Translator’s note: I stumbled across this interview browsing through Korean websites. My intent is not to add fuel to a flame war that has pretty much already died out, but to let TL'ers know about Jaedong’s thoughts regarding the controversial MSL Finals. So please, no flaming, and I hope everyone can remain civil (although quite frankly, I feel like he hasn’t given much to flame about =p). Also, this is the first time I’m translating, so if any other native speaker finds major mistakes I made or nuances that I might have missed, please let me know.
[Star Interview] Lee Jae Dong “MSL Finals Power Outage Shock, Expected a Regame” 3/8/2010
[About the MSL Finals] “I stayed silent because I felt that any type of response would trigger controversy”
After the [MSL Finals] game, Lee Young Ho (Flash) has shown discontent in the referees’ decision [to not grant a regame] through several interviews. On the contrary, you (Jaedong) have gone a long time without saying anything about that day. What are your thoughts on the tide of the game in set 3 [when the power outage occurred], and how did the power outage affect you psychologically?
My personal opinion is that I had a significant advantage, but it is certainly true that each gamer has his own knowledge / opinion of the situation at hand. Because of such differences in perspective, I thought that whatever I say would probably cause endless bickering and controversy. So I tried not to worry about it. I also thought, I might as well get to the finals again next season and win gold. In that situation I felt… how do I put it, helpless(?) It was just that something like that had never happened before, and I was caught off guard. Mentally I was nervous, and I didn’t really know what to do, but when I came back to my senses, I started thinking realistically. While waiting for the referee’s call, I started coming up with builds to use in case the referees called a regame, and I kept trying to calm myself down.
Flash has clearly expressed his feelings about set 3 in a few interviews. How do you feel about the fact that he was openly expressing his discontent, and what has kept you from saying anything all this time?
I didn’t express it, but I was definitely frustrated, and it has been difficult for me as well. Anyway, given the situation, I feel like there’s nothing I could have said. I just accepted the fact that there would probably be people who would refuse to acknowledge my MSL gold, and I thought I should just do better. Then, if I get another gold next season and continue performing well, I believe even those who think my MSL gold is illegitimate will eventually begin to acknowledge my win.
When the power outage happened, we’re curious to know what you thought: did you expect to be given the win?
It was a situation I had never faced before, so I was caught off guard. I even wondered if I was in a dream. I felt disappointed the game had ended that way. As for the referee’s call, instead of predicting whether or not I’d be given the win, my mind was filled with thoughts about what I should do if a regame was called. [T.N. He doesn’t directly answer the question, but he words it in such a way that it seems likely that he thought a regame would be called.] I prepared a build for each set in the Bo5, but in this situation I was quickly thinking of an alternate build.
Have you met with Flash in private after the MSL Finals and talked about the game? If you did, what did you say?
No, we didn’t meet, so we didn’t have a chance to talk about it.
Together with Flash, you’re called ‘LeeSsang’, and you represent the two big forces in e-sports today. The fans are excited because the rivalry between you two reminds them of ‘LimJinRok’ between Boxer and Yellow. Especially, matches between the two of you, or ‘LeeSsangRok’, is a ticket to successful ratings for the broadcasting companies. What are Flash’s strengths, and what is there to learn from him?
He is currently the best player. Playing against him fires a special kind of competitive spirit in me that gets my blood boiling. He also overtook me as number 1 in the Kespa rankings so I feel like I should work harder so that I can catch up. Even as a young progamer, his mind as a progamer is really top-notch. I think he’ll continue to do well, and his career will continue to prosper. I also want to keep doing well so that the LeeSsangRok can surpass LimJinRok as the greatest rivalry in e-sports.
[Rivals / Friends] “Good friends with Jaehoon, Meet frequently with Flash”
Among TaekBangLeeSsang (Bisu/Stork/Flash/Jaedong), and other players, who is the most difficult opponent? You’re nicknamed the Tyrant because you have no weak matchups or any opponents that give you a particularly hard time. In spite of this, is there a player that you’d like to avoid in individual leagues?
Not really. So far I’ve never once thought ‘this is an opponent I want to avoid’. Of course, I’m human too, so I may at times feel weak, but I never express it, because I feel that a progamer’s confidence is more important than his skill. A gamer who’s completely skill-less but full of confidence is still a formidable opponent. I never have, and I never will try to avoid an opponent or think he’s too difficult for me to handle. I don’t need to, because I’m stronger. ^^
Who is the progamer you’re closest with minus your own teammates? Or players you’ve practiced with the most?
