Simple Pleasures in America

Hello friends.

I'd like you to listen to a song. 

I know there's some problematic language in it but I hope you can see past it and through to  the message.

We are entering uncertain times. Various outlets have reminded us not to forget who we are in the coming years. Me? I want to think about the simple pleasures.

For me it's finding a parking spot on my first try.

It's cooking a new recipe and having my wife enjoy it.

It's watching my cousin follow in my footsteps and work at the same summer camp I attended and worked at.

It's watching my students light up when I ask about their work.

If you listened to the song and read the post please reply to me on Twitter @nerdtothecore and tell me one of your simple pleasures.

Bad Cop/Bad Cop Matters

The election forced my hand. Writing has helped me come to terms with the maelstrom of feelings I experience on a daily basis. Which means I get to empty my vault of ideas. I had an outline of this post but I never put pen to paper.

I was in a quagmire. Not Sorry by Bad Cop/Bad Cop is an album that sank its teeth into my brain and shouted "Listen to me on repeat!" I've dutifully obeyed that command for almost three weeks now. The 2015 record is infectious with its tight rhythms and hooks. It's a perfect realization of pop-punk. But I gave up writing about it because all my takes came back to a key element: Bad Cop/Bad Cop is a band of women.

I gave up because it felt reductive. It should not matter in the grand scheme of things that this fucking fantastic record is written and recorded by four women as opposed to four men or a mixed group. It took the election for me to come to my senses and see that the composition matters but at the same time it doesn't.

Let's take the song "Cheers!". It's one of those perfect pop-punk tunes. At just over four minutes it is a quintessential "I am doing a shitty job of getting over you" song. As a former bartender the imagery is pitch perfect. But the artistry is just unbelievable. Watch the video:

There's a moment after the ladies launch into chorus for the first time. The brief rest of "this one's to chase" is such a technically savvy move that it gives me shivers every time. 

Of course then they launch into a second refrain where we just graced with the bass. In a moment evocative of the Mad Caddies Linh carries the song forward and we get to watch Stacey dance. Let me tell you something - when the band looks like they're having a good time it's hard not to smile right along with them. Of course the way Jennie goes into the lyric "cheap shots" is so heartbreakingly perfect that it makes me want to down some well bourbon just for the burn. And all the while Myra is keeping perfect time until we end the song with some shout along vocals. 

The song is perfection.

How about a contrast? Punk often prides itself on being progressive in its values. Equality is a hallmark and one that should be pushed to the forefront. That being said representation is lacking. Take a listen to the Have Nots' "Louisville Slugger": 

The song is important in its message against domestic violence and that of supporting women. However it still has a reductive stance of white male protectors coming to the rescue of white women. I still like the song but the more I listen to it the more problems I find. Because it says that the only answer to this is violence. 

It isn't about rescue it's about revenge.

Bad Cop/Bad Cop tackles the same subject in "Sugarcane" 

There are similar messages - "I'll use a fucking hammer on his face" is not subtle. What "Sugarcane" does that "Louisville Slugger" does not is that it emphasizes the self worth of the main character rather than focus on the revenge against the abuser. The shift in the focus makes this a story about a woman instead of one about her friend seeking retribution. 

Again the song is a four chord wonder played at not-quite-breakneck pace. At under three minutes "Sugarcane" has the blood of No Use for a Name and Teenage Bottlerocket running through its veins. 

There are other awesome tracks - "Joey Lawrence" instantly belongs in my "woah-oh" hall of fame while "The 'Wood" takes on gentrification in a neat package. However I want to close on the track that encouraged me to revisit the review. "Support" is a fist raising anthem designed to close out sets and leave the crowd wanting more. We need this song now more than ever.

You're with us or against us

It's yes or no

You're silence is defense 

of the status quo

If you support me

Then come and join me

We're on our own

An Obstacle

It's Monday. A new week has started. I spent most of yesterday struggling to write an article. I write about the card game Magic and I never realized what a privilege it has been to do so. I do not just mean the fact that I can trade my words for some capital but rather the mindset required to be able to devote time and energy to a hobby.

To something in the grand scheme of thing does not matter.

It was not until yesterday, wracked by guilt and fear, that I realized that not only is it a privilege to write but it is precisely because I am privileged that I have shared my words.

My words have not been those of the oppressed or downtrodden. They were words of enjoyment and diversion. This week I had a hard time focusing on anything as I started to contemplate the next four years in America.

