turgy22
Nothing Special
I just stumbled across this website and wanted to hear some other opinions on the subject. It seems that WotC cut one of the pro tour events, so a few players decided to form a union to protest this change. I'm guessing this is because one less PT means less money to the pros, so it's sort of like these people feel like they're getting a pay cut. Now this is exactly the sort of thing that bothers me about people who take Magic so seriously.
(Begin rant.)
A Union? A UNION?!! Are you freaking kidding me? I mean, who do these people think they are? You get paid to play Magic! Anything that Wizards is willing to give you to play the game is gravy. You contribute absolutely nothing to society. Enjoy anything you can get and get a real job if you're having trouble making ends meet.
Magic is not a spectator sport. Nobody (in their right mind) pays to see professional Magic players compete. This isn't baseball or football or basketball or even hockey. If every pro Magic player goes on strike, nobody will care, because WotC makes money from card sales, not the sale of tickets to professional matches. People will still buy cards without the PT. Even if all the pro players and all their lackeys stop buying cards, the real consumers, the casual players, will continue to support the game and the company without missing a beat.
A Magic player's union wouldn't even be as effective as, let's say, a transportation worker's union. If a bunch of bus drivers and subway operators go on strike, a lot of people suffer. They can't get to their jobs, production gets delayed society suffers. If a bunch of Magic players don't show up for some tournaments, a few games don't get played. That's it. And the real kicker is that if they really wanted to, the PT organizers could simply replace every pro player and most people wouldn't know the difference.
It doesn't make any sense whatsoever and simply reinforces my belief that professional Magic players have an over-inflated sense of self-worth. If you ever receive ANY compensation for playing a game, shut your mouth and enjoy it while it lasts.
(End rant.)
So that's my first impression on the subject. The absurdity of the whole situation almost made my head explode. Perhaps someone has an alternative opinion. It's not like I really care much about the rules specifics of Waylay, but apparently some people are willing to organize over that, as well.
Thoughts?
(Begin rant.)
A Union? A UNION?!! Are you freaking kidding me? I mean, who do these people think they are? You get paid to play Magic! Anything that Wizards is willing to give you to play the game is gravy. You contribute absolutely nothing to society. Enjoy anything you can get and get a real job if you're having trouble making ends meet.
Magic is not a spectator sport. Nobody (in their right mind) pays to see professional Magic players compete. This isn't baseball or football or basketball or even hockey. If every pro Magic player goes on strike, nobody will care, because WotC makes money from card sales, not the sale of tickets to professional matches. People will still buy cards without the PT. Even if all the pro players and all their lackeys stop buying cards, the real consumers, the casual players, will continue to support the game and the company without missing a beat.
A Magic player's union wouldn't even be as effective as, let's say, a transportation worker's union. If a bunch of bus drivers and subway operators go on strike, a lot of people suffer. They can't get to their jobs, production gets delayed society suffers. If a bunch of Magic players don't show up for some tournaments, a few games don't get played. That's it. And the real kicker is that if they really wanted to, the PT organizers could simply replace every pro player and most people wouldn't know the difference.
It doesn't make any sense whatsoever and simply reinforces my belief that professional Magic players have an over-inflated sense of self-worth. If you ever receive ANY compensation for playing a game, shut your mouth and enjoy it while it lasts.
(End rant.)
So that's my first impression on the subject. The absurdity of the whole situation almost made my head explode. Perhaps someone has an alternative opinion. It's not like I really care much about the rules specifics of Waylay, but apparently some people are willing to organize over that, as well.
Thoughts?