I apologize to my two big fans to start with. I have been idle the last three weeks; the most recent one because of a very bad car accident and the former two because of work-related obligations. Though because there are only two of you, and because gaz has more than stepped up, many may actually feel glad to have had a break from my rather lame predictions and long-winded, rambling comments with loads of semicolons and all-too-many references to strength and honour and dark_horses and the flying_dutchman.

Yes, I am back, at the turning of the tide.

And so is the flying_dutchman and his men. They will be facing BGSR; the winner will face off against hib and his band of ruffian slackers. It would seem to most that BGSR would be the one to fall to FS at this point. What with the recent public displays of BGSR's in-fighting, we on the outside can only guess that BGSR is fragile and imploding; and that fs has to merely kick them around a bit on dm3 or cmt4 with their wooden shoes and then the in-fighting will start for BGSR. I do expect this series to go 3 games for sure. If they are played, I expect BGSR to take e1m2 and dm2; FS to take cmt4 and dm3.

Accordingly it will come down to map selection tactics. The map on which I think FS has the best shot at upsetting BGSR is e1m2. It would surprise me if the flying_dutchman could lead his men to victory on it, because of the power of the vladde, mrl, angua and ztrm on this map. Yet I have seen FS play e1m2 superlatively well. That said, this one will depend on maps selection tactics and whether BGSR really is emtionally 'fragile' because of the recent 'link&fifi' incident. Perhaps the 'link&fifi' incident will just piss off both clans enough so that they come out wanting to prove something, and as a result, we get one of the best matches of this gold playoff.

The Fired squad have impressed me. I think if they can beat Quadrane, which is possible of course, they will find the ZOO to be their undoing. Of course, I am probably wrong, but as I picked the ZOO as my long_shot, dark horse clan to win the silver playoff at the outset, I am sticking with these comical Finns to take top spot. Their victory over GTG impressed me so much I had to change my underwear; but whether they can take out Fired or Kala or even Quadrane has yet be seen. I have faith they can! And so I believe the fans of ZOO have good reason to keep their hopes high. Watch out for the men behind bars in the Zoo!

Tvs and LA: LA have had amazingly close games against TVS in the past. I recall a dm2 comeback win for LA from a while ago, back when hib played for TVS. I think LA has too much fire power to lose on e1m2 or dm3 with dag on the server. But that is not where TVS' hope will lie. I believe that TVS will take cmt4. And i do believe they stand a good shot at winning it; ironically TVS have become kenya map_man; and they are rock solid on it, Blaze's humble comments notwithstanding. LA will most likely pick e1m2; and they should take it. If this goes to a third map, as I predict, it becomes very interesting to think about map selection/tossing tactics. I favour LA on e2m2tdm and dm3 slightly, but TVS on dm2.

Well that is it for now. Strength and honour to those who have battled and have yet to battle more.
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