I somehow finished my work, realizing that maybe the article will provide a brief respite for others like me. 

My mind has been my greatest impediment these days. I try to focus on tasks but I fear the future. I hate where my mind goes but it always lands on those words:

"Never forget."

Has American forgotten? 

No; so many never knew.

As my mind is wont to do it wanders. I imagine a time eight years ago where those on the other side of the aisle had just lost an election. I stop myself - thinking of them as the "other side" will not help us move forward, but neither will ignoring their opposition.

Another obstacle.

What is different about these two times? Is our fear any more real?

This is the problem of focusing on feelings and not facts. Eight years ago a candidate some people did not like was elected but that same candidate did not overtly go after citizens and their way of life.

Today I choked up on the phone, calling organizations imploring them to never forget.

And again, hope. Maybe American won't forget. Maybe this time it will be different and the structure will protect us. It is this hope I cling to. It is with this hope that every day when I ask people "Is it time to leave?" that the answer will forever remain no.

My Grandfather, the Ass

I got married at the tail end of March 2015. My father's father was not able to attend as he was in failing health. He passed away a few weeks later and thankfully we were able to focus on the wedding as a salve. 

My grandfather was a veteran of two wars. He got a military funeral in a cold April rain. My family still has the flag and the plaque, proudly displayed with President Obama's signature.

In the following months I learned exactly what an unabashed asshole my grandfather was. He and my grandmother never planned to grow old and had no retirement. Instead of selling a home they simply defaulted on their mortgage and moved out. He promised to repay my father's student loans. It was a nice promise until the collection agents called my dad.

He was kind but acerbic. I loved him and thought he was progressive since he embraced my aunt when she came out and let my dad work as a bus boy in an illegal gay bar in the 60s. I later learned my aunt's relationship with my grandparents was terse and functional. 

My mom has said of my father's parents that they had kids because that's what you did, not because they wanted to raise a family.

Like I said, kind of an asshole.

But today I can't help but think he saved my sister's life and I wish he was around to save my cousin's.

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My grandfather was a Corp Man in the Navy. I had no idea what that was until I asked. I learned he was a field medic. During World War II and Korea my grandfather was on the front lines and he saved men. He saw a lot of men die.

He never talked about it.

The stories he would share are the ones from his first tour of duty. His boat once had to rescue a provisions ship. The result was they all had to eat ice cream for a week. That's a great story to tell children, right?

He never talked about Korea. He felt swindled. He joined the Reserves to hang out with his drinking buddies when war broke out. He had a family and was not happy. He did his duty. He saved men.

He saw some shit. 

When my sister was contemplating how to pay for medical school she had considered the army. Grandpa heard and he was not having it. He talked her out of it.

My sister is now a doctor. I'm pretty sure Grandpa saved her life.

---

My cousin is getting close to graduating high school. He's being raised by my other aunt as a single mother. Later in life my grandparents moved in with them and our grandfather became a stabilizing force in my cousin's life. 

At my sister's wedding this past weekend I asked my aunt my cousin still wanted my help with the college process. She somberly replied he wanted to join the Navy.

I have to be an asshole now and I will do so gladly.

I love you Grandpa. I miss you.

But I'm really happy you died under Obama so that we didn't have to destroy the recognition of your service.

Questions

We got some sleep.

Yesterday my wife and I texted more than usual. We discussed the mood at our places of employment and what to have for dinner. One thing we agreed upon was that we were both exhausted.

Ravioli, red sauce, red wine, and catching up on television shows. Last night was a pure escape. We laughed and it felt good. We slept and it felt better.

I'm still processing the impact of the election. I have no illusion that change will come. But I don't do well with unknowns so I go into the next few months with a knot in my stomach every day.

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It has been especially hard for me to keep off of Twitter. I create content and connect with a community all through the platform. While Twitter is wonderful and in some ways a comfort it has been nothing of the sort since the election was called. 

I still check it way too often. I check it looking for an answer. 

I check it in the hope that a leader has emerged that will help guide us to the next election.

There is a movement forming - I can see that - but there are so many questions. So much blame.

How did this happen? What did the Democrats do right? What did they do wrong?

Did they do anything wrong? They won the popular vote after all.

Should we sympathize with the other side and work with them or rise up as a defiant force?

What can I do to protect my friends who do not have privilege?

What can I do to protect my family when we become the target?

Will we make it?

