Thoughts on a breakthrough Olympiad for team handball.

Posted on by

The reality hit hard this early Sunday morning, in downtown Stamford, CT.

The NBOlympics.com offices fell silent, shortly after 5:00 AM. What was once a floor full of former athletes, typing as fast, and as accurate, as they could – each an "expert" in his field – had become deserted.

As each event came to an end and medals were ceremonyously awarded, one by one, comentators trickeld out – like an Omeyer blocked shot – saying their goodbyes. Following the completion of the France : Iceland game it all came to an abrupt end for me, too. You may remember that last week I wrote how I was overdosed on handball. Well, this past week I became comatose. Too much, too fast. And too damn often.

Following a weeklong team handball marathon I had finally adjusted to the Beijing time zone. Today I have to readjust. Like so many of the defenses I wrote about.

The sun is peeking out (Peking?) over an old Stamford warehouse. I am still busy replying to all the emails from appreciative handball fans. Most are new to the sport and made it a point to let me know how much they enjoyed my work and the beautiful sport I represented. Miss S. G. Rindy from Kentucky wrote: "Thank you for your superb coverage of the Olympic Handball games. As a newly converted fan of handball, I was enraptured with the sport so much that as I was simultaneously watching the USA battle Spain for the Gold Medal in Basketball on NBC, I was actually paying more attention to the Handball online. What a compelling sport; athleticism sui generis. Handball combines the balletic qualities of basketball with the physicality of American football (or rugby) with the fast action of International football (i.e.soccer). Just what I was looking for –so glad I gave the sport a look. A fan for life!"
Here is another one from Mark Lopa of Newington, CT: "Bogdan, Thank you for all you did to make live online Olympic handball as exciting as it was. It's sad to see it end… maybe you'll do the same for the London Games."

London games? As in [b]THE[/b] 2012 London games? Hmmmm. I'm not sure I can let go of 2008. Not yet, at least.

It feels like yesterday, when the women from Angola and Brazil were doing everything in their power to trip up the Europeans from sweeping the Olympic prelim rounds. In the end it [b]was[/b] an all Europe affair but with a smidge of Asian flavor (Korean and Chinese…). Egypt and Brazil tried to do the same in the men's division. They, too, fell short.

Let's be clear about something. The non European powers have improved their game tremendously. There were no blow outs, not unless you consider an 8 goal margin a blow out. Eight, was the largest margin of victory on the Men's side, and 16 on the Women's. No team reached 40. And the Korean women won the bronze. How is that for Asian spice.

More surprising however were all the close games, prompting my good friend Mark Telthorster to email me: "[b]Parity[/b] reigns in Beijing." At first I thought he wrote [b]party[/b]. Either way, he would have been right.

There will be plenty written about these Olympics for weeks to come. For the first time, maybe ever, team hanbdall will get its fair share. Exposure was awesome. The televised games, dutifully covered by our very own Dawn (it rhymes) and Andrew Catalon, were a big hit with many fishwrap writers, in search for an "angle". Even the Wall Street Journal did a story on team handball and I thought we did something wrong – was handball taking the blame for the subprime mortgage mess?

What impressed me about this Olympiad is how varied the LIVE NBCOlympics.com sports events menu was. Think about this: Watch what you want when you want it! It was as if you had your very own online TIVO. One TIVO for every sport.
In next few days, we will get an idea about how well the website did. Page hits, unique visitors, megabits per second – you know, the type of reports that will be sure to get the attention of the network execs.

Yours truly has been advocating the proliferation of web technology to aid our sport's exposure for some time now. Through private efforts, the Miami Sharks ushered in the first live webcast tournament with live game commentary. Chicago, Santa Clarita and West Point picked up on it ad ran with it. NBCOlympics.com (and no, they are not telling me to say this… nor are they paying me for it) has finally done what network television was unable to do.

We'll look back on this Olympiad and realize that or the first time in the history of the Olympic games coverage, the American viewers were given a choice. And from what I can tell, some chose handball.