My closest friend is Jaehoon from MBCgame. He’s a friend to whom I reveal my deepest thoughts and feelings. Other than that, I’m pretty friendly with Flash. I’m friends with, and practice a lot with Samsung KHAN. Jangbi, Stork, and oDin have a sort of charm that makes it easy to be friends with them. A couple months ago I said I would treat them to dinner, so when all of us have time, I’d still like to do that ^^
Shortly after your debut, you didn’t post the most impressive results, and yet your skills skyrocketed around 2007 Proleague, setting ZvZ records on the way. What was the motivation for this rapid rise in skill? Which player influenced you the most as an SC player? Player you respect most?
When I debuted was the era when Savior held the title of Bonjwa and essentially didn’t lose. As a fellow Zerg player, I compared myself to him, and that was a big motivation. Thinking ‘why can’t I do that well?’ I set goals for myself and worked really hard. Even now, I tend to keep track of other Zerg players’ wins. That will keep motivating me to keep pushing forward instead of being satisfied with my current form. A player I respect above all else? I don’t have one. I praise and respect myself. (lol?)
Your most memorable game? Game you were most disappointed in losing?
I remember all the finals. All the big stages such as the first Starleague final, the Proleague final or the playoffs. Since I put in so much into these finals, I feel like I can never forget them. Frankly, I am disappointed about every game I lost.
What do you think about Park Jun-Oh (Killer)’s ‘Ohglings’ (wtf? I supposed that comes from the ‘Oh’ in Park Jun-Oh) which are beginning to become as good as your zerglings?
Ah… Are they called ohglings now? He’s a good player who’s been able to show that off in televised games as well, so he seems to be a player of infinite potential. Since he’s so young, he kind of reminds me of myself when I was young… So I want to help him like an older brother.
There’s very few players who look as angry as you do when you lose. What are your thoughts on that?
Since I’m such a competitive person, I don’t like to lose to anyone, and I’m more sensitive about those kinds of things. But I’ve learned to control it through lots of practice.
[About his Team Hwaseung Oz] “Oz is a one man team? That’s only half correct.”
People say that Hwaseung OZ is a one man team. They seem to mean that your performance is responsible for over 80% of how well Oz does. Any rising stars within Oz?
To be honest, since my current form isn’t that great, I feel undeserving of such talk. Right now, I think the reason my teammates rely on me is because I’m the one that really needs to do well. If I’m fielded very frequently and have a really heavy contribution to my team’s wins, I suppose it’s good for my record and all, but looking at the team as a whole, I don’t think it’s good at all. I think what is really valuable is the single win that each individual team member brings in one by one. However many wins I may accrue, if other team members can’t win games, Oz won’t be able to remain near the top for long. That Oz is a one man team, nowadays it’s only half correct. I always want to see my team winning even when I’m not fielded. That way we can improve as a better team, and we’re ready to do so. The rising star of Oz at the moment is, like I already said, Killer.
Since the team relies so heavily on you, opponents tend to tailor builds just to snipe you. Do you think that this inherently puts you at a disadvantage?
Hmm… Instead of thinking that I’m at a disadvantage, I think of it as being natural. I believe a true number one player should be able to account for all this and still be able to win. That’s why they say it’s harder to stay at the top than to get there haha.
Even with Oz relying on you, your team is hovering near the bottom. Are you ever disappointed with, or feel isolated from, your teammates because your team so often underperforms despite your efforts?
I came all this way with my team, and I am where I am today because of my team. To be honest I’m more sad that I haven’t been doing my part in proleague recently. Thinking ‘If I did my part, the team would be in the upper half’ just makes me sad. So I’m going to work harder. Because I trust in my teammates, if I regain my form, we should definitely be able to get back near the top.
What did you think during the FA period? Honestly, I hoped and expected that you would move to a different team.
Back then I just wanted to a professional gamer, and I wanted to do it in this team; I felt that the environment here was well-suited for me. Maybe it was because I was younger, but I wasn’t confident that I could adjust well to a new environment. I think I was so adamant about staying in Oz because I wanted to be the best player in the team, and I wanted to retire in good standing with the team.
Great interview - really not much he could do in that situation other than accept the situation and go on with his career. It would be even more absurd if he gave away the 4th set given he was so far ahead in game 3 (or at least i thought so).