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These questions do not have answers yet. There have already been too many words written over these and more. I am writing this to give myself direction. I hope it helps.

I will continue to use my position of privilege as someone who inhabits a white male body to help those who do not have the same status as me.

I will look for ways to get involved and give my time and resources when I can.

I will care.

I do not look to members of the Democratic Party who have said they will do their job with any disdain today. When one side has gone eight years by being an obstruction I look to the other to be a beacon of how things should be done on the job. That being said I find the final phrase of Sanders' statement to be telling. 

I stand with the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. 

---

The truth is that there is no one answer. We of course want one because our world has been driven into a binary world view when in fact we are multitudes. 

One day there will be a textbook that describes what happened and it will be insufficient. Maybe the more advanced edition will go into details. The cause of the Civil War was slavery. The cause of the Civil War was the result of industry. Both are true and neither are false.

There is not one answer.

There is not one answer on how to move forward but to everyone on the same side of the aisle as me I say let's get it all out of our system.

Let's ask the questions and have discourse and learn. Let's argue with each other today and the other side tomorrow. Let us find our voices.

We are multitudes, but we can also be one. 

Hope

I've been trying to put my finger on this feeling. 

It is the familiar dull ache. Exhausted but can't sleep. Trudge through the day, defeated, but coming to terms with the future. 

Loss is not the right word. I've lost people and will lose more and it is not that.

The last time I felt this way I was 17 years old. I was in my Brooklyn high school. It was September 11, 2001.

I remember walking home in a haze - there were no busses - as ashes still fell. I worried about my sister, stuck in the Bronx and my father, working on Long Island. I got nervous about seeing my mom again anytime soon since she worked in the northernmost borough but then I remembered she wore her old running shoes that day. True to form she walked home.

I cried to her. I cried because it was unknown and because I feared a draft. I wanted to go to college and do something with my life and I saw the upcoming conflict as an event that could take that path away. 

But I didn't get drafted. I did not go to war. Somehow I healed. Somehow in February of 2002 I got on a plane and went to look at a college that I'd later attend as a graduate student. 

The election is not 9/11 but it is no less a fork in the road. I, perhaps naively, believed that the country would continue along the progressive agenda that aligned with my ideals. If history teaches anything it is that we will find that road at some point.

I will be okay. And I will use my privilege as a platform to do what I can for those who may not be okay. If you are able to please do the same. 

I hope that in five months I'm okay getting on a plane again. 

In the words of Kurt Vonnegut, "God damn it, you've got to be kind."

Cardhoarder's Pauper Challenge

Tonight Cardhoarder is starting its Pauper Challenge. Sixteen different streamers will battle in two separate groups of 8 in Round Robin style. After these rounds, the top two from each group will advance to a Top 4 single elimination playoff. This is the first streamed Pauper competition of note so I thought I would take some time to break down the different pools and potential matchups. Decks, players, and schedule can be found here.

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Group A

Robert Stan, UB Control: I have this as the seventh best deck in the pool. Dimir Control tends to be Teachings based and while this deck has traded that package for more answers it seems poorly positioned against its field. I have a hard time seeing Echoing Decay doing work and while Soul Manipulation is a great card, having four on top of four Exclude is overkill especially against quicker decks. With no other Gurmag Angler decks, Doom Blade is well positioned in this pool.

Max Longitude, Stompy: I rank Max as the fourth best deck in the group. The two Izzet Blitz decks could prove problematic but at the same time he could get the jump on Murasa Tron and UB Control. Stompy has an edge over Freed Combo thanks to maindeck Vines of the Vastwood and its ability to win with Groundswell. Jeskai is a toss up.

Jeff Hoogland, Murasa Tron: I may be biased but I have Hoogland’s deck as number one in this field (and possibly the competition). Murasa Tron has a decent matchup with all the decks in the pool with Blitz and Stompy being on the tougher end. Hoogland has moved to include copies of Chainer’s Edict which goes a long way in keeping Nivix Cyclops and friends in check.

Paul Pires and Tim Sussino, Izzet Blitz: I have these as the second and third best decks in Group A. I give Paul and edge due to the extra Pyroblast in his sideboard (but I like Tim’s mana a bit more). These decks are fast enough to win before Freed, Dimir, and Tron can come online and have consistently given the removal light Stompy deck fits. Jeskai is again, a toss up, but if Blitz can survive the first few turns with a threat it can often punch through.

