IBC 35 - Everything Thread

by **Ranoria** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 5:41 pm

The François Factor: Snow Bears Off To Best-Ever 3-0 Start As Rookie Power Forward Shines

Is Astor François ' early dominance the start of a new era in Ranorian basketball?

Ranoria has only entered three International Basketball championships, but this has easily been their best start, with three wins by at least 15 points each to open things up. Altmelia got a tough draw without a chance of doing much in this competition, but Southwest Eastnorth and Juvencus each posed opponents most would say were about on par with our own squad coming into the tournament.

Well, to be fair, those rankings didn't take François into account. Coming off his rookie year in Quebec, the kid's been a sensation early, whether it's with his unorthodox blocking style, fluid athleticism, or dunks - he's already slammed in two - he's bringing an energy to this team that hasn't been seen prior. Reiner Anneliese is still the engine here - the veteran is leading the team in both assists and scoring through this point - but he clearly, finally, has his running mate.

In our third matchup, Juvencus kept things tight for most of the game in a very evenly matched showing, but it was Astor who sparked the run that would put Ranoria ahead, notching a steal down in the paint off of a fellow youngster Simone Macías, and he was off to the races from there. No one even came close, leaving our rookie open for a full windmill dunk that really got the crowd going. With that, the Snow Bears went on a 15-2 run over the next ten minutes to kick anything appearing in the "L" column a few days down the road.

(But not much farther)

Valanora? Old news, I mean, they lost a game already in this tournament. Besides, they're still too old school, actually putting effort in on defense, and that wasted energy will be their downfall. South Newlandia's 3-0 - we're all lickin our chops to get a crack at them.

-Snow Bears second stringer Bertolt Hali, shortly before Reiner Anneliese smacked him behind the head with an exclamation along the lines of "Shut the [heck] up you [stinking dumby]

Up next is a 5^th ranked Valanora, who didn't take long to lick their wounds after a week 1 loss to a fellow heavyweight in the Net Corps - they cruised to an 83-70 win over poor Altmelia before they seemed to really take any lingering aggression out by running SWEN off the court to the tune of a 91-66 war crime of a game. So fortunately they may have worked through a bit of that pent-up aggresson, but let's be real, despite Bertolt Hali's comments, this game is nothing more than a measuring stick - if we can keep it competitive, that's a good sign of things to come.

After that, well, if we'd gotten them a week earlier we'd have a potential matchup of undefeated teams against South Newlandia, but that'll have to wait until after we get humbled by the Dragons. Regardless, these are the two teams at the top of the group right now and it should be an exciting match between nations with plenty of familiarity with one another. We recently jointly hosted the World Bowl with South Newlandia, and they're a fellow upstart in this competition as well, not to mention Ranorian baseball players like Julian Breit, Leonardo Harrison, and others playing in the LPB, and vice versa for South Newlandian gridiron folk lacing their cleats up for the Ranorian Football League. And in this competition, both teams have been early upstarts in a group expected to be a slugfest between Valanora, Drawkland, and Delaclava.

Make sure to set some time aside, at least on your DVRs - because we're anticipating a fun one between the Elephants and Snow Bears in week 5!

by **Graintfjall** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 5:43 pm

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Big Ben blocks his way to history, but not victory

by **Delaclava** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:02 pm

Double Dwibble
uwu

Daddy Derda destroys Drawk's dreams
Lmfao!

Przemysław Derda is on a meteoric rise.

He's tall, athletically gifted, slender but with a well-crafted behind that really accents a pair of white basketball shorts nicely. He's been coronated in the past few years as the next star of the Delaclava national basketball team. He's almost singlehandedly brought relevance and a good name back to northeastern coastal city Irisbenis. And last night, he achieved the biggest land acquisition in Delaclav history.

That's right - Derda now owns the nation of Drawkland. Sure, he'll have to share custody with Taurus Wright for reasons that are so well-known they don't even require explanation, but after a 22-point, 17-rebound performance against the Net Corps to lead the Phoenixes to a comprehensive 78-59 victory, the paternity test is back and the results are conclusive.

The Phoenixes dominated nearly from start to finish. Even with a bigger lineup than in seasons past, Delaclava overwhelmed the taller squad with speed, physicality, and urgency that they perhaps lacked when they first took on the Net Corps in the playoffs of IBC 32. The Phoenixes didn't quite benefit from the pinpoint three-point accuracy they enjoyed in a 94-63 beatdown of Juvencus, but Derda's soft touch gave him four treys and Julius Graber added three from beyond the arc.

Asked about the victory and his newfound fatherhood, Derda insisted that there was a joint parenting arrangement. "It was a great team effort, executing our game plan and having the endurance and fitness to stick to the full press coverage and transition offense for forty minutes. It only gets better from here."

It truly does take a village.

by **Graintfjall** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:14 pm

Strategic defense review highlights “alarming” deficiencies

Græntfjall’s military is in a “substandard” state with “decrepit technology”, “poor human resources management”, and “command and control dysfunctionality”, according to a damning Strategic Defense Review, the first conducted in 10 years. Criticizing successive government’s inattention to the “unsexy but serious” issues of logistics, manpower retention, and facilities maintenance, the SDR’s conclusions are that Græntfjall’s current military readiness is “not fit for purpose” and that the ambitious goals of protecting former colonial properties such as Græntfjaller Multinesia and the Græntfjaller East Indies, projecting power on a pan-regional stage, and defending the homeland from kraken attacks, are incompatible with the current state of force strength.

Far from shirking the report’s findings, Prime Minister Kaija Michaelsdóttir, who commissioned the SDR last year, has welcomed its publication. “This report brings to light many of the deficiencies in the maintenance of our antiquated missile defense systems and concerning trends towards negligence and sloppiness in NBCR weapons facilities,” she says. In opposition, the Progressive Liberals campaigned on the issue repeatedly and argued it never received sufficient attention compared to the “headline” arms packages acquiring “shiny new toys”. But, having been in office for nearly three years and in government for over a decade, some will ask how much responsibility can be deflected from the Prime Minister’s office towards past administrations, and how much she bears for not doing more to address the issue in office.

The “two kraken doctrine”, in which Græntfjall would be able to fight off a kraken attack in the homeland and abroad simultaneously, has “colored too much of our thinking”, suggests the SDR, and there will be pressure to redeploy some assets away towards “more modern strategic aims” such as combatting global terrorism, peacemaking and peacekeeping, and generally not havering in fear of mythological creatures. The words “antiquated”, “outdated” and “obsolete” appear repeatedly in the SDR paper, which takes issue with both Græntfjall’s colonial heritage and the security state inherited from the Union regime. “Græntfjall’s missile infrastructure was built under a communist system that fell three decades ago, and many of the technological control elements have not been updated since,” the report notes, while also criticizing the “unrestructured” return of military academies that teach “horse riding and fencing rather than vehicle maintenance and cyber warfare”.

The report does contain some good news, praising the growth of Græntfjall’s arms manufacturing sector, one of the leading in Rushmore, as well as “soft diplomacy” through cultural and sporting exchanges that have made “the potential for military-defensive alliances” more plausible. Continuing strong economic numbers may also make a case for an increase in defense spending as welfare expenditure continues to fall and the impact of the last tax change appears increasingly net positive for government finances. But implementing the SDR’s numerous recommendations will try even a savvy political operator such as Michaelsdóttir; the report notes that her predecessor, David Austmannsson, the ‘Snow Fox’ himself, was unable to get a military modernization bill through the Thing.

Also in the paper:

NEWS: New Qardinal social media platform launched
BUSINESS: Króna gathers strength in FX markets after robust GCB briefing
POLITICS: Two Left-slate MTs defect citing “culture of antisemitism” in party
ENVIRONMENT: Traffic pollution reaching “toxic” levels at the Junction of a Thousand Honks
SPORT: Former Super Wolves great Farmansson to move into coaching

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:15 pm

The Gaegyeong Gazette

IBC First Group Stage sails smoothly for incoming hosts, Grim Reapers

Noor Gallant-Abdullahi

TWIN CITIES, ACADIE - Twin Cities' Olympic Park, located in the former grounds of the Mipojoseon Shipyards, has hosted the first week of preliminary group stage match as the National Steelworkers Union Centre (NSUC) hosted six of the world's finest teams on home soil.

The Group A of the International Basketball Championships 35, where part of the first group stage will be held, is played here to test out the home arena, as well as MBTA and road transportation between the Twin Cities International Airport (TCY/TCIA) and the Olympic Park.

The two-week event is the first of a series of test events held across the city. The Olympic Park, as well as tournaments in two other clusters - Downtown and Daehakro (University Boulevard) - are expected to host the test events following the completion of the Quebecois Commonwealth Games in September, set to be held in Ranoria City, Ranoria. The Winterfell nation, which has rejoined the Quebecois Commonwealth after six-decades of absence, will be expected to host their first post-return Quebecois Commonwealth Games on home soil.

For the event, there will be no automobile-based entry into the Olympic Park venue, especially as some of the finishing touches to the other olympic venues are still being held. Spectators are expected to take public transport to Mipo station, before walking approximately three-hundred metres north to the NSUC.

The 70-year old handball arena, which hosts the Mipojoseon HC handball team during usual summer-fall season of the Ligue-Boreale handball, has just finished the long-overdue renovation to the facilities, and during the Olympics the grey dome will be used to host handball events of the tournament. After the Olympics, it will continue to being the home venue of the Mipojoseon HC's senior and junior teams, as well as hosting regional championships of the Mengwes Bay Public School Board (MBPSB).

Pierre Youngblood, the co-chair of the hosting committee, has made it clear with his intentions for the venue: 'We all know that this arena's seen decades of use and hosting tournaments, sure. But hosting an international tournament, especially something like the olympics, is not something that this specific venue has had, while the KD Centre and the Gazebo have seen it. So our plan's been all about seeing how the teething problems can be addressed through hosting of these tournaments...and I'm glad we've gotten it right to start with.'

In response to the growing interests in the IBC and the Olympics, which will be held on back-to-back months here, the demand for the tickets have been more than solid, with all the tickets for the two-week round one sold out. The second group stage tickets are yet to be sold, but are expected to be released around November.

Team Quebec chef-de-mission (Twin Cities), Ariana Ceciliani, said the Olympics preparation were on track and that there would be no delays to the situation. 'I think the situation remains as clear as how the qualification events went for the Winter Olympics - crystal clear and calm,' said Ceciliani, the coach of the silver-medal winning women's basketball team last olympics. 'This qualification event is a good example of how the IBO and the organising committee have made it work altogether, and I'm glad to see the Grim Reapers continue their stellar performance altogether. Hopefully the rest continues along in a year's time too.'

