Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

  1. #1
    (previously Metalwalker)
    GGoober's Avatar
    Join Date

    Mar 2008
    Location

    Houston, TX
    Posts

    1,647

    [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/m...Pro_Magic.html

    (If this needs to be moved to another section, please move it, or if it's not related to thesource.discussion, delete it.)

    Not Legacy related but I think it opens up some discussion for people who take the game too seriously and failing to find some balances with real-life.

    Once again, all opinions and comments to the articles will be subjective depending on the reader's experiences and interest in the game. My personal opinions are:

    This article exemplifies very accurately the danger of taking a game way too seriously. He outlines his desires and passion for the game, and that it is possibly the most important thing to him in life. The article gets into conflicts with his wife, who was looking at life from a practical point of view in terms of stability. In the end, the wife gives in and realizes that she has been the 'most horrible wife' for not supporting his dreams and goals.

    I find that throughout the article, he was primarily word-bashing his wife, and having his wife submit in the end that he was right, and she was wrong, in a situation where he is in fact truly unstable in terms of non-Magic life. It's a little scary to see that many people actually support the writer in his decision and stand alongside him instead of his wife. I love this game, but I think this article is a very good one for myself and many others to re-evaluate the difference between passion and obsession, between logical decisions in real-life v.s. fantasies.

    I respect passion and obsessiveness (I am a very obsessive person myself), but this article was a little frightening. Also, who posts THIS MUCH detail about their personal life anyway on the internet? Not to mention it's an article that's all about himself, his life, his dreams, with little emphasis on his wife's difficult decisions to support him FINANCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY and respecting his dreams/passions. Todd, you have someone who really stands by and support you. Your happiest day in life isn't because of this:

    Today was quite possibly the best day of my life. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. The sun was shining through the windows when I woke up. I made a trip to the bank, and ate my favorite type of food for lunch (Indian). I came home and played Magic Online for a few hours, waiting for Kali to come home. I did laundry, straightened up the house a little bit, and ate a fantastic dinner with great friends. I came home and played some Ascension with my wife, and I sat down to write this article. I was genuinely happy, and I'm really looking forward to the days to come.

    I'm not telling you that you should quit your job and try to play Magic for a living. I don't recommend it to anyone, because it is very difficult and not overly profitable. But I love it… and that's really all you can ask for in an occupation.
    Your happiest day in your life is really because you have a very understanding and supporting wife, but you are failing to understand where that happiness comes from. If the source is from MTG, you have perhaps become too caught in your own life and interests to think for others that care about you.

    Oh god, why am I so serious about the internet lol. What do you think?
    Decks that I care about:
    Steel Stompy
    UWx Landstill
    Dreadstalker
    DDFT (10% practice)

    Mangara on MWS? You must be masochistic. -kiblast
    Quote Originally Posted by Gheizen64 View Post
    REB is a fantastic sideboard card against blue... in blue decks :/

  2. #2
    Bands with Others
    menace13's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jul 2009
    Location

    NY, NY
    Posts

    1,220

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Todd received a lot of responses like yours in the comments section of his article and other articles on the same site as well. I agree with most of your words, but I have to pause and consider the age we are in. Everything is on the net and privacy is becoming more of a rare thing, probably done to boost views. I'm sure it was written with her consent and I hope they are both happy with one another.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cavius The Great View Post
    Respect my shine bitch!

  3. #3
    Site Contributor
    Esper3k's Avatar
    Join Date

    Dec 2008
    Location

    Houston, TX
    Posts

    2,057

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Yeah pretty much what I got from the article is that he didn't want to work a real job (while she does) and then mentally bludgeoned his wife into continuing to financially support him while he's doing this.

  4. #4
    Just call me Dick.
    Richard Cheese's Avatar
    Join Date

    Feb 2011
    Location

    Your mom's house.
    Posts

    2,106

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Is it just me or do articles like this just seem completely fucking pointless? It's just another rehash of a story told so many times that at this point we're just playing the horse's rib cage like a goddamned xylophone.

    Strip away all the fluff and cliches, and you get:
    I quit my job waiting tables to pursue my dream to play Magic professionally. My wife wasn't very happy about it and it really tested our marriage, but she stuck by me and everything is ok now.
    Of course, had he not been in one of the few jobs where you really do have to work every weekend, he probably could have pursued Magic without making his wife justifiably angry...
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  5. #5
    Magic; Serious Business
    NyxathidHorror's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2011
    Posts

    55

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Quote Originally Posted by Esper3k View Post
    Yeah pretty much what I got from the article is that he didn't want to work a real job (while she does) and then mentally bludgeoned his wife into continuing to financially support him while he's doing this.
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Cheese View Post
    Is it just me or do articles like this just seem completely fucking pointless?
    Exactly what I was thinking...

  6. #6
    Member

    Join Date

    Feb 2008
    Location

    Houston, TX
    Posts

    136

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    When a society's economic fundamentals become strong, there are more opportunities for people to survive and even prosper as a result of that economy's energy without actually contributing very much if anything of real value.

    Whether growing it themselves or going to the market and trading, most of our ancestors a generation or two ago had to worry about where the food was coming from on a daily basis. It didn't matter if that wasn't what made them "truly happy".

    There are needs and wants, and some countries' economies have reached the point where the majority of their citizens can't tell the difference anymore. Of course, it also feels like a correction is coming for exactly that reason.

    Economic parasites suck!

  7. #7

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    As far as I can understand, he is supporting himself financially with the 20k he just won playing mtg. The wisest decision would probably to use the money to go back to school or do something marketable with his life, but he's earned it and if he wants to spend it to play pro magic for 6 months, it's his decision.

