed, it was defeated by Paraguay in Round 1 Matchup 110 of FlagVote 3.

## Gallery

Color-swapped NigerTocantins-Niger MashupArkansas-Niger Mashup
Martinique

*"All hail snek Quebec"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Martinique is a French island located in the Antilles

It has been a French territory since 1630s, having resisted both internal revolutions and Dutch invasion

The standard of living in Martinique is higher than most Caribbean nations, and many young adults spend time living and studying in mainland France

The Martiniquais capital changed from Saint-Pierre to Fort-de-France in 1902 when a volcano completely devastated the city

Artist Paul Gauguin briefly lived in Martinique, and it inspired several of his paintings in this period

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Martinique is a French overseas territory in the Caribbean, north of St. Lucia and south of Dominica

The native population referred to it as “Wanakaera,” which means “the island of iguanas.” There is a critically endangered species of iguana that lives on the island

Lots of bananas are grown in Martinique. It is also one of the world’s top rum producers

This flag was never official, and it was highly controversial as it had been flown in the past on slave trade ships. A new tricolor was adopted this February as the official flag

Former NBA player Ronny Turiaf is from Martinique

## Tournament

Martinique was defeated by Sweden in Round 4 Matchup 12 of FlagVote. As the 142 seed it was defeated by Japan in Round 3 Matchup 40 of FlagVote 2. As the 486 seed, it was defeated by the flag of Cam in Round 2 Matchup 233 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Washington DC 4-3

**Round 2:** Win over Venezuela 6-0

**Round 3:** Win over European Union 4-2

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

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (371) Labrador 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (115) Vanuatu 5-1

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

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (539) Caernarfonshire 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (27) Cam 7-2
Sinuiju

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Sinuiju, which I’m just now discovering is actually called Sinuiju and not Sinujiu, is a special administrative region in northern North Korea on the border with China

It consists of the city of Sinuiju as well as part of the surrounding area

It is modeled somewhat after Hong Kong and Macau, in that it is allowed to have some degree of self governance and its own laws

Sinujiu was originally conceived as an experiment with a global market economy within North Korea. There are some reports that it is doing well with a booming transportation industry, and there are other reports that the plan was quickly abandoned. As with all things in North Korea, the answer is: who knows?

The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge connects Sinujiu with the Chinese city of Dandong and is one of the only roads in or out of North Korea. There was another bridge that was partially blown up and rendered unusable by the US in the Korean War, or as China calls it, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Instead of demolishing it, China renamed it the Broken Bridge and marketed it as a tourist attraction. And it worked! There’s a big tourism industry in Dandong from people who want to look at North Korea

God dammit I accidentally called it Sinujiu three times in this eulogy

## Tournament

As the 168 seed, Sinuiju was defeated by Angola in Round 3 Matchup 24 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bellingham.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (345) Bellingham 8-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (89) Angola 6-5
Samoa

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Samoa is a nation in the South Pacific consisting of two main islands and four smaller islands

It was known as Western Samoa until 1997, and Europeans named the archipelago the ‘Navigator Islands’ originally

Samoa was originally settled about 3500 years ago

The country declared independence from colonial juggernaut New Zealand in 1962

While American Samoa was untouched by the flu pandemic of 1918, 90% of Samoa’s population was infected, and 30% of adult males died

The Samoan national team has competed in every Rugby World Cup since 1991, reaching the quarterfinals twice

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Samoa is a nation consisting of several Polynesian islands. The country closest to it is Tonga

Samoa was frequently visited by American trading and whaling ships after establishing contact with Europe in the 19th century, and these visits, often from Massachusetts, were instrumental in developing the Samoan economy

The entire Samoa island chain was a part of two civil wars that sprung from disputes between Germany, the UK, and the US, eventually being partitioned into American and German-controlled territories. The American territory became American Samoa (obviously), the German territory became this Samoa

After a minor spat between Germany and the rest of the world in the early 1900s, administration of Samoa was transferred to New Zealand

Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the book Treasure Planet was based off of, lived in Samoa for the last four years of his life

Thanks to some shenanigans with the International Date Line, December 30, 2011 never happened in Samoa

## Tournament

Samoa was defeated by Djibouti in Round 1 Matchup 50 of FlagVote. As the 395 seed, it was cleanly swept by France in Round 1 Matchup 164 of FlagVote 2. As the 700 seed, it was defeated by Palestine in Round 1 Matchup 105 of FlagVote 3. It has never received a vote in any competition.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (325) Palestine 10-0
Northern Territory

*"The burnt orange is awesome on a flag"*

*--Zach Betron*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Northern Territory is a vast and remote region of Australia

It is by far the least populated of Australia’s 8 states and territories, with fewer than 250,000 people in an area of 1.4 million square kilometers

The capital is Darwin. On the north coast of the country, Darwin has 150,000 of the territory’s residents

   Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is located within the Northern Territory. It is a 22 hour drive from Darwin

Darwin was attacked by the Japanese during World War II

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Northern Territory is a territory (not a state) in north-central Australia

Though it is the 11th-biggest country subdivision in the world, comparable in size to Quebec and over twice the size of Texas, very few people actually live there - for comparison, Tasmania has over twice the population

The British tried multiple times to establish a settlement here, only succeeding on their fourth try with Port Darwin.

Though the official term for people from the Northern Territory is "Territorian," many people call them Centralians or Top-Enders, 'cause they live on the top end of the country

100 years ago people wanted to change the name of the Northern Territory to Kingsland, since George V was the King at the time and they already had a Queensland. The name didn't take

The Top Ender flag was adopted in 1978 and unlike the Australian state flags, doesn't include the British Ensign design you all know and tolerate. The flower in its design is modeled after a Sturt's desert rose, the territory's official flower, and the seven petals represent the six Australian states, plus the territory itself

## Tournament

As the 382 seed, Northern Territory was defeated by Portland in Round 1 Matchup 131 of FlagVote 2. As the 338 seed, it was defeated by Ethiopia in Round 2 Matchup 160 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Crimea.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (687) Crimea 9-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (175) Ethiopia 6-5
Rio Negro

*"oh black water keep on rollin"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Rio Negro is a province in Argentina, at the northern edge of Patagoina (sic)

It is named after the river that flows through the province

Lake Nahuel Hapai is a famous lake in the Andes located in Rio Negro

The region is known for its exceptionally high winds

The province’s largest city is Bariloche, a ski town at the foot of the Andes

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Rio Negro Province is an Argentinian province in Patagonia

Its capital Viedma is the oldest European settlement in Patagonia, having been founded in 1779

Rio Negro is named after Rio Negro, the main river in Patagonia. Almost half of all the pears produced in the Southern Hemisphere are produced in Rio Negro thanks to the Rio Negro

The San Matias Gulf in Rio Negro is the only place in the world where you're allowed to swim with right whales, making it a popular ecotourist destination

## Tournament

As the 415 seed, Rio Negro was defeated by Miyagi in Round 1 Matchup 244 of FlagVote 2. As the 659 seed, it was cleanly swept by Palau in Round 1 Matchup 221 of FlagVote 3.
Sahil Shah Flagpoll Statistics

*"We're not reviewing 100 page books, we're reviewing a small shape -- the little things can make a big difference to the whole aesthetic"*

*-Sahil Shah*

**Sahil Shah** was one of eleven voters in Flagpoll 2, and one of four new voters. He was known for giving outlier high scores to flags, frequently being the only voter to give a flag a 10, and for deeming certain flags too bad to be given a 1.

## Statistics

**Emoji tag:** :sahil:

**Fun fact:** Sahil gave 13 flags a 10 which received no other 10s, more than any other voter. He only gave out 17 10s total, which means 76% of the time he gave a 10 he was on an island. Canada, the People’s Flag, Argentina, and Brazil were the only Sahil 10s where he had support from other voters.

