ISML 2013: The Aquamarine is up for grabs

ISML 2013: The Aquamarine is up for grabs

By JR Salazar
April 29, 2013

With seven match days in the books, defending International Saimoe League Champion and current ISML Aquamarine Necklace defender Kanade Tachibana will look to keep her jewelry against Kobato Hasegawa, Ruri Gokou, Mashiro Shiina, Taiga Aisaka, Kuroyukihime and Kirino Kousaka. Here is the round-up of results from Aquamarine Match Day 7.

NOVA DIVISION

In the Nova Division, Shinobu Oshino blew past Momo Veila Deviluke 4578-3861, Ririchiyo Shirakiin crushed Mikan Yuuki 4788-3672, Inori Yuziriha rolled past Keiko Ayano 4784-3837, Homura Akemi stunned Tsukihi Araragi 4380-3753, Kobato Hasegawa edged Asuna Yuuki 4744-4508 and Shouko Kirishima defeated Fuuko Kurasaki 4227-3921.

Eru Chitanda destroyed Noumi Kudryavka 4999-3375, Nyarlathotep routed Rin Natsume 4601-3629, Erio Touwa whipped past Mei Misaki 4502-3703, Kuroyukihime annihilated Yui 5500-3127, Mashiro Shiina stomped RIkka Takanashi 5027-3982 and Karuta Roromiya squaked by Rea Sanka 4008-3946.

Wrapping up Nova action, Kurisu Makise dismissed Karen Araragi 4488-3448, Aria Holmes Kanzaki gunned down Yui Kotegawa 4596-3517, Sena Kashiwazaki trampled past Touka Takanashi 5302-3354, Shinka Nibutani defeated Yozora Mikazuki 4611-4008, Meiko Honma obliterated Subaru Konoe 4505-3644 and Nanami Aoyama pounded Suguha Kirigaya 4773-3667.

STELLA DIVISION

In the Stella Division, Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere defeated Mato Kuroi 4332-4116, Hinagiku Katsura prevailed over Charlotte Dunois 4219-4263, Kirino Kousaka defeated Yui Hirasawa 4570-4263, Kyou Fujibayashi drilled Konata Izumi 4439-3664, Kanade Tachibana sliced and diced Azusa Nakano 5806-3431 and Illyasviel von Einzbern punished Holo 4559-3382.

Mikoto Misaka electrocuted Nadeko Sengoku 5541-3178, Yuki Nagato routed Masami Iwasawa 5325-3176, Tomoyo Sakagami won the closest match of the day—a 4122-4119 thriller over Rin Tosaka, Ruri Gokou ran past Yui-nyan 5938-3075, Taiga Aisaka roared past Eucliwood Hellscythe 4870-4116 and Nagisa Furukawa defeated Nymph 4184-3994.

Wrapping up Stella play, Hitagi Senjougahara prevailed over Victorique de Blosi 4050-3987, Ayase Aragaki defeated C.C. 5426-3270, Mio Akiyama boomed past Konjiki no Yami, Yuri Nakamura gunned down Saber 4616-4163, Last Order obliterated Ui Hirasawa 5410-3219 and Shana rebounded from an awful performance on Match Day 6 by torching Haruhi Suzumiya 5272-3640.

It was no contest in the exhibition. In the most decisive result of the night, Saya Tokido and Haru Usami teamed up to knock Arrietty and Umi Matsuzaki out of the ISML, 5697-1584.

Match Day 8 of the 2013 International Saimoe League Aquamarine Necklace Phase is scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 2013. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
2013 ISML Aquamarine Necklace Odds
As of 8:27 p.m. PT
April 29, 2013

Kanade Tachibana EVEN
Kobato Hasegawa 2-1
Ruri Gokou 4-1
Mashiro Shiina 7-1
Taiga Aisaka 10-1
Kuroyukihime 15-1
Kirino Kousaka 30-1

Melbourne Storm: three years, rort-free

IT WAS only via a few subtle nods towards the desk calendars on Monday that the anniversary was even mentioned.

It was April 22, a day that should remain etched in the memory of Melbourne Storm players and officials who endured the darkest time in the club's short history.