Hosts Quebec and Shingoryeo is off to a smooth start on the first group stage, where they have a 3-0 record with +81 point difference. They trail Nova Anglicana by point differential of 10, and will be facing each other on tomorrow night's top 10 showdown.

Twin Cities Celtics superstar Bahng Se-Woong, who has been named as the team captain ahead of the first group stage, has had solid performance of his own, while Allende Hong, a sharpshooting guard who has emerged as the other half of the Splash Brothers the Celtics boast, has had bit more challenge with shooting.

Read this article in:

French | Korean | The Gazette World

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:17 pm

MD4-5 Cutoff.

A prompt that you aren't obliged to use - What are some of the superstitions and traditions your national team has? Or your players?

Group A

Matchday 4
Lisander (23) 74–67 Rastopochje (UR)
United Adaikes (33) 64–96 Equestria (11)
Quebec and Shingoryeo (03) 78–79 Nova Anglicana (08)
Eud Mirabilis (UR) 58–77 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom (18)

# Group A                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Nova Anglicana                   4   4  0  359 267 +92
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo            4   3  1  344 264 +80
3 Equestria                        4   3  1  321 285 +36
4 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom        4   2  2  274 279  −5
5 Lisander                         4   2  2  276 319 −43
6 Rastopochje                      4   1  3  278 324 −46
7 United Adaikes                   4   1  3  264 331 −67
8 Eud Mirabilis                    4   0  4  269 316 −47

Matchday 5
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom (18) 77–72 Lisander (23)
Nova Anglicana (08) 84–52 Eud Mirabilis (UR)
Equestria (11) 66–94 Quebec and Shingoryeo (03)
Rastopochje (UR) 69–70 United Adaikes (33)

# Group A                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Nova Anglicana                   5   5  0  443 319 +124  2ND GROUP STAGE
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo            5   4  1  438 330 +108
3 Equestria                        5   3  2  387 379  +8
4 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom        5   3  2  351 351   0
5 Lisander                         5   2  3  348 396 −48
6 United Adaikes                   5   2  3  334 400 −66
7 Rastopochje                      5   1  4  347 394 −47
8 Eud Mirabilis                    5   0  5  321 400 −79  ELIMINATED

Group B

Matchday 4
Valentine Z (15) 78–71 Mytanija (09)
Neptunvia (UR) 66–84 TJUN-ia (01)
Sarzonia (29) 67–84 Gatchingerrak Union (24)
Trolleborg (36) 75–78 Pemecutan (20)

#  Group B                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 TJUN-ia                          4   3  1  331 266 +65
2 Mytanija                         4   3  1  302 282 +20
3 Sarzonia                         4   3  1  288 289  −1
4 Valentine Z                      4   2  2  298 283 +15
5 Pemecutan                        4   2  2  301 314 −13
6 Gatchingerrak Union              4   2  2  291 305 −14
7 Trolleborg                       4   1  3  293 317 −24
8 Neptunvia                        4   0  4  300 348 −48

Matchday 5
Pemecutan (20) 87–91 Valentine Z (15)
Gatchingerrak Union (24) 71–90 Trolleborg (36)
TJUN-ia (01) 66–65 Sarzonia (29)
Mytanija (09) 75–54 Neptunvia (UR)

# Group B                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 TJUN-ia                          5   4  1  397 331 +66
2 Mytanija                         5   4  1  377 336 +41
3 Valentine Z                      5   3  2  389 370 +19
4 Sarzonia                         5   3  2  353 355  −2
5 Trolleborg                       5   2  3  383 388  −5
6 Pemecutan                        5   2  3  388 405 −17
7 Gatchingerrak Union              5   2  3  362 395 −33
8 Neptunvia                        5   0  5  354 423 −69  ELIMINATED

Group C

Matchday 4
Græntfjall (04) 70–64 Chromatika (06)
Kriegiersien (25) 64–96 Ko-oren (12)
Indusse (19) 80–60 StrayaRoos (52)
Tjorl (30) 98–67 Xanneria (UR)

#  Group C                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Chromatika                       4   3  1  329 270 +59
2 Ko-oren                          4   3  1  343 285 +58
3 Tjorl                            4   3  1  330 275 +55
4 Græntfjall                       4   3  1  326 283 +43
5 Indusse                          4   2  2  309 313  −4
6 Xanneria                         4   1  3  292 344 −52
7 Kriegiersien                     4   1  3  283 339 −56
8 StrayaRoos                       4   0  4  265 368 −103

Matchday 5
Xanneria (UR) 74–100 Græntfjall (04)
StrayaRoos (52) 65–94 Tjorl (30)
Ko-oren (12) 66–79 Indusse (19)
Chromatika (06) 76–66 Kriegiersien (25)

#  Group C                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Tjorl                            5   4  1  424 340 +84
2 Græntfjall                       5   4  1  426 357 +69
3 Chromatika                       5   4  1  405 336 +69
4 Ko-oren                          5   3  2  409 364 +45
5 Indusse                          5   3  2  388 379  +9
6 Kriegiersien                     5   1  4  349 415 −66
7 Xanneria                         5   1  4  366 444 −78
8 StrayaRoos                       5   0  5  330 462 −132  ELIMINATED

Group D

Matchday 4
Srednjaci (26) 68–75 Hannasea (02)
Muralos (UR) 93–63 Qasden (17)
Godchouzetsu (UR) 65–103 Magnaecia (16)
HUElavia (27) 63–70 Abanhfleft (07)

#  Group D                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Abanhfleft                       4   4  0  320 288 +32
2 Magnaecia                        4   3  1  353 292 +61
3 Hannasea                         4   3  1  331 283 +48
4 Srednjaci                        4   2  2  308 310  −2
5 Godchouzetsu                     4   2  2  308 348 −40
6 Muralos                          4   1  3  320 315  +5
7 HUElavia                         4   1  3  303 318 −15
8 Qasden                           4   0  4  263 352 −89

Matchday 5
Abanhfleft (07) 82–73 Srednjaci (26)
Magnaecia (16) 91–59 HUElavia (27)
Qasden (17) 79–90 Godchouzetsu (UR)
Hannasea (02) 86–60 Muralos (UR)

# Group D                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Abanhfleft                       5   5  0  402 361 +41  2ND GROUP STAGE
2 Magnaecia                        5   4  1  444 351 +93
3 Hannasea                         5   4  1  417 343 +74
4 Godchouzetsu                     5   3  2  398 427 −29
5 Srednjaci                        5   2  3  381 392 −11
6 Muralos                          5   1  4  380 401 −21
7 HUElavia                         5   1  4  362 409 −47
8 Qasden                           5   0  5  342 442 −100  ELIMINATED

Group E

Matchday 4
Juvencus (22) 80–78 Drawkland (12)
Altmelia (UR) 75–91 Delaclava (10)
Southwest Eastnorth (31) 68–77 South Newlandia (45)
Ranoria (21) 68–67 Valanora (05)

#  Group E                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ranoria                          4   4  0  323 263 +60
2 South Newlandia                  4   4  0  340 289 +51
3 Delaclava                        4   3  1  341 281 +60
4 Valanora                         4   2  2  303 271 +32
5 Juvencus                         4   2  2  277 315 −38
6 Drawkland                        4   1  3  276 299 −23
7 Southwest Eastnorth              4   0  4  260 319 −59
8 Altmelia                         4   0  4  280 363 −83

Matchday 5
Valanora (05) 66–76 Juvencus (22)
South Newlandia (45) 66–65 Ranoria (21)
Delaclava (10) 79–61 Southwest Eastnorth (31)
Drawkland (12) 102–60 Altmelia (UR)

# Group E                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 South Newlandia                  5   5  0  406 354 +52  2ND GROUP STAGE
2 Delaclava                        5   4  1  420 342 +78
3 Ranoria                          5   4  1  388 329 +59
4 Juvencus                         5   3  2  353 381 −28
5 Valanora                         5   2  3  369 347 +22
6 Drawkland                        5   2  3  378 359 +19
7 Southwest Eastnorth              5   0  5  321 398 −77  ELIMINATED
8 Altmelia                         5   0  5  340 465 −125 ELIMINATED

by **Southwest Eastnorth** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 8:49 pm

www.Railphotos.xan - Photo tour!

RAILROAD: SWEN Rail
LOCOMOTIVE: UPTE-4
LOCOMOTIVE #: SWRL #400021
LOCATION: Rainey, Southwest Eastnorth
DATE: August 30th 2045
DESCRIPTION: The Shanty Towns in the northern suburb or Rainey are a reminder of the older days. A time when the population had to build up the nation faster than conventional wisdom dictated. Though shome shanty towns still exist most the people who lived there have since moved in to more proper housing, once the nation had better infrastructure. Here we see a UPTE-4 for SWEN Rail on it's VIrginia-Chester run.

SOUTHWEST EASTNORTH - 68
Pts: D Stanton - 25 pts
Rbs: T Foxx - 10 rbs
Ast: T Foxx - 6ast
Blks: NONE
Stl: NONE

SOUTH NEWLANDIA - 77
Pts: Palmeri 31pts
Rbs: Palmer 5rbs / Bunn 5rbs
Ast: Kleber 7 Ast
Blks: Bunn 2blks
Stl: NONE

SOUTHWEST EASTNORTH - 61
Pts: B Witt - 20Pts
Rbs: T Foxx - 6rbs
Ast: D Stanton - 5ast
Blks: B Oaker - 4blks
Stl: T Foxx - 1stl

Delaclava - 79
Pts: D Zubić - 38pts
Rbs: D Zubić - 11rbs
Ast: D Zubić - 12ast
Blks: St-Hilaire - 3blks
Stl: Ntenga 1stl

by **Xanneria** » Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:26 pm

www.Railphotos.xan - Photo tour!

RAILROAD: Pearlham Industrial Railroad
LOCOMOTIVE: NLCO MPF-2000
LOCOMOTIVE #: PIR #4707
LOCATION: Pearlham, Xanneria
DATE: Jun 3rd 2042
DESCRIPTION: The Pearlham industrial Railroad is a 10 mile shortline that connects several industries in the city to a connection with the Marietta Southern and their Glen Oakes yard. This line has some unique features, including bucking up to a bike trail and embankment on the coast.

RAILROAD: Western Railways (Xanneria)
LOCOMOTIVE: NLCO LHF-8000
LOCOMOTIVE #: WR #8002
LOCATION: Laguardia, Xanneria
DATE: May 15th 2044
DESCRIPTION:They call the team the "Estra Engineers" for a reason! Western Railways 8002 is sitting across the street from Hammock Inns Stadium home of Big League Baseball's Estra Engineers. It is well known when the province of Estra got its team they named them the engineers because of the rail industry. Infact, Western Railways has traditionally put out display locomotives for various promotions and home games. ON this day the Engineers would beat the Catalina Islanders 10-2 behind 7 strong innings of baseball from Royce Burrows.