"I just accepted the fact that there would probably be people who would refuse to acknowledge my MSL gold, and I thought I should just do better. Then, if I get another gold next season and continue performing well, I believe even those who think my MSL gold is illegitimate will eventually begin to acknowledge my win."
Very mature response, good for him! Let's all hope Flash and JD meet again in another finale this season :D
Probably soon to be the greatest of all time by any measure - I've always been a huge Savior and Flash fan, but it's been a privilege to watch JD play over the years.
When I think Savior I think "lightning in a bottle, brilliance that wasn't just a natural consequence of the game's evolution but something truly unique, the man who singlehandedly caused SC to be vaulted to a new level".
When I think Flash I think "the prodigy, born to play SC, a freak (of nature), the most naturally talented player there ever was and ever will be"
Flash might become the most dominant player of all time and might even have more talent and "sense" than Jaedong.
But he will never have Jaedong's great winner mentality.
I mean wtf?, during all that waiting he started thinking about BOs? I am pretty sure JD would have never thought of claiming that win if the referees had decided for a regame.
Maybe I'm just used to western-style interviews, but I've found Korean Programer interviews to be really direct, almost to the point of being rude. I guess this can be contrasted with sports interviews here in North America which really don't reveal anything:
North American Sports Interview
Q: [During intermission of a hockey game] Down 2-1, what does your team need to do to get back into the game?
A: Ohhhh, you knoooo, we need to get pucks deep, keep the cycle going, you knooo, aa, finish our checks and hopefully get some bounces.
Korean Style Sports Interview
Q: [At an E-Sports Event] You are currently on a losing streak of 13 matches. In fact, after your last three losses you cried on stage, and resembled a little girl. Also, you're looking very fat right now. How will you improve?
On March 11 2010 21:56 SuperArc wrote: Flash might become the most dominant player of all time and might even have more talent and "sense" than Jaedong.
But he will never have Jaedong's great winner mentality.
I mean wtf?, during all that waiting he started thinking about BOs? I am pretty sure JD would have never thought of claiming that win if the referees had decided for a regame.
Uhm, actually I'm pretty sure that about every pro gamer in his position would have thought about a new BO to use.
Thx for the interview, the last paragraph really makes it sound like he wouldnt mind switching teams anymore... come to CJ, Jaedong!
On March 11 2010 22:14 Denotate wrote: Maybe I'm just used to western-style interviews, but I've found Korean Programer interviews to be really direct, almost to the point of being rude. I guess this can be contrasted with sports interviews here in North America which really don't reveal anything:
North American Sports Interview
Q: [During intermission of a hockey game] Down 2-1, what does your team need to do to get back into the game?
A: Ohhhh, you knoooo, we need to get pucks deep, keep the cycle going, you knooo, aa, finish our checks and hopefully get some bounces.
Korean Style Sports Interview
Q: [At an E-Sports Event] You are currently on a losing streak of 13 matches. In fact, after your last three losses you cried on stage, and resembled a little girl. Also, you're looking very fat right now. How will you improve?
Thanks for the translations, how can anyone hate this guy seriously. He's got such a competitive mentality. I found it a little funny that he doesn't want his team to be a one man team because it's bad, yet his mentality seems to be one man oriented, like if he doesn't do well his team goes down and if only he had performed better they would be on top.
I also I don't think he needs to control that look he gets when he loses, it's normal and adds to his character. It's like suddenly this inferno builds inside him.
On March 12 2010 02:11 On_Slaught wrote: Shame on all the KT fans who have not given JD the proper respect since the MSL.
How can you not love this guy!
Shame on the MSL for robbing Jaedong of the chance to earn that respect. It would have been almost* the same if there had been a regame with Flash winning and taking the MSL in the end. No Jaedong fan would have acknowledged Flash's victory as a legit one. In a situation like that everybody loses, even the winner and especially the audience.
* almost because Flash would've won both MSL and OSL that season which is another feat entirely
On March 11 2010 22:39 Black Gun wrote: very interesting and mature interview. but one thing really caught my eyes and made me lol:
A player I respect above all else? I don’t have one. I praise and respect myself.
and then ppl say bisu is arrogant?!
lol yeah that was weird ^^
Honestly though Jaedong has the perfect mentality for a competitive gamer
Jaedong just hides it better than Bisu.
Jaedong also plays Zerg, and Zerg players are allowed to be as arrogant as they want whereas Protoss players are not because they play the "easy race."
