MVP DongRaeGu will return to Code S on Monday November 5th, 2012. This tournament will mark the final Season of Starcraft on GomTV and will grant DRG one last chance to grab another GSL trophy before the year's end. However, things will not come easy for our Zerg Hero as the level competition has never been greater. Thrown into one of the toughest groups ever created in the Round of 32, DongRaeGu must be in his best condition if he is to have any chance of pulling forward.
At the Eye of the Storm, there is IMMvp, the unchallenged King of Terran. Mvp has won countless titles since the dawn of SCII. His latest record was sealed by Silver from the last GSL. No doubt his thirst for gold has grown to new heights. The group also features Creator Prime, arguably just as dangerous as Mvp, himself. Creator has been on a meteoric rise to fame since July of this year, claiming the championships of both WCS Korea and TSL4. This young Protoss player is not someone to take lightly. He has beaten DRG before and may well do so again should preparation be ill. Finally, the group rounds out with Bbyong, a KeSPA star from the CJ-Entus team. Very little is known about Bbyong's playstyle in StarCraft II, which will make it difficult for DRG to anticipate and prepare against.
Normally, I would not be too worried. Afterall, DongRaeGu is STILL the best Zerg player in the world (Let's see you win two MLGs and and make it to the OSL finals, Life!!). But as it stands, I thought perhaps both DRG and his fans deserve a bit of closure and some words encouragement after what has happened last weekend.
Yea he just won a TV, 17 thousand dollars, and the hearts of fans world wide.
A Monumental Feat
Last Saturday, MVP DongRaeGu found himself on the stage of the OSL finals, the first eSports Federation player to do so, and once again, as the last Zerg standing. He did not win the championship...what DRG did win, however, was the respect of many and the hearts of all who watched. Yes, winning championships is important, but you have to look at the big picture sometimes.
The story of the Auction All-Kill OSL isn't about KeSPA players and eSF players coming together, it isn't about the switch from BroodWar to StarCraft II, it isn't even about Rain continuing the Legacy that is the Legend of the Fall!
No! This OSL was really about DongRaeGu, a man who was broken but came back rising from the ashes, all the way to the Grand Finals. If some of you don't know why DongRaeGu's Silver in the OSL was such an incredible accomplishment, let me break it down for you.
1. DongRaeGu was not at his best.
In July of 2012, two things shattered DongRaeGu's god-like grip on the world of StarCraft. He lost to MC in the GSL Season 3 semifinals, missing out on his chance to grace the finals in his own hometown, Busan. DRG then went on to lose to Leenock the very next day in the GSTL, deprived again of the same prize that he yearned for so much. And for two months after that tragic week, DongRaeGu was not the same. He began falling to people he would have otherwise crushed; his mentality had surely been shaken. Yet for all his loses elsewhere, DongRaeGu pushed forward in the OSL. It was the one tournament that he vowed to pour his soul into. He could not lose there, he would not, DRG promised himself.
Slowly but surely DRG began his remarkable recovery. His wins came pouring in once again and by the time of the OSL finals, it seemed like he was back to his old self, ready to ride the lightning once more. Yet, in an interview the week of the finals, DRG admitted that his play was only 70-80% of what it used to be. Recovery is a long road full of twists and thorns, but DongRaeGu has shown that he is someone that could not be kept down. Even in his weakest moments, he made it to the finals of the OSL. That in itself is something worth having your mouth agape for.
2. The OSL map selection sucked for Zerg.
Anyone who disagrees is just flat out insane. It really didn't make any sense why DongRaeGu kept winning when he did. The maps were so bad that by the time the OSL-proper started (round of 16) only 2 Zergs were left, in a sea of 6 Terrans and 8 Protosses. Ohana was perhaps the most abysmal of the bunch, so prone to abusive play such as the immortal sentry all-in that it got tossed out of the GSL completely this coming Season. Follow that by Antiga Shipyard, a map that forces Zerg on 3-base play by making expansions extremely challenging to hold on to. Entombed Valley rounds out the bunch of bad Zerg maps, full of terrible chokes, close spawn imbalances, advantageous high grounds to abuse and an easily defendable 3rd bases which are immune to run-bys or backstabs. As expected, Zerg players dropped like flies; by the Round of 8, only DongRaeGu was left standing. And he strong he stood, carrying the swarm's flag all the way to the finals.