Romario Neto. Jeskai Midrange: So it is no secret I dislike Jeskai and I have it as the fifth best deck in this group. I just do not see a ton of good matchups in this pool - it has no MBC to try and out-value and only one random creature deck to try and beat with removal. Maybe it swaps places with Freed Combo but even then I can see that match coming down to who draws the better openers two out of three games.

Ben Petrino, WB Rebels: Sorry Ben, you have my pick for the eighth best deck. Rebels are at their best against a field that is slow and grindy where it can stick a threat. While Jeskai is slow, it has removal for your threats. Murasa Tron may be grindy but it has a better end game. I have a hard time seeing a scenario where this deck makes it to the elimination rounds. The saving grace is four copies of Circle of Protection: Red against Blitz, but with Flaring Pain it may simply be too slow.

Jay Capone, Freed Combo: Freed is one of those decks that is great when it’s unexpected, but given the field it has to fight through I am less than hopeful. Jay cut a lot of redundancy from the deck (like Wind Zendikon) and is not running Valakut Invoker, tutorable by Drift of Phantasms, as an elegant win condition. Freed is fragile and with zero copies of Moment’s Peace may simply not have enough time against the aggressive strategies.

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Group B

Dave Sea, Dimir Delver: A fairly stock list I have Dave’s deck as the fourth best in this group. This pool is soft to a resolved threat and Gurmag Angler with countermagic backup is a strong game plan. The deck may struggle with Mono-Black Control, Elves, and Teachings but at the same time could easily ignore these problems. I have it ahead of Elves thanks the presence of two MBC decks with maindeck board wipes, but think Dave will struggle against Elves.

Kevin Gomez, Elves: Speaking of Elves, Kevin’s deck is missing its natural prey in Delver. Elves normally struggles against MBC and I don’t expect this trend to stop in the Challenge. Teachings may be problematic with it’s copies of Evincar’s Justice but Elves can produce a lot of power quickly. I do wish he had a way to “go big” in the sideboard but I can’t really complain with the deck presented.

MTGBlogger and Andrew Parnell, Mono-Black Control: I have these as the first and second best decks in the group (the lists are identical) and the group is rather vulnerable to a deck that can just attempt card advantage every turn. A paucity of blue decks means that the disruption from MBC may be good enough in those matchups and chaining together copies of Gray Merchant of Asphodel is a great way to win. Three Anglers is greedy, but I doubt it will hurt these two much.

EDIT: I inadvertently left this entry out
Kevin Poncelet, Acid Trip: I am not a fan of Acid Trip in abstract. To me it is a slow plodding deck that really takes until turn four to start doing anything. However it is uniquely well positioned in this field. While Dave and Ian have the tools to stop Kevin from getting his ball rolling, I'd only classify Kevin Gomez's Elves as being able to produce too many threats to handle. The MBC matchups look like coinflips with only two copies of Reality Acid.

Scott Gerhardt, Rebel Tron: The sixth best deck in Group B, Scott’s deck has the same problems as Ben’s except it is in a field with three decks with maindeck board wipes. I’m not sure this deck will be able to get the jump on opponents if it only has five untapped white sources for turn one. I see a lot of awkward draws for Scott in this tournament.

Pay the Toll, GB Sac: If you know me you know how much I love Carrion Feeder. My feelings for the card make what I am about to say that much harder: I have this as the worst deck in Group B. With only four sacrifice outlets this deck incredibly soft to Edict effects, of which there are many in this pool. Nine untapped lands is far too few for a deck with so many one drops and I worry that this deck will get run over before it can even generate its first bit of value.

Ian, UB Teachings: I do not love how Teachings decks are built these days. Ian does not skimp on finishers and that is one reason I have this list as the third best in Group B (behind the two MBC builds). Instead of relying on Accumulated Knowledge for card advantage Ian has Mulldrifter and Deep Analysis so he can actually draw cards. His copies of Doom Blade are worse than Robert’s but Wretched Banquet could be great against Dave. Kevin may prove problematic but I think that comes down to the die roll. The fact that Ian has tons of card draw main makes his matchups against MBC easier but I am concerned with the lack of creature specific counters to leverage against Gray Merchant.

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There you have it, my take on the 16 decks in Cardhoarder’s Pauper Challenge. My only question is - where’s the Delver? It’s not as if that deck would dominate the field, but did no one want to play Spellstutter Sprite? Really?

