MLG Anaheim: Another Fan Experience

Looking back on my history with (E-)sports it is no surprise that I fell in love with StarCraft. As I write this I'm picturing myself as the pre-pubescent angsty white boy arguing with my dad about sharing TV time during Sunday night football so I could play on my ps2. I remember playing GTA: San Andreas in picture in picture mode while my dad watched the 49ers. Sure, sports were alright... but WHAT ABOUT TEH VIDEO GAMES?

Even still, I spent plenty of time watching sports growing up, but once I left for college my interest waned. Then, early in 2009, I rediscovered Brood War. Sure, like every other nerd I know, I would pick up and reinstall StarCraft every few years. Who wouldn't? But this time around, I started playing with my friends on Bnet competitively. A few weeks in, my friend told me he found some videos on you tube from this site called Team Liquid about how to play better. After perusing TL we found out that people actual played this game professionally. It was just a few days later I started watching Korean VODs like like they were crack and I was an addict.

It was then that I realized something profound. I finally understood sports. The competition, the teams, the players, the fans, the cheering, the glory, the money... all of it. It finally made sense. I had found my sport.

I decided to open my review of MLG Anaheim 2011 in this way so I could convey what this event meant to me. This was my first (E-)sports "game". I felt the way maybe I should have felt the first time my dad took my to a Giants game at Candlestick Park. I was surrounded by people who were as passionate as me about video game spectatorship. I saw literally every E-Sports crush I've ever had (save Jaedong, obvi). If you had the opportunity to come to MLG Anaheim, but didn't, I beg you to reconsider next time. It's one thing to feel bad for TLO when he drops a game while sitting on your couch, it's another thing entirely to see the pain etched on his face when his head comes back up from being rested in his hands.

New fb pic, standard:


Day[9], Wheat, and JP


MVP win


Sweet license plate



Hot_Bid gave my friend his last TL pin... this is what jealousy looks like:


LZGamer is awesome, in case you didn't know


Another Wheat


Huk is made of sugar and spice


TLO and Select


Haypro


TLO again x3


The Emperor