3. The opposition was immensely strong.
To call DongRaeGu an underdog is no small a compliment to the caliber of opponents he was facing in the OSL. Having to play against people who are in their prime while you're struggling at 80% is no easy feat. At the start of the OSL, DRG was immediately pit against Symbol in a ZvZ matchup. Some were already calling Symbol a contender for the throne of the swarm, but DongRaeGu fought hard and thwarted Symbol's reach for his crown. Next DRG had to run the gamut of monstrous players such as Jangbi, the reigning OSL champion, MarineKing, an old rival from the international stage, and SKTT1Rain, the rising Protoss hope and eventual champion. DongRaeGu defeated two of the three, earning his place in the Round of 8 where he continued his rampage by stomping over Fnatic Oz with a 3:1 score. DongRaeGu was then greeted by his nemesis, MC, in the semi-finals, the man who crushed his dreams in the GSL Season 3. DRG not only survived the encounter, he made it look easy by destroying MC with another 3:1 score. Thus the player known as DongRaeGu made it to the first OSL finals in StarCraft 2 against all odds and personal struggles.
The Hard Pill to Swallow
DongRaeGu lost the OSL finals, and as much as I would have liked to blame the maps or game imbalances, I simply can't. His opponent SKTT1 Rain played better that day and deserved his time in the spotlight. That isn't to say that DRG played poorly, so much as he was outplayed.
Consider the wide availability of DRG-VODs garnered through the years for Rain to look at and practice. Now consider how many VODs of Rain in PvZ that DRG had to learn from and prepare for (not many). It all comes down to a war of information, Rain clearly had more to work with than DRG, Rain was able to deny information and scouting from DRG, Rain was on top of his harassment game and forced DRG to do things he didn't want to, Rain attacked at perfect timings right when DRG made fresh rounds of drones. Overall, DongRaeGu might have prepared well for the OSL finals, but Rain simply prepared better.
The loss was hard for all of us to swallow, and I'm sure it must have been unbearable for Soo Ho as he stood on that stage in the Silver's light.
But...I believe in DongRaeGu.
I believe that he can take this painful experience and become a stronger person. I believe that he can improve his play by learning from his mistakes (such as learning how to protect his Greater Spire) and become a better player than he already is. I believe that DRG has what it takes to gain back that last 20% and become 100% whole again. And I believe that DongRaeGu will win another championship before this year is over.
I also believe that...he's going to need some motivation and support from his fans to get there.
Fans, I challenge you to reply to this blog with something nice for DRG. DongRaeGu reads teamliquid a lot, and I'm sure your words of encouragement will mean the world to him in the days to come. Please show your love for Soo Ho as he prepares to enter the group of death this coming monday.
I have a small prize to hand out to the best responses by monday's end. So give him your best shoutouts! Tell him why you became a fan. Tell him to not give up and that there are brighter skies ahead! Comon, this is what fans are for!
Fans gather after the OSL finals to cheer on DRG even after he had lost (photo by Moletrap)
Champion of Hearts
If there is one thing worth cheering for when it comes to DongRaeGu, it is that he plays his heart out for his fans, friends and family, as oppose to other pro-gamers who only play for themselves. So when DRG lost the finals, he tearfully apologized to everybody for not pulling through for them.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a player with a heart of gold. I hope you all will continue to support him as much I will. A player with a heart like his is just someone worth cheering for.
And though DongRaeGu walks a hard road ahead, I hope he knows that he will not alone.
We'll be there... Every Step. Until he rises again.
Credits Written by neoghaleon55 Music composed and performed by neoghaleon55
Gotta love DRG. I feel he was the most recent dominant zerg that we are lacking atm. Neither Life nor Symbol has the same feeling of "He is gonna win" when I used to watch him play. Glgl.
I think DRG is one of the nicest pro gamers and seems to have the biggest heart among them. Been a fan of DRG almost since I got into watching the sc2 pro scene. I believe he can win another championship as long as he puts the loss to Rain behind him and refocuses.
