It was three in the morning on a Saturday that I found myself awake and screaming at the TV screen as I cheered for MVP_DongRaeGu, who at the time was down 0:3 to Slayers_MMA at the Blizzard Cup finals.

He's dead...I thought....and so did everyone who was watching.
DRG had tilted and lost a critical game on Belshir Beach, a map that he was hugely favored to win.
On the stage, you could see frustration on his face. It looked as if MMA had crushed not just his army one game earlier, but also his spirit. At this point, the fans of DRG no longer hoped that he would win, we were all hoping he wouldn't lose 0:4.

What transpired next was something no one had expected...and none will forget..
DongRaeGu fought his way back from the great deficit...closing the score at 1:3
...and then 2:3
...then 3:3 happened.

*****

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I met DRG in person a few months back when I attended MLG Anaheim.
At the time, he had already gained a name for himself by winning decisive matches in GSTL team tournaments. Looking back, I remembered not being too impressed by his plays. Many games came down to DRG staying on muta-tech for far too long, with no Hive upgrade in sight. In his defense, Anaheim weekend was the first time many Terran players started abusing blue flame hellions to the fullest. In all games, of all matchups, BFH was the open. No one had seen anything like that before in North America. Thus, it is not too hard to conceive why DRG kept making mutas for so long. Many people I've talked to during this tournament thought DRG was overrated. It was no surprise, as DRG's performance in tournaments were no where as successful as other hero Zerg players during that time: Idra was the force in North America, Ret was the champion in Europe, and Nestea ate everybody for breakfast in Korea.

There were a lot of good zergs to cheer for...and DongRaeGu didn't seem like he deserved his own fan club, yet.

*****

DongRaeGu then went on to win Valencia and had many insane games during the GSTL season 1.
He gained my attention again during IPL Pro League Qualifier.
His match with MMA on Metalopolis was easily one of the best games of 2011.[1]

What was different about DongRaeGu's play?
Meticulous mutalisk micro and Ultrabanes.[2]
In fact, I'm not sure if there are any Zerg players in the world right now that uses mutalisks and ultralisks as well as DRG. The ebb and flow of his playstyle is very entertaining to watch and it beautifully demonstrates the power of the Swarm to remax within seconds.

I paid attention to DRG.
He has a really silly personality.
He jokes in interviews, acts like a rabid zergling, cat slaps Genius in the face....

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But I truly became a fan only after reading col_CATZ blog on his memorable Blizzcon experience with DRG as a roommate.[3] Thanks to CATZ, I learned that DRG is very genuine guy. He's super nice to everybody and is always quirky, awkward and funny. I recall then that DRG did sign many autographs to fans at Anaheim when most Korean players would not.

I learned a lot from DRG this weekend, he is not just mechanically ridiculous, he's also incredibly smart, and most importantly, an amazing person and a greaaat friend, DRG, to the 3-4 ladies that will read this, is the real deal.

-col_CATZ

The tender note from DRG to CATZ at the end of the blog was so cute it's almost tear-jerking.
Right then and there, I felt a connection to this player. I was going to cheer for him in all coming tournaments.

*****

How does DRG do it?
To find the mental fortitude to come back to 3:3 from a 0:3 defeat in arguably the most important tournament of his career?

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DRG as he looked going into the fourth game after a 0:3 defeat by Slayers_MMA

MMA played brilliantly that night, displaying some clutch strategies that nobody had ever seen in a professional starcraft game before. In fact MMA had gone through the entire Blizzard Cup dropping only one game against a group of world class players of 2011. At the moment when the score was 0:3, it looked as if the finals would end and become another disappointing lopsided GSL event.

But...
Dongraegu never gave up.
He played his heart out that night.

The final game was a rollercoaster ride for fans from both sides.
In a spectacular display of Starcraft prowess, MMA and DRG took 40 minutes pounding each other to pieces on the stage screen.

At many moments, DRG looked as if he could take the victory. But MMA held firm to his lead with excellent drop play. The battle finalized into a rising crescendo as a giant flock of broodlords, infestors, corruptors and zerglings marched across the map and crashed themselves into MMA's base. A fantastic hold by MMA ended the series as a handful of marines polish out the last of DRG's army.

Though DRG lost the tournament, I can't but notice how well he resonated with his fans more than ever. DongRaeGu had taken the worst beating on the tournament stage since Inca vs. Nestea, but came back with a 3:4 score, giving an incredible performance on a heavily Terran favored map in the final game.

The crowd that night chanted DRG's name out loud. Everyone who watched or ever will watch those games will see a player with the true heart of a champion.

****

So where do we go from here?
DRG won't be playing for a while in the GSL Code S, and he said he won't attend foreign tournaments as often in 2012 in order to practice more.

Zerg players....
I challenge you to win ZvT games on Shakuras Plateau in honor of DongRaeGu.

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This is the holy ground where the hero DRG fell in 2011 and we shall honor him with our battle cries!