Activate The Falcon

The Falcon is your cool uncle. You know the one - young enough to be your older cousin but old enough to buy you that first can of Milwaukee's Best. He's the guy who is always holding at a family function, all too eager to share the experience with his younger relations. The hair goes gray and the gut grows but those gnarled fingers clutch tightly to the youth you represent. He's the best guy to hang out with at the holidays but the twilight of happy drunk and overdoing it shrinks every year.

The Falcon is a punk supergroup of musicians who are intimately aware of their own mortality and it makes for an intense musical experience.

It's odd that I the band struck a chord with me when it did. When I found their music, I wanted to think of anything other than the end. I was trapped in a situation and sought refuge in the culture I so desperately wanted to embrace me. A deep dive into the catalog of the Lawrence Arms and scrounging of the internet for anything related to their unique take on the wide world of punk led me to The Falcon. Brendan Kelly's vocals help carry both bands and fell into the kind of love you only hear about in high school dramas. 

The chugging bass at the start of this song combined with the "woah ohs" in the chorus spoke to the ska part of my soul. The rasp and gang vocals pulled me in; I was hopelessly hooked. 

The structure of a song pulls me in. I can't get enough of a simple major scale progression punctuated with gang vocals. You scroll through my favorite songs and the word "anthem" should come to mind. So I was blissfully unaware of the dark recesses of The Falcon's soul. And then I heard "Unicorn Odyssey."

The same ska rhythms are there - the focus on the 2nd and 4th beat of a measure as opposed to the 1st and 3rd. We also have the woahs I love so much. But there's something else in this song - pain. The song goes on and the characters grow older. 

But punk and ska aren't about growing old - the genre is about rebellion and the fire of youth in many respects. Here, though, at the end of the song we are transported to that moment when childhood and adolescence dies. The second when we get Old. At that time in my life, I didn't want to hear about this moment. I wanted to hear about unbridled hope and the possibility of something better. Yet the anthems of the end were what I fell for and somehow it made it everything better. 

The fact that in the end it didn't matter that we aged but rather how we got there, that's what I took away from The Falcon's first record almost ten years ago. A few weeks back they released a second album, Gather Up the Chaps, with a lineup consisting of Kelly, Dave Hause (The Loved Ones), Dan Adriano (Alkaline Trio), and Neil Hennesy (The Lawrence Arms). The Falcon takes every ounce of their age and squeezes it into 30 minutes.

The record is less optimistic than some of the artist's work on a similar subject matter. "Player Hater Anthem", the closing track from Keep Your Heart stares the progression of time in the eye and raises a blistered middle finger to the entire concept of getting old. 

The Lawrence Arms' "Seventeener" off of Metropole is distilled reflection on the realities of a body physically succumbing to the tick of the clock and trying to find solace in the actions of youth.

Gather Up the Chaps is raising that same middle finger but it is gnarled like birch. Every song on the record is played full bore as if the speaker's vibrations are going to ward off the Reaper for a few minutes longer. 

"War of Colossus" expounds on this point. "But you hate that boy in the mirror/You hate that boy in your clothes/I'm kinda starting to hate that boy too and I don't give a shit if he knows." This reluctant acceptance of change goes hand in hand with getting older. The song progresses and we find that the character is defiant in the lurch forward "Let's get some liquor and set it off right/I bet that we could get higher/I bet that we could get higher/They say dying's for cowards and liars/But I wanna try." Defiant, sure, but in the end the song continues and no one dies. 

The Hause led "If Dave Did It" is a substance fueled rampage in a bar where the enemy is one's own demons - "Whatever he's got that I ain't got/It's only in my head." Again, we have the confrontation between someone and a male other, a potential younger self. 

"You Dumb Dildos" is a full band vocal masterpiece where Adriano implores the world "Punched me in the gut/Now I'm bleeding inside/Put a needle in my arm/And pinned open my eyes/Are you ever gonna let me die?" Kelly ends his verse with "This world was so beautiful/But I stopped at the bar." The haunting final bridge sounds like every internal monologue after three too many beers as you try to blink back the oncoming nausea. 

"Black Teeth" ends the romp of an album with the invocation:

When we all fall out, the crowd will be shouting 

When we all fall out, the blood will be pounding 

When we all fall out, you'll be crying about it

What you crying about?

That's the thing, of course - there's nothing to cry about it getting old. The Uncle knew it, and so does The Falcon. 

