2011 in Review - TL Awards - Page 27

On January 02 2012 23:01 ChriS-X wrote:
mkp doing the kong dance <3


are you saying they have a small..... cock?

On January 02 2012 16:29 IdrA wrote:

not really. winning, even a team league, is still largely individual. you practice with your team and receive some support from them, but honestly that comes into play more in individual leagues more than team leagues. team leagues are all online, you're not there together talking and giving each other advice (unless you're eg cuz we're the best) you're all sitting at home playing your own individual matches and winning or losing on your own. and even the practice, most people are more likely to practice with friends and regular practice partners, whether theyre on their team or not.
its the extraneous stuff that really defines a team, particularly outside of korea.

On January 02 2012 23:36 StarStruck wrote:


Greg,

That's why we hand out individual titles for those who deserve them. Most of the prominent teams outside of Korea do next to nada when it comes to grooming their player's skill. All they do is setup shop.


Hell T-Zain didn't even join Mouz until after he won TSL3. Not like times have changed all that much. [pG] and ToT's players would vote players into their respectful teams as well after getting to know them. In the beginning, a lot of them flew under the radar. Not so much after 04.

Like I said, most teams. Then you have teams in Korea such as SlayerS where Lim wanted the freshest meat possible and guess what? He groomed them just like SK Telecom. Deja vu.

As for practice regimes. Not all players on international teams practice religiously with one another. You know this; I know this. You stuck with your [Media] boys and other boys for a long, long time. There will always be exceptions to the rule.

On January 01 2012 21:58 EGalex wrote:
Folks, please don't bash the EG/TL tie for team of the year .

While I do think that a case could be made for EG edging out TL as the singular team of the year (even by just a hair), and while that may be my (admittedly biased) personal opinion, I don't think an objective argument can really be made for either side coming out noticeably on top. When you consider all aspects of what makes a team great, including player support, fan engagement, community presence, business development, and (of course) tournament results, the gap between EG and TL - if it exists at all - is just too minimal to warrant either team winning the award outright.

Both EG and TL have our respective strengths and weaknesses, but overall, I don't think there are any international teams doing a better job of running their StarCraft divisions than EG and TL. And I want to both thank and applaud Victor, James, Ken, and everyone over at TL for a job very, very well done. I mean this very sincerely. This is not meant to take credit away from any of the other very high-level international teams, of course; it's just that, as far as StarCraft goes, I think EG and TL are at the forefront of international teams.

I'm very happy to share both the rivalry and team of the year awards with TL. Speaking comfortably for Scott, Colin, Cody, and everyone over at EG, we have so much respect for what TL does for its players and the community, and we're very excited to move into 2012 with such an intense and storied rivalry intact.

Watching DreamHack Winter was a very interesting experience for me. On the one hand, I obviously want EG to win every tournament we enter (especially that particular event, which was so well-produced and carried such prestige), and as such, I was *absolutely* heartbroken when HerO defeated PuMa in game seven to take the event. The loss haunted me for the better part of a week, causing many fingertips-to-the-forehead head shakes and long-inhale-short-exhale sighs. Yet, at the same time, I found the logical part of my brain continually saying, "This is good for the sport. Liquid was overdue for a big win."

I think that this anecdote is aptly representative of the dilemma and conflict you constantly face as a team owner. On the one hand, you want the sport to grow and flourish, and you understand that in the big picture of things, in order for that to happen, it's necessary for multiple teams to do well, and for intense rivalries to develop. Yet at the same time, you genuinely want your players and your team to win every, single map they play, and if you're not doing everything it takes to win (within the rules), you're doing yourself, your players, and your fans an unacceptable disservice.

Somehow, these two desires, while in theory rather mutually exclusive, in practice coexist in every team owner's mind on a daily basis. And so, while on the one hand I hope that an EG player wins every single tournament in 2012, on the other hand I know that it's good for the sport if Liquid (and other teams) get their share of victories as well. So, Victor, and everyone at TL, I truly wish all of you good luck going into the new year.

Just, y'know, not too much luck, please .

-Alex
@ottersareneat on Twitter