XANNERIA - 67
Pts: L Brantley - 19pts
Rbs: R Kasabdul - 11 Rbs
Ast: R Kasabdul - 6 Ast
Blks: N Goodyear - 3blks
Stl: NONE

TJORL - 97
Pts: P Teufel - 33pts
Rbs: P Teufel - 15Rbs
Ast: L Sander - 7ast
Blks: L Sander - 3blks
Stl: A Martikainen - 3stls

XANNERIA - 74
Pts: D Hart - 28pts
Rbs: N Goodyear - 10rbs
Ast: N Goodyear - 9ast
Blks: N Goodyear - 4blks
Stl: D Hart - 3stls

GRæNTFJALL - 100
Pts: J Jukkasson - 52pts
Rbs: O Afolabi - 13rbs
Ast: T Ásason - 8ast
Blks: O Afolabi -10 blks
Stl: O Afolabi - 5stls

by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:22 pm

After we took down the hosts but fell to #9, the Hoops-Jags of TJUN-ia were certainly in a bit of a mood, one they knew was of their own doing. The win over Valentine Z felt routine like they were doing what they always did and it felt nice to see our guys do well. But the tight loss to Mytanija certainly did sting a little bit and showed that while we deserved to be ranked this high, we are not immortal. Now, Bao Zhou knew that this side had a few weaknesses to them (as all great teams did) and so, that would be the goal over the final 4 games - to work on them no matter what.

Up first back on Melody Courts on Mars (Valentine Z) was unranked Neptunvia, who hadn't won a game as of yet but they weren't exactly getting blown out by ridiculous margins either. They have been a respectable team on debut, but one as yet which hasn't done enough to win...and that would continue. They did manage to be respectable in this contest, scoring 66 points is no joke at all, but we were just too good for them in the end...and that's OK. Not many in the basketball world could block Adamo Zamenhofo and his 25 points...and that's OK. A dub was still a dub and we got back on track.

Then came Sarzonia...oh boy, here we go. The nation that keeps on mentioning "THAT GAME" even though we've moved on from that long ago. You just knew that Jags vs Stars was always going to be a very interesting contest no matter the context or the sport we play and this time, Bao Zhou vs Joy Knight was a certified banger. Everything was simply a tight and twisty mess here, with fouls everywhere and defence just the name of the game - no one got near to 70 in this contest of tightness and drama. Both sides were clearly aiming for victory above anything else and this one would be filled with great plays as Joy Knight, Ben Thomas, Christian McHere and José Antonio Rodríguez were simply duking it out for global domination and in the end, it would go down to the wire. You knew that Adamo Zamenhofo would want to get involved in this game's conclusion and he certainly did here - by throwing the buzzer-beating score to end the game. 66-65. What a game.

Two more to go and from here, no more double headers. Up next is Trolleborg, ranked #36 and currently 1-3. Let's hope we can secure our progression here. GO HOOPS-JAGS!

SCHEDULE
First Group Stage (Group B - Melody Courts, Mars, Valentine Z)
MD1: vs Gatchingerrak Union (24) W 90-63 (1st)
MD2: vs Valentine Z (15) W 83-59 (1st)
MD3: vs Mytanija (9) L 74-78 (3rd)
MD4: vs Neptunvia (UR) W 84-66 (1st)
MD5: vs Sarzonia (29) W 66-65 (1st)
MD6: vs Trolleborg (36)
MD7: vs Pemecutan (20)

by **Juvencus** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:03 am

THIS IS NOT A DAMN NEWSPAPER
By:Diego Bortelli

MIXED FEELINGS AS I CAVALLI HAVE A LOT TO SORT

JUVENCUS 63-94 DELACLAVA
RANORIA 82-67 JUVENCUS
JUVENCUS 80-78 DRAWKLAND
VALANORA 66-76 JUVENCUS

Truth be told I might have missed the time limit to cover the matches against Delaclava and Ranoria and for good reason. I have been on a visit to my family in the most beautiful and pristine beaches of Tipoli, so of course, I would be quite busy enjoying them. I still am, as a matter of fact, but I have found the time and solace to perhaps dish out an article covering parts of each in a short paragraph each and then me ranting about all the issues we have as a unit. I mean what kind of Juven sports fan would I be if I did not whine every time our team underperformed then overperformed instantly after? It is typical of it in every sport and you know it. Last time we had an achievement in any major sport was over 10 years ago at this point, it is getting depressing not celebrating major victories.

First, god forbid, what the fuck was that game against Delaclava? I thought we had faced them before. I did not bother to do a research past IBC 31, which means basically I have no records. We did not play against them then, however. Oh boy what a thrashing that was. To be honest Maradona being suspended for punching Petit and the general feeling in the dressing room must have played a big role in the matches against both Delaclava and Ranoria, and especially the former. Not only was the attack weaker when he was gone, but the whole team spirit was dead. Mutu was seen pulling whatever was remaining of his hair like a caffeine-addict relapsing while avoiding coffee for more than 12 hours. Delaclava was going all around the pitch. Not much to be said or done, Constantinescu was the only player giving even a glimpse of effort or leadership in the entire game. I remember watching the entire game from a tavern by the seaside and all of us were shouting, all of us were fuming, this was not the team we were supposed to be represented by. I nearly cried.

Next game was against Ranoria. Okay, that was actually a bit better for the first 3 quarters, seriously. The game was close, the team was better than against Delaclava for sure. It was ALMOST tolerable to watch them play, I liked that. Then for some reason Macías decides to bottle the entire team's mentality by trapping it inside the ball and then having the ball stolen by this Astor François guy who dunked it like a madman. I cavalli started to play as if they were struck by a curse from the village witch, mistakes all over the pitch, Ranorians dominating and sealing the game that was really close before that. I was dumbfounded I am telling you, my wife and kids did not even dare speak to me until the next morning. I really applauded them for their efforts by making it up with a trip to the beach and having a bbq with them, it always fixes the spirits.

Most games in this group are clear rematches and nothing would be more important to us than the rematch against Drawkland. Last time we faced them was definitely around the IBC31 thing, I think. We lost twice, both games were relatively close and I will never forget how disappointed I was after not beating our Sonnelian brethren from across the Revoda. However this day was different, both Maradona and Petit were returning on the pitch and not only that, Mutu forced them to play the ball to each other way more often than his "team spirit" allows him to coach them all. That was as a punishment for their fight on the match against Southwest Eastnorth but for some reason it seemed to work wonders against Drawkland. But before I describe what happened on the remainder of the game, I have to say that these Drawkian fans are loud as all fucking hell and those bands did not stop playing until the very end, I could barely hear the caster but it felt as if I was there, despite being from yet another tavern by the coast. Anyway, Maradona and Petit, amazing teamwork, yet the Net Corps were playing out of their minds and that is the truth. The Revoda Sea Derby was really close throught each quarter. If anything it had a nice pattern, first quarter finished in a Net Corps advantadge, the second for I Cavalli, the third for the Net Corps yet again. And the final quarter was a race for who would eventually emerge victorious. 10 seconds are left, 78 all, it all looks as if it was going to go to overtime, in goes Macías with a thrilling pass to Trucco and the latter just dunked the ball with extreme force. Excruciating defence followed but the game was ours, at fucking last! I screamed, I jumped, I celebrated with a few more beers than I should have. It was like I was on cloud 9, hell even cloud 1093. First victory against Drawkland? AND in their own turf? I REALLY, REALLY, ENJOYED THAT.

Last game was against Valanora, according to my lightning quick research, last time we faced them was on a competition before IBC 31. Yes, records for that were found and exist for real, but to be fair even I had forgotten about that. It was actually a close rivalry, 1-1 on our games surprisingly. I think the amount of shade we threw over on our brothers gave us an air of comfort and a sense of security that you would not expect us to have at all. When I say GOATED basketball, I mean it when we were playing against those disgusting oversized santa elves. An advantadge of at least 5 points was a constant throught the entire game. Resting Constantinescu more and giving Allegri a chance was also something that personally made me happy as the team was playing with a lot of energy against the number 5 side of the world. Loads of good three-pointers followed, somehow the advantadge increased by the end of the game. 66-76 and a second straight dub? That's huge.

Next games are against some cute ass elephants, I think, South Newlandia, very respectable and adorable AND ALSO ON A 5 GAME WINSTREAK. And an unranked side called Altmelia that sounds scary on paper with their 0-5 but really is not, right? Anyway, hopefully i cavalli manage to get 2 W's and get on the next group stage cause I am getting real scared over here. If we manage to go through, I am doing a vlog straight from Quebec, for real. That's all folks.

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:44 am

Part I
Part II
Part III

For some more background about the democratic process - yes, of course the parties know that parliament cannot propose legislation or budget. They can only check and audit the decisions made by the meritocratic part of our government, which contains the cabinet, the ministries, etcetera. So: why do we take this elections seriously? What is the incentive for all of these parties to win seats?

More seats means that you have more time to address parliament - and therefore the nation - and it means you have more people with your views criticising the government's plans and bills. While parliament formally only has the power to discuss proposed legislation and budgets, the members definitely do take their time orating about rumoured, future plans. More seats also generally means more means to address people outside of election periods.

Something we haven't seen, for instance, is parties painting a certain future for their voter base - after all, they have no way of realising said future. At the same time, parties and potential MPs know that their best bet is to address the meritocratic part of government directly. Parties and MPs have staff and taskforces that directly talk to each ministry (and again, more seats translates to more means for direct contact). Effectively, it's a way of lobbying - but hopefully one that's under control and not malicious, as in the end nobody is (directly) profiting from it.

That ultimately doesn't stop parties giving their views of an ideal future - but they have to package it a little more than parties in a 'traditional' democracy, where you're incentivised to overpromise and underdeliver. In Ko-oren, there's little promise and zero delivery - that's how the system is set up. Sometimes, parties giving a view into their ideal future actually helps (or hinders) them to get votes, but to get their views into reality they have to present their views to the public and to the meritocracy.

In the case of the Parti International, they'll claim that's how they got Ko-oren into Anaia, and into a leading role - it's what got us regional delegacy, they say.

In the case of the Pirate Party (0 seats, by the way), they'll claim that's how we got an IT industry that's well regulated and fair, but also growing and making 'us' money.

And then there's Midori!. The Green party that has lost (projected) seats since the start of the election cycle.

After talks with relevant ministries, they have unrolled a grand vision for Ko-oren. From urban planning to employment. From agriculture to international relations. From welfare to what's most important to them: the environment, and making sure that people can still live in it a century from now. While biodiversity isn't at risk in Ko-oren, due to decades, if not centuries of environmental policies, a focus on research, and (not to toot our own horn too much here) prioritising when other nations were still twiddling their thumbs, expecting the problem to go away on its own while they were busy socialising losses and privatising profits.