A funny thing happened as I was working on this piece - I got old fast. I'm 32 years old and thought I was in good health. Some tests revealed I actually have Crohn's Disease and I'll be starting treatment in a few weeks. Very little in my day to day life is going to change, but as I digested the news I kept listening to this record. Nothing was the same - the body of my youth had started to betray me. In The Falcon I found solace. Yes, we all get older, but that does not mean we have to let time go unchallenged. You raise up the birch branch and plow headlong into the future. 

That's the ultimate message here: there's always tomorrow. 

Until there isn't.

On the Organized Play Changes

Yesterday during the Top 8 of Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad, Director of Global Organized Play Helene Bergeot took to the news desk to announce some broad changes to the way Professional level Magic will work moving forward. The aspect of her announcement that was heard loudest was the reduction in Platinum Pro appearance fees. Platinum Pros are the all-stars of Pro Magic and slashing their Pro Tour appearance fee per event from $3,000 to $250 is drastic. While there is more prize money going to a marquee event - the World Championships - there is still a ton to unpack in this announcement.

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Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way - the timing of this bombshell was horrific.

No, it was worse than that.

While this announcement was surely scheduled well in advance of Sunday, April 24th, the calendar confluence could not have been worse. The story going into the day was that we were witnessing a Top 8 for the ages.

The elimination rounds featured three Hall of Famers. One - Jon Finkel - is just adding to his Greatest of All Time resume. Another - Luis Scott-Vargas - is an affable ambassador for the game who does so much for growing Magic I could write an entire article just on that. But here is a picture that helps sum it up:

(Corbin) Definitely my favorite moment of the weekend so far at #GPDetroit. pic.twitter.com/VNJdMHQZVh

— Magic Pro Tour (@magicprotour) March 6, 2016

Then there’s Shota Yasooka, who continues to be a force unto himself. Brad Nelson finally found another Pro Tour Top 8 after his Player of the Year season over 5 years ago. Seth Manfield is the reigning World Champion and has spoken about how this may be his last go around now that he has a young child. Luis Salvatto made the Top 8 for the first time and gave Argentina its first Sunday stage in years. Andrea Mengucci made his second Top 8 after leading Italy to a World Magic Cup victory. Eventual champion Steve Rubin was the quietest Platinum Pro last season and notched a win in his first Top 8.

There is a tome worth of tales there but what was everyone talking about on Sunday? The changes to appearance fees.

Pro Tour Sunday has, for better or worse, become the primary avenue for disseminating important information for the upcoming year with regards to professional play. So it made sense to have this announced in the predetermined slot.

It also made no sense at all. Not only did it completely overshadow the event itself (which was awesome) the timing of the change means that people who have been flying around the world in pursuit of making it the Platinum are left in the lurch.

Before even having an opportunity to see the fruits of their labor it’s rotted off the vine.

Which brings me to the next point - the timing of this change in the context of the history of Magic.

The last time there was a massive change in the Pro Tour was during the 2008 season. At this time a pro tour was being removed from the schedule and Professional Levels were being redone. There was a huge outcry from the Professional and Fan community alike and there was plenty of discussion surrounding the change. Pro players and Wizards staff came together to try and find a solution.

That season came during a low point for the game. Time Spiral and Lorwyn were loved by entrenched players but did not succeed in attracting new players. It was around this time that there was greater talk of acquisition and this led to New World Order. Once fully implemented with Zendikar, Magic started a string of “Most Successful Year Ever” where each year surpassed the achievements of the one prior.

So why did this change happen in 2016 if the game is continuing to grow? The 2015-16 season has seen a reduction in Grand Prix video coverage. When taken in context with the Escape Room events at Grand Prix Melbourne, Bolgona, and Detroit we can infer a few things. First is that Wizards is continuing to push acquisition but it now wants to also push immersion. Magic is far more than a game for a large portion of people who play it. Focusing on this population - those with no aspirations of making the Tour - makes good business sense. Second, Wizards may be aiming a proportional amount of funds at the number of customers affected. There are far fewer Platinum Pros than Commander Players.

I do not think this is the right mindset (if it is even accurate) and I’ll return to this point later.

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Magic is entering a new phase of storytelling. The Origins Five are the new protagonists and the story is going to take place in a more sequential manner. The last time there was a huge reboot to the way the story was told, the introduction of Planeswalkers, was between Time Spiral and Lorwyn. If the game wants to do the same thing with its Professional Players, why make these cuts?

I have no good reasoning for this other than it wants to tell new stories and these changes are designed to push a new crop of pro to the forefront.