**Average score:** 5.922

**Standard deviation:** 2.324

**Average error:** 1.459

**Model R^2:** 0.211

**Projected top flag:** Montenegro - 8.6 (8)

**Projected bottom flag:** Provo - 1.0 (1)

**Surprising high vote:** Grand Gedeh County - 2.8 (9)

**Surprising low vote:** Johnston Atoll - 6.4 (1)

**Likes:** Castles, Light Blue, Eagles

**Dislikes:** Cantons, Diagonal Stripes, Coats of Arms

**Largest outlier votes (vote; average):**

1. Grand Gedeh County (9; 3.4)
2. Bavaria (1; 6.1)
3. Tibet (1; 5.7)
4. Antigua and Barbuda (1; 5.7)
5. San Antonio (8; 3.4)
River Gee County

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

**River Gee** is the third least populous of Liberia's 15 counties

The county borders Ivory Coast to the east

Its capital is Fish Town, after a nearby creek with fish

River Gee County was formed in 2000 after breaking off from Grand Gedeh County

   Grebo National Forest is within the county

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

River Gee County is a county in southeast Liberia

I do not know how it got its name, as there doesn't appear to be a river named River Gee in Liberia. The Cavalla River, which is the longest in Liberia, does make up the county's eastern border

It is one of the newest counties in Liberia, having been established in 2000. That means that the River Gee flag is the rare official flag that's younger than most of the people in this channel

River Gee's capital Fish Town was originally named Nesemekon after the nearby Neseme creek. When the use of English became compulsory in the area and other dialects were banned the town's name was translated into what it is now

Wikipedia says that 133% of the county's residents live in rural areas, and another 20% reside in urban centers

## Tournament

As the 509 seed, River Gee County was defeated by Jamaica in Round 1 Matchup 128 of FlagVote 2. As the 764 seed, it was defeated by Uganda in Round 1 Matchup 99 of FlagVote 3. It was the lowest seeded of the Liberian counties in both editions.
Roto

*"Where's the Roto Cam"*

*--everyone*

**Roto** is an alternate scoring method in the dynasty leagues which uses how well teams are performing in all categories in an attempt to provide a holistic look at how well teams are playing beyond their record. It was first calculated in June 2019 for Dynasty Baseball by Cam Cain, and the concept has become associated with him, with Andrew referring to him as "Roto God" in Who Cares You Suck episode 5. Cam regularly provides weekly Roto for Dynasty Hockey, although he is known to procrastinate when his team performs poorly. He also regularly provided Roto in the first season of the Dynasty Basketball league, and he still sporadically calculates it for non-hockey leagues.

Facing a shortened season, the Dynasty Baseball league opted for a Roto regular season in 2020, with standings being updated daily by Erik. Large fluctuations in the standings were common, most notably with EBO getting off to a slow start. Sahil finished first in the regular season and eventually won his first league title.

## Gallery

First Roto calculation in Dynasty BaseballFirst suggestion for Roto regular seasonRandomly selected standings from Roto regular seasonBasketball rotoFirst iteration of Dynasty Hockey RotoDoes Panarin have the Roto?
Malawi

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Malawi is a country in southern Africa

As a British colony, it was known as Nyasaland

It is one of the least developed countries in the world, and over 25,000 people die of HIV in Malawi each year

The country gives its name to Lake Malawi, located on the eastern border and the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world by volume

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Malawi is that little snakey country north of Mozambique

It was a British colony from the 1890s to the 1960s, and almost immediately after becoming independent its first president transformed it into a totalitarian one-party state for another 25 years

When it was a British colony, it was named Nyasaland after Lake Niassa. After it became known as Malawi post-independence, Lake Niassa was renamed to Lake Malawi. Go figure

Malawi briefly changed its flag, swapping out a red sunrise for a white sun in the middle to symbolize the country's economic progress. They changed it back after two years and little economic progress

Malawi is known as the "Warm Heart of Africa", not of its equatorial climate but because the people there are so friendly and kind