Instead of a defeatist attitude, Midori! adopted a positive outlook. A solarpunk future for Ko-oren. Why settle for a dystopia where the air is unfit to breathe, your labour is worth nothing and only benefits the lucky few, and every second of your life is tracked?

Smaller, more involved communities. Cities are not to grow (in size) beyond current city limits, and any growth must be made upwards, creating hubs that public transport connects to the rest of the city. Gardens and water features to sap the heat away in summer. Regulations on how much of private gardens are tiled, to benefit water management and lower summer temperatures. Sustainable tourism across Ko-oren. Research on how to best plan our living space to benefit diversity on a micro and macro level. Using technology - that we largely already have - to reverse trends and prevent future problems. A balance between personal responsibility and addressing systemic shortcomings.

And that message seems to resonate with people. Midori! have gone +2 in a short period. And as their grand plan is picked apart further, we'll see if that number grows - or even if other parties start echoing their findings - or if it is too much, too soon.

by **Tjorl** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:00 am

Fueled by the Frontcourt

After reorganizing following their loss to Græntfjall, Tjorl were ready to face their next opponents at home in the capital. First up, unranked Xanneria. Unsurprisingly, Coach Vinzenz Hansson again made no changes to the starting five. Once the Orcas started off on the right foot after Jakob Kaiser drained a corner three, there was no looking back. The first quarter saw effective shooting from pretty much every Tjorlish player on the court; Kaiser and Martikainen converted their treys, Aron Andersson was lethal at the elbow, while Patrick Teufel and Lorenz Sander were dominant at the block. While the Xannerians did take advantage of open shots, they struggled in the paint thanks to good interior defense from Teufel and Sander. The Orcas' free-flowing playstyle gave them an early advantage, 28 - 17.

Despite the backcourt duo slowed down in the second period, the frontcourt kept on adding two points to the Tjorlish score. Not much more to say about this quarter other than Tjorl entered the locker rooms up 49 - 36. Now tasked with holding and extending the lead, the Orcas made sure to not decelerate any time soon. While his 18 points and 4 rebounds in the first half was already impressive, Teufel continued to show out. He seemed to magnetize to every miss, defensive or offensive. On the other end, no opponent was able to stop him playing bullyball the whole third quarter. As for Xanneria, guard Luke Brantley and forward Rashaad Kasabdul tried to haul them back into the match. However, whatever shots they put up were eventually matched by Tjorl. At the end of third quarter, Teufel had 29 points and 11 rebounds. In the final period, Tjorl looked to wrap up the game, which they did. There was no doubt that the loud home fans once again played a huge part in the Tjorlish win. While the Xannerians lost by 30, Brantley and Kasabdul earned some respect thanks to their decent performances. For the second time in the first group stage, Teufel led the Orcas with a dadgum good performance, scoring 33 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Surprisingly, Sander led Tjorl in assists with 7.

Next, 52nd-ranked StrayaRoos. Another crucial game as a win for Tjorl meant they would move one game closer to progressing to the second group stage. As for StrayaRoos, a defeat would mean an early elimination, which is certainly not a good thing. Like in their game against Xanneria, the Orcas got off to an amazing start, but this time it was mostly thanks to the backcourt duo of Kaiser and Martikainen, who finally found their mojo. Corner three here, stepback three there. Pick-n-roll play here, eurostep layup there. Different game, similar story, first quarter ends 26 - 14 in Tjorl's favor. While the three-point barrage continued in the second period, not much of note happened other than an awful fall for Gunnar Lewerenz after a transition slam. When he got up, he showed pain in his left elbow and wrist. This ultimately led to his exit from the arena to be taken for an emergency medical check. Lewerenz' early departure dampened the mood, but it didn't stop the Orcas extending their lead by halftime.

Hansson's players continued on producing in the uneventful final two quarters, putting the game out of reach. Kaiser was undoutably Player of the Game, as he was on FUEGO: converting all nine of his field goals, three of which were beyond the arc. His partner-in-crime Martikainen also impressed, scoring 17 points and snatching 3 steals. After taking care of business against Xanneria and StrayaRoos, the Orcas found themselves on top of Group C, but only on point differential. With two games remaining, Tjorl looks to seal their passage to the next round with at least a victory. However, it will be undeniably difficult, as their next opponents are 13th-ranked Ko-oren and 6th-ranked Chromatika. In the pre-game conference before they tip off against the Dragonflies, coach Hansson said "We are composed right now, we won't get pressure get in the way of us playing our best on home soil. If we have a chance to proceed, we will play our hardest to take that chance even if we are very likely to lose."

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:47 am

After the latest two-match cycle, Sarzonian national basketball team manager Joy Knight had a basic problem on her hands.

The team is coming off a two-match losing streak after a blowout loss to Gatchingerrak Union in, of all things, a trap match and a one-point defeat to world No. 1 TJUN-ia. Knight fumed after the loss to Gatchingerrak Union that she expected her team to be aware of the potential for that to be a trap match.

"I didn't give the usual 'trap match' speech," she said. "This is an experienced team and I expected the team to be able to play focused basketball and be motivated with back to back tough matches immediately afterward. It's evident I was mistaken about that." She lit into her team after the 84-67 defeat dropped the Stars from the ranks of the unbeaten.

"I told them I was disappointed with their effort and their execution," she said. "I used a few higher decibels and a few bleep-worthy words," she added, although she recognised that Sarzonia's Communications Oversight Committee didn't have "a bug up its arse" about profanity as its American counterpart, the Federal Communications Commission.

"Yeah, I don't expect to receive a fine from the COC if I use the language now that I did in the dressing room," she said. "That said, the quicker we're able to focus on our next matches, the better off we'll be."

They faced TJUN-ia, the top ranked team in the basketball multiverse with previous four-time defending champions Banija having opted to not send a team to consecutive IBCs. Unlike her contemporary in test cricket, Knight had more important concerns than whether or not the TJUN-ians were at all motivated by THAT GAME. She was focusing on trying to will her team to an upset victory that would all but ensure their qualifying for the second group stage of the IBC. And they came within seconds of pulling off the parent of all upsets, though Adamo Zamenhofo had other ideas as he hit the buzzer-beater to give the Jaguars a one-point victory.

"The TJUN-ians were motivated to win this match because they need to win basketball matches, like we do," Knight said. "If you can't get motivated for a match against any opponent without having to dredge up a reason to be, you've got no business being in this line of work."

As for the Stars, they now have to rebound quickly against another stellar side in No. 9 Mytanija as the team's focus will now shift to the final two matches of the first group stage.

"They're a strong, very deep side," Knight said. "They're level with TJUN-ia for top in the Group B table for a reason. We're going to have to be really focused against that team."

by **Delaclava** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:05 pm

DSGN.com Basketball

Zubić questions postgame drug testing protocol
"Nothing random" about sample collection following 38-point triple double

Djordje Zubić set a team (and possibly international) record for most points in a triple double, tallying 38 to go with 11 rebounds and 12 assists. And most importantly, his team scored a massive win over Southwest Eastnorth 79-61 to move close to advancing to the next round of the International Basketball Championship. So, all he wanted was to relax and celebrate the victory with his team.

Drug testers had other ideas, and Zubić shared that he had been randomly selected to provide a urine sample after the contest.

"This is number one bullshit, you know?" Zubić decried. "There was nothing unexpected about my performance. Very good, of course, but anyone who's seen me play knows the contributions, of all different ways, that I can make to the team. There was nothing random about choosing to test me after this game, and it's just foolish."

Zubić also described the difficulties with the whole process. "You're working hard, sweating a lot in a humid venue that's basically a greenhouse. It's a big-ass building of glass that's trapping in all that heat. So immediately, this mousy-looking dude comes up to me and says I'm being tested, and I've got no piss after sweating all that much. So I'm trying to drink water, juice, all of that, but it's taking forever because I'm still sweating, and this guy won't even let me go to shower or do press or anything like that.

"Finally, two hours, all the guys are laughing at me because of how long this is taking, but finally I can give a sample. But this creeper insists he's got to see an uninterrupted stream. I'm like, are you joking? If I were to pull a stunt like that, I wouldn't have waited so long. I get that because I'm a big and famous basketball players, people want to see what's going on, but this was just elaborate. At least I'm thinking, well there's no way he'd go to all that trouble for that, because he could've just asked.

"Anyway, I finally give a sample, trying to ignore this dude's staring, and we go on our merry way."

Longtime teammate Simon Rybakov was thoroughly amused by the situation. "We know these tests happen sometimes. I just didn't expect him to be so gun shy about it!"

"It just got funnier the longer it went. But I promise we were good teammates and waited for him before we started the post-game celebrations."

And Zubić had a logical solution going forward: "If they're looking for unusual performances, maybe I need to get 30-point triple doubles every night."

Levins invites fighters for Ranoria game
Phoenixes coach preparing for the storm

Delaclava has a big game ahead in Drawkland, with the opportunity to advance to the second group stage of the International Basketball Championship with a win over the Ranoria Snow Bears. And coach Jim Levins wants to make sure his team is only focused on the basketball. Not personal drama, not eight-foot tall Drawkian Amazons, and not ambushes from thugs who call themselves basketball players.

Levins confirmed on the Pat Daniels Show Thursday morning that he had arranged for mixed martial artists Evan Dawson, Aniyar Achmedjanov, and Sullivan Bailey to fly to Drawkland and join the Phoenixes support staff for the remainder of the IBC, beginning with the Ranoria matchup - and he had a specific reason for doing so.

"Ranoria is a solid team, but they've also got a guy, Kaiser Belfort, whose reputation precedes him, and not in a good way," Levins said. "He's not a basketball player. He's a meathead they've got to level the playing field when things get tough.

"I'm hoping this is all uneventful - but it's foolish in any situation to not be prepared when you know what's ahead."

Dawson, Achmedjanov, and Bailey are all heavyweights recently signed to the Hybrid CC promotion. Dawson earned a decision victory over Achmedjanov at the Smut Island event in Farfadillis and is now slated to headline the event in Catherina against Iivo Kristo. Bailey was likewise a winner in Farfadillis, knocking out Julio Valladares in one round.

Belfort is signed to the Ranoria-based Renown promotion, but also made a guest appearance on the same Hybrid card, defeating Otso Koit by fourth-round submission.

Dawson welcomed the opportunity to, at the very least, get an all-expenses-paid trip to Drawkland - and perhaps to Quebec after that - and see a favorite sport of his up-close. "This is kind of a crazy dream, to be honest with you. I still vividly remember the team's run to the final years ago, waiting in line hoping there'd be tickets left that I could afford. And we're fortunate that Hybrid has taken off the way it has and guys like us are in demand."

