Rivalries

Suggested rivalries:

SDBA: This rivalry is defined by sheer, unrelenting heartbreak across multiple eras of Golly. The Balloon Animals have eliminated Baltimore from the postseason eight times, more than any other team, acting as a consistent and painful thorn in their side. This history suggests a deep, almost cosmic curse that Baltimore has been unable to break.

SAC (Brownfield Crown): The rivalry with the Boot Lickers is characterized by periods of intense, one-sided torment for both teams. Started with Hellmouth III Cup, BTX2 tormeting SAC; kicked up a notch with Hellmouth V, SAC tormeting BTX2 - Sacramento repeatedly crushed Baltimore's hopes in the League Championship Series (all 3 LCS losses in HIII were to SAC), establishing a pattern of dominance that makes them a particularly bitter rival. The matchups are less a competition and more a recurring nightmare for the city of Baltimore.

EA: The rivalry with the Elko Astronauts is forged in the highest stakes of the postseason. Every single playoff defeat Baltimore has suffered at the hands of Elko has been in the League Championship Series, just one step away from the cup. This pattern makes the Astronauts the ultimate gatekeepers, consistently appearing to deny Baltimore their championship dreams at the final hurdle.

Time Machine

https://wiki.golly.life/wiki/User:Ch4zm/November_2023/Crown_Lore_Jam

BTX2 vs the World

btx2-slc: gulf stream crown
btx2-abq: left shoulder crown
btx2-ea: ?
btx2-ff: ?
btx2-tb: ?
~~btx2-sac: big boots crown~~ (done - match made in hell ii crown) (oops - brownfield crown is a better name, but maybe incorporate that into lore)
~~btx2-ss: big shoes crown (clown shoes crown)~~ (abandon)
~~btx2-lbfb: ostrich farm crown~~ (abandon - but maybe incorporate into lore)

Butchers

https://wiki.golly.life/wiki/User:Ch4zm/November_2025/Tucson_Lore_Jam

Rivalry with the Piano Tuners, specifically

Designated "Keepers of the Curse"

Did their job in Rainbow Cup, Klein Cup, no pennants for BPT

But then they messed up in Hellmouth III Cup

"Good riddance" Tucson glad to see BPT incinerated and replaced with the reincarnated Texas

Toroidal

Within a Whisker

The story of the Toroidal/Season 4 double choke is deeper than just the double choke. It's an allegory about greed, about getting caught up in success, about the inherent danger in not following through.

Going into Toroidal/Season 4, the Texas were seemingly cemented into their reputation as a Cold League Choke Artists, but the Texas knew that it would only take one pennant to shrug off the curse. In a stirring motivational speech delivered before the opening Game 1 of the Baltimore Texas - Long Beach Flightless Birds matchup, the Texas radio announcer, Dallas Huston, fired up the Texas and sent them charging into Game 1 like a team possessed. The Texas mopped up the Flightless Birds in the first 2 games, and showed little sign of slowing down.

The Texas, one win away from a pennant, could hardly believe their luck. They were so elated that the entire collective, that night, booked their flights for the Season 4 Toroidal Cup - to Detroit, of course, because the Grape Chews, their fellow Hot League Choke Artists, were also up 2 games to none, and also looked to be on the verge of clinching their first ever pennant and breaking their own curse.

Except the next night, in a veritable arm-wrestling match, the Flightless Birds won Game 3 by the thinnest of margins - 4 points. They came back out the next night and beat the Texas again in Game 4, stunning the Texas (as well as the many Long Beach fans in attendance). Tied up at 2 games apiece, the winner-take-all Game 5 ( 4ab2a8d7-6105-4de3-8f32-457f879b7234) saw the Flightless Birds shot out of a cannon, only to see their lead crumble away to half of the Texas total. But in the closing moments of the game, the Flightless Birds executed an emergency bloom maneuver, leaving Baltimore virtually untouched but spiking their point total. Then, the Flightless Birds' bloom maneuver began to rapidly fade, the Birds' score began to crash, all but certain to return the lead back to the Texas. And then the game clock froze - the final generation ticked - the elated Baltimore Texas stormed the field, cheering and shouting, as the match was declared over - until gradually, a hush fell over the Baltimore Texas fans on the field. Some of the fans were pointing at the scoreboard, some fans were crying, some staring with shock and horror, others were holding and consoling each other.