Wow, massive props to JD. It's really hard to think of these kids (by that I mean Flash and Jaedong) as people that are hovering around their 20s, still around the teenager years. Very, very mature answers, and OP, you're right. Definitely nothing to flame him about.
I'd think anyone at the top would have some sort of arrogance, it just depends on who hides it better as someone said above. Jaedong really has that spirit of competition
On March 12 2010 01:35 WheelOfTime wrote: Jaedong is such an arrogant narcissist, probably the worst progaming personality ever in history.
They should take away his titles/winnings and make him cry, I would very much like to see that.
did he rape you on Bnet or something?
lol. Jaedong, arrogance? you could say that about ANY champion. Because any champion, deep down, KNOWS they're the fucking best. They absolutely believe they are, and that's why they BECOME and ARE the fucking best. JD has been the best for a long time (though now he's being challenged by Flash), so of course he's arrogant. Don't you think a recent Golden Mouse & msl title is good enough? If you want an easy case of arrogance, look at IdrA. For him, "arrogance" is an understatement, but it's still completely deserved and ESSENTIAL for him and other champions. Some champions try to hide it, like, say, Roger Federer in tennis, but deep down, they know they are the shit.
Makes me respect jaedong a lot. I like how during the whole problem jaedong thought of what build he would do in a regame (sure sounded like it was expected from his point of view). I find it funny about the poster that said most progamers would do that when its not true. I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Flash was not thinking about builds he was just expecting a re-game and was shocked when he not only didn't get it but then winged the next round.
I do love the trolls in this topic though .
Rooting for you jaedong go for the osl/msl win ^^.
On March 12 2010 07:32 blade55555 wrote: I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Flash was not thinking about builds he was just expecting a re-game and was shocked when he not only didn't get it but then winged the next round.
I have huge respect for Jaedong, but you're an idiot. What you said makes zero sense. If Flash expected a RE-game why the hell would he NOT be thinking about builds? That's a contradiction in itself.
On March 12 2010 01:35 WheelOfTime wrote: Jaedong is such an arrogant narcissist, probably the worst progaming personality ever in history.
They should take away his titles/winnings and make him cry, I would very much like to see that.
did he rape you on Bnet or something?
lol. Jaedong, arrogance? you could say that about ANY champion. Because any champion, deep down, KNOWS they're the fucking best. They absolutely believe they are, and that's why they BECOME and ARE the fucking best. JD has been the best for a long time (though now he's being challenged by Flash), so of course he's arrogant. Don't you think a recent Golden Mouse & msl title is good enough? If you want an easy case of arrogance, look at IdrA. For him, "arrogance" is an understatement, but it's still completely deserved and ESSENTIAL for him and other champions. Some champions try to hide it, like, say, Roger Federer in tennis, but deep down, they know they are the shit.
This is true.
If you don't believe you are the best, you never will be.
On March 12 2010 07:32 blade55555 wrote: I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Flash was not thinking about builds he was just expecting a re-game and was shocked when he not only didn't get it but then winged the next round.
I have huge respect for Jaedong, but you're an idiot. What you said makes zero sense. If Flash expected a RE-game why the hell would he NOT be thinking about builds? That's a contradiction in itself.
Because his dad was being dragged out of the studio by MBC?
I don't know, but if I were in ANY situation where my coach was being yelled at and my own father was being forcibly dragged out of one of the most important moments in my life, all I'd be thinking would be "Uh, wtf."
wtf? progamers think about what builds they do way in advance. jaedong just figured out flash would cheese on the least t>z map because flash was way too predictable.
On March 12 2010 07:32 blade55555 wrote: I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Flash was not thinking about builds he was just expecting a re-game and was shocked when he not only didn't get it but then winged the next round.
I have huge respect for Jaedong, but you're an idiot. What you said makes zero sense. If Flash expected a RE-game why the hell would he NOT be thinking about builds? That's a contradiction in itself.
I am sorry but you just showed how stupid you are with that post. When the power went out did you read what was going on? Flash was shocked and was almost going to drop out of it because of his coach/dad and then his dad got thrown out of the studio. I am pretty sure he wasn't thinking of build orders. Read carefully when you post next time thanks asshole .
On March 12 2010 09:59 Lucumo wrote: Flash didn't expect a re-game. Why would he do that when he was told it's a win for Jaedong?
He wasn't told then and there. There as like a 25 minute wait before they announced they gave the win to Jaedong where Flash was sure it'd be a regame because, as far as he was aware, he was completely sure he was still in that game.
