The Black Flashes
The Black Flashes is a Hattrick team from Schaghticoke (pron. Skat-ih-coke) in Upstate New York. Previously known as the Los Angeles Samurais, they were renamed following the team's being handed over to CaptainMarino on November 17, 2003 during week 2 of season 21. The team currently resides in V.225 in the United States and plays their home matches at The Sports Guy Mansion, a 35,000-seat stadium on the banks of the Hoosic River in the small town of Schaghticoke. "The Mansion," as fans of the club call it, is actually built upon what used to be the "back lake" and is bordered to the east and south by the B&O Railroad, to the west by the residences of East Street, and to the north by Backwater and AnkleBreak Hills.
Having been a longtime fan of Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons, a writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, manager Captain Marino named his team after a Simmons article on then Portland Trailblazer Bonzi Wells. In it, Simmons describes the situation when Wells apparently flipped off a fan and then, when asked about it, said that he gets "black flashes sometimes" and couldn't remember doing it.
The team's logo (designed by uhcoog2k) contains a cartoon of The Sports Guy and contains the green, white, and orange elements, as well as shamrocks, of manager Captain Marino's favorite country and heritage, Ireland.
Team Record
Season |
Place |
Series |
Points |
Record |
21 |
2nd |
v.130 |
28 |
9-4-1 |
22 |
2nd |
v.130 |
26 |
8-4-2 |
23 |
6th |
v.130 |
15 |
4-7-3 |
24 |
1st |
vi.118 |
39 |
13-1-0 |
25 |
6th |
v.225 |
18 |
5-6-3 |
26 |
6th |
v.225 |
17 |
5-7-2 |
27 |
4th |
v.225 |
26 |
8-4-2 |
28 |
4th |
v.225 |
20 |
5-7-2 |
| Division V Record: | 44-39-15 |
| Division VI Record: | 13-1-0 |
| Cup Record: | 13-9-0 |
| Qualification Record: | 2-1-0 |
| Overall Competition Record: | 72-50-15 |
Manager: Captain Marino
When not wasting time on Hattrick.org, Captain Marino (aka Cap'n) is a physics and pre-engineering teacher in Boston, MA. Although he grew up in Schaghticoke, NY, he left the farmland of Upstate New York for the Boston metropolis in order to attend Northeastern University. He received his nickname from co-workers at the campus gym, The Marino Center, during freshman year. The name, at first a humorous remark in response to the number of hours he spent working during freshman year, became a fitting moniker during sophomore year as he put out a towel fire while working the counter by himself. Currently in his 7th consecutive year of employment at the Marino Center, Captain Marino ranks among the longest tenured supervisors in its history.
When assuming his managerial role of the Black Flashes, Cap'n also attempts to commiserate with other New Yorkers through his role as GOAL Ambassador for the Gathering of the Adirondacks League.