## Tournament

Malawi was defeated by Italy in Round 1 Matchup 97 of FlagVote. As the 213 seed, it was defeated by Sweden in Round 2 Matchup 44 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Alabama. As the 458 seed, it was defeated by Bangladesh in Round 1 Matchup 182 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (300) Alabama 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (44) Sweden 4-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (567) Bangladesh 6-5
Luxembourg

*"Luxembourg with its crest toothpaste lookin ass"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small country in western Europe

Its repeated invasion by Germany was one of the things that led to the formation of the European Union

The EU’s Court of Justice is in Luxembourg

Luxembourg was formed at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, but the French speaking part was ceded to Belgium 24 years later

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is the last sovereign grand duchy in the world

Like the other Benelux countries, it was a part of the Holy Roman Empire. In fact, the Count of Luxembourg became Holy Roman Emperor in 1308. This was a high-water mark for the Luxembourgish

After Belgium became independent in the 1830s, the country also claimed Luxembourg and its big fortress as their own. For the next sixty or so years the French and Germans also squabbled over who got to play king-in-the-castle in Luxembourg Fortress, and today's Luxemborg lost a bunch of territory to those three countries

The squabbles were resolved in 1890 when the Dutch monarchy lost its claim to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg title and the country became independent, and presumably its autonomy was never to be violated again

After World War II, Luxemborg became the most forgettable of the founding members of European Union. In fact, many Luxembourgish politicians contributed heavily to creating the EU's structure and charter, most notably Robert Schuman. I know these guys' names, but you don't have to

Luxembourg continues to have an outsize impact on European policy today. It's where the European Parliament's Secretary-General and their staff operate, and the treaty that guarantees freedom of movement among EU countries is named for the Luxembourgish village of Schengen, where the treaty was signed. Today, this free-migration area is known as the Schengen Area

The country's small size, though it is technically not a microstate, results in some fun facts. It sells the most alcohol per capita of any European country, and that's because a bunch of people from neighboring countries, and presumably EU officials on business, cross the border to get hammered there instead of France, Germany, or Belgium. It also has the second-highest number of restaurants with Michelin stars per capita, and ranks in the top five for GDP per capita

Notable people from Luxembourg include actress Vicky Krieps, rabbi and NAACP founding member Emil Hirsch, and a Hessian general who fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War

## Tournament

Luxembourg was defeated by Israel in Round 2 Matchup 59 of FlagVote after previously defeating Mauritius. As the 215 seed, it was defeated by Romania in Round 1 Matchup 215 of FlagVote 2. As the 246 seed, it was defeated by Alaska in Round 3 Matchup 121 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating San Marino.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Loss to Israel 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (267) San Marino 7-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (11) Alaska 10-0
NATO

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance

30 countries are in NATO. With the exception of Canada and the US, they are all in Europe

NATO was formed after the UK and France saw the USSR checkin them out post-WWII and thinking "countries together strong!"

NATO never actually fought anyone during the Cold War, but since its end they've intervened several times internationally, including twice in the former Yugoslavia and a few times in the Middle East

A couple of weeks ago, Macedonia joined NATO

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a treaty organization in the north Atlantic

It consists of 31 countries, all of which are in Europe except for the US and Canada and parts of France

It was established following World War II as a big alliance against the Soviet Union and its pals

Finland joined NATO this past April due to fears of an attack from Russia. Sweden is on track to be the 32nd member, but Hungary and Turkey are holding it up

NATO never fought anyone during the Cold War, but they did intervene in former Yugoslavia a few times. Kosovo loves NATO, and especially the US, for helping stop fighting there. They’ve got a song about it and a Bill Clinton statue in Pristina

## Tournament

As the 24 seed, NATO was defeated by Albania in Round 5 Matchup 3 of FlagVote 2. As the 60 seed, it was defeated by Finland in Round 4 Matchup 26 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (489) Grand Cape Mount County 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (280) East Germany 6-1