On March 12 2010 07:32 blade55555 wrote: I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Flash was not thinking about builds he was just expecting a re-game and was shocked when he not only didn't get it but then winged the next round.
I have huge respect for Jaedong, but you're an idiot. What you said makes zero sense. If Flash expected a RE-game why the hell would he NOT be thinking about builds? That's a contradiction in itself.
I am sorry but you just showed how stupid you are with that post. When the power went out did you read what was going on? Flash was shocked and was almost going to drop out of it because of his coach/dad and then his dad got thrown out of the studio. I am pretty sure he wasn't thinking of build orders. Read carefully when you post next time thanks asshole .
darktreb is right. You're an idiot. You think that Flash would think about droping out if they announced a re-game instead of win to Jaedong? The whole drama took place after the decision. I'm pretty sure before that Flash was just expecting a re-game and he was looking pretty calm.
I don't think I'd call JD the most talented player to play this game (yeah, go ahead and flame me you haters), but his mentality is the best of anyone. When shit hits the fan, he always takes the necessary attitude. He never breaks down. That kind of mental fortitude is unparalleled by any other progamer.
On March 12 2010 07:32 blade55555 wrote: I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Flash was not thinking about builds he was just expecting a re-game and was shocked when he not only didn't get it but then winged the next round.
I have huge respect for Jaedong, but you're an idiot. What you said makes zero sense. If Flash expected a RE-game why the hell would he NOT be thinking about builds? That's a contradiction in itself.
I am sorry but you just showed how stupid you are with that post. When the power went out did you read what was going on? Flash was shocked and was almost going to drop out of it because of his coach/dad and then his dad got thrown out of the studio. I am pretty sure he wasn't thinking of build orders. Read carefully when you post next time thanks asshole .
darktreb is right. You're an idiot. You think that Flash would think about droping out if they announced a re-game instead of win to Jaedong? The whole drama took place after the decision. I'm pretty sure before that Flash was just expecting a re-game and he was looking pretty calm.
Thats what I am talking about... I am talking about AFTER they announced it omg learn to read please. What is up with assholes like you and your boyfriend? T_T.
Good for Jaedong for dodging the question regarding the regame. He knew he won. If he had answered how there shouldn't be a regame, there would be a lot of hate for him.
Thanks for translating this. I thought Jaedong had a significant advantage in the power outage game and I'm glad to hear him confirm that. Now I won't doubt my ZvT knowledge.
"Of course, I’m human too, so I may at times feel weak, but I never express it, because I feel that a progamer’s confidence is more important than his skill. A gamer who’s completely skill-less but full of confidence is still a formidable opponent. I never have, and I never will try to avoid an opponent or think he’s too difficult for me to handle. I don’t need to, because I’m stronger."
I think I was so adamant about staying in Oz because I wanted to be the best player in the team, and I wanted to retire in good standing with the team.
Jaedong...retirement....!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! =( I'm sad he mentioned retirement, I hope he plays till his 60's ^_^.
I think I was so adamant about staying in Oz because I wanted to be the best player in the team, and I wanted to retire in good standing with the team.
Jaedong...retirement....!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! =( I'm sad he mentioned retirement, I hope he plays till his 60's ^_^.
Awsome interview, gj ;P.
I don't feel like I didn't translate that last sentence that well... The literal translation was "I wanted to retire extravagantly", or something along those lines, but it sounded a little strange that way and I didn't know how else to put it.
His tone definitely wasn't that of someone who's thinking of retirement any time soon, though, so you can rest easy for now. He's going to have to retire sometime, and I'm pretty sure he meant that when the time does come to retire, he wanted to retire with well placed seniority. =)
Jaedong clearly deserved the win. Flash acted like a baby and gave up. You should face adversity not sit there and complain. I know he worked hard but so did Jaedong.
On March 13 2010 08:05 WWJDD wrote: When a zerg player's dominance ends, his performance falls off a cliff. Jaedong is no exception. This is the beginning of the end people.
As much as I love the Dong, I can't have my hopes shattered in the coming few seasons. I am fully prepared for a Dong permaslump.
winning a starleague against the other best player in the world who is also on a massive win streak = end of dominance?
jaedong has 1-2 month slumps where his win ratio goes from 75% back to 50%, he's had them before... in a month he will be raping everyone again
Thanks for this interview. I had been wondering what he would have to say, particularly after reading the interview with Flash. Jaedong sounds quite professional - I hope he makes it to the MSL finals again!