Men’s Olympic Finals (Sun 24 August; Sat Night/Sun Morning in USA)

Posted on by

[b]Start Times and Point Spreads[/b]

All times are Beijing Local
7th place: 0800 Denmark (-2.5) vs. South Korea
5th place: 1015 Russia vs. Poland (-1.5)
Bronze: (3rd) 1330 Croatia (-1.5) vs. Spain
Gold: (1st) 1545 France (-2.5) vs. Iceland

– The “USA Network” Cable Channel is scheduled to show the gold medal game from 0730-0900 on Sunday (USA East Coast Time)

Iceland: An Undeniably Feel Good Story, But is it About Over?

Posted on by

Even the mainstream U.S. press has picked up the story of Iceland’s surprising run to the Gold Medal game. It’s simply irresistible that a tiny nation of only 300,000 people, with only 3 individual medals in its Olympic history, could secure its first ever Gold Medal. It’s a David vs. Goliath story that is hard not to like, even if you know next to nothing about Team Handball.

But, while Iceland is a clear underdog they also have a strong Handball tradition. They have almost always been good enough to scare the larger nations and often good enough to win a game or two against them. What’s notable about this tournament is that they’ve been able to string together two big victories in a row at the perfect time. Not to mention that the way the ball bounced for seeding their bracket had them avoiding France, Croatia and Denmark before the Final. And now they are in the proverbial one game, anything can happen scenario.

On paper, they shouldn’t stand much of a chance against France. Talent wise, I think that only 5 players (Steffanson, Sigurdsson, Petersson, Geirsson, and Gunnarson) on the Iceland side would even make France’s roster. And of these 5 players, I think only Steffanson and Sigurdsson would play much. The rest of Iceland’s roster consists of players who play in club leagues either 1 notch (Denmark) or two notches (Norway, Iceland) below the German/Spanish leagues. They are decent players, but they also are a step down talent wise.

But while they might come up short in a player per player comparison, their great team chemistry means that the total sum of their performance is far greater than the individual parts. They’ve also proven that they can beat the mighty French side, having done so in a convincing 32-24 trouncing of Les Bleus in preliminary round competition at the 2007 World Championships. More recently, however, Iceland suffered a 30-21 loss to France at the 2008 European Championship just 7 months ago in Norway.

Up and down performance, is a clear trend with Iceland. In June, they surprised many by beating a resurgent Swedish side to capture one of the last spots for the Olympic Games. Then two weeks later, they failed to qualify for the 2009 World Championships, losing to relative newcomer Macedonia in a two game playoff. Even their performance in Beijing has been unsteady, with losses to South Korean and a draw vs. Egypt blemishing their record in the preliminary rounds.

Is it time for the up and down Iceland roller coaster to come down again? My head says France wins going away. My heart says Iceland, Iceland, Iceland.

[b]Media Articles on Iceland Handball[/b]
New York Times: In Handball, Iceland Will Try for Its First Olympic Title: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/sports/olympics/23iceland.html?ref=sports
USA Today: Tiny Iceland on verge of handball glory, sans Bjork: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/team/2008-08-20-iceland-handball_N.htm
USA Today: Iceland eyes gold medal in handball: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/team/2008-08-23-iceland-handball_N.htm
Washington Post Sports Blog: Icelandic Handball: Magic Elves, Cured Shark and Existentialism: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/08/icelandic_handball_magic_elves.html
Washington Post Sports Blog: Scenes from Iceland's Handball Triumph: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/08/scenes_from_icelands_handball.html#more
Washington Post Sports Blog: Icelandic Handball's Finest Moment: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/08/icelandic_handball_magic_elves.html
Christian Science Monitor: Iceland’s handball Vikings seek to plunder gold: http://features.csmonitor.com/olympics08/2008/08/20/icelands-handball-vikings-seek-to-plunder-gold/
The Sporting News: Iceland Is So Hot Right Now: http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/11111/iceland_is_so_hot_right_now
Reuters: Elf power, Viking rites fire up Iceland: http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Olympics/idUSSYD18815020080823?sp=true
LA Times Olympics Blog: Medals Per Capita Table Warms Up for Iceland: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/medals-per-ca-4.html
Dallas Morning News Olympics Blog: An Update on my New Favorite Sport: http://olympicsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/08/an-update-on-my-new-favorite-s.html
New Jersey Star Ledger: Men's Handball Team is Miracle in Iceland: http://www.nj.com/olympics/index.ssf/2008/08/mens_handball_team_is_miracle.html
Associated Press: Historic Performance Captivates Nation: http://www.nbcolympics.com/handball/news/newsid=255769.html

Handball’s Last Minute: Time for a Rulebook Overhaul

Posted on by

Some close and controversial matches have made it clear to me that the IHF should seriously consider a major overhaul of the official rulebook to address play in the final minute of matches. Here are some of the problems that often arise and how the IHF could fix them.