**Round 3:** Win over (105) Iran 5-1

**Round 4:** Win over (41) Tunisia 4-2

**Round 5:** Loss to (9) Albania 4-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (572) North Karelia 6-4

**Round 3:** Win over (197) St. Lucia 6-4

**Round 4:** Loss to (69) Finland 6-5
Outer Baldonia

*"Sad fish flops"*

*-Yuki Mori*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Outer Baldonia was a declared micronation that consisted of part of an island in south Nova Scotia

It was founded in 1949 by Russell M. Arundel, who declared himself the Prince of Princes

Arundel only spent one night on the island, which he considered inhospitable due to the relentless cold, wind, and mosquitoes

Anyone who caught a Bluefin tuna and paid a $50 fee would be named a Prince of Outer Baldonia

In 1953, Outer Baldonia declared war on the Soviet Union. Incredibly, the Russian press took this seriously and Arundel was denounced as a tyrant in Russian press

Outer Baldonia functionally ceased to exist in 1973, when Arundel sold the island to the Nova Scotia Bird Sanctuary for one dollar

## Tournament

As the 613 seed, Outer Baldonia was defeated by Luang Prabang in Round 1 Matchup 108 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (412) Luang Prabang 6-5
Niagara

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The **Niagara** Region is one of 8 regional municipalities in Ontario

It consists of the Niagara Peninsula in the southern part of the province, including the Canada side of Niagara Falls

It is also known as Canada’s wine country

The largest of the 12 towns and cities in Niagara is St. Catharine’s

   Notable people from Niagara include drummer Neal Peart, hockey player Stan Mikita, director James Cameron, and DJ deadmau5

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Region of Niagara is a municipality of Ontario consisting of 12 towns on the Niagara Peninsula

You know it best for having the more impressive part of Niagara Falls as its border with New York State, but it's also a major agricultural hub

It is also the host of the reasonably famous Shaw festival, the second-largest repertory theatre company in North America. Its gimmick, if you couldn't guess from the name, is performing plays written by George Bernard Shaw

Niagara was also one of the major termini of the Underground Railroad, and much of Harriet Tubman's family settled in the Niagara town of St. Catharines

Notable people born in the Niagara region include Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck, NY Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and former Bruins winger Nathan Horton. The band Rush practiced in Niagara a bunch during their early days, and coffee and donut magnate Tim Horton died there

## Tournament

As the 483 seed, Niagara was defeated by Switzerland in Round 1 Matchup 144 of FlagVote 2. As the 716 seed, it was defeated by Jayuya in Round 1 Matchup 119 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (30) Switzerland 6-1
Royal Scotland

*"and we'll never be scotland (scotland)"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

This is the flag used by the Scottish monarchy

It was first used by Alexander II way back in 1222

The flag flies at Hollyrood palace in Edinburgh

Unauthorized use of the flag can be punishable by fine

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

This is the royal banner of Scotland

It dates back to King Alexander II, who first used a lion in a royal standard in the year 1222

It was flown by Scottish monarchs until Scotland merged with England under one king in the 17th century

This flag is used on the royal standard of the United Kingdom, and it also appears on the flag of Nova Scotia

## Tournament

As the 184 seed, this flag was defeated by California in Round 2 Matchup 19 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating South Vietnam. As the 275 seed, it was defeated by Nordic Estonia in Round 3 Matchup 109 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (329) South Vietnam 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (73) California 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (750) Gbarpolu County 9-1

**Round 2:** Win over (238) Maine (old) 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (19) Nordic Estonia 7-2
Burundi

*"burundi, you’re a fine flag (you’re a fine flag). what a good vote you will be (such a fine flag)"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Burundi is a country in Africa’s Great Lakes region due south of Rwanda. Its official language of Kirundi is mutually intelligible with Rwanda’s official language of Kinyarwanda

It was an independent kingdom for much of its history until it became a German colony. Following World War I, it was ceded to Belgium. Following World War II, it was merged with Rwanda and ruled by both Germany and Belgium. This ended in 1962 when Burundi declared independence