The first time I watched one of your games was in Gisado Clan #1. You were playing against a stupid Terran player who thought he has a fucking chance against you. You crushed his 2rax like it was nothing and followed it with an arrogant baneling bust, which won the game. I liked the way you crushed that stupid 2 rax piece of shit, and I liked your arrogant style. Then, you played against CrazymovING in a ZvZ, in the same league, you won on Xel'Naga Caverns very convincingly. I liked that game, and I liked the /dance at the final engagement.
First time I saw you on a televised game was your first game ever. Me, as a fan of Team MvP since it was born, watched the game against Prime. Score was tied at 3-3, and your true destined bitch, who was unaware of that fact, was waiting at the booth just to please you. You owned that bitch, and cheated on that bitch with other bitches. That very same season, against oGs, you cheated on your destined bitch with 3 other bitches. Seeing this performance of you in the match against oGs, I founded your fanclub. Then, you went on and cheated your bitch with another bitch, in the final match, against SlayerS. In the next season, you went on by cheating him with 3 other bitches in the very first match of the next season, against SlayerS.
But, you always knew in your heart who your real bitch is. You realized that in the final game in the OSL group stage. You probably were nervous about that game while I was like "lolol he will own that bitch" and that bitch was like "FML he will own me... again". Let me tell you something, you weren't nervous about that game because your bitch had a chance against you. You were nervous about the reactions from your bitch after you cheated on him with a huge number of other bitches on TV. After all, he is your one true destined bitch, and you know that too.
I know, you're probably nervous about your group in 5th of November, not because the guys have a chance in hell against you, but because you know that your true destined bitch will be mad at you after seeing you on TV, cheating on him with other bitches, time after time. But don't worry. He is your true destined bitch. He will always come back to you, no matter how many other bitches you cheat him on.
And we, our fans, will always watch you, and cheer for you, when you fuck bitches on TV.
Good luck in Code S. We believe in you and are cheering for you every step of the way. Thank you for putting your heart and soul into OSL, we really appreciate that. Your ZvT is so awesome, when you are playing against Mvp, you should close your eyes and play to make it a fair game.
I know these past few months have been tough and you've been in a bit of a slump. But hey, that's life right? It has its ups and downs. Sometimes, the downs can go longer than expected, but its ok because it will all work out in the end. You have so many fans who will NEVER give up on you, no matter what happens! You are an amazing player who cares so much for his fans and always tries his hardest, we can't ask anything more from you.
I remember when I got to meet you at MLG Providence DRG. You were standing by the feature station by yourself watching some games, and oddly enough, there were no other fans around you and I was still a nervous wreck to ask you to sign something for me. But when I did ask you, I remember you said "Oh yea man! Of course, sure sure!" And I was so happy and so excited to finally meet one of my favorite players. I still have the mousepad you and a few other players signed, and its something I'll never forget.
Just always remember - you can never disappoint your fans. Were always gonna cheer for you and support you. If you streamed imagine all of us saying "Wow, sick game!" after you won or something like that, we would all loved if you streamed again and we would be able to support you even more! Your an amazing player, a nerd baller, and a badass. Your the man DRG
DRG! You're my favorite player, as a person! When I started hearing your name more and more, I wasn't too into you. And even after getting a picture with you at MLG Anaheim, I had my other favorite players. But after seeing you slump and seeing how much this TL Fanclub loved you, I just wanted to be your fan. Never had I seen such strong player-to-fan love, and after witnessing it, I just had to feel it. I love you a lot, you know, as I proudly show off that picture of me and you at MLG Anaheim. Let's meet again sometime, yeah? Come to America again soon, I'll be waiting!
I believe in you DongRaeGu! GSL, OSL, IPL, MLG, life, whatever it is, I know you have the strength to conquer them all!
DRG... I have watched you play for a while now, dominating the GSL and GSTL. I watched your battles with Marine and cheered you on. I watched you through the OSL and....damn it man you made me cry!!!!! Consider me your fan for life. If I could say one thing to DRG it would be this- "good shit"
DRG, for the past few seasons of GSL I refused to buy a ticket. Until the days that you were playing. Every time you got in the booth I said "fuck it, im buying the pass. I gotta watch DRG play!"