[b]1) Determining whether the ball crossed the line before or after time expires is extremely dificult.[/b] Television replays of Norway’s last second goal against South Korea clearly show that it did not cross the line before the clock struck 30:00, but in defense of the on court officials it took a frame by frame analysis after the match to make that determination. It was unbelievably close and no one can honestly say that they were 100% sure one way or the other in real time.

[b]SOLUTION: [/b] Change the rule concerning last second shots, so that the criteria is that the player must release the ball prior to time expiring. If the player releases the ball in time then the shot counts if it goes in the goal. Some might argue that this simply changes the decision point and that the referee could still mess up that call. This is true, but the referee has a much greater chance of being in proper position to make the ball release judgment than he does it making an extrapolated 3-d assessment of whether the ball has crossed the imaginary goal line at 30:00.

[b]2) Intentional fouling to stall out the game.[/b] Egypt was chastised on newsgroup forums for not taking out the Russians with an intentional foul at half court prior in the closing seconds of their match. This common tactic has gotten downright ugly in some recent club matches. The EHF has suspended players for unsportsmanlike conduct, but to no avail, this tactic continues. Why, because the incentive of guaranteeing a win is too strong in relation to punishment after the fact.

[b]SOLUTION: [/b]Reward flagrant, intentional fouls in the last minute of a match with a 7 meter penalty throw. Some might say, that this penalty is too stiff, but I say if you want to solve this problem once and for all, this will do it.

[b]3) Official stoppage of the clock in the last minute of a game is inconsistent and at the discretion of the referees. [/b] For instance, a stoppage of play is warranted if a player is fouled and deposits sweat on the court (mop up time), but not if he’s fouled and stays on his feet. Is the stalling team moving out to 9 meters on a free throw fast enough? That’s up to the referee.

[b]SOLUTION:[/b] For the last minute of a match, automatically stop the clock for all stoppages of play. This “basketball” timekeeping solution is so obvious and so simple, why it hasn’t been done already is beyond me. This would eliminate all the bogus stalling and would take the officials judgment on stopping the clock out of the game. Sure, this will change the game in that clever teams won’t be able to manipulate the clock and officials, but what is the problem with that?

[b]4) Penalty shootouts are an unsatisfactory way of deciding a winner. [/b] Well, some might argue with that statement, but other than a few goalies that might enjoy the spotlight there’s generally no one happy in ending a hard fought match with a crap shoot.

[b]SOLUTION: [/b]Play 5 minute overtime periods until one side wins. Yes, yet again another “basketball” solution. But, can you give me any logical reason why a soccer solution is preferred? Soccer has shootouts because it is “scoring challenged” and matches could go on all day. Handball has more scoring and sooner or later (much more likely sooner) one side is going to come out ahead. Additionally, the two halves in extra periods, are excessive and unnecessary; one 5 minute period is sufficient. If it’s still tied, then play another 5 minutes.

Women’s Olympic Finals (Sat 23 August; Fri Night/Sat Morning in USA)

Posted on by

[b]Start Times and Point Spreads[/b]

7th place 0800 Sweden vs. Romania
5th place 1015 China vs. France
Bronze (3rd) 1330 South Korea (-1.5) vs. Hungary
Gold (1st) 1545 Norway (-0.5) vs. Russia

– The “USA Network” Cable Channel is scheduled to show part of the bronze medal game from 0500-0600 and the gold medal game from 0900-1000 on Saturday (USA East Coast Time)

AAARGH- NBC, PLEASE, PLEASE HIDE THE OUTCOME ONLINE

Posted on by

Hey, I’ve got a full time job and I can’t always wake up at 3:00 in the morning to watch handball. Besides, I’m a time shifter https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.539 – I don’t have to do that. I can go to work, come home, eat dinner, spend some time with my daughters, put them to bed and then crack open a beer and watch the France-Croatia semifinal match in peace and quiet.