The final bloom maneuver by the Flightless Birds had been perfectly executed, and the Long Beach Flightless Birds had beaten the Baltimore Texas and clinched the pennant by a single point: 153-152.

Season 4 Cold League Championship Series Results Table
Long Beach Flightless Birds vs. Baltimore Texas
	Winner	W Score	Margin	L Score	Loser	Generations	Link
Game 1	Baltimore Texas	163	18.40%	133	Long Beach Flightless Birds	1,110	06796e18-f472-450e-b9ad-2262d4789337
Game 2	Baltimore Texas	189	64.02%	68	Long Beach Flightless Birds	1,644	08d5d1af-b0ce-4d35-8340-bd23f11dca72
Game 3	Long Beach Flightless Birds	174	2.30%	170	Baltimore Texas	1,081	45a2fbd3-aa02-43c6-b4a9-c6f14c211fe5
Game 4	Long Beach Flightless Birds	187	15.51%	158	Baltimore Texas	3,751	f2ca2cb6-9aa7-4fa8-be47-48bb69e55b21
Game 5	Long Beach Flightless Birds	153	0.65%	152	Baltimore Texas	1,846	4ab2a8d7-6105-4de3-8f32-457f879b7234

The Texas Murder Coalition

In Toroidal/Season 20, there was some buzz around the league about the possibility of the Commissioner announcing a new Choke Artist: the Seattle Sneakers . The Curse of the Ancient Mariner had cemented itself into their lore, and the Sneakers, thirsty for a Cup series victory, knew this could be their final do-or-die opportunity. The Sneakers delivered, sweeping the Phoenix Freshrolls in the first round, sweeping the Elko Astronauts in the second round, and shutting down the Orlando Business Majors in 5 efficient games.

In the final moments after the Sneakers were celebrating their victory, the Commissioner had appear to them from the static, like an apparition, and presented the Sneakers with a choice: Cake or Death? The Sneakers shouted "Cake!" - and the Commissioner disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. Later, the Sneakers learned that the Baltimore Texas had been presented with the remaining option, Or Death, and was subsequently incinerated as part of the Cancel Texas Memo.

After all of these events had taken place, and documented, and discussed, and digested, everyone in the league began to afford a certain level of respect to teams who had been involved in the incineration of the Texas. This informal ranking was later studied and formalized by Goober Boylston in a "Boylston on Boylston Violence" column. The ranking was dubbed the Texas Murder Coalition, and consists of teams who participated in the postseason bracket of Toroidal/Season 20, directly or indirectly, and who as a consequence led to the Seattle Sneakers winning the Toroidal Cup, being presented with the choice of Cake or Death, and leaving the Baltimore Texas to their fate of Or Death.

The list, in order of culpability/veneration:

Developing out the Seattle Sneakers lore in Toroidal/Season 20, them being marked as a choke artist, slated for incineration, they win the cup series, "Cake Or Death"

https://wiki.golly.life/wiki/Toroidal/Season_20/Postseason

The Texas Murder Coalition consists of every team who participated in the postseason bracket of Toroidal/Season 20, and who as a consequence led to the Seattle Sneakers winning the Cup, and choosing Cake instead of Death, leaving the Baltimore Texas to the inevitable fate of incineration ("We took a series loss we didn't deserve to get the more crummy team to the Cup series so they could lose to the Sneakers to let them live so that the BTX would be incinerated...")

The list, in order of culpability:

(NOTE: Put this fragment on every page, fill em out)

User:Ch4zm/October 2025/Baltimore Lore Jam

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