Subject: RE:A New Pro Tour
Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 22:19:46 -0600
From: "Roland Schaer" <rschaer@airmail.net>
To: "Frank Kusumoto" <fkusumot@ix.netcom.com>

Frank,

   This post is in response to hatters post regarding the pro tour and why
he chose to end his semi-pro series which I thought was an excellent
addition to the Texas tournament scene.

   Hatter is right in part about the pro tour. For magic to be taken seriously
in a competitive sense, something needs to change.

   In any other type of competition there is a separation between amateur
and professional competition. Lets take golf for example. There is a
definite separation between amateur and professional players. I can't just
walk up to a PGA event, sign up for a PGA card, pay a nominal entry fee
and then tee it up with Tiger Woods. I have to start playing golf when I
am a child.  I play for the love of the game. I practice and become very
good at the game perhaps even earning a college scholarship. After all this
if I am good enough, I turn pro and play with the big boys. Why should
Magic (or any CCG) be any different. The problem is that there is one
big difference between Magic and other professional competitions.

   The fact that Magic has an ever changing environment makes it different
from most other competitions. In golf the game mechanics are pretty much
the same. I try to hit a ball with a stick into a hole. The tools never change.
I use golf clubs. In magic the mechanics are pretty much the same. I try to
win two out of three games against my opponent though a limited number
of avenues to victory. The problem is that the tools to achieve victory are
always changing and require a player to re-design and play test decks on
an ongoing basis. This make it difficult to separate amateur and pro
events.

   The Magic pro tour needs to be elevated to an elite status much like other
professional competitions.  It may not be easy to get on the pro tour and
once there, the player should be able to stay a while. Say a year. Then if
they have not accumulated enough pro tour points, they get kicked out and
have to re-qualify through an annual series of qualification tournaments.

   To support this elite level of play, the DCI needs to broaden their sponsor
base for the pro tour and increase the amount of prize money available to
players.  This may not be an easy task as most sponsors sponsor for
advertising exposure on TV. I don't think that Magic would go over very
well on TV. But then again, they have golf on TV:-)  They may still be able
to get soft drink and munchie companies like Coke and Frito-Lay to
sponsor events. If it could be made into more of a spectator event they may
be able to get more sponsors.

   So, now that the Pro Tour is an elite event, how do I get there?

   The DCI would start up an amateur league (which bars pro players from
competing)  and rating system. This league would be the one that local
shops and tournament organizers would run through. Once a player's
rating gets over a certain level (say 1800) they can try to qualify for the
pro tour. They would be allowed to compete in the annual pro tour qualifiers
and win an invitation to the pro tour. The DCI could continue to have the
Grand Prix (or open) tournaments where both pros and amateurs can
compete together.

    Now if you got this far you may be thinking, "If I am a pro player and I
can't play in amateur events, then how can I practice for my pro tour
events"?  Well, from what I have seen, most PT players are on a team and
they build decks and practice with their team on a regular basis. Also, with
more sponsorship there will be more PT events and less time to play in
amateur tournaments anyway. Lastly I say, "If you want to play for the big
bucks then you have to make some concessions." Maybe a better solution
would be to allow pro players to play in amateur events, but they would
not be allowed to affect their opponent's rating or win prizes.

My ideas may not be the best solution, but I think they are a start in the
right direction. They create a system fair to both professional and
amateur players and provides an environment for both types of players
to flourish (and the game) to flourish.

Roland Schaer

RTS
(rschaer@airmail.net)
(IRC: upchuck/shazam)