Subject: Magic a sport? Nope. Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 00:26:29 -0600 From: "aloha60" To: *ISSUE* I know what you're thinking already. Here's a guy who thinks he knows what's what when it comes to MTG. Here's a guy who is just begging to be spammed with "You're wrong @%$&*!". Let me put you on the right track. Consider this a cheesy disclaimer. I am not a self-proclaimed master of this pseudo-sport. I'm sure that some may disagree with my thoughts, and that's fine. However.....there are many aspects of this game that are in desperate need of attention. There are many that want to make this game a bonified sport. (I admit, I'm one of them). There are serious issues when it comes to this glorious game. These are just my thoughts on how to deal with them. And it starts with the DCI. Before I get down to the meat and potatoes, a little background. I started playing MTG about three-four years back. It was just a game that my buddies and I played. A game that somehow always sucked my Visa out of my wallet once I hit the card shop. And I played "fun" magic for a while. I didn't even know about MTG tournaments. When it was mentioned to me I thought, "Why not? A way for me to be competitive while sitting down!! Score!" So I started hitting the scene. My first tournament I didn't study for, I didn't know what the field was playing, all I knew was that I was up all night tearing apart my deck, re-building it, tearing it apart and so on. I finally get there with a friend of mine and I find out it's single elim. Shit. The tourney was so big that I ended up playing my opponent on the floor. It was humiliating before the match even started. I was playing, when I think back, a pretty silly deck I called Karma/Hack. Well you get the picture. I was regulated by a ten year old kid. .......back to the future. The last tournament I was in was a few days ago. I was running "Peaches" which is a very popular deck in my area (Denver, CO.). The store, Quality Game Center, is going to run 48k tourneys, and that pleases me very much. They are going to be more strict when it come to rulings, penalties, and other subtle nuances that make Magic a fair and competitive atmosphere. I guess I should consider myself lucky when it comes to the local scene. However, looking at other scenes, looking at the broad spectrum of this game and how it's tourneys are run, I have an idea that could bring it a step closer to making it the sport players want it to be. There seems to be a big grey area when it comes to player conduct, penalties, and cheating. My friends, it starts with the DCI and the judges. I agree that judges should have some amount of freedom when it comes to laying down the law. But the environment as it stands today and judging from what I read on this post and in the Pro-Tour environment...it's lacking standards. In my humble opinion, there needs to be a guideline or standard for every miniscule move involved in a sanctioned Magic tourney. From signing the players up to removing the pop cans and pizza boxes from the tables after a Magic tourney. Granted this is an extremely difficult thing to do, but the way I see it, this game will fade if it doesn't hold standards. These standards should include the rulings being a lot more strict than they are now. For those of you who frequent tournaments, and know the rules, and DON'T cheat, this change won't even affect you. It's that simple. First thing to change........warnings. Can anyone please e-mail me and let me know just what the #)&!@ a warning is supposed to do? "Holding, number fifty-three on the offense.....warning???!!!". There needs to be penalties for incorrect actions. Look, I'm not Hitler, these are just the facts when it comes to a "sport". Incorrect actions? Did I just say that? YES. These include players being, oh what's that word I'm thinking of, Oh Yes! Assholes. It also includes cheating. Luckily where I play, there are no cheaters to my knowledge. Standard penalties need to be implemented NOW before it's time to pack up the tents on this whole idea of making Magic a sport. I've heard lots of ideas when it comes to penalties. Starting with a lower life count (which incidently i thought was lame), forfieture of a game, ditto of a match, to the big DQ. Whatever the penalties would be, it would have to be enough for a competitive Magic player to step back and say "Hmmm, I better not do that." Granted the last thing I would want to see is some 8 year old save up his allowance to go to a MTG tournament and have him get DQ'd in the first round because he was playing with a Zuran Orb. The game is young, the players are young, and for all intents and purposes a very fun game. But the fact remains until these issues of cheating, players acting like they lived their whole life without parents, warnings?!, and limp rulings are gathered up and dealt with fast, I must agree with those who say Magic will never be a sport. This is just the way I see it. I could be wrong *grin*. If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me. Nick (shoulda made the rats go boom) Bonham aloha60@hotmail.com