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*********
[1]http://sc2casts.com/cast5493-MMA-vs-MvPDongraegu-Best-of-3-IGN-Pro-League-Qualifier
[2]http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=187434
[3]http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=278940
*********

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Art by Fishuu, commissioned by neoghaleon55 (to be colored)

nekoconeco

Australia359 Posts

December 20 2011 07:16 GMT

Nice writeup!

Loire

Singapore1358 Posts

December 20 2011 07:17 GMT

FOR DRG!!!!!!

nice read :D

Keyboard Warrior

United States1178 Posts

December 20 2011 07:17 GMT

DRG Fighting!

Excellent blogpost sir! 7/5

synapse

China13814 Posts

December 20 2011 07:21 GMT

DRG <3

One of the best SC2 series <3

cmen15

United States1519 Posts

December 20 2011 07:35 GMT

Haha nice write up man, the bottom pictures made me laugh <3

Mobius_1

United Kingdom2763 Posts

December 20 2011 08:24 GMT

Well, if he got IU's number despite not winning the tournament then he's still the real winner on that day.

Also, can't stop watching and laughing at that gif.

juked

United States691 Posts

December 20 2011 08:38 GMT

Great blog. Loved the battle cries and LOL at the gif

Grovbolle

Denmark3813 Posts

December 20 2011 08:39 GMT

FOR DRG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arnstein

Norway3381 Posts

December 20 2011 08:44 GMT

#10

FOUR DRG!!!!

Bswhunter

Australia954 Posts

December 20 2011 09:36 GMT

#11

Recently vetoed Shak Plat (Thought it was a decent map, just didnt like ZvZ on it)
Shall unveto it, and crush all those who would be foolish enough to pick terran on the SEA server.

neoghaleon55

United States7435 Posts

December 20 2011 11:33 GMT

#12

haha
I think I'll repost good "for DRG!" pics in the OP.

neoghaleon55

United States7435 Posts

December 20 2011 22:05 GMT

#13

On December 20 2011 17:24 Mobius_1 wrote:
Well, if he got IU's number despite not winning the tournament then he's still the real winner on that day.

Also, can't stop watching and laughing at that gif.

I sure hope he does. SC2 players need more love.

iSometric

2221 Posts

December 20 2011 22:41 GMT

#14

Laughed at the for frodo pic.

neoghaleon55

United States7435 Posts

December 21 2011 01:29 GMT

#15

Thank you DRG for the roach bust against Hellion Expand

FOR DRG!!

+ Show Spoiler +

vnlegend

United States1389 Posts

December 21 2011 01:38 GMT

#16

nah. Leenock showed the roach bust first. DRG wasn't even on the map or had any games lately because he wasn't in any important tournaments until now.

neoghaleon55

United States7435 Posts

December 27 2011 11:14 GMT

#17

I just beat up a girl FOR DRG!!

+ Show Spoiler +

I usually dont hit women...with banelings, infestor broodlords....but she was an MMA fan!

+ Show Spoiler +

I hope you're happy, DRG...

[F_]aths

Germany3947 Posts

February 09 2012 23:17 GMT

#18

That last game, as it stood 3:3, was the best game I have seen yet. Today I watched a game versus Nestea which also was very good, but still not on the level on the Blizzard cup ace match.

I was cheering for DRG before, but until Blizzard cup, he was number two on my list at best. As Blizzard cup began, I felt that DongRaeGu needs this win. He finished his group at first place, went through playoffs, only to face his nemesis. Though he lost, he did it in a way others would not even dream to win.

Of course, my original SC2 zerg hero is Fruitdealer. As Nestea came, I saw he was good, very good, but he couldn't fill those shoes. Leenock? Impressive. Promising. July? A semi-god already, worthy of any worship. A GSL finalist, but currently not a candidate to be crowned the zerg king. (By the way, does Julyzerg have to prove anything to anybody? This nerd got a golden mouse.)

DRG showed greatness in the GSTL, I remember the GSTL game versus MMA. At that time the best broadcasted SC2 match yet, I would say. In a later AOL cup (not king of kong, an older cup) I also was impressed of that play. While I had noticed DRG before (in the GSTL) as a very good player, I began to consider DRG as the possible zerg gold standard.

Already in the group stage of Blizzard cup, I was sure of myself that DongRaeGu is my man. And the finals were crazy. Who would not break under this pressure? Who could deliver an almost flawless game after six nerve-wrecking matches, three of them played on the verge of being eliminated from the tournament?

In the fourth game, MMA got an early lead with his hellions. As I watched the game, I saw that DRG didn't have enough to hold. But he held. Probably with pure will power. It looked like he said "if you really want to win, you must do it in the same position as I am: If you lost, you have no shot left. If I need to win three games in a row, so be it."

But as I watched the final match, I felt ashamed, because I underestimated DongRaeGu. I didn't know he was that good. After all he has been through.