Coverage of the Lebanon Tour. The Generals Play Under Yet Another Alias

Some extensive coverage from the Lebanon Tour has surfaced on YouTube. The best place to see the Generals in action besides their once a year in your local venue, and once a year (if that) on television.

Both a news story from mtv in Lebanon (which is posted just below), and some extensive footage of the game someone filmed from the stands, has been posted on YouTube.

You can only see it briefly in this video, but one thing I noticed immediately is that the Washington Generals were wearing black uniforms. Yes Black. 

Initially I actually wondered if something wasn't wrong with the color on the video. But in the extensive footage of the game posted on the 29th and the uniforms were also black there as well. Although it is possible that is just a really dark green. Either way, it is not the bright green we are used to seeing the Generals wear. 

The reason for this seems to be that the Generals did not play under their familiar "Washington Generals" moniker. Instead they adopted a new name of the World Select (which they also listed as a streetball team), according to an article listed below. Although the footage in the YouTube clips of a different game, the announcer was calling them the "International Elite".

It's possible they were playing under more than one team name, especially since they played two games a night and were in the same arena all three night. Given this is a market they Trotters usually don't travel to, they may have been trying to give the impression of playing more than one team. Not the first time they did that. When I find the whole story I will update this blog.

I am not sure why the name change in the first place, although I am guessing given Lebanon's history that a name inspired by the military just didn't seem like a good fit.

Either way the outcome was familiar, but the fans and the players seemed to have fun. Except for the "Elite" which did their usual job of hiding it well. No matter what the team name, or the color of their jersey's, they are always Washington Generals underneath, and that's alright with me.

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Click below to view the game footage from YouTube user Dooles4dee. It was a pretty good game, with the Elite keeping the score close, due in part to them making some nice shots, and the Trotters missing a lot of their trick shots. The Trotters were having an off night for sure. Their also looked to be more "straight" basketball than they have had in some recent games, which was also nice. And as a plus they even made the first 4-point shot. I love it when that happens.

On an interesting note, one of the "International Elite" actually got sent to the Penalty Box this time not once but twice (both times it was long time General, Anthony Smith). I think that is the first time I have seen that happen. Although, I guess technically the "Washington Generals" record of never going to the box remains intact.

The first time was when he knocked over Special K, that looked like it might have been an accident and the referee went with it, but the second was the aftermath of the pantsing when both he and Special K went. I like someone actually went to the penalty box for the pantsing, because it seemed stupid before that they punished the trotters for their goofing before, but never for the pantsing.

Clearly Reggie Harrison and Sam Worthen's checks to the referee's have been bouncing.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

For an additional story on a different Lebanon the game CLICK HERE!

UPDATE: I just learned that the Generals have been playing under their Elite persona in the France tour also. Not sure what this means, hard to believe this name changed will carry over into the US tour, but I just don't know.