The strife in neighboring Rwanda greatly impacted Burundi as well, as Burundi’s demographics are very similar. The Ikiza was the Burundian version of the Rwandan genocide but it played out a little differently. In Burundi, it was the Tutsi minority that killed up to 300,000 Hutu people in the 1970s. 20 years later, the Hutu massacred countless Tutsi people much like they were doing in Rwanda at the time. This round of fighting ended in the mid 2000s, but there was another recent coup attempt and things are not looking up yet

In 2019, the nation’s capital was moved from the largest city of Bujumbura to the more centrally located Gitega

Burundi is the world’s poorest and least happy country

Burundi has won two Olympic medals in its history, both in track and field. In 1996, Venuste Niyongabo won gold in the 5000 meters in just his third time competing at that distance. In 2016, Francine Niyonbasa won the silver medal in the 800 meters. She is also the current world record holder in the 2000 meters

## Tournament

Burundi was defeated by Seychelles in Round 1 Matchup 30 of FlagVote. As the 328 seed, it was defeated by the Cross of Burgundy in Round 1 Matchup 59 of FlagVote 2. As the 499 seed, it was defeated by South Korea in Round 2 Matchup 209 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Posavina.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (185) Cross of Burgundy 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (526) Posavina 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (14) South Korea 10-0
Mariners Suck

*"Yeah, you're probably right."*

--Slackbot

**Mariners Suck** is a Slackbot command in the M-SABR Slack that responds to the input phrase "Mariners suck" with resigned agreement. It was created on March 31, 2018 by Gregory Severin as a contrast to the more combative Reds Suck command made by Cam earlier that day. Though its first use predates the Mariners Fact command, it is actually slightly younger than that Slackbot feature, and this has led to slight confusion over which was the first Slackbot command Greg ever made. In any case, Mariners Suck has survived numerous Slackbot purges, as the Mariners have always sucked and will likely continue to suck for the foreseeable future.
Margibi County

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Margibi is the sixth most populous county in Liberia

Its capital Kakata, known as “Kak City” is one of the country’s larger cities

The Firestone (like the tire company) rubber plantation is located in Margibi County and has been accused of many labor violations

Roughly 200,000 people were displaced in the county during the Civil War

Liberia’s largest airport, Roberts International Airport, is located in the county

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Margibi County is a county on the northern Liberian coast

It is one of the most recently created Liberian counties, having been established in December 1985

Margibi's population is almost 200,000; coincidentally, this is also the estimate of persons in the county displaced by the Liberian Civil War

The major crops grown in the area are rice and cassava, though the capital Kakata is reportedly surrounded by over 100,000 acres of rubber plantations

The two predominant ethnicities in Margibi County are the Bassa and the Kpelle

## Tournament

As the 503 seed, Margibi County was defeated by the Jolly Roger in Round 1 Matchup 224 of FlagVote 2. As the 751 seed, it was cleanly swept by Austria in Round 1 Matchup 155 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (10) Jolly Roger 6-1
Penza Oblast

*"jesus wept"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Penza Oblast is an oblast in western Russia

It is centered around the titular city of Penza, with a population of about 500,000

There are over 3000 rivers in Penza, with the largest being the Sura

It is one of Russia’s leading producers of wheat

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Penza Oblast is an oblast in European Russia about 400 miles southeast of Moscow

The name Penza means "end of swampy river" in the Moksha language

Its regional center, the city of Penza, was founded as a fortress on the border of the Cossack steppes in modern-day Ukraine and southwest Russia

Penza Oblast is one of Russia's biggest wheat producers, as well as rye and oats and cereal and the like

In 2022, Penza Oblast changed its flag from the head of Jesus you see here to a seal with some bushels of wheat, presumably to commemorate how much wheat they have

## Tournament

As the 490 seed, Penza Oblast was cleanly swept by Zheleznogorsk in Round 1 Matchup 209 of FlagVote 2. As the 755 seed, it was cleanly swept by Bavaria in Round 1 Matchup 211 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (23) Zheleznogorsk 7-0