But this is terrible in terms of acquisition and visibility. Visibility matters now more than ever for a broadcast game. While Hearthstone and other games may not qualify as “competitors” to those in charge they certainly compete for players and viewers. Magic is the greatest game in the world and it should be seen as such. Focusing on the All-Stars should be a priority. In order to focus on these players they need to be able to attend events and support the lifestyle.

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Which begs the question - what does it mean to be a Professional Magic Player? If Wizards wants professional players then the players need to be able to earn a living from playing the game. Matt Sperling has some thoughts about how this may tie to the change and I would recommend giving his piece a read. It appears on the surface that Wizards wants professional players but does not want the onus of having to pay them. On some level this makes sense - Major League Baseball does not pay salaries, individual teams are responsible for that.

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So does Wizards want to move to a sponsorship model? Is that a bad thing?

The mistake here is thinking that sponsorship does not already happen. Every writer is sponsored by their site and many Professional Testing teams are affiliated with a business. Most of those businesses are Magic websites (StarCityGames, ChannelFireball) but at least one - Team UltraPro - is sponsored by a product. The Vintage Super League is sponsored by Puca Trade and has ads for other products. The successful Star City Games Tour is funded by the associated business. Sponsorship is happening and it looks like it may be coming to the Pro Tour.

But there are problems with this. Sponsors want visible competitors and by removing the incentive for the Magic’s best to keep battling it creates a gap where Platinums would be literally playing for exposure and as anyone who has been asked to do work for exposure knows that notoriety doesn’t buy you breakfast.

So how bad is this? These come from the voices of the Pro Tour:

My heart goes out to all affected by Pro Club changes. I know what the benefits of Platinum means to you and I hope a remedy can be found

— Brian David-Marshall (@Top8Games) April 25, 2016

Tough times for many MTG friends. You're an awesome bunch, and I dearly hope you get to continue doing the thing you love. As ever, R.

— Richard Hagon (@MTGRich) April 25, 2016

From Magic’s stars:

All of a sudden, I'm not very happy about clinching platinum yesterday. It means I'm not sure I can continue playing. #PTSOI

— Joel Larsson (@JoelLarsson1991) April 24, 2016

GG Pro magic. Lets go next game, #mtg

— 渡辺雄也/Yuuya Watanabe (@nabe1218) April 24, 2016

I hit Platinum last weekend and could finally count with a salary as a Magic Pro. Today it was announced that I don't have a salary anymore

— Fabrizio Anteri (@Anteri_F) April 24, 2016

Flying home, feeling more like I did after 0-5ing PT Brussels than anything else. Hoping for good news soon, feeling like everyone else.

— Luis Scott-Vargas (@lsv) April 25, 2016

There are more, of course.

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So how does this get fixed? First Wizards needs to promise the players that are Platinum that their benefits will be honored for the 2016-17 season. These people put in the time and effort and they succeeded at the game. They should be rewarded in line with what they were told.

Second, Wizards needs to find a better way to support professional level players. I am not saying it needs to be at the same level they had in the past but they should help to support these people play the game at the highest level and make it possible to do so.

Announcements regarding professional play should be timed so that those directly affected have time to make decisions before deciding to pursue the quest for Platinum. Remove the “feel bad” press releases from Pro Tour Sunday and save them for another time. I know Wizards wants as many eyes on those as possible but doing so can detract from the main event which runs contrary to having the Pro Tour.

Magic also needs to figure out how to cover its events. It is not a fast paced game like League of Legends or Hearthstone. Trying to mimic those brands won’t work for Magic. Yes, gameplay is important, but so are the stories of the players. The stories have to be the focus, and for that the game needs professional players.

Wizards is not George RR Martin and can’t keep creating new protagonists.

Why do I care? I’m not a pro and have no real aspirations of ever making the tour. I’m a writer for a niche format and an editor on a site. My job is the cover the game in some capacity.

Yet I love the stories. Magic has a rich history that should be told over and over. I may never make it to the Top 8 on Sunday but being able to debate which Top 8 is better- Kai’s Chicago or Rubin’s Madrid - is something I want to do over beers. Players all over the world should be talking about the Pro Tour the way generations past tried to figure out who was the best in centerfield - Willie, Mickey, or the Duke? I’m invested in this game because I love it and it’s part of my life. These debates should happen and Wizards should encourage the discussion.

In the ongoing history of Magic I hope this moment is a footnote and not a chapter.