BoBA Predictions: ISML 2008 Tiara Loser's Bracket Round 4

BoBA Predictions:
ISML 2008 Tiara Loser's Bracket Round 4
The Cleansing of the Raging Waters

Somehow, I have to be convinced that Konata Izumi is going to be eliminated sooner or later from the ISML. She continues to prove the doubters wrong. After a close defeat to Kyou Fujibayashi, she pulls out major victories over Suigintou, Haruhi Suzumiya and now Tomoyo Sakagami. This really hasn't been a good day for Clannad's girls, with Kotomi being the only one remaining in this tournament. And she was barely able to defeat C.C. in Round 3.




#4 Shana vs. #12 Konata Izumi

Just my luck. After six days of voting...the Legendary Girl A is still alive. Even though the 2channel voters gave Konata the nod over Tomoyo, the ISML voters went the other direction. So now we have Shana facing Konata. The girl with the fire in her eyes takes on someone who will be remembered as a giant slayer. If Shana is the next one to fall to Konata, no one should be surprised as the battle in Kyoto rages on.

The Bedlam is hoping the third time is the charm in picking against Konata. Sooner or later, it's bound to happen.

BoBA picks: Shana by more than 100 votes




#8 Kotomi Ichinose vs. #6 Yuki Nagato

Here's a tantalizing match that will be worth taking a look. In the previous match between Yuki and Kotomi, the human supercomputer won by 30 votes. This time around, things will be quite different, with the match taking place in Sao Paulo. With opponents making amends for their prior defeats, thje onus is on Kotomi to keep the dream alive for a Clannad character to win the Tiara. But will it happen?

The Bedlam is going to say, "No." Yuki will keep the SOS Brigade's hopes alive for at least one more round, while Clannad is shut out of contention.

BoBA predicts: Yuki by less than 100 votes

October 16, 2008

I was feeling quite weird yesterday. I felt like I never really got that Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration. I must have been thinking, "What the heck, Jo-RYan? I thought you were done for the undergrad part of your educational career." And to be honest, I was feeling the same way. It's really unusual. Here I am, an MBA student, with finals, jury duty and election duty coming up...and I am at the bloody Garden, decked in my gray jacket and black trucer hat, my pennants, pom pom sticks and cowbell next to me, watching the home opener of the Long Beach State 49er Ice Hockey season.

The world must have ended.

I was talking via e-mail with Phil Goodman, the voice of 49er Ice Hockey (and a true patron of this club) about the upcoming season...and he e-mnailed me this message, "See you at the GArden on the 16th." I have this belief. If you pray for someone you remembered to come back, and pray real hard, who knows, it might actually come true."

I'm no god or angel. I'm a person with new priorities. I go to these events out of my own free will, not of duty like a year, or two, or three ago. It's now my choice to be here or to do something that requires my attention. Tonight was the night that I would show up. If I see one of the Beach Bandits here, the timing would be excellent.

Understanding the situation, I took a chug of Rockstar (Oh man, how I missed guzzling one of those down!), and headed off the Glacial Garden.

Now, I was really interested about two things. First, I wanted to see if we were in form early to make a better run than being stunned by San Jose State in Oakland last season. I was disgusted with our performance last season because we had high expectations, and we simply failed to meet them. These were unfulfilled expectations that weren't realized last year. The last thing I wanted was another year of abject failure.

The second thing was to see just how good this San Diego State side was. They went 6-0 against D-II opponents (sweeps of us and UNLV) as a D-II side, and finished as runner-ups. They had a strong start to their year, sweeping a double-header against USC, a team that I verbally chewed up in our final meeting with them at the Garden (and the team captain gave us the game puck, which is now enshrined in a glass case at the Beach Pride Center). The Trojans are a team we can beat this year, too. (We would be facing them Saturday.) We started on our year on the losing end of an obvious mismatch against Arizona State's first team (D-I) at Tempe (8-1 and 8-0, respectively), before getting our first win of the season against Loyola Marymount 6-1. But that result didn't tell me didly squat as to how good this 49er tyeam could be. This match, the home opened against the high-flying Aztecs, would tell us all we need to know.

The final score was San Diego State 8, Long Beach State 2. It's early in the season, and San Diego State is already in form, while LOng Beach State are nowhere close to it. As for the second qUestion, the Aztecs were exactly as advertised. If they make yet another move up, it's not going to surprise me. We were simply outclassed by these guys today. I made the over/under for people in the penalty box at 10. There were well more than that by the end of the game. And thus, our lack of character that hindered us last year was evident, as it reared its ugly head against San Diego.

But I also learned another thing. Personally, Frankie Mitrano doesn't have it. He does not have the skills to compete at the professional level as a goalie. No question, he will have his share of wins. But when you give up eight goals in one game-without being pulled-if I am a scout from some obscure league in a contry that doesn't even play ice hockey as a major sport, I wouldn't give this guy a second look. Keeping tabs on the Aztec keeper might be better.

If MItrano wants to prove me wrong, the onus is on him to do so. If this were the type of performance in an NCAA game, he'd be pulled after giving up three or four, because they have depth. And that's another thing this team is lacking.

We're just getting started with this season and already I am pondring what the coaches will need to look for on the recruiting trail in the offseason. For starters, getting a Carey Price-type of goalie times two or three might be a start.

Frankie was like a lamb led to a slaughter tonight. And he knew it.