Bailey also pointed out that they'd have a great opportunity to scope out future fight locations. "I've been looking forward to visiting Drawk City - very similar to Catherina in a lot of ways. And Quebec is passionate about its combat sports. It'd be really cool to fight either place if that works out down the road."

However, Bailey has assured that he knows the situation in which he and his peers have been brought on board. "We're not just here for a vacation. It's understood that if anything happens, we'll take care of it. We're not going to start any trouble, but we'll gladly finish it."

Dawson was complimentary of Belfort's fighting skills: "He's a beast. He can drag you down into deep waters and make you quit." But he added, "But there's a time and a place for it, right? It's hard to imagine we're even having this conversation. Basketball is basketball, fighting is fighting. The two aren't supposed to mix."

Dawson stated perhaps one day he would like to fight Belfort in the cage, but he won't wait that long if the situation arises.

"If he fucks with any of us, it's on sight."

by **Hannasea** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:09 pm

            Havenurbo Basketball Arena, Havenburbo
             SREDNJACI 68 – 75 HANNASEA
             (18–21, 20–21, 14–17, 16–16)
                     Pts: 14   Pts: Powell 22
                            Rbds: 11   Rbds: Powell, Kaplan 8
                         Asts: 6   Asts: Cunningham 9

            Havenurbo Basketball Arena, Havenburbo
          HANNASEA 86 – 60 MURALOS
          (17–12, 20–13, 23–21, 26–14)
         Pts: Hansen 17   Pts: Chen 12
                 Rbds: Bell 11   Rbds: Yang, Lidik 6
      Asts: Cunningham 5   Asts: Zhang 3

Selection of articles from Hannasean news media.

Green: “Not only can we defend title, we can do so while producing vast quantities of urine”

Powell silent on controversial ad

Coffee Ministry hints at Olympic basketball participation

by **Chromatika** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:35 pm

Games 4 and 5

Team         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   |   Tot
Græntfjall   20   15   14   16   |    70
Chromatika   15   13   20   16   |    64

@ Rödbrun-Arena, Kjorl, Tjorl

Chromatik Scorers:
Starters
SG LIA Xiu - 14
PF Anton VATNAV - 10
PG Kristie SHADDON-YSENOV - 6
SF Anidra ROXANOFF - 4
C  Maude ZWAHEIL - 2

Bench/Reserves
SG Jordan MERKOFF - 14
PG Zachary CHESEVSKY - 7
C Mack EDUARDSON - 3
SF Howard DWYER - 2
PF Michaelangelo CHOUSTER - 2

Other Notable Stats
SF Anidra ROXANOFF - 8 rebounds
PG Kristie SHADDON-YSENOV - 10 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steals
C  Maude ZWAHEIL - 4 blocks, 15 rebounds, 2 steals

Summary: Græntfjall proved to be too much for the Penguins as the Super Wolves, led by Þorkell Herfinnursson and Jari Jukkasson, overcame the Penguins by six points, handing Chromatika their first loss of this IBC.

Lia Xiu had fourteen points, Jordan Merkoff continued to provide meaningful points off the bench, and the Penguins did their best to return to form after the defensive efforts of Ko-oren. However, it was another rough outing for Kristie Shaddon-Ysenov, as the Point Guard failed to score in the double digits for the first time this tournament. She did have ten assists and five boards, but the Penguins ultimately could not use their twenty-point third Quarter to secure the victory.

The loss means that Chromatika's margin of error in terms of finishing in the top half of the table gets a bit slimmer; however, as long as they close out the first group stage strong, they should be fine.

Team         1Q   2Q   3Q   4Q   |   Tot
Chromatika   22   17   19   18   |    76
Kriegiersien 17   16   15   18   |    66

@ Rödbrun-Arena, Kjorl, Tjorl

Chromatik Scorers:
Starters
PG Kristie SHADDON-YSENOV - 22
SG LIA Xiu - 20
PF Anton VATNAV - 6
SF Anidra ROXANOFF - 5
C  Maude ZWAHEIL - 3

Bench/Reserves
SG Jordan MERKOFF - 8
PG Zachary CHESEVSKY - 6
SF Howard DWYER - 4
PF Michaelangelo CHOUSTER - 2

Other Notable Stats
SF Anidra ROXANOFF - 15 rebounds
PG Kristie SHADDON-YSENOV - 12 assists, 3 rebounds, 8 steals
C  Maude ZWAHEIL - 2 blocks, 22 rebounds, 2 steals

Summary: After their first defeat in these International Basketball Championships, Chromatika bounced back against Kriegiersien, led by Kristie Shaddon-Ysenov bouncing back after back-to-back rough outings, posting 22 points and 12 assists go go with 3 rebounds and 8 steals as Lia Xiu added 20 points and Chromatika prevailed in a 76-66 victory.

The Penguins, undone by the defenses of Ko-oren and Græntfjall, had a much easier time against Krigiersien, exemplified the most by Shaddon-Ysenov, whose ability to locate open passing lanes and get the ball to the ideal shooter proved to be invaluable in the victory. She also went 6-for-6 from beyond the three-point arc, putting to rest any of the complaints about the lack of shooting prowess from the money line.

"It was a nice way to bounce back," admitted Head Coach Jaudin Nagore, "Kristie worked hard, and we feel like we are in a much better spot heading into the next two matches."

There are two games left to go - against Indusse and then the hosts Tjorl. The Penguins remain tied for first with Græntfjall and Tjorl, but it's the fact that both Ko-oren and Indusse only have two losses apiece that has everyone a little worried, as only four teams make it to the next round with five in contention.

"We should just take care of our own work," reminded Lia, "And everything else will take care of itself."

Part 1
Part 2

The Lowering of The Standard

Part 3
Four Days before CBA Season 7 Semifinals

Play-In Round

3. Sanar Hurons vs. 6. Chromia Cougars
Sanar Hurons 82–70 Chromia Cougars
Sanar Hurons 82–73 Chromia Cougars
Chromia Cougars 76–73 Sanar Hurons
Chromia Cougars 62–73 Sanar Hurons
Sanar Hurons 72–72 Chromia Cougars (83–79 OT)

3. Sanar Hurons win the series, 4-1.

4. Urrheddiao Pride vs. 5. Lanar Rhinos
Urrheddiao Pride 113–89 Lanar Rhinos
Urrheddiao Pride 98–77 Lanar Rhinos
Lanar Rhinos 83–64 Urrheddiao Pride
Lanar Rhinos 77–93 Urrheddiao Pride
Urrheddiao Pride 109–66 Lanar Rhinos

4. Urrheddiao Pride wins the series, 4-1.

Myana Central Park
Myana, Myana Island, Chromatika

As the large TV in the middle of the Park showed the last seconds of the Urrheddiao Pride - Lanar Rhinos game tick away, the Pride completing the finishing touches to a 109-66 victory that would send them to the next round, Park Jung-Hyurk sighed. He had hoped for the Rhinos and his heir apparent, Kristie Shaddon-Ysenov, to prevail, but the strength of the URrheddiao frontcourt, led by SG Jordan Merkoff (who would be a starter for any team that did not have a certain Lia Xiu), had been too much for Lanar to handle. To add insult to injury, Lanar Center Joseph Edemier had missed the last three games, and the Rhinos had had no answer on the glass.

With the fact that the Sanar Hurons had clipped the Chromia Cougars in overtime two and a half hours earlier to also qualify for the Semifinals came the fact that the Saints of Eyrods would face Urrheddiao in the next round, while the Hurons would face the Z'ai'ai Warriors. It would be Park and Lia against Jordan Merkoff; the matchup between Lia and Merkoff would be the headliner, except Park knew what was going to happen next.

Tomorrow, he would have his meeting with whoever it was that Laurence Spill had called. The very next day, the Saints and he would disclose the fact that he would be retiring at the end of the season. After that, the rest of the Playoffs would be all about Park, which he didn't wish would happen, but was inevitable. In a way, perhaps, this was the way that the country would be able to accept his decision, so he had to be okay with that.

That meeting that he would have tomorrow was the first and foremost thing on his mind.

How had Laurence put together such a meeting? Supposedly, it was that Laurence's mother was a niece of the family, but still...

Nobody had heard from Gabriella Lethbridge-Antonio in Chromatika in a long time. Not anybody that was related to the media or famous, anyway.

And now, tomorrow, he was going to meet a Chromatik legend.

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:03 pm

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Jukkasson steps up to lead Super Wolves past Penguins

by **Drawkland** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:35 pm

Half of the Elite Eleven sat in the conference room of the Drawk Corps hotel the Net Corps was staying in. Jaxon Madison, Trevor Garnet, Craig Bakker, Ross Hunter, and Elias Keys were sitting around the table, anxiously looking through film. The boys, now serving as the coaching staff for the Net Corps, were facing dire circumstances. They were two spots out from qualifying for the second round with two games to go. They needed two wins and for some other teams to take big losses. Theoretically those last games were winnable, but so were the last four games, and they only got one win from them. It was do or die time.

"Dude, we're fired for sure." Richard Hanson busted open the door to the conference room with a flourish.

"Where's Nick?" Jaxon asked, referring to Nicholas Kingston, the only member of the coaching staff not in the room. He decided to ignore Richard's comment for now.

"Still working on the team." Richard loudly sat in one of the vacant chairs, plopping his large frame down and kicking his feet up onto the table. "Zoe's ankle is still giving her trouble. Nick knows what's wrong with it but he's not sure if she'll be able to recover in time for the second group stage. Not like we're qualifying for it, anyway."

"Not gonna join us then? There's only 15 minutes left for our meeting." Elias made an intentional look at the clock on the wall.

"Nahh." Richard flicked his hand dismissively. "He doesn't need to be here anyway, he's just the trainer. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm here either."

"I like it when we're on the same wavelength." Jaxon sighed. "The point of doing this is that we're doing it as a team."

"Doing what as a team? Sucking?" Richard scoffed. "Just pack it up. We can squeeze out a respectable win against Southwest Eastnorth and do whatever against Ranoria and go home. We've already embarrassed ourselves enough already."

"That would be a disservice to the team and the fans." Ross cut in. "We may be down but we're not out. Despite our losses, we've still got fans packing the arena. To give up now would be the true embarrassment."

"Don't forget our win last night against Altmelia." Trevor tapped his temple for effect. "Dropping 100 is no small feat."

"Yeah, we dropped 100 on a team that's 0-5 and was allowing over 90 points a game before we even played them." Craig countered. "I don't agree with Rich's pessimism here, but we have to be honest with ourselves. The win against Altmelia was what we should've been doing for the three games before that, and instead we were terrible defensively. Jaxon, I know you love to play in the moment, and I know we perform really well when tensions are high, but you can't force that on these players. It's clear that they aren't gelling defensively and the bombs-away attitude on both sides of the ball isn't helping. This isn't Ranoria, man, this is the IBC! I simply don't think your tactics are working in the team's favor."

