EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gCdI6dV.jpg)
In the second episode of 'Esports anecdotes and trivia', I explore some amusing anecdotes and interesting pieces of trivia from esports history, spanning three game titles and more than a decade.
Featured in this episode:
- HotshotGG wanted to play Support Nidalee after Elementz was kicked (LoL)
- Froggen played ranked 5s with Frost in Korea and laned as Blitzcrank with MadLife (LoL)
- Korean interpreter and host Chobra initially got his break in esports from standing outside the MLG offices on a hot Summer day, drinking only Dr Pepper and waiting for the chance to meet players. (LoL)
- HuK tried to mask a mothership rush at an MLG by telling his opponent the roar of the crowd was for the Halo tournament (SC2)
- As an amateur Flash was, early on, denied the chance to become a progamer by future fellow OSL champion JangBi (BW)
- Multiple time GSL champion MMA got dizzy watching the hand speed of faster SC2 pros (SC2)
- All-Stars' WCG 2001 third place cheque was left on a bus in Korea (CS)
- TEC threw an AWP where it cannot be retrieved in a live tournament match (CS)
- Neo was not the most famous CS pro called Neo in the early days (CS)
To whet your appetite, here's the story of how Flash came to battle JangBi as an amateur:
In the Korean professional progaming scene the only way to become a professional and play in their leagues was to possess a progamer license, issued only by KeSPA (The Korea e-Sports Association), the governing body. The only way for an amateur player to obtain one of these licenses was either by being given one by a team, which meant proving oneself in their internal system, since they only got a few at a time to give out, or by winning the Courage amateur tournament.
Held every month, the tournament was an open bracket of amateurs, all hoping to win and grab a license, or at least get the attention of prospective coaches with their play in the tournament. Most eventual progamers from the latter era of BW played in these tournaments, with some eventually great players famously failing them a number of times, such as Jaedong. Flash, the greatest BW player in history, is known as the youngest ever OSL champion and a general prodigy at the game, accomplishing so much at the tender age of only 15. In fact, he did not waltz to a license in his first attempts.
On his second attempt Flash made it all the way to the final, only to run into a Protoss player called JangBi and lose. Flash would end up playing seven more Courage tournaments. The twist is not just that Flash went on to become the greatest player in history, but that his opponent also went on to win multiple professional titles, taking the last two OSL (Ongamenet StarLeague, the most prestigious league in the scene) titles.
Held every month, the tournament was an open bracket of amateurs, all hoping to win and grab a license, or at least get the attention of prospective coaches with their play in the tournament. Most eventual progamers from the latter era of BW played in these tournaments, with some eventually great players famously failing them a number of times, such as Jaedong. Flash, the greatest BW player in history, is known as the youngest ever OSL champion and a general prodigy at the game, accomplishing so much at the tender age of only 15. In fact, he did not waltz to a license in his first attempts.
On his second attempt Flash made it all the way to the final, only to run into a Protoss player called JangBi and lose. Flash would end up playing seven more Courage tournaments. The twist is not just that Flash went on to become the greatest player in history, but that his opponent also went on to win multiple professional titles, taking the last two OSL (Ongamenet StarLeague, the most prestigious league in the scene) titles.
The entire piece can be read at OnGamers.