  8. #8

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Quote Originally Posted by Esper3k View Post
    Yeah pretty much what I got from the article is that he didn't want to work a real job (while she does) and then mentally bludgeoned his wife into continuing to financially support him while he's doing this.
    I can't be bothered to try to make sense of all of that article, but it seems a reciprocal thing

    "Home. The word didn't sound right. This place where I'd been wallowing for hours, possibly days, was anything but home. I had lived most of it through hollow eyes and a drunken stupor. This was the place we'd chosen to move to so that Kali could live here and have her dream job, and I could try to make a place for myself amidst her success"

    Anyway, guy does sound like a proper junkie at times :/

  9. #9
    (previously Metalwalker)
    GGoober's Avatar
    Join Date

    Mar 2008
    Location

    Houston, TX
    Posts

    1,647

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Quote Originally Posted by makochman View Post
    I can't be bothered to try to make sense of all of that article, but it seems a reciprocal thing

    "Home. The word didn't sound right. This place where I'd been wallowing for hours, possibly days, was anything but home. I had lived most of it through hollow eyes and a drunken stupor. This was the place we'd chosen to move to so that Kali could live here and have her dream job, and I could try to make a place for myself amidst her success"

    Anyway, guy does sound like a proper junkie at times :/
    Or it could sound like a guy who's trying to guide the readers to interpret his article that he sacrificed his personal life/decisions to move in with his wife so that she can have a career path and he is braving the hardships of life as a result, and now that he is in a difficult position, she should be forced to reciprocate the 'sacrifice' he made.

    Notice that he mentions "her dream job", which further makes you feel that he was having his dreams shattered when he decides to quit his crappy job and pursue a dream, only to find his wife not being 'supportive' of that dream. You know, it's not that she isn't unsupportive of your dreams, it's more like you got to get the basics in life right before you even talk about dreams.

    I think someone mentioned to me that his wife actually works at SCG as a event coordinator. I mean, it's not even a real sacrifice on his end if he already has a super supportive wife that is also a gamer/nerd. This is not even in the situation of dating a hot chick that hates gamers/nerds.

    Anyway, menace13 sums it up "I hope that they are both well", but if Todd is trying to induce empathy in his situation (which he clearly is a try-hard in this article), he has failed miserably and the only person I empathize with is his wife. But hope this article wakes him up even if he intended it for entirely different purpose than the way it turned out.
    Decks that I care about:
    Steel Stompy
    UWx Landstill
    Dreadstalker
    DDFT (10% practice)

    Mangara on MWS? You must be masochistic. -kiblast
    Quote Originally Posted by Gheizen64 View Post
    REB is a fantastic sideboard card against blue... in blue decks :/

  10. #10
    Site Contributor
    Esper3k's Avatar
    Join Date

    Dec 2008
    Location

    Houston, TX
    Posts

    2,057

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Quote Originally Posted by Zamussels View Post
    As far as I can understand, he is supporting himself financially with the 20k he just won playing mtg. The wisest decision would probably to use the money to go back to school or do something marketable with his life, but he's earned it and if he wants to spend it to play pro magic for 6 months, it's his decision.
    Fair enough. The vibe I got from the article though was that he expected her to also financially support him while he's doing this.

    While 20k in one shot is a good amount of money, how often is he going to be able to do that and how stable will his income (on average) be?

    Just saying, if I was in a long term relationship (such as a marriage) with someone, that would be a major concern for me.

  11. #11
    Keep Calm and Brainstorm
    (nameless one)'s Avatar
    Join Date

    Apr 2009
    Location

    GTA, Ontario
    Posts

    2,878

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Speaking of Control, bet he was dissappointed when Mental Misstep got banned.
    I am convinced that WotC is "dumbing" the game because of all the stupid posts they come across on MTG-related forums
    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle View Post
    13NoVa plays Force of Will from his hand.
    Finglonger plays Spell Pierce from his hand.
    [10:22:43]  13NoVa: lol
    sure
    Finglonger points from his Dack Fayden to 13NoVa's Sol Ring.
    [10:23:04]  13NoVa: lol dumb ******; nice draws with retard.dec
    stupid cocksucker
    You have been kicked out of the game.

  12. #12
    Just call me Dick.
    Richard Cheese's Avatar
    Join Date

    Feb 2011
    Location

    Your mom's house.
    Posts

    2,106

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Quote Originally Posted by Metalwalker View Post
    I think someone mentioned to me that his wife actually works at SCG as a event coordinator.
    If this is true, it changes everything. If the guy actually moved to Roanoke, VA for his wife's career, I feel truly sorry for him.
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  13. #13
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
    Hanni's Avatar
    Join Date

    Aug 2006
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    2,818

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    If he replaced the word "Magic" with "Poker," I'd totally understand. Doesn't matter to me one way or the other, but it's definitely humorous to see how far off the path some people get with gaming. I know a few years ago, if I could have made money as a Pro World of Warcraft player, I would have totally done it. Now I'm working a solid government job and going back to school for my BBA. Looking back at those days now, I can see where this guy is coming from (sorta), but he definitely needs a wake up call IMO.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  14. #14
    Site Contributor
    Esper3k's Avatar
    Join Date

    Dec 2008
    Location

    Houston, TX
    Posts

    2,057

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Anderson's rebuttal article is up:

    http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/s..._Business.html

  15. #15
    XIII
    paK0's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jun 2009
    Location

    Germany
    Posts

    339

    Re: [ARTICLE] Constructed Criticism – Living The Dream Of Pro Magic

    Well, for me it depends how it was before they got together.

    If he was already playing more Magic than working since they got together than you can't really blame him for wanting to continue to do this, especially if he is bringing in money with it.
    Quote Originally Posted by pi4meterftw View Post
    Well you can expect whatever you want but you'd only expect what you said if you were retarded.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)