Subject: Re: Sportsmanship and rules enforcement at GP Birmingham
Date: 31 Oct 1998 02:26:26 GMT
From: hugerfax@aol.com (Hugerfax)
Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.misc

>I first wanted to write a tournament report about GP Birmingham.
><snip rest of article>

I suppose I should commend Manuel for coming out with an article stressing
sportsmanship in the game of Magic.

In actuality this article made me mad.  As seems to be the case now in Magic
people refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.  Manuel sees
nothing wrong with what he did, rather he goes on to blame the strict Level 5
rules enforcement at this tourney.  I'm sorry, was there someone there twisting
your arm forcing you to call a judge over?

Oh I see, you did it because you are a "professional", and that is the right
thing to do.  You didn't want him to get a game loss (even though you knew he
would).  But a rule had been broken so you knew a judge had to be called.

OK.  Then why did you not call a judge over in the later rounds when you were
flipping your opponents cards over while shuffling?  How come you simply looked
away and prayed he would not call a judge on you?  Should you not hold yourself
to the same standards as you hold others?

No, please do not blame the rules enforcement.  This is an issue that players
can take into their own hands.  Either you can hold yourself and everyone to
the same standards and just accept it, or you can act in such a way so that
ethically you are not faced with these issues.  Look the other way.  Let your
opponent sideboard that card.  This is really a cut and dry issue.

We have all been in a situation like this before I am sure of that.

A few weeks back, in Atlanta, I was playing in the finals of a PTQ for Rome.  I
was playing Living Death, my opponent, Jody Dunville, was playing counter
phoenix.

It was the 1st game and while I had applied early pressure and had him down
low, he was coming back and was starting to take control of the game.  Now Jody
is an immaculate player, the type who announces each and every phase, taps his
lands 90 degrees, in short does everything you would expect from an opponent of
that caliber.

Except one turn he forgot to draw a card.  The same offense that Jon Finkle got
a game loss for at GP Austin.

Now there were about 3 judges watching, and numerous spectators, but none of
them noticeced.  Neither did I.  But Jody did, at the end of his turn, and said
so.

I guess I should have called him on it right?

Instead I told him to go back to his draw phase and draw his card.  It was
obvious to me that this was an unintentional mistake.

I lost that game.  And went on to lose the match.  But I would do it again in a
heartbeat and I would hope the same would be done for me.

I am not saying I would hold it against someone if they did call a judge on me.
 I understand the strict rules enforcement and I accept the punishments that go
along with it.  However, it is within my power to act as I deem right, and to
me the right thing to do is let people play on when an obvious unintentional
mistake is made.

Don't blame high level rules enforcement please.  Blame yourself and in the
future do the right thing.

bruce cowley