On November 02 2012 03:46 Pandain wrote: Of course Dongraegu will rise.
But he'll only rise once he mans up and starts practicing like a Kespa player.
Overrated. KeSPA players dropping like flies in Season 5 of GSL. The only one that got anywhere was Rain.
Plus Star2 is very different than BroodWar. Overall Strategy is more important than practicing raw mechanics.
Besides, DRG practices a ton, especially close to big matches. I've heard that he uses a lot of his "free time" for laddering instead of rest.
Yeah, but they're dropping only in Code S after less than 6 months of concentrated training, and of course we already see the future in the form of Rain, Flash, Roro, etc....
All these amazing players got to where they are not through abstract notions of innate talent but by a concentrated willpower that centered on becoming great.
That's what seperates the Jaedongs from the Hyuks, the Storks from the Pures. It's the unaldulatred desire to suceede, and the willingness to commit yourself to it like a madman.
Do not try to ever, ever try to fucking justify a lack of proper training. I love DRG just as much as anyone, and I will always root for him. But he is never going to win another GSL if he doesn't man the fuck up and realize he needs to commit himself like its the oppurtunity of a lifetime.
And I suppose you know what proper training looks like? Are you a trained professional? The arrogance to come into a cheer thread and tell a pro-player what to do especially when he was just an OSL finalist.
I'm sure DRG will know what's best for him. He has a good team and coaching staff. It's his career, we should trust that he knows what he's doing, considering he's literally the most successful player in 2012 by record.
That's not to say you're not entitled to your own opinion. Just go write about it elsewhere instead of shitting up our cheer thread!
Because TL fans appreciate good games. Games like the GSTL finals versus MMA or Blizzard cup versus MMA or GSL finals versus Genius. It's not if he wins, but how he plays.
Now with Code-S RO32, DRG gets it the hard way again. But we, his fans, cheer for him. For the undisputable best zerg in 2012. For the guy who shows how the swarm should be played.
You're the player who made me race switch to zerg after I watched your games. I first met you at IEM NY, I saw that sick comeback from fruitdealer and I was captivated. The passion that you show out of games is something that is always a pleasure to witness. You've been the guy who has been carrying the zerg torch every since Nestea passed it on. Keep pushing yourself to greater goals, all your hard work will pay off!
You Win games, you lose them, it doesn't matter What's most important is if your enjoying it / having fun The hate may come to you, but it's just something that's stopping you The love may come, it's something that keeping you I've seen you battle MMA, you didn't give up I've seen you battle MKP, you still didn't give up and had it in your hands Don't give up, stay put and keep pushing You'll make it to goodness
I got here a bit late! I should check my PMs more hah. DRG you are awesome, you rise and fall and rise again because the greatest players, the ones that stand out in history are NEVER kept down and never an afterthought.
EPT
MVP DongRaeGu will return to Code S on Monday November 5th, 2012. This tournament will mark the final Season of Starcraft on GomTV and will grant DRG one last chance to grab another GSL trophy before the year's end. However, things will not come easy for our Zerg Hero as the level competition has never been greater. Thrown into one of the toughest groups ever created in the Round of 32, DongRaeGu must be in his best condition if he is to have any chance of pulling forward.
IMMvp, the unchallenged King of Terran. Mvp has won countless titles since the dawn of SCII. His latest record was sealed by Silver from the last GSL. No doubt his thirst for gold has grown to new heights. The group also features 
Creator Prime, arguably just as dangerous as Mvp, himself. Creator has been on a meteoric rise to fame since July of this year, claiming the championships of both WCS Korea and TSL4. This young Protoss player is not someone to take lightly. He has beaten DRG before and may well do so again should preparation be ill. Finally, the group rounds out with ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/2o8Md.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VbmlQ.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hqhtf.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/neoghaleon55/Champion14.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/BZ4ZL.jpg)
I'm sure he will do well ^^ 
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/TxcvC.jpg)