You’ve got to be careful, though, if you don’t want to know the outcome before its over. It’s best to have your wife go to the NBC website, just in case the link to the video player says something like France beats Croatia 32-31 in overtime. But once you click on the link, enlarge the video player and close the other windows, you’re safe for an hour and a half of handball viewing. Or so I thought.

Yes, some genius at NBC online decided it wasn’t enough to put a header on the actual video player that says: “Men’s Semifinal: France vs. Croatia” No, that wasn’t enough, they had to also add: “France knocks out Croatia to move to the gold medal match.” Exactly, what purpose does that additional information serve? Aaargh. Kind of like watching the Empire Strikes back with a banner at the top stating, “Luke Skywalker discovers Darth Vader is his father”

But, fortunately, all hope is not lost. I still don’t know the outcome of Spain – Iceland and I’ve learned my lesson. Yes, my wife will now check the video player banner and yes, you guessed it, she will put electrical tape on the computer monitor to hide any offending text.

Last Second Goal was a Split Second Late

Posted on by

Norway’s last second goal against South Korea in the semifinals put them through to the Gold Medal game. According to this photo that has surfaced on the internet, however, the ball had failed to fully cross the goal line prior to time expiring. The Koreans protested and requested that the game continue at the overtime point. The IHF has rejected this protest on the grounds that it was a “factual decision.”

[b]Link to photo of shot[/b]: http://img2.dcinside.com/viewimage.php?id=beijing2008&no=29bcc427b48777a16fb3dab004c86b6f0cb660735f0b8827253bc98cb2be5c4b7b4d4ea03c6140e955a57f6210bac572b41a993534c5b54f66d1e111f2801c8b7cd7c0a5b826b5ac21be4593248050dc6ee05ea6831185a9&f_no=7fed807eb58a6af73fed87ec45807d6f82bdcc058b6732258a7cfe96c0c1

[b]IHF note on Korean Protest: [/b] http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=269&idart=1550

[b]Editor’s note[/b]: I’m not a lawyer, but when I hear the term “factual decision” intuitively it means to me that something is a fact and it can’t be disputed. Whereas in this case, it seems to me that the referees actually made a “judgment call” which was a split second wrong. If anyone can chime in with what factual decision means in this instance please do so in the comments section

[b]Addendum: [/b]According to this press report, the Koreans staged a 20 minute sit-in after the match: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/S-Korea-women–s-handball-team-stages-sit-in-after-semi-loss/351683/

The politiks of handball

Posted on by

This is one presidential debate topic I’d pay to watch.

McCain versus Obama on how to revive the most American sport Americans don’t know about.

Team handball still lacks an identity among all other US Olympic sports, so obsessed with medals and cereal box endorsements.
With all the increased television and NBCOlympics.com web coverage, handball – as it is known worldwide — picked up its fair share of new American fans, US Women’s Softball Team notwithstanding.

With Election Day just months away, who better to chart the course of this great sport than the two presidential candidates.
Here is the setup: One moderator: Me! Each candidate has three minutes to answer the question and another thirty seconds for a closing statement.
Question: What would you do once elected President of the United States, to further the development of the great American sport Americans know nothing about – team handball?