But three years on the club has moved itself so far away from that shadowy period that the anniversary of the day Storm was revealed as salary cap rorters and penalised in such an unprecedented and unrepeated way went unnoticed.

Even the media, which set on Storm like a pack of hungry wolves for months afterwards, failed to note it.

Coverage of sport is a moveable feast and with more than enough current happenings to satisfy their curiosities stories of long ago very quickly fade to black.

But forgetting is easy too when the Storm has so successfully climbed out of the mire, on field and off, and emphatically silenced all the doubters who had the club falling in to the abyss.

Currently on a record-breaking winning streak that is nearly 300 days long, Storm's all-conquering football outfit, fresh from a premiership last year and a minor premiership the year before, are giving plenty of cause for celebration.

And the champagne could flow much sooner than September at headquarters, with a sale of the club to a consortium of highly credentialed businessmen now imminent.

And that's because, through Storm chief executive Ron Gauci and his team, Melbourne is closer than ever to getting the books in the black.

A profit remains the ultimate goal but Gauci said every number he recently crunched painted a glowing picture of the club, which in 2010 had a black mark on it most expected never to be erased.

"We're at record levels of everything; revenue, sponsorship, membership everything," Gauci said.

"The line dipped in 2010 but the recovery through to 2013 is more aggressive than the period before it. We've improved our bottom line by nearly 150 per cent. Our profit and loss was almost halved over that period.

"Sponsorship is up 150 per cent, membership, since 2006, has grown nearly 500 per cent. Everything is still on an upward trend too, at almost double the rate since 2010.

"The gains are quite substantial. We took a lot of pride this week in that fact not a single word was written about 2010. We don't even refer to it any more."

In sport mud is supposed to stick.

It's taken three years, plenty of wins and a lot of backroom hard work, but at Storm it has been shaken off, the dark skies have turned blue and red figures on profit and loss sheets are edging closer to being black.

The winning streak might soon come to an end on the field but as Gauci, then the new owners, continue to work on achieving "operational optimisation" Storm will continue to be winners off it. 

BoBA 2013 ISML Prediction: Aquamarine Match Day 7

ARENA 01: Oshino Shinobu [Momo Belia Deviluke] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 02: Shirakiin Ririchiyo [Yūki Mikan] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 03: Ayano Keiko (Silica) [Yuzuriha Inori] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 04: [Araragi Tsukihi] Akemi Homura by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 05: [Yūki Asuna] Hasegawa Kobato by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 06: [Kirishima Shōko] Kurasaki Fūko (Sky Raker) by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 07: [Chitanda Eru] Nōmi Kudryavka by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 08: [Nyarlathotep] Natsume Rin by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 09: [Tōwa Erio] Misaki Mei by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 10: [Kuroyukihime] Yui by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 11: Takanashi Rikka [Shiina Mashiro] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 12: Sanka Rea [Roromiya Karuta] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 13: Araragi Karen [Makise Kurisu] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 14: Kanzaki H. Aria [Kotegawa Yui] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 15: [Kashiwazaki Sena] Takanashi Tōka by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 16: Mikazuki Yozora [Nibutani Shinka] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 17: Honma Meiko [Konoe Subaru] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 18: Kirigaya Suguha [Aoyama Nanami] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 19: Arrietty, Matsuzaki Umi [Tokido Saya, Usami Haru] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 20: Kuroi Mato [Louise Vallière] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 21: Charlotte Dunois [Katsura Hinagiku] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 22: Hirasawa Yui [Kōsaka Kirino] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 23: [Fujibayashi Kyō] Izumi Konata by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 24: [Tachibana Kanade] Nakano Azusa by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 25: [Illyasviel von Einzbern] Holo by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 26: [Misaka Mikoto] Sengoku Nadeko by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 27: Iwasawa Masami [Nagato Yuki] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 28: [Sakagami Tomoyo] Tōsaka Rin by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 29: [Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko)] Yui-nyan by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 30: [Eucliwood Hellscythe] Aisaka Taiga by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 31: [Nymph] Furukawa Nagisa by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 32: Victorique de Blois [Senjōgahara Hitagi] by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 33: C.C. [Aragaki Ayase] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 34: [Akiyama Mio] Konjiki no Yami by >=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 35: [Nakamura Yuri] Saber by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 36: [Last Order] Hirasawa Ui by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

ARENA 37: Shana [Suzumiya Haruhi] by <=1000
Over/Under: 9000
Over

Meet Justice Cunningham: 2013's Mr. Irrelevant

INDIANAPOLIS -- Justice Cunningham was so irrelevant Saturday the announcer initially uttered the wrong name.