Jaxon nodded, listening closely to Craig's point of view. "I think you're right. I feel like I haven't done enough to play to our team's strengths and have just tried to coach like I did last cycle with your guys on the court. It might be too late to completely change the playbook, though."

"True." Trevor looked through one of his binders. "There's only 2 games left, and we have one practice before the SWEN game. To totally change gears now would probably do more harm than good."

"I'm not asking to sweep away the whole book." Craig quickly intercepted to clarify. "We're doing decently on offense, we've been staying in games pretty well, we just haven't been able to keep up defensively down the stretch. I say, for next practice, we just focus on the defensive basics. We have the height, we need to ensure we use it to grab every rebound. That goes for both ends of the court, honestly. We start there and then switch the focus to improving our zone and man schemes."

"Are you saying we should spend the entire practice on defense?" Trevor replied. "What if they lose their shooting rhythm? I want us to build off the momentum we had against Altmelia."

"I think it'll be fine." Ross quickly flipped through his notes. "We didn't spend any extra time on offense the last three practices and our performances haven't really shifted much. We can afford to lose that time."

Jaxon listened to each man speak their piece, jotting down a couple notes but mostly paying attention to each member as they spoke. It felt weird to think of the guys as coaches rather than players or compatriots. Now it was time for the hard part: making an actual decision.

"Hey guys, are we gonna wrap this up soon?" Richard had taken his feet off the table and was visibly crossing his legs. "I gotta piss real bad. My bladder is about to explode, honestly. I'm about to empty my fire hose into the first toilet I find."

"Get the hell out of here, man." Jaxon crinkled his brows in annoyance. "And quit talking about your dick, Dick."

"Don't gotta tell me twice, boss!" Richard pushed his chair out and zipped out of the room, not caring to even put his chair back into place.

"What was all that about?" Trevor muttered to nobody in particular.

"Doesn't matter." Jaxon stood up confidently. "I'm gonna trust Craig's gut on this one. We need to shape up fast, and the only thing we can do on such short notice is work on the fundamentals. I'll write up the plan for practice tonight and let you all know what the deal is beforehand."

"What scouting materials do you need us to prepare?" Ross asked, motioning at himself and Elias.

"Just the basics on SWEN." Jaxon shook his head. "Depending on results tomorrow our game against Ranoria might not even matter, so we might as well focus solely on SWEN and see where we're sitting after that."

"Got it." Ross and Elias turned to each other and said nothing, but it was clear they were on the same page for their coming preparations. The rest of the group gathered their things, and five of the Elite Eleven exited the room to get ready for the coming practice.

A day later, the Net Corps were gearing up on the floor of Corps Central Court. The lineups had been introduced, the arena was rocking, and the Frontiersmen were getting ready for their clash with the Corps. Jaxon Madison brought the fifteen stressed-out players into the huddle, with the rest of the Elite coaches standing around them.

"Listen to me!" Jaxon started, looking around the huddle from the center. "This is our house. This is our arena. Those Net Corps fans pride themselves on always making noise, on never being silent. Win or lose, blowout or buzzer-beater, they're screaming their voices hoarse for you. That's their tradition! That's our honor! And tonight, I want you to forget those last five games, I want you to ignore the standings, I want you to go out and give these fans something to cheer about. Play your hearts out, play your asses off, play so hard you can't even pee for two hours, and we'll still be kicking tomorrow, you hear me?"

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:03 pm

Quebec and Cabo Azure complete joint naval exercise

“It appears primarily defensive, simulating a response to an invasion.”

Kaija Michaelsdóttir reviewed the satellite photos taken by the KrakenHawk10 SuperPlatform of Quebecois and Azurean vessels.

“And this is a response to…”

“Perhaps, but it doesn’t seem to mark a change in either nation’s defense posture.”

Kaija was receiving her Daily Intelligence Briefing. Two staffers, one from the Defense Ministry, one from the Græntfjaller Intelligence Bureau, sat opposite her in her private quarters, the military one clutching what looked to be an alarming large file. She glanced over at the television: although it was morning, the time difference with Quebec meant the IBC game was on. She squinted at the screen as some stats briefly flashed up – could those be right?

“As we were saying…”

Reluctantly, she dragged her attention back to the briefing.

“It doesn’t seem to be cause for alarm, but if Quebec is taking a greater interest in Rushmori affairs, it may be advantageous to broach the subject of a more formal defensive pact.”

“Or a new arms deal,” mused Kaija, who’d seen the morning deficit numbers in her Daily Economic Briefing, the less sexy – but arguably far more consequential – briefing she received each day.

“We don’t assess any counterproliferation threats arising from that.”

“Is that your idea of dirty talk?”

“Excuse me? I mean, excuse me, Madam Prime Minister?”

“Nevermind.” She turned over the last photograph and handed them back, pushing her glasses down her nose for a moment to squint at the screen again.

Nyowani Kitara government coalition forms

The next intelligence photos were of a far less innocuous variety, showing the deep water harbor being gouged out as Eura made hay from its oh-so-even-handed role in the Varakoula Accords. Of course there’d been no treaty provision forbidding them from extracting a naval base from the Kitaran regime… Not for the first time Kaija rued that they’d sent that airhead Jessika instead of any real diplomatic heavyweights until the last day, when all the decisions had already been made and the Græntfjallers just came off as, to use a technical term from international law, wankers.

“What’s this?” she tapped a list of names.

“The JVV, that’s the Justice for Victims Vanguard, the minority party propping up the Kulan government.”

“I thought the Kulan regime was going to be favorable to us? He used to live in Græntfjall…”

“He’s repaid our hospitality by forming a government with the JVV as minority partners. That’s a list we’ve drawn up.”

“Of…”

“Of DFLK war criminals.”

“Of alleged DFLK war criminals,” cut in the intelligence analyst.

“The JVV are going after the DFLK?”

“They’re going after all sides, or, they want to. KFF, KPWC, foreigners… they want to bring anyone alleged to have committed war crimes to justice.”

Kaija scanned the list. She couldn’t help notice a certain commonality in the names, one that stood out given they were nominally Kitarans.

“These are all Ostlander and Nordlander names.”

“Yes. We’ve culled the list. Those are the names of former DFLK partisans we think are, uh, that we think it might be advantageous for us to, I mean…”

“Much as we want to see truth and reconciliation and justice for victims…”

Kaija raised an eyebrow. “You want me to try to communicate to the DFLK that if they have anyone sweating over receiving a JVV subpoena, they’ll have a friendlier time of it in Græntfjall?”

The intelligence analyst shrugged. “We don’t have an extradition treaty with the new regime. And some of these people, have valuable military and intelligence skills that could be a considerable asset.”

Kaija wondered, not for the first time, how these meetings had gone when Zóphonías Juliusson had been in her chair, Zóphonías and his “ethical foreign policy”. She looked down the list once more. Some of these people had been accused of terrible crimes.

But she was not Zóphonías Juliusson. “Do it,” she said quietly. “Send the communique.”

Then she checked the score again.

Banijans announce massive new reparations package

Kaija turned back; the intelligence analyst was speaking, his dry monotone drowning out her attempts to listen to the commentary on the game.

“…continue to make reparations to Farfadillis.”

“And this involves us how? Banija can afford to pay, whatever, without our help.”

“One of the terms requires the Banijan Coast Guard to clear krakens from Faroleran waters.”

Kaija turned her (rather pretty) nose up at that. Græntfjallers didn’t consider Farvish krakens to be ‘proper’ krakens and could be a bit snooty about it.

“They’re asking for technical assistance.”

The military analyst took over. “They know we have multiple specialist anti-kraken units in the Navy. Sending technical advisors to teach them how to drive krakens out of the Faroleran waters would be a show of good faith, and help maintain positive relationships with the Banijans.”

“Can we afford it? I mean, would we be leaving ourselves open to attack if we sent off our own units…”

“We haven’t actually recorded a kraken attack since The Incident and that was nearly five years ago. Our listening posts aren’t picking up any unusual kraken activity either.”

“Alright then. Send the task force, and deploy two… no, three tactical muffin baskets. I want to put on a full show of diplomatic outreach to the Banijans. We’re going to need friends in Atlantian Oceania if we’re going to continue Operation Bomb Jabal Akdhar Back Into The Stone Age.”

“On that, Prime Minister, some of us have been contemplating a change of mission title to something more… covert? Perhaps, Operation Wanton Scarab?”

But Kaija wasn’t really paying attention, yet again watching the basketball.

“Hmm, alright. Approved. Is there anything else?”

“Actually there was one other item, Prime Minister…”

She rose from her chair and waved her hand distractedly. “I’m sure it can wait. Thank you both, gentlemen.”

And she headed over to the television to watch the end of the Xanneria game, leaving the analysts behind to disgruntedly stuff their papers away, including the last, unread, briefing memo.

el-Masri Determined To Strike In White Winter Queendom

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:19 pm

Pierre Youngblood heading back to hotel after Quebec-Equestria match

Pierre Youngblood was walking back to his hotel room in Olympic Parktel just minutes after greeting the members of the national basketball teams. The Grim Reapers, rebounding from a heartbreaking one-point loss to eighth-ranked Nova Anglicana, had put out a show for the sellout home crowd as they stormed to their fifth consecutive win over Equestria team since a disappointing quarterfinals loss in Equestria back in summer of 2044.

94-66 is 94-66, thought Pierre as he carried a nice smile with him while walking along the newly-paved brick pavements along the Olympic Park. The Quebecois men and women, both of whom had made the semifinals last two times and thrice in last five championships, looked very much like their usual selves under their new coaching tandem of Lazetic and Dubois, and while more was to be found out on whether they would be able to outrace some of the more exciting, explosive teams out there.

It's a tricky thing to say though. It was true that they have had better history with more defensive, slow-tempo sides like Chromatika and Graintfjall in past. But the Nova Anglicana loss, especially when considering their uptempo, run-and-gun style of play, was something that would not be a good news for them ahead of the second round, especially when considering prospective challengers in the likes of Delaclava and South Newlandia, as well as more balanced sides in TJUN-ia and Hannasea. Yeah, top 2 we are talking about here.

But what was certain was that the Grim Reapers were bringing in solid number of fans, revenue and attention to the IBC-35, and that's what really mattered to him.

'Giving this competition a great shout-out and flash is what matters, folks. To give us a great momentum to deliver something even bigger. Make it a summer fest.'

That's what he exactly said when kicking off the hosting process with the committee. He, remembering that the last two cycles have led into mixed results for co-hosting nations due to financial burden and relatively poorer performances by more upstart of home sides in the sport (fortunately he was proven wrong by the Elephants' 5-0 performance under Florence-Anne Raabe!!!), wanted to avoid that fate.
So he, long familiarised to the glitter and the flash of the IBC's approachability, knew that was the focus, and bringing much of it home, on a test setting, was one focus of it. So far that, thanks to the Grim Reapers' outstanding performance with the hometown splash brothers of Bahng Se-Woong and Allende Hong, was working out.