Senator McCain: “ Bogdan, thank you for having me here today. It’s an honor to come before you and the American sport fans. I’ll be honest with you. Cindy and I are new to this sport. We fell in love with it the moment we watched the France Women lose to the Russians in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal showdown in Beijing. Immediately following the game I asked my staff to provide me with a report on handball. They came up empty. What I got was some generic hand ball stuff. You know, four walls, a small tiny ball… Not what I wanted to hear. Look, I want this sport to grow and my fellow Republicans share my vision. I am committed to signing a team handball stimulus plan as soon as I take office in January 2009. Simultaneously, I will seek the creation of a new professional team handball league with TV coverage similar to that of the Arena Football League. I love the AFL! It's so much fun. Now! Anyone interested in purchasing a team handball franchise will be eligible to receive a one time, very sizeable, tax credit incentive. America needs team handball and all business leaders must see to it that team handball is given to every single American man, woman or child. I see this as another way to jumpstart our economy! It’s a win/win situation. Additionally, under my plan, the US will be able to field a Gold medal (men and women) team handball contender – by 2012 (in London). We have tremendous athletes in this country. I am certain that we can find 14 men and women — sorry, my adviser tells me that there are 16 players in a handball team — 16 players, who can practice together for a few months and capture a Gold medal during the next five rings go-around.”

Senator Obama: “ Wow! I must admit that I am hooked on this great sport as well. See, John and I do agree on certain things… Bogdan, I have to say that developing this great American sport will not be easy. I disagree with Senator McCain. Pumping money into a sport that our children cannot relate to, is silly. We need more time, to nurture and to grow this sport, one child, one school at a time. A sport like team handball must be taught at the most elementary level and from a very early age. For example, dribbling a handball is vastly different than dribbling a basketball. These skills take time to master and the only sound and responsible way to do it is through grass roots efforts. Reaching out to our communities! Empowering those in charge with the knowledge and the means to become teachers and leaders. Handing money to the rich, in hopes that they have the business acumen to spend it wisely and with good results, will not work anymore. We have long lacked accountability and, Bogdan, the only way we can make this great American sport well… American, is through bipartisan support. We must hire qualified team handball expert professionals, with a proven track record, who will teach others the technical nuances of this sport. Conversely, we should encourage the business sector to financially subsidize the development and growth of this sport. We need a vision. And we need to stick to that vision. My family loves team handball. I played it once at Oprah’s house. After the game each player went home with his/hers own team handball court. Can you believe it? Oprah gave away 32 team handball courts. It was crazy!”

Bogdan Pasat: “Any closing remarks?”

Senator Obama: “This is not a democrat or republican or independent issue. Team Handball is an American issue and we should join forces once and for all. Accept that the future starts today for team handball. I think the US could and should win a medal in this sport in the distant future. Let’s see to it. Adopt a school! Show a kid a wing shot. Put your cigarette down and teach your son’s friends the 3-2-1 defense.”

Bogdan Pasat: “Senator McCain?”

Senator McCain: “We don’t have time for grass roots. Look at soccer. It’s been what, 20 years? It is not a popular sport. Baseball, basketball, football, golf, even bowling is more popular. We need Team Handball on TV. Having team handball on TV during the Olympics made all the difference in the world! Americans love it. They want it and they want it now. Let’s put our money where our team handball aspirations are.”

There you have it folks. Come Nov 3rd you can vote FOR team handball.
Next week I will sit down with the VP candidates, whomever they’ll be.

An Improbable Run that Almost Never Happened

Posted on by

This blog post gives away the result of one of the quarterfinals so click on "read the rest" for the story.

The South Korean Men were not expected to advance to the quarterfinals. Instead they surprised many observers by winning their Group with victories over European sides Denmark and Iceland. Alas, their dreams of medaling were dashed by a veteran Spanish squad in the quarterfinals. But, what is perhaps even more remarkable is that they wouldn’t even have been in Beijing at all, if it weren’t for the unprecedented decision by an arbitration court earlier this year. In a nutshell, a fixed match at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament had given Kuwait the Asian slot at the Olympics. It was only through the proliferation of a Korean News report of the tournament posted on the internet that a groundswell movement was started to replay the Asian tournament.

[b]Arbitration Report resulting in Korea going to the Olympics: [/b]https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.535
[b]Korean News Report:[/b] http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-908556008345758262

Oh, and how about another remarkable fact about the Korean Handball. Their squad features the all-time leading scorer in the German Bundesliga: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.507

Protest filed after Women’s Quarterfinal Match

Posted on by

As some of you may be planning to watch the match on NBC rewind, please click “read the rest” for the story.