No, it's not Justice Hamilton. It's Justice Cunningham.

Indianapolis selected the 6-foot-4, 264-pound tight end from South Carolina with the 254th and final pick in the NFL draft Saturday. Cunningham will be honored with a trip to Disneyland and the Irrelevant Week Parade in Newport Beach, Calif., this summer.

"I most definitely did hear it, and I'll remember it," Cunningham said jokingly moments after being the last player chosen on draft weekend.

For most of final four rounds, Cunningham sat and wondered when -- or if -- he would get picked.

And as the picks wound down, he was resigned to having to start his professional football career as an undrafted free agent. Then, out of nowhere, the phone rang.

"They called at the last minute," Cunningham said, referring to the Colts.

What Indy gets is a 6-foot-4, 264-pound tight end who became an NFL prospect because of his blocking ability. In four seasons, he caught just 49 passes for 544 yards and one TD. Nearly half of those catches (22) during his final season in Columbia, S.C.

But the Colts see him as more than a blocker.

"Before I put the tape on, in my mind I thought was I was going to see someone who could block," Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said. "Not only can he block, but this guy really has some savvy as a receiver. He'll make some catches in traffic and hold onto the football. And if you're fearless and you want to get in the end zone, that's not something you can't teach."

In Indy, he will team up with two tight ends who were drafted last season -- second-rounder Coby Fleener and third-rounder Dwayne Allen, who played at Clemson, South Carolina's bitter cross-state rival.

But with former Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton running the offense, there's always room for an extra tight end -- and the Colts think they got a good one late.

What Cunningham gets is membership into a unique club and a week to celebrate his new title in California. Proceeds from this summer's party will go to Special Olympics of Southern California. Chandler Harnish, last year's Mr. Irrelevant, even has offered to put his new teammate and club member in the locker next to his.

"Sounds good. I like that," Cunningham said.

There was some confusion initially, even with Cunningham when Paul Salada, who founded Irrelevant Week in 1976, announced that Justin Hamilton had been taken by the Colts. Salada quickly corrected himself and Cunningham could finally breathe easy when Salada held up the blue-and-white Colts jersey this time with the No. 254. Harnish was No. 253.

It's the first time since Oakland in 2003 and 2004 that the same team made the final pick of the draft in two straight years.

A year ago, it was Harnish, who made the team as Indy's No. 3 quarterback. He will likely fill the same role this season with Andrew Luck entrenched as the starter and former Super Bowl starter Matt Hasselbeck now penciled in as the backup.

But that's exactly what Cunningham wanted to hear.

"I feel a whole lot better," Cunningham said. "My dream came true and I got drafted. It doesn't matter where you start, it's where you finish."

