Subject: A response to cheating Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 02:03:23 -0400 From: "David A. Weitz" To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Frank, I couldn't help but shudder at the reports I read from Cath and other people that have contributed insights towards the "Long incident" that transpired at Origins. It seems like there are a million scary stories of shadyness towards the Tongo Nation. Instead of relaying second hand information, let me tell you what happened to me against a friend of Tongo at Origins. I was paired up against Justin Schneider round 3 of Saturday's PTQ at Origins. I have played Justin several times previously and I knew what his play style was like. As soon as we sat down to start playing the stuff hit the fan. As soon as he saty down he started with me. the conversation went like this... Justin " I heard you've been calling me a cheater." Me " Yeah, you cheated against me at a Gray Matters event. If you recall you mana weaved your lands in opposite direction against me." Justin " Whatever, you liar" conversation goes on from there. After he is done shuffling I precede to riffle and pile shuffle his deck. He asks that I look away while table shuffling his deck. I turn my head. Notice him glancing at his deck being shuffled, watching to see a card or too so he will no where to cut so I shuffle more. Once the game begins more stuff hits the fan. I attack him with a 2/2 creature. He then picks up his creature, places it on top of mine and says that he blocks. I then use another creatures ability to give his -1/-1. He then tells me that he said that "he blocks, maybe." I call the judge. Since all players around me are playing Switzerland, I have to explain to the judge that why would someone place a blocker on top of an attacker, declare there blocker and then say maybe?!?. Justin obviously made a bad play. The head judge wisely ruled in my favor. Outraged Justin called me a cheater. I calmly replied "takes one to know one eh?" This spurred the judge to have a judge watch the remainder of our match. Even with a judge present Justin was deregatory and rude throughout the match. I beat him that match and he was pissed. Throught the day whenever he would see me snide comments would be thrown. We both made final 8, he at 4th seed, myself at 5th so we had to play each other first round of the finals. During the draft the cheating persisted. I glanced to my right shoulder during the draft and noticed someone who was chumming with Justin making facials while glacing at my picks. I didn't know what to do. I stopped the draft and told the judge whatI think was occuring and he threw out the perpretrator. Sad, sad world when you need dradft spies. To make a long story short. During our match, the judges was so paranoid that they had someone take a ledger of our match. He wrote down every time w3e drew a card, laid down a land and cast a spell. Pretty ridiculous. Justin did beat me that match fair and square to deny me yet again an invite to the tour. After the match was over he was polite. Telling me things I could have changed to win. Very useful advice. The next day however we ended up in a booster draft side tournament. Tough table. Myself, Justin Schneider, Ray De'Guzman, and a Judged nicknamed Ertai (spitting image). I end up playing Justin round one. I lay down some major beatings and he gets pissed. The trash talking starts and I have to practically keep track of his life 3rd game as he jus quit doing it. How can you be a sportsman while winning but be a whiner when you lose. I won that tourny, but was a gracious winner. When I lose I compliment my opponents play and if I get land screwed I accept it as a part of the game. We don't need a sob story in this sport. If we want to treat magic like a legitimate sport such as Golf or Chess we need to emphasize sportsmanship. Regardless of likes or dislikes we may have for our opponent we must set it aside to further the sport. Magic is still in its infancy as being recognized as an intellectual sport and if cheaters and crybabies taint it, it will never acheive its fullest potential. We need to start severely punishing the bad boys of magic, There are a lot of great people you meat in this game ( Eric Tam is one of the nicest guys I ever met, and Erik Lauer has never said a mean word in his life I think), but you immediately forget about the good times when the jerkys annoy you. Magic is a refined games with a few dregs of humanity hurting it. Lets weed the garden. Dave Weitz still tourless Puff-Daddy of Type 2