The other focus, proposed by Basketball Quebec, was the excitement of spreading out the competition across the multiverse. Initial worries about logistics aside, this too was working out fine, and the decision to host the groups in the least likely of places, from the Valentian Mars and Havenburbo, to more mainstream locations in Drawk City and Kjorl, was giving Youngblood much relief. These bastards in Kingston may be so fickle, but they do know how to run things, he nodded, as he slowly entered a fifteen-story Parktel, a building designed to host future youth athletes and journalists entering the city for competition or training camps.

Pierre entered inside the building. 'Mr Younglood, sir,' said the concierge, standing in front of him as Pierre stopped. It was Eric, the usual concierge he would see on this part of the weekday evening, as the dark-haired, middle-aged man gave a light nod to suggest that there was something urgent he had to address.

He fixed his glasses to indicate acknowledgement. 'Yes, Eric, what is it?' asked Pierre, the charisma from his national team wrestler days still remaining. 'I'm sure I asked people to email or just call me straight to either cellular phone-'

'Actually, sir, this is from your brother,' answered Eric, his facial expression suggesting that it's something more urgent, or from someone who was packed enough. And that was exactly the case, as Pierre knew his younger brother, Clarence, would do so. He knew his brother, who was in middle of his third season coaching the legendary Univ. du Saguenay Fighting Irish football team, did not want to inconvenience his elder brother. Both men, while close to each other, were professionals at their worst selves. Eric then continued speaking: 'He says he's currently in London- I meant Pahkatequayang, sir. Says that your wife and children have all arrived just this afternoon.'

Pierre fell silent, having a bad feeling about why his brother would have to travel to their hometown on a tuesday. It would have to involve either his younger sister June Youngblood Nam, Donalda Current, Clarence's wife who went to the local LNU, or their father. Their father, Maurice Youngblood, was a longtime athletics official and administrator for the Mustangs and later the Pahkatequayang Grizzlies of QBL. The old man, who was 92, had lived last 18 years with his daughter and his family.

'Okay, can you please call him back to the front desk number please? I'll be there in a minute,' Pierre said.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:20 pm

MD6 Cutoff.

A prompt that you aren't obliged to use - What is the most defining match of your basketball team or league's history or narrative?

Group A
Lisander (23) 70–65 United Adaikes (33)
Quebec and Shingoryeo (03) 78–57 Rastopochje (UR)
Eud Mirabilis (UR) 73–76 Equestria (11)
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom (18) 78–96 Nova Anglicana (08)

# Group A                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Nova Anglicana                   6   6  0  539 397 +142
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo            6   5  1  516 387 +129
3 Equestria                        6   4  2  463 452 +11
4 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom        6   3  3  429 447 −18
5 Lisander                         6   3  3  418 461 −43
6 United Adaikes                   6   2  4  399 470 −71
7 Rastopochje                      6   1  5  404 472 −68
8 Eud Mirabilis                    6   0  6  394 476 −82

Group B
Valentine Z (15) 87–56 Neptunvia (UR)
Sarzonia (29) 82–80 Mytanija (09)
Trolleborg (36) 58–80 TJUN-ia (01)
Pemecutan (20) 92–78 Gatchingerrak Union (24)

# Group B                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 TJUN-ia                          6   5  1  477 389 +88
2 Valentine Z                      6   4  2  476 426 +50
3 Mytanija                         6   4  2  457 418 +39
4 Sarzonia                         6   4  2  435 435   0
5 Pemecutan                        6   3  3  480 483  −3
6 Trolleborg                       6   2  4  441 468 −27
7 Gatchingerrak Union              6   2  4  440 487 −47
8 Neptunvia                        6   0  6  410 510 −100

Group C
Græntfjall (04) 90–59 Kriegiersien (25)
Indusse (19) 62–83 Chromatika (06)
Tjorl (30) 66–77 Ko-oren (12)
Xanneria (UR) 69–64 StrayaRoos (52)

# Group C                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Græntfjall                       6   5  1  516 416 +100
2 Chromatika                       6   5  1  488 398 +90
3 Tjorl                            6   4  2  490 417 +73
4 Ko-oren                          6   4  2  486 430 +56
5 Indusse                          6   3  3  450 462 −12
6 Xanneria                         6   2  4  435 508 −73
7 Kriegiersien                     6   1  5  408 505 −97
8 StrayaRoos                       6   0  6  394 531 −137

Group D
Srednjaci (26) 59–83 Muralos (UR)
Godchouzetsu (UR) 54–83 Hannasea (02)
HUElavia (27) 71–67 Qasden (17)
Abanhfleft (07) 77–65 Magnaecia (16)

# Group D                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Abanhfleft                       6   6  0  479 426 +53
2 Hannasea                         6   5  1  500 397 +103
3 Magnaecia                        6   4  2  509 428 +81
4 Godchouzetsu                     6   3  3  452 510 −58
5 Muralos                          6   2  4  463 460  +3
6 Srednjaci                        6   2  4  440 475 −35
7 HUElavia                         6   2  4  433 476 −43
8 Qasden                           6   0  6  409 513 −104

Group E
Juvencus (22) 95–72 Altmelia (UR)
Southwest Eastnorth (31) 75–82 Drawkland (12)
Ranoria (21) 69–85 Delaclava (10)
Valanora (05) 80–50 South Newlandia (45)

# Group E                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Delaclava                        6   5  1  505 411 +94
2 South Newlandia                  6   5  1  456 434 +22
3 Ranoria                          6   4  2  457 414 +43
4 Juvencus                         6   4  2  448 453  −5
5 Valanora                         6   3  3  449 397 +52
6 Drawkland                        6   3  3  460 434 +26
7 Southwest Eastnorth              6   0  6  396 480 −84
8 Altmelia                         6   0  6  412 560 −148

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 6:46 am

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

"Perhaps, that's the shortcoming of 'traditional' parties: they don't and won't offer a long-term vision for the future"

Midori! opens the attack on other parties, accusing them of 'failing to provide Ko-orenites with a future'. It's unprecedented that parties attack each other like this: they might be competing for a limited resource of seats, but as the democratic process doesn't have a large influence on the rest of government, competition is usually somewhat friendly and often cooperative: after all, all MPs together work to audit the cabinet's work. Energy spent on debating each other is energy that could have been spent criticising bills and budgets.

"Offer a vision? You're taking the future away from so many!" is a common complain to the green plan coming from conservative parts of parliament, which dedicated most of yesterday's proceedings to discussing the plan and the upcoming elections. The Conservatives, who saw their platform of 'Returning to AO' get a lukewarm reception, used up a chunk of their time: "this kind of scale is complete hubris. You're asking many people to relocate and close their businesses. Ko-oren does not want this!"

The Liberals echoed several of these points, "the core tenet of our meritocracy, being, that you can become whatever you're good at, and like to do, is being thrown out the window as we speak!" In a rare case of left-right cooperation, Labour added "What life is left for the less fortunate, what jobs do you see them do, and can you honestly tell them they're still part of our society within a future like this?"

But at this point, the die has been cast. The 48 hours of no campaigning have started, and then it's election time.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:39 am

Whistle-stop tour: NAAZE

As the national election for the House of Deputies approaches, each of Nova Anglicana's six provinces will also elect its 50-member House of Deputies. Each province uses a similar electoral system to the national election, with 25 constituency seats and 25 list seats, with the list vote determining how many seats each party ultimately receives. For this series, we'll take you around the provinces, explain the political situation, and show you what to expect as Nova Anglicans elect not only 100 national Deputies, but 300 provincial ones as well. In New Brunswick, we saw the right narrowly hanging on to power. In Quebec, we saw a divided right that needed to put together a proper coalition rather than facing a true threat from the left. In Newfoundland & Labrador, not much appears set to change even as issues bubble under the surface. In Prince Edward Island, it's not so much about who the voters want to govern them (Alec Thornhill is pretty secure), but what kind of life they want to live. In Nova Scotia, a province trending right seems to be poised to flip back to the left. Finally, let's take the long flight to Esportiva and the Admin Zone.

Background

The NAAZE, a province of between 400-500,000, is the newest province in the nation and the most different from other provinces. For one, it's not connected to the other provinces except by a many-hour flight, being located in Esportiva rather than North America. It was established so that Nova Anglicana could connect more with the region of Esportiva without being fully located there. In climate, it's tropical rather than temperate and thus a major holiday destination for Nova Anglicans. In population, it's the most diverse province, containing close to 30% immigrants, naturalised or not. English is still the major language spoken, but the prevalence of the Esportivan language and languages of other countries is hard to ignore. Additionally, the Litorana and Pianura people who live in the most recently annexed area of the NAAZE provide additional diversity. It's also the only province where non-therapeutic abortion is legal, up to 12 weeks. It has traditionally been a stronghold of the left. In 2015, the PJP remained the largest party, and the LSP and Stewardship took a quarter of seats between them, leading to a 30-seat left government. However, the bigger news was that Equality, the Socialist Workers Party, and Democracy each won a PR seat for getting 2% of the vote. In 2018, in the wake of the surveillance scandal, the PJP actually lost their status as the largest party, falling to 13 seats while the PP managed 15. However, the right was still far short of governing, and the PJP made a government with the 9-seat LSP and 6-seat Stewardship Party. Equality ticked up to 2 seats, the SWP and Democracy hung on to their seats, and the Nationals managed 1% in their first election. Like the Libertarians in Quebec and the Stewardship Party in Prince Edward Island, the LSP are a third party force coming close to rivaling the two major parties.

Major issues

The key issue in this election and overall is immigration and integration. Since the NAAZE is so diverse, this is always at the forefront of NAAZE elections. One of the key policies of the NAAZE is that legal permanent residents are allowed to vote in both local and provincial elections, which drives the debate in key ways. Provincial Premier Ilana Shuler, going for a third term, is in full support of accepting Janseebuckian refugees and allowing them to vote in the next cycle's elections, even if they haven't gotten to the legal permanent resident stage. She also wants to add provincial stipends to what the national government will be offering them. The PP, challenging this, say the process for accepting refugees and especially for giving them stipends and letting them vote should be "carefully considered rather than fast-tracked." Shuler also wants to distribute refugees across the NAAZE and offer incentives for other NAAZE residents to move to Gaudia, saying "ghettoisation is something we want to avoid," while the PP say "if we're not going to put the refugees in the new city we built for them, we should just scrap the whole project." Equality has argued for allowing refugees already here to vote in these upcoming elections, and wants to construct more public housing not just in Gaudia, but also in Rutupiae and other cities to house refugees and the homeless. The National Party has proposed that refugees be required to take mandatory integration classes on Nova Anglican culture and the English language, and has said that businesses should be able to hire them for less than minimum wage until they complete the classes.