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

2013 NFL Draft: Round 7

7	207	Kansas City Chiefs	Mike Catapano	DE	Princeton	Ivy
	7	208	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jeremy Harris	CB	New Mexico State	WAC
	7	209	Oakland Raiders	Brice Butler	WR	San Diego State	MWC
	7	210	Jacksonville Jaguars	Demetrius McCray	CB	Appalachian State	SoCon	from Philadelphia[R7 - 1]
	7	211	Detroit Lions	Michael Williams	TE	Alabama	SEC
	7	212	Philadelphia Eagles	Joe Kruger	DE	Utah	Pac-12	from Cleveland[R7 - 2]
	7	213	Minnesota Vikings	Michael Mauti	LB	Penn State	Big Ten	from Arizona[R7 - 3]
	7	214	Minnesota Vikings	Travis Bond	G	North Carolina	ACC	from Buffalo via Seattle[R7 - 4]
	7	215	New York Jets	Tommy Bohanon	FB	Wake Forest	ACC
	7	216	Green Bay Packers	Charles Johnson	WR	Grand Valley State	GLIAC	from Tennessee [R7 - 5]
	7	217	Cleveland Browns	Armonty Bryant	DE	East Central	N/A
	7	218	Philadelphia Eagles	Jordan Poyer	CB	Oregon State	Pac-12	from Tampa Bay[R7 - 6]
	7	219	Arizona Cardinals	D. C. Jefferson	TE	Rutgers	Big East	from Carolina via Oakland[R7 - 7]
	7	220	Seattle Seahawks	Ryan Seymour	G	Vanderbilt	SEC	from New Orleans[R7 - 8]
	7	221	San Diego Chargers	Brad Sorensen	QB	Southern Utah	Big Sky
	7	222	Buffalo Bills	Chris Gragg	TE	Arkansas	SEC	from St. Louis[R7 - 9]
	7	223	Pittsburgh Steelers	Nicholas Williams	DT	Samford	SoCon
	7	224	Green Bay Packers	Kevin Dorsey	WR	Maryland	ACC	from Dallas[R7 - 10]
	7	225	New York Giants	Eric Herman	G	Ohio	MAC
	7	226	New England Patriots	Michael Buchanan	DE	Illinois	Big Ten	from Chicago via Tampa Bay[R7 - 11]
	7	227	Cleveland Browns	Garrett Gilkey	G	Chadron State	RMAC	from Cincinnati via San Francisco[R7 - 12]
	7	228	Washington Redskins	Jawan Jamison	RB	Rutgers	Big East
	7	229	Minnesota Vikings	Everett Dawkins	DT	Florida State	ACC	from Minnesota[R7 - 13]
	7	230	Indianapolis Colts	Kerwynn Williams	RB	Utah State	WAC
	7	231	Seattle Seahawks	Ty Powell	LB	Harding	GAC
	7	232	Green Bay Packers	Sam Barrington	LB	South Florida	Big East
	7	233	Oakland Raiders	David Bass	DE	Missouri Western	MIAA
	7	234	Denver Broncos	Zac Dysert	QB	Miami (OH)	MAC
	7	235	New England Patriots	Steve Beauharnais	LB	Rutgers	Big East
	7	236	Chicago Bears	Marquess Wilson	WR	Washington State	Pac-12
	7	237	San Francisco 49ers	B. J. Daniels	QB	South Florida	Big East
	7	238	Baltimore Ravens	Aaron Mellette	WR	Elon	SoCon
	7*	239	Philadelphia Eagles	David King	DE	Oklahoma	Big 12
	7*	240	Cincinnati Bengals	Reid Fragel	OT	Ohio State	Big Ten
	7*	241	Seattle Seahawks	Jared Smith	DT	New Hampshire	CAA
	7*	242	Seattle Seahawks	Michael Bowie	OT	Northeastern State	N/A
	7*	243	Atlanta Falcons	Kemal Ishmael	S	UCF	C-USA
	7*	244	Atlanta Falcons	Zeke Motta	S	Notre Dame	Ind.
	7*	245	Detroit Lions	Brandon Hepburn	LB	Florida A&M	MEAC
	7*	246	San Francisco 49ers	Carter Bykowski	OT	Iowa State	Big 12
	7*	247	Baltimore Ravens	Marc Anthony	CB	California	Pac-12
	7*	248	Tennessee Titans	Daimion Stafford	S	Nebraska	Big Ten
	7*	249	Atlanta Falcons	Sean Renfree	QB	Duke	ACC
	7*	250	Miami Dolphins	Don Jones	S	Arkansas State	Sun Belt
	7*	251	Cincinnati Bengals	T. J. Johnson	C	South Carolina	SEC
	7*	252	San Francisco 49ers	Marcus Cooper	CB	Rutgers	Big East
	7*	253	New York Giants	Michael Cox	RB	Massachusetts	MAC
	7*	254	Indianapolis Colts	Justice Cunningham	TE	South Carolina	SEC