So much is hoppin' and boppin' in Magic land these days. Is this really summertime? I thought we were supposed to have a hiatus from the game during this season; it never made sense to me that the summer, when most of the Magic world had time off, was also the time when there were few Magic events.
The times, they are a changin'.
Pro Tour: London
Speaking of change, TOGIT got a new face, calling themselves "Seven Kings" - and my instincts immediately scream "Osyp Prank." But the fact they made T-Shirts speaks of a serious effort to reform. I mean, T-Shirts are like. Whoa.
The big news at London, however, was the absolute, no-doubt domination of Japanese magic. Going a step further, London was the absolute, no-questions-asked, complete failure of American Magic.
Is Fujita a God? Clearly, Fujita and Oiso are playing a game that Americans are not. Much ado was made about this not being Fujita's area of expertise, but was anyone really surprised? He is after all, officially 21? years old. So not only is he very good, he could be twenty-one or he might be as old as Moses.
You doubt it? Where do you think he got those glasses he wore for Sunday? The last three decades? I think not.
Let's take a look at the Props and Flops for the weekend, starting with the props.
|
Finish |
Player |
Money |
Comments |
|
2 |
Tsuyoshi Fujita |
20k |
|
|
5 |
Masashi Oiso |
9.5k |
|
|
6 |
Tomi Walamies |
8.5k |
From 64th place on day 1 to The Top 8. |
|
9 |
Eugene Harvey |
6k |
The highest American finish at London, and his sixteenth-place finish at Worlds '05 made him the highest American finish there, too! Throw this man a bone, he's fighting the invasion. |
|
15 |
Timmy Aten |
3.5k |
The second-highest American Finish, and his 38th-place Worlds '05 finish made him the third-highest American placement there. So get Aten and Harvey together, and you have a toasty American sandwich. |
|
17 |
Frank Karsten |
3k |
The list proves worthy again. |
|
20 |
Richard Hoaen |
2.4k |
Is this a failure or a success? |
|
21 |
Antoine Ruel |
2.25k |
Ruels are never a surprise when you seem them in money finishes. |
|
24 |
Masahiko Morita |
1.9k |
Is it just me, or does Morita seem like a sidekick for his peers? A really awesome sidekick who lives in the shadow of his masters, and one day will destroy them in their moment of weakness? |
|
32 |
Itaru Ishida |
1.25k |
How close is Ishida to the rest of the Japanese all-stars? I ask because Ishida has been around on the Tour longer than Circle of Protection: Black. |
|
37 |
Jelger Wiegersma |
1k |
Jelger's always hunting at the bottom of the food chain. |
|
41 |
Jeff Cunningham |
850 |
The Canadian Jelger. |
|
44 |
Pierre Canali |
775 |
Hey! He can draft, too? Sweet. |
Flops
|
Finish |
Player |
Comment |
|
66 |
Julien Nuiten |
|
|
68 |
Gabriel Nassif |
No team? No soup for you. |
|
74 |
Patrick Sullivan |
Can someone please tell me the deal with this guy? He's some kind of PTQ all-star - which should spell $$$ on the Tour - but once again, he comes up just short of the money. On the plus side, I am sure he'll Q again. |
|
83 |
Nicolai Herzog |
Nicolai! I missed you! Where have you been? Man, this guy is good. Watch him in the video coverage, where he says something like, "Yeah I think I have a good chance of being in the Hall of Fame since I've won two Pro Tours." |
|
102 |
Quentin Martin |
|
|
118 |
Paul Rietzl |
The legend returns? Where was the coverage on this? This is news, for God's sake! |
|
121 |
Mark Herberholz |
|
|
124 |
John Pelcak |
Bummer. |
|
144 |
Gerard Fabiano |
|
|
148 |
Olivier Ruel |
|
|
157 |
Jeroen Remie |
The past two Tours have not been kind to the Dutch flag bearer. I worry about his future. (I don't - T.F.) |
|
173 |
Kai Budde |
No coverage on Kai? Uh oh. |
|
175 |
Kamiel Cornelissen |
|
|
187 |
John Fiorillo |
|
|
267 |
Osyp Lebedowicz |
|
|
279 |
Murray Evans |
At Nagoya, everyone was hyped about this guy called "the Mauler"... But I had never heard of him. I was like, "Well, snap, I must have missed him! I mean, he's the Mauler, for crying out loud!" I think the profundity of having the nickname "The Mauler" is in itself a vehicle to propel oneself into notoriety. |
|
284 |
Anton Jonsson |
The big story of the weekend isn't how good Siron did, but how badly Jonsson finished. What happened? I bet the lives of one of my children that he would make big money this weekend. The fact that he didn't leaves me both speechless and childless. |
|
295 |
Terry Soh |
The recent Invitational winner's poor finish mirrors Anton's. Magic can be a roller coaster of success - but what a temporary dip for these two Limited cowboys! |
For all you Magic Online fiends, the Limited colors of choice of the weekend seems to be just about anything. Blue was popular, but I am probably basing that statement on the combination of Fujita's final draft and the Checz's "I heart blue" policy. The Draft Viewer is sweet, and everyone should take a look at that to gain some knowledge. Take the Eisel approach and guess the right pick before looking at what the player actually took.
In the video coverage of the Hall of Fame bit.... is that an embarrassed Ravitz in line for the PTQ?
The Pro Tour Revamp
Wizards has been hinting at a Pro Tour revamp for a few weeks now and the new schedule is apparently the culmination of the much-hyped Pro Player's Lounge, Pro Hall of Fame and the Pro Players Club.
What's good about this change? Several things. Airfare could often be the crux of a PTQ win; now, airfare is a non-issue. I have some questions about this, though; what happens if I live in Philadelphia and I qualify for Philadelphia?
(Speaking of which, is Michael Clair okay? I thought he passed up six boxes and the money for the spot.... and then he doesn't show. What gives?)
Obviously, I don't need a plane ticket from my own city to my city - although I am sure that can be technically arranged. It doesn't seem fair that I am not compensated in some way, though. I am sure the policy will become clearer as time goes on.
A while back, someone "Asked Wizards" about why there was no Standard Pro Tour when it was obviously one of (if not the) most popular formats. Wizards responded with some, "We're smarter than you, that's why" response - but I guess that person was, what's the English term? Bagged? Sacked! I guess that person was sacked.
I am not sure how I feel about Standard rising from Rochester's ashes, but Standard is certainly a welcome addition to the Tour. I like the concept of an exotic locale as well. This smells like some Wizards exec close to the money suggesting, "Boy, Hawaii would be great right now. Let's see if I can make my job here even more ridiculous by getting a comped trip to Hawaii." This combos well with the free airfare as well.
So what's bad about this change? Several things, but really one main thing: Where's my money? The VS Pro Circuit trumped the Pro Tour in sheer dollars.... and Wizards answered with the Pro Players Lounge. The payout on the Pro Tour has not increased in years. The interest alone should have called for a big increase, not to mention the game's increased popularity... yet our payout has remained the same. The extra money from the Masters series was shuffled into the end of the year payout system, and now it's in the form of the Pro Players Club.
Still, my bankroll has yet to increase. Show me the money.
The same is true of the airfare comp for PTQ wins. Who am I supposed to buy out now for my slot? What if I win and have no intention of going? Most importantly, where is my hotel comp? Four nights at sixty a night at some roach motel still sets me back $240.
Show me the money.
El Duke
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