Those wacky Wizards of the Coast announced a few weeks ago that they are beginning a Hall of Fame for Magic players this year. For those who don't want to read through the rather boring link, the important points are: 1) five players will be inducted every year; 2) nomination has rewards besides recognition -- members actually get paid $500 appearance fees to play on the Pro Tour; 3) four of this year's five inductees will be decided by voting among select members of the Magic community, who will actually make their votes public.
So, fast forward to this Monday, when designer Mark Rosewater made his votes public in his weekly article. You want the good part? Brace yourself, click the link, and jump ahead to #5.
You back yet? Yup, Mike Long. This will mean something to many of you reading this. For the rest of you, the "sound bite" is that this guy is the most notorious cheater in the history of the game. To my knowledge, he's never done "that one thing" to get him banned once and for all, but he has received numerous suspensions over the years.
In any case, web trollers are in an uproar over this vote. We're getting Pete Rose analogies, the typical threats to "quit the game" that accompany any unpopular decision a game company makes, you name it.
The few rational folks (yes, they do have some of those on the internet) do seem to have a valid point. They say that if the "Hall of Fame" were truly just a place to commemorate the history of the game, it's hard to deny Mike Long made a huge impact, and he may well be worth including. But in fact there are actual rewards to membership (the $500 appearance fees I mentioned), and because of that, allowing Mike Long into the Hall of Fame is a de facto endorsement of cheating.
It's an interesting situation, which I'm only too happy to watch from afar. Anyone else have any opinion on this whatsoever and want to weigh in?
13 comments:
It was interesting how Rosewater danced around the issue without actually saying the guy got caught cheating. He probably did this just to get the email. In my experience, players that say they're going to quit don't. The ones that quit you never hear from again.
I'm not sure what a Hall of Fame does, actually. I figure it's just Magic trying to act like MLB or NFL or something. It's about as exciting as the Bowling Museum in St. Louis.
Halls of fame are terribly self-serving things. Nobody who isn't a player gives a damn about these people. Most players don't know who they are. It creates an "old boys club" which is always influenced by personal attachments and subjective decisions. The fact that members will get some kind of free pass and cash for showing up is absurd. I am not a fan of halls of fame.
wow... m:tg is a wierd thing. they so much want to be like a proffesional sport. at some point they should lobby to make Magic an Olympic event.
I think the cash payouts are absurd. what must the wotc financial genius desicion process be? if they want to keep the best players buying the cards, give them enough money for it? it just doesn't make sense to me at all.
I would really love to see an American Idol-esque voting coup to induct a total "nobody" player. they should know better than to let the fans decide (anybody remember the mtv vj guy that was voted for by the fans?)
-the mole
Wow, Mike Long. Heh, I think I would have voted for him too. The guy did a lot for the game, most of it wasn't necessarily good, but each organization has to have a 'bad boi'.
Shocho - If you are not a fan of halls of fame, are you still going to Origins? isn't that the same type of thing?
Magic has no business being considered as anything more than a hobby. Vs. on the other hand...
Is that true? That every organization has to have its requisite 'a-hole'? It seems to me that it's the other way around. People work to construct a system where people can interact and have fun, and inevitably some jackass sees it and decides he can have more fun trying to make other people unhappy instead of just participating like a normal person.
This is supposed to be rewarded?
Chuck and Origins is a different matter. He's a special guest, which is an honor, but it's not like he's getting a crown and a scepter or anything. (Not to diminish it in any way.) At least I know Chuck's a good guy who has contributed to gaming over his whole life, and deserves the honor.
It seems the only thing keeping STCCG alive is the large contingents of a-hole players.
Halls of Fame are dumber than Guests of Honor because they last longer. I do think they're both dumb. I thought Nielsen was dumb too, and that's why I did it, to see how it worked. I dunno. I don't think they asked me because I'm a good cheater.
Why does everybody say, "Even though he got caught cheating a couple times, Mike Long is a good player," when the other times he won he could have been cheating and didn't get caught? If he's such a good player, why did he cheat?
There's a big difference between a very memorable player and a very good, very positive player. While I'm not crazy about Halls of Fame as popularity contests, I categorically reject them as notoriety contests.
So Kathy, is it different for Chuck because you know him?
You're a Mean One, Mr. Girard. :)
No, it's largely different because Chuck's not being rewarded for being an asshole.
It's not like Mike Long was only noted for cheating. I guess this can also be associated with Pete Rose. One of the best hitters in baseball history...yet not in the hall of fame and there are people that were worse than him that are.
a travesty?
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