For years now, Antonino DeRosa has been a presence on the tournament scene. Rotund, loud, and always with a smile, Antonino has a love for the game itself that is seldom seen in most tournament players. Although he didn't make Day Two in Detroit, he did find the time to sit down with me and talk a little about life, Magic, and the pursuit of happiness.

With his Tuscany accent and wide grin ready to go, we began to talk.

Ben: So tell me a little about Antonino, the person.
Antonino: Well, I'm 21 years old, and a full time student in Florida.

Ferrett: Which school?
Antonino: University of Central Florida. I work part-time as a waiter there, and I hang out on the beach a lot with my friends and my girlfriend.

Ben: How long have you lived in Florida for?
Antonino: I moved to Florida from Italy in 1996.

Ben: It's been rumored that the DCI changed the rules about being allowed to only play in one National Championships because you once used your dual citizenship to play in both the US and Italian champs one year.
Antonino: (Laughing) I'm not sure about that. Maybe they did change the rules because of me, but it just seemed like a good idea. I didn't do well in one, so why not try the other?

Ben: So how'd you start playing Magic?
Antonino: I used to go to Karate when I was twelve or thirteen, and the other kids played there, and I've been playing ever since.

Ben: What made you decide to go pro?
Antonino: I never really decided that. (Laughs). I just qualified for three Pro Tours in a row by winning qualifiers and then I made money at all three, and somehow I ended up on the gravy train.

Ben: What's your favorite part of playing Magic?
Antonino: My favorite things about Magic are the people you meet and the places you travel to. If it wasn't for the people who play this game, I wouldn't still be playing.

Ben: Many people associate you with Wild Mongrel. How'd that come about?
Antonino: Most of my best results are with Wild Mongrel. I was one of the first people to say how good the card was. When I made top 8 at Grand Prix: Atlanta, I kept telling everyone how much better it was than Rabid Elephant, but everyone else was still taking the Elephant instead. I took Mongrel over Elephant and Squirrel Nest. And I've been playing it in every constructed format ever since. The only difference between my Standard and Extended Worlds decks is probably going to be four Yavimaya Coasts. *laughs*

Ben: A lot of people are saying that you're going to retire after Mongrel rotates out of Type Two.
Antonino: (Rolls eyes). My career isn't over after Wild Mongrel rotates out.

Ben: Do you have any really interesting Magic stories?
Antonino: At Pro Tour: Yokohama, I got a draw in the last round, after being oh and six. I threw my deck away because I thought I was going to get a bye, but I got paired because someone else in our pod dropped. I managed to negotiate a draw with my opponent, even though I didn't have a deck at all. A lot of pros say that was the best draw ever in history.

Judge John: Didn't you have a really wild time in New Orleans?
Antonino: Grand Prix: New Orleans was quite crazy. I went out with the New Jersey guys, and say Gerard Fabiano singing"It's Raining Men" at karaoke night while Eugene Harvey is dancing with these two gorgeous girls.

Ben: Would you say you have any sort of Magic arch-nemesis?
Antonino: Not really. I'd have to say the judges, because they don't like me because I'm loud and disruptive. But Magic is supposed to be fun! Judges take their jobs much too seriously. If you're not having fun, you shouldn't be playing Magic. And if your name's not Kai, then there's not enough money to be made to play Magic for a living. People shouldn't take it so seriously, and take it so badly when they lose.

Judge John: We did get on your case when you were listening on your headphones in Florida once, though.
Antonino: (Laughs). Do you know that Lords of Metal song"Show me Your *****?" Well I was listening to it and singing along while in Florida and the judges weren't too happy about that.

Ben: So do you think your reputation as one of the loudest people on the Pro Tour is well-deserved?
Antonino: I do have a reputation for being one of the loudest guys at the Tour, but there are guys who are just as loud as me. I'm considered somewhat of a buffoon, so I make people laugh. I was always considered the class clown in school, and there are other guys, like Gary Wise, who can get as loud as me, but I'm not taken as seriously - so when I get really loud, so people think"what a buffoon." But I'm not a jerk, though. I'm trying to bring spirits high. I hate it when I sit down for a game and my opponent is all quiet and nervous and doesn't say anything. I just want everyone to have a good time. I'm not one of those people who is the best - I am decent, but I need to practice a lot before a tournament.

Ferrett: Then who is the best?
Antonino: Jon Finkel, Kai, they are the best. They win on pure talent. Finkel never has to practice, but he's always up there with Kai, (Bob) Maher, and Neil Reeves.

Ben: Do you have anything you'd like our readers at home to know?
Antonino: I have one piece of advice. If there are people on the Pro Tour who are like me, then anybody can be on the Pro Tour. You just need a lot of hard work and dedication, but you can get there if you are willing to put in the effort.

Ben: On a completely unrelated note, how often do people get your name wrong?

Antonino: *Laughs* All the time. Not many people know my name is Antonino, and almost nobody gets it right. They always call me Tony or Anthony or whatever. At school, when professors read my name, they always ask me"How do you pronounce your name," and I say to them"I don't care what you call me; you can call me dip**** for all I care".

Ben: Do you have any interesting Pro Tour stories?
Antonino: I played against William Jensen at the Pro Tour: LA that Mikey P won. I was sitting next to him in the draft, and after the draft I asked him about some of the picks he made, because I thought that he had made some mistakes. It was my first Pro Tour, and I just wanted to see why he made certain picks, and the answer I got was,"You're ****, don't talk to me."

And that was the impression I got of pros, and that's the impression most people have. And the truth is that most people are very friendly and willing to help out new players. If you're out there and thinking that all pros are not so friendly, that's not true at all. I ended up winning our match, and he was so angry afterwards.

Ben: Well thank you very much for taking the time to interview with us Antonino. Do you have any parting thoughts?
Antonino: Just one. Vote for me for the Invitational this year!