[b]French Protest Following Double Overtime Loss is Rejected by IHF[/b]

The French Handball Federation filed an official protest following their double overtime 32-31 loss to Russia and sough a replay of the match. This protest was rejected by the IHF and France will now play for 5th place

Specifically, the French protested two calls made by the Chinese referees. The first claim relates to the free throw awarded to the French as time expired in the first half of the 2nd overtime period. The complaint is that the free throw call was too slow and that the Russian were allowed two changes in personnel after time expired. Previously, this was allowed and team would always send in their tallest players to form the wall at 6 meters. This rule has since been changed to not allow substitutions.

The second claim was that a free throw should have been awarded a the very end of the game when Veronique Pecqueux-Roland was fouled. The French Federation reports that a decision will be made by Noon on Wednesday.

The plays in question can be reviewed at the NBC website. Additionally, after the match French head coach, Olivier Krumbholz can be seen complaining to the IHF Chairman of Playing Rules and Competition (PRC), American Christer Ahl. The audio is hard to hear, but sounds like “Incroyable!…They’re professionals; working for all year for this….”

[b]Commentary: [/b] The French appear to have a case for the first complaint as the substitutions shouldn’t have been allowed. Shorter players on the wall can make a difference as was proven in the Denmark-Russia match. The second claim is strictly a judgment call and from my perspective it may have been a 9 meter, but it also could have been a charge. Together, these calls do not warrant a replay, which would be totally impractical anyway. When would you play it and how fair would it be with the other semifinal team resting?

Underlying all of this, however, is a legitimate question as to why a pair of Chinese referees officiating such a critical match. China does not have a strong handball tradition and by inference it’s usually a good assumption that correspondingly, the officials from a non traditional handball nation are not as good and lacking in experience. This is, of course, an inference and there are exceptions to this rule of thumb. I haven’t watched the whole match, so I can’t rate their overall performance. Bogdan Pasat, however, saw the entire match and felt that the Chinese pair actually did a respectable job and made some good tough calls in the overtime period. His bottom line was that the officials were not a factor in the outcome of this match.

[b]NBC “rewind” of France-Russia Match:[/b] http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=1348182&channelcode=sporthb
[b]French notes on Protest: [/b]
http://www.femmesdedefis.com/info/news.php?id_news=230
http://www.femmesdedefis.com/info/news.php?id_news=234

Men’s Olympic Quarterfinals (Wed 20 August; Tue Night/Wed Morning in USA)

Posted on by

[b]Quarter-Final Start Times and Point Spreads[/b]
1200 France (-4.5) vs. Russia Video: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=hb1h-bj-sd01-082008-115002&channelcode=sporthb
1415 Iceland vs. Poland (-1.5) Video: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=hb1h-bj-sd01-082008-140503&channelcode=sporthb
1800 Croatia vs. Denmark (-0.5) Video: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=hb1h-bj-sd01-082008-175004&channelcode=sporthb
2015 South Korea vs. Spain (-2) Video: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=hb1h-bj-sd01-082008-200504&channelcode=sporthb

– MSNBC is scheduled to show a portion of one quarter final match from 9:45a-11:00a Wednesday (USA East Coast Time)

Below are the most current odds to win the Olympic Tournament
(Note: pre-tournament odds are in parentheses)
France: 1.25 to 1 (2.75 to 1)
Denmark: 4 to 1 (3.5 to 1)
Spain: 5 to 1 (9 to 1)
Poland: 10 to 1 (17 to 1)
Croatia: 11 to 1 (6 to 1)
Iceland: 20 to 1 (66 to 1)
South Korea: 28 to 1 (1000 to 1)
Russia: 50 to 1 (50 to 1)

The bookmakers are clearly saying that this is France’s tournament. Pool B is also perceived as weaker than pool A, as 3 of the 4 teams from Pool A are favored in the quarterfinal crossovers.

Somewhere, perhaps is Seoul, someone with a South Korea "to win Group B" ticket is smiling. Not sure what the odds were, but a guess is that it was in the neighborhood of 200 to 1. The bottom bracket of the 8 team tournament (Iceland v Poland; South Korea v Spain) is wide open. Only Spain was expected to compete for a medal, now one of those teams will play for Gold.