Howdy! My name is Glenn Godard. I help Jody Godard, the boss of Sunmesa Events. We, along with your local Professional Tournament Organizers (PTO), recently helped bring you The2009s State & Provincial Championships.

As you may have already heard, the events were a smashing success. Venue after venue was briefly overwhelmed. Like a veteran pit crew facing a blowout, the teams dug in and found chairs and table numbers, in order to made players happy. I cannot thank your local organizers enough. This Championship was not sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, and thus was a very significant risk on the part of the organizers. At the end of the day, the organizers trusted you. They know how much this event means to so many players.

The history of this Championship series has a tremendous legacy. Sadly, for Wizards of the Coast, the event never accomplished the goal for which it was designed: attracting new players. It’s hard to disagree with a sponsor when their main purpose isn’t fulfilled. I count ourselves lucky that the tournaments were attempted and, to WOTC’s credit, they didn’t make any effort to kill the program outright, which is uncommon in Corporate America . We also have to give WOTC significant credit for setting the stage for this event. More players are playing organized Magic than ever before. Their success, combined with the R&D/Marketing home runs of M10 and Zendikar, meant our jobs were much easier.

Overall, more than 6500 players sleeved up across North America to become Champions. That places The2009’s in very solid numbers based on previous Championships. So, what were the props and the slops from my perspective? Let’s take a peek.

Props

2009 Arkansas State Champion & StarCityGames.com Standard Open St. Louis Champion Richard Aaron Wayne

The Players - Without a doubt, the players were the number one joy of the event. This Championship series many not draw a lot of new players, but it always seems to draw a bunch of players who never attend a PTQ. In general, as an Organizer, Judge, or a Player, I enjoy States because everyone is so much mellower than other tournaments, and 2009 was no exception. Certainly, tight play and solid deck construction were rewarded, but the example of the guy in Newfoundland with his 77-card-unsleeved-no-sideboard deck isn’t unheard of either. Thank you so very much for your support

The 2008 Champions and Second-Place Finalists - Each year, a group of players lose their title of “Champ,” and a group of players come oh so close to just fall short. Both groups have bittersweet events and deserve our recognition and appreciation.

Two-Peat Champions

2008 & 2009 Oklahoma State Champion Jim Bob Sixkiller

2008 & 2009 South Dakota State Champion Thomas Cleberg

For Jim Bob Sixkiller in Oklahoma and Thomas Cleberg in South Dakota, 2009 is a banner year. Great Job Guys!

The2009s Writer Contest - This was one promotion where goodwill met a little bit of motivation and delivered great results. Over 25 articles provided insight, decklists, and reasons to play. I cannot thank the authors enough. A big man hug also goes out Chris Galvin, Matt Cavotta, and Skaff Elias for judging the contest. Look for an announcement of the winners in about two weeks.

Damien Beaumont L1 Misssissipi

Judges - The folks who tend to take the most heat when an event’s attendance is far higher than expected are the judges. The organizer, of course, works hard to make you happy, but at least she’s financially rewarded with extra entries. The judge, however, isn’t likely to get more appreciation, and he does have to shoulder your frustration at the delays. Judges work very hard, often volunteering at a loss of other income to bring you good events. Consider shaking your judge’s hand at the next event. Without them, these events are not possible.

And finally…

Sportsmanship - Cynical players tend to think States is a “waste of time,” and you know what, I’m okay with that. Yes, it doesn’t go anywhere… but wait a minute, maybe, just maybe, it goes to the most important place in the field of competitive play. Learning to respect your fellow player, appreciate good pulls, and console bad beats is at the heart of States. The win-at-any-cost mentality isn’t welcome at this event, and that deserves a solid prop.

Slops

The 2009s Website - Evan Erwin beat me up pretty badly on this one, and it was well deserved. For almost two weeks after the announcement, nothing was up to promote the events. I have to accept 100% of the blame on that call. Events overtook me, and I will look to do better for 2010.

No Promo Card - I wish I could help you with this one. But as long as Wizards decides to go solo, I can’t help you here. The best I can offer is perhaps next year; speak to Wizards if this is a priority for you.

No Home for Decklists - Again, a major oversight on my part. I failed to appreciate how accustomed you are to checking out the tech and seeing your names in the bright lights. We had no setup for one or more websites to offer all the Top 8 Decklists. That’s a HUGE mistake for this event, and I will certainly have it fixed come 2010. Of course, you can check out sll the decklists here at StarCityGames.com... click here for the lowdown!

The Top 8 Playmats - Okay, this one might not be exactly a slop, but it’s certainly not a prop. I honestly thought a retro playmat would be cool. Something I failed to consider is how few players today were around when art like this was being placed on Magic cards. Next year we will give you a playmat that doesn’t feature Farrah Fawcett Hair and Go-Go Boots. Sorry folks, I love this playmat, but it will have more modern art next year.

Some aspects of the events can’t be judged a success or failure yet. Residence requirements being lifted appears to be a win, but we will look at some more data on that before saying so. The date of the events is also under review. We all love being the first event post rotation. However, with Magic Game Day owning that spot, early December looks pretty good. Weather was a major concern in a number of venues, and it could be a much bigger issue another year. Stay tuned, and we will let you know.

Looking Forward

Beyond residence, and perhaps a date change, what else can you expect for 2010? That’s very hard to predict this early in the game. Certainly, we will sit down with Wizards of the Coast and our PTO partners to discuss ways to improve and grow the event. Exploring other sponsors for the event will be a priority. Organizers outside of North America have approached us, and we would like to expand the scope and breadth of the Championships if possible. That said, the most important stakeholder in next year’s Championship is YOU! If you have feedback, toss me an email at sunmesaevents@aol.com. I’d be happy to hear your Props & Slops for The2009s.

In closing, I’d like to assure you that as long as I have a voice in the matter, some form of State Provincial Championship is going to be around. Based on your attendance, you guys feel the same.

Thanks for your support. It’s priceless.

Glenn Godard
Sunmesa Events