Another issue for the province is energy and the environment. The NAAZE has tried to be a leader on renewable energy, but they do have to balance the growing need for housing and especially for farmland with the space needed for solar and wind farms. The geothermal energy exploration being done by the Licentian firm RenewTec promises to provide additional lower-cost energy for the province, but the infrastructure still needs to be built out. Premier Shuler has proposed additional offshore wind farms to meet growing energy needs; this comes after NIMBY groups in the province secured passage of some local ordinances forbidding the construction of new wind turbines within a certain distance of other buildings. Other civil society groups have sprung up, concerned about the effect of solar and wind farms on local wildlife, which is tying up some new construction. The NAAZE still imports a lot of its food, but the Stewardship Party wants to encourage urban farming to try to alleviate some of those problems. However, in order for the NAAZE to cut down on imports, they'll need to commit to some kind of large-scale farming, which rubs a lot of the localist-leftist folks in power the wrong way. The PP, Libertarians, and Nationals have also advocated drilling for oil, while Build Esportiva Together want to explore nuclear energy, though these of course come with their own environmental concerns.

Finally, tourism is playing a role in the election campaign. The NAAZE would not be a thriving province without tourism. Both Nova Anglican and Esportivan tourists flock to the province to enjoy the sun, the sand, the breezes, and the incredible diversity of the province. But is it a mirage? The provincial government spent quite a lot of money giving out loans or subsidies or tax incentives to businesses and shops to create hotels and places for people to buy things and activities to do and so on and so forth. They spent a lot of Anglican pounds on advertising, on convincing businesses to offer special deals, and on welcome packages and special events for tourists. And it worked! Sort of. The NAAZE is definitely a certified tourist destination, but with the debt crisis, the provincial government had to withdraw a lot of these perks, and some businesses went belly up. Recently, with the establishment of the Esportivan Adventures cruise line, there's hope that tourism will kick back up and revitalise some of the harder-hit areas, but there are environmental and noise concerns and of course, not all tourists are well-behaved. The PP wants to bring back some of the subsidies, paid for by cutting welfare spending, while the PJP are committed to a lower-subsidy plan. The Libertarians want to legalise gambling on a small and large scale to increase revenue from tourists stopping by. Equality wants to increase hotel and alcohol taxes and funnel some of the money to housing refugees and others. When your economy is heavily reliant on one sector, it's hard to mess with it, even when you're concerned about some of the negative effects it's having on your society.

Seat projections

PJP - 20
PP - 11
LSP - 8
Stewardship - 6
Libertarian - 2
Equality - 2
Build Esportiva Together - 1

Winners and losers

In this election projection, the PJP are the big winners, going from 13 seats to a whopping 20, which would be the most they've won in this province ever. Traditionally, the PJP leads the polls, but falls short of its success in other provinces because they bleed votes to further left-wing forces. However, this would be a grand victory for them and Premier Shuler. A projected PJP-LSP-SP government would hold a whopping 34 seats, or more than 2/3 of the provincial House of Deputies. Other winners are Equality, who would hold on to their 2 seats even among the resurgence by the PJP, and Build Esportiva Together, who would enter the House of Deputies for the first time. Losers obviously include the PP, but the LSP are projected to lose a seat, as are the Libertarians, and the SWP and Democracy are each projected to drop out of the legislature. This would reduce right-of-centre forces from 18 seats to 14, and left-wing forces from 4 seats to 2, thus allowing the more moderate PJP to drive the ship even more.

Interesting Parties

Build Esportiva Together/Costruiamo Insieme Esportiva is an electoral alliance of Build! and the Esportivan Unity (EU) Party. Build! is a conservative-liberal offshoot of the PP, while the EU Party is a social-liberal party that was founded in the runup to last year's Assembly of Esportiva elections. The EUP is attempting to build an Esportiva-wide movement, whereby branches of the EUP in all Esportivan nations advocate for increased Esportivan co-operation. Seeing as both are new parties that might otherwise struggle to enter the provincial legislature, they decided to submit a joint list. Although Build! is mostly centre-right and the EUP is mostly centrist, they have agreed on a few key points of co-operation. They both want to keep the NAAZE open to immigration, want to strengthen security services to prevent both left- and right-wing extremist terrorism, use market forces like carbon taxes, cap-and-trade, and tax credits to decarbonise the economy, and they want to streamline bureaucracy and find new and innovative ways for the government to serve the public.

What to watch for

It's not a surprise that the left should be able to govern the NAAZE, a traditional stronghold, but we ought to look out for disagreements within the presumed ruling coalition and how policy might change because of that. The PJP and Stewardship have enough votes to govern on their own in this projection, which might lead to a moderate-green government that focuses on environmental issues and supporting refugees. If the LSP are involved or if Equality wield any influence at all, a sharper social agenda might be pursued. Another thing to look out for is the push and pull of market-skeptical and market-accepting forces in the province. Previously, a raft of investment tax credits and somewhat looser regulations were in place until the debt crisis, which caused the government to pull back. If more left-wing forces within the PJP or the LSP want to crack down on bigger corporations or push to tax more, how will the other wings respond? Premier Shuler is on the more moderate end of the PJP, so a lot depends on how many seats she wins as to whether she could resist that kind of pressure or not.

Nova Anglicana 96-78 Zeta Reka & Hugeltaldom

Stats: 34-63 FG (54.0%), 10-28 3-Pt FG (35.7%), 18-25 FT (72.0%)

Key Players: David Beck - 9-16/4-7/3-4 (25 pts) 5 rbds, Simon Moran - 5-9/2-4/2-3 (14 pts) 5 rbds, 2 asts, 1 stl, Eli Rose- 4-7/1-3/4-5 (13 pts) 7 rbds, 5 asts

by **TJUN-ia** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:13 pm

After a routine win and a buzzer-beater win highlighted another double-header on Mars, the Hoops-Jaguars of TJUN-ia were back into single games and not a moment sooner. Two games remained on the schedule in this first group stage and after that buzzer-beater over the ~~bastards~~Stars of Sarzonia, we sat at a comfortable 4-1 and looking good to make it into the 2nd Group Stage in Quebec and Shingoryeo. Bao Zhou knew that this team had some ups and downs during their time in Valentine Z but as long as the momentum kept up, he knew that they could be like a jester of darkness and do anything they pleased.

Opponent #6 of 7 would be Trolleborg, an old friend of ours who was 2-3 and at risk of elimination if they lost this one. Meanwhile, we would qualify if we won - so this was a massive game for both teams. The Trolls certainly tried their best here, with Fergal Finni trying to use determination alone to get 26 points to himself, and they certainly put up a good fight. But sometimes, facing these Jaguars is like entering bullet hell and it would be one of those days on Melody Courts. Marco Smith is 32 and yet he can ball like someone a decade younger at times and it was that determination that got this battle won. 5-1 was enough to see us through to the 2nd Group Stage while the final score of 80-58 didn't look pacifist at all.

One more game remains before we enter Quebec and it will be against Pemecutan, one of the teams fighting to try and join us on the plane. They have to beat us to have a chance of survival so even though we're already through, we can still influence fate right here. No matter what, let's end things...shall we? GO HOOPS JAGS!

SCHEDULE
First Group Stage (Group B - Melody Courts, Mars, Valentine Z)
MD1: vs Gatchingerrak Union (24) W 90-63 (1st)
MD2: vs Valentine Z (15) W 83-59 (1st)
MD3: vs Mytanija (9) L 74-78 (3rd)
MD4: vs Neptunvia (UR) W 84-66 (1st)
MD5: vs Sarzonia (29) W 66-65 (1st)
MD6: vs Trolleborg (36) W 80-58 (1st/PROGRESSION CONFIRMED)
MD7: vs Pemecutan (20)

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:54 am

Stars stop Mytanija

From Staff Reports

The Sarzonian national basketball team felt they were at a crossroads after dropping two straight matches with a contest against No. 9 Mytanija in the offing.

Sarzonia entered the contest with a 3-2 record after the losses, in blowout fashion to Gatchingerrak Union and by a single point to TJUN-ia leaving them one point clear of Trolleborg for the fourth and final position in the second group stage from the Valentine Z pod in the first phase. The Mytanar entered the match level with No. 1 and group co-leads TJUN-ia at 4-1 looking potentially to solidify their progression whilst a loss by the Stars would leave them in dire position with one match to go.

The Stars earned a huge victory over Mytanija, winning 82-80 after weathering a furious comeback attempt. The Stars led by 13 at halftime and had taken a 22-point lead with 3:47 remaining in the third quarter before manager Joy Knight began to empty her bench. Mytanija rallied to cut the deficit to two points, by which time every starter but Mike West was back on the court. West was in the medical tent being evaluated for a possible concussion. He tested negative for the concussion, but Knight opted to leave him on the bench after he returned from the tent despite receiving a clearance form the team doctor.

"I'd rather play it safe with head traumas," Knight said. "No win is more important than the health and safety of my players." Point guard Jayne Cruz stole the final inbounds pass from the Mytanars to seal the deal and give Sarzonia a victory that many programs might consider a defining, signature win. However, centre Terry Rutledge pointed out that the Stars were the only active team in the IBC with four championships, so they viewed the result as merely an important win in the scheme of this IBC.

"Other than St. Kanye and Banija, we're the only team with four IBCs, and we're the only one who can make it five overall," he said. "This win's important, yes, but it's not a kingmaker."

Knight also dismissed talk of a rivalry after TJUN-ian media referred to the Stars as "bastards."

"We don't engage in childish name-calling," she said. "You'd think a team ranked top in the basketball multiverse wouldn't stoop so low as to using schoolyard taunts."

---------------------

After she walked back from the media room to the team's dressing room, she gave fairly vanilla responses to queries about the team's victory over Mytanija, the team's current position in the Group B table, Valentine Z as a host venue -- other than to say she missed being able to play half the schedule at Henry West Centre -- and questions about the TJUN-ian comments. However, after the last reporters left the room and the team boarded the bus, Knight turned to top assistant Kyle Trenton.

"Those motherfuckers," she said. She eyed a part of the wall in front of her and considered slamming her right fist into it until she caught a "don't you dare" look from Trenton.

"They don't seem to be over THAT GAME," he said.

"Over it? Are you kidding? They've talked nonstop about it ever since it happened"

"Kind of like Krytenia talks about losing in penalties."

"Yeah, EXACTLY. Gets on my fucking nerves!"

"You know what we have to do, right?"

"If we get them again? Absolutely."

IBC 35 - Everything Thread

DROP IT DOWN!: Two Teams, Two Wins

Boot It!: Into The Green At Last

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