EPTAs the year went on, and as ESPORTS grew, I simply fell more and more in love with the team. I started listening to Live on Three, where SirScoots made me all the greater fan of the team. In addition, as each member began to stream, I became an avid fan of all of them, learning their real names and learning their mannerisms. I simply loved having someone to support in the scene. I bought a Steelseries EG qck mousepad, as well as a Steelseries Siberia V2 since they were sponsors of the team (by the way I adore both of these products). I also jumped on the chance to buy a Team EG Jersey as well as a "Release the Gracken" T shirt.
My fandom (sycophancy?) manifested itself in other ways as well. As Live on Three turned me on to the Fighting Game community, I immediately jumped into the EG bandwagon there was well, supporting Justin Wong, Ricky Ortiz, Floe and Momochi. I was so invested in this team that I was sitting on the edge of my seat at MLG Orlando, and when IdrA closed out his final game against Bomber, I jumped out of my seat and screamed as loud as I could. I still get chills thinking about it. I feel devastated every time one of them gets bounced out of a tournament, and IdrA losing in GSL the way he did felt worse than my last breakup. EG is simply my life in ESPORTS.
Since the team has grown to be held so dear in my heart, as soon as I saw the address for fan mail I knew I should do something for them, since they'd provided me a year of entertainment. Not possessing a ton of money, I decided I'd simply send a Christmas card with a nice note in it to each of them
Thus began the long process of writing all the notes, writing the address 9 times, and getting my entire PC area covered in glitter. (I still find glitter from those cards occasionally in my EG mousepad, where I wrote the notes, that shit just doesn't go away) After a few hours of thinking, writing, and preparing the cards, I sent them off, hoping they were well received.
Months later, I was at school and saw a Reddit post about this video:
I was immediately excited, knowing that I'd sent in some of the first mail to the house. I hoped that at best I'd get a mention, or maybe hear a reaction to my card by one of the guys in the house. I got so much more, they actually read the vast majority of the cards in the video! Read by everyone at the house! I can't even express how big of a smile I had on my face. My cards were actually being read by the EG guys, they all suddenly became so much more real, and it just made the whole experience that much cooler.
So support the teams you love, I wish every team had a way to receive physical fan mail the way EG does, I think it'd really show a lot of players the love that is out there for them. If you like EG, send them something, they read it
You might even have your life made and get on a video like I did Also, I'd like to thank EG. You guys gave me a team to root for, and you gave me good games to watch throughout 2011. My letters being read on the video might be the closest I ever get to ESPORTS, but that's enough for me. You guys are the best team out there, bar none, and you have my undying support going into 2012. Both present and past members (so sad to see Axslav and StrifeCro go
) Here's to a good year, and to many good tournaments.EG FIGHTING!!
