The results of the Elite Eight matches (along with my feelings in the matter, by request) were:
- Israel 19, China 1 (Of course. I'm still wondering how China snuck past Austria.)
- Japan 12, Finland 8 (Minimalist powerhouses.)
- Albania 11, Turkey 8 (I can't decide whether Albania is awesome or a novelty hit.)
- Canada 12, Sweden 8 (I love the Swedish flag... AND was surprised this one was so close.)
The Final Four!
Israel v. Japan
Canada v. Albania
[no image available for formal Albanian flag proportions. Ratio is 5:7]
Votes go in the comments, or however you like getting them to me. As always on this interactive online entertainment, purely anonymous votes are not counted. Specific votes that are explicitly based on extravexillogical factors are cheerfully tossed out as well.
25 comments:
Israel: tough call... and while I often vote for the simplest option, I'll go for the flag that includes classic flag elements. A symbol AND some stripes.
Canada: never thought I'd vote against the double eagle, but for the same reasons as above, I'll give Canada the edge for combining two flag elements, classic symbol with pales.
Japan and Canada.
The first matchup is a fairly easy one for me. Both are relatively simple flags, but Japan is too simple for my tastes. Also, Israel has good colors and also easily recognizable symbols. ISRAEL
The second matchup is a toss-up for me. Let's do a comparison!
Canada:
Pros: Good colors, easily recognizable, maple leaf looks nice
Cons: Bad height/width ratio
Albania: Really cool-looking, good colors
Cons: A bit complex, no sign of maple leafs anywhere
I'm going to vote ALBANIA by a hair, but I could see either of these flags beating out Japan or Israel in the Championship.
Japan and Canada
Albania never should have made it this far, so Canada is a natural.
That said, between Japan & Israel, things get tricky. Those are two stellar flags, communicating so much with so little. It's a tough call, but I think I'm going to give the point to Israel for putting a symbol on it's flag that is unequivocal in it's meaning. It's the Star of David, and cannot be mistaken for a beach ball, or target practice or anything else. And given the historical significance of the symbol... it's just a move of incredible pride & courage.
Final round is going to be brutal.
Isreal: I also think that Japan is too simple at this level of competition.
Canada: Eventhough I voted against Canada twice, and like the Albanian flag, but the black/red is too intense without some mitigating color in-between. All three other flags use white as that mitigating factor. If The Albanians used some white like Israel, their kickass emblem would sing!
Rebel says my thoughts on the Israeli flag better than I could. For that matter he (?) echoes my thoughts on the other match as well! :)
Canada vs. Israel! I'll make the easy choice now, and the (somewhat) difficult choice later of finally having to choose one of them to win the whole enchilada.
Canada vs israel!
-Chuckdaddy
Japan, Albania.
Japan pulls ahead by having a single, simple symbol meaning so much. It's a classic and an icon in itself.
Albania wins because Canada should have never gotten this far, but then again I don't think Albania should have either. Canada's flag looks worse and worse the more I look at it. The proportions are too odd, and Canada fails to pull odd proportions off like it's southern neighbor can.
Israel and Canada.
Yea, Israel and Canada.
Japan and Canada
Wow, a 31 seed made it into the final 4! Israel and Albania.
Canada (obeys the rule of tincture.)and Israel (I think the whole stripes representing a prayer shawl is cool. star of David is awesome but it was a tough call)
I'll go with Israel.
Israel and Canada. The other two are far inferior flags in my personal opinion. Then again, my personal opinion has been wrong according to the masses on almost every step of this tournament, so what would I know?
Israel vs. Japan
Here we go. I predicted Israel vs. X, and here we are. I'm going to vote for Israel, as it has a flag that utilizes a national emblem that is both culturally and visually significant, though the Japanese flag is certainly superb as well. ;)
Canada vs. Albania
I am now shamelessly voting for the underdog, on the grounds that a double-headed eagle is awesomer* than a leaf, no matter how stylish the leaf in question may be.
(not actually a word)
GH: I agree with your methodology, but you have to admit that Double Headed Eagles are already cool, while the Canadians had to do a lot to make a leaf even remotely cool, so you gotta give them props!
I would like to say that this would be MUCH easier for me if it were Japan vs. Albania and Israel vs. Canada. I don't like Canada's or Albania's flags. The other problem for me is that Voron has really sold me on the Israeli flag. I hate to admit it, but it's true. It's a darn good flag. I however gravitate toward the simple, yet strikingly bold beauty of Japans flag. Since I feel fairly certain that no matter which way I vote Israel will win I am sticking with my first love, Japan
I have never liked the Maple Leaf. It's clunky, however, it's would seem more recognizable from a distance than Albania's dark on dark double headed monstrosity! Canada
Japan and Canada
Well, I think that both Japan and Canada are overrated. Heck, I like Macedonia's flag better than Japan's. A circle can be anything - Is that the flag of Mars? But a circle with rays is definitely the sun. Israel is so dynamic and has such a distinctive powerful symbol. Israel it is.
I'm really sick of all the Canada flag love. Yes, it's a nice flag, yes, but it does have awkward proportions, and is it really so much better than, say, Lebanon or better yet, Barbados? I also think symbolically, it's a bit weird that a country that has such a huge amount of water in its area, and is covered much of the year by even more water
The UK should have beaten it two rounds ago. Both Iceland and Norway and Georgia top it as well.
Regarding Albania, Well, as overdone as red and white seems to be, Turkey really had the more iconic aesthetic flag. I like when flags can go vertical, (which doesn't help either contestant here). I do like red and black together, and eastern european rules of tincture treat black as a metal, or at least a fur (sable = fur, get it?), which can go with colors or metals. The thing is, Albania's flag looks better flying than in design, probably because the light shining through lightens the red, and the light sky makes the black pop. It is close, because Canada does have an amazingly iconic flag, so much so that Vermont probably hates them for bogarting the maple leaf.. But I'm giving this to Albania, even though I doubt they'll win.
Again,
Israel and Albania.
(@Lis- remind me why I invited you along again? ;) )
oops - in my comment re: Canada, I started mentioning water, ice and snow and never got to the part where I thought it odd there was no blue in the flag, but then I was going to edit that out because I thought it too political, what with the whole French-speakers wanting to be represented and thinking the flag English-centtric and what-not. It's strange though - Sea-faring Island nation Japan doesn't feel to me like they need blue, but Canada does for some reason.
@VoronX:
What ever happened to Macedonia's flag anyway?! I don't ever remember seeing it in the competition, and I'd count it as at least a top 8 flag.
Japan and Canada
Japan vs Canada
The sun takes on the leaf!
I am clearly a self hating Jew.
The Former Brief But Sprawling Empire Under the Legions of Alexander of Macedonia got a B+ from Michael5000 and a C+ from Parsons. That put it in a 20-way tie for 92nd seed among eligible flags, well back from the 32 qualifiers for the tournament. Wait 'til next year.
Voting is now formally closed in this round.
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