So much happened tonight, I feel like I need some blogging minions to help sort it all out. I’m thinking something less creepy than Oompa-Loompas, but more helpful than the workers at Planet Express. Send in your applications!
Disclaimer: I’ll probably just hire some of my old friends that don’t care about the job, aren’t as good as you are, and proved both of those within the last three days. Can you tell I’ve been taking lessons from Mark Dolven?
If you missed the news, there was a big controversy when Dolven, the General Manager for the Carolina Core CGS franchise, selected Pandemic to become their Counter-Strike: Source team. Why is it controversial? I'm glad you asked! Let me summarize the argument for picking Pandemic, and then the argument against them.
Pick Pandemic, They’re Grrrrrreat!
1) They were arguably the second or third best team in the US 1.6 scene.
2) They’re good guys, they don’t run their mouths. (Post-Publish Note: both of the first two points are under contention. I think the first one is still applicable. The other teams in contention are 3D/coL/JMC, and I'd probably rank Pandemic third, above JMC, but some people considered 3D over-rated and might have put them second. As for the second point, considering the backlash, it's safe to say they run their mouths more than I thought. Thanks for the correction, chalk up another point (or two) for the "Don't Pick Pandemic" side.)
3) Loyalty – he was Pandemic’s owner before becoming a GM for the CGS.
Don’t Take Pandemic, Stupid!
1) They were the last major team to switch to pick up Source.
2) They didn’t play in CEVO-P last season, unlike JMC, united 5, 3D, coL, x6, Devastation, and verGe.
3) In possibly the single most important stretch of their CS careers, they went 1-4-1.
4) Their roster has changed since their 1.6 dominance.
5) The Source community will hate you.
I don’t want to rag on Dolven too much because I think he’s a good guy. In fact, I think he pretty much proved that by staying loyal to his former team. The problem: it’s a business. If you follow professional sports, you’ve probably heard that enough to wish it wasn’t a business just so you could stop hearing about it. But it’s repeated because it’s true, and Dolven made a bad business decision.
First, he ticked off everybody in the Source community. It wouldn’t be an issue if Pandemic played well at the combine, but they didn’t. Period. Even Harry Potter couldn’t put a positive light on their performance. They finished at 1-4-1, tying a team that went 0-3 against everybody not named Pandemic, and beating, arguably, the most disappointing team at the Combine (Forbidden). For comparison, here are the records of three other choices at his position: x6 (6-2 with a win over Pandemic), EFG (8-2, and still available at that pick), Devastation (5-3 with a win over 3D, the tournament winner). Insert here: snarky comment about winning being the most important thing in sports.
(Quick note about team performance: Alex Conroy picked his former team, JMC, and nobody cares because they’ve been playing really well. It doesn’t matter that Dolven picked his old team, it’s that he passed up so many deserving players to do it.)
Dolven even acknowledged Pandemic’s uninspiring play, supposedly, by telling them they were in danger of not being drafted. (This tidbit came from one of the CGS commentators after the pick.) Which, in the end, had as much truth behind it as telling your children their faces will freeze that way if they keep making funny faces, or if they eat too many cupcakes they’ll turn into one.
The way I see it, there are three outcomes from this:
1) Pandemic continues their poor play, and Dolven sticks with them.
2) Pandemic continues their poor play, and United 5 (the taxi team) replaces the underperforming players, or even the team as a whole.
3) Pandemic turns things around, and finishes with a respectable (or good) record.
In the first two situations, the Source community still hates Dolven for picking them over Source teams (and hate is not too strong of a word). And in the third example, they still hate Dolven for the same reason, because the majority of the people won’t go back and change their initial impressions based on Pandemic’s performance. When they remember the draft, they’re going to remember their own shock, the silence of the crowd, and the vitriol of the forum reaction. It’s not right, because we should take Pandemic’s CGS record into account, but it just doesn’t work that way.
So basically, to use a poker term, he didn't leave himself any outs. If he picked a different team (EFG), and then took Pandemic with the first taxi choice, there’s no issue. He’s still supporting Pandemic by giving them a shot despite their record, and the Source community doesn’t hate you because you took EFG. And you’re in a better situation, anyway. If Pandemic picks up their play, your loyalty is rewarded. If they don’t, nobody blames you for taking them because it was a pick based on potential, and you still have EFG, a very good team. The problem comes when you’re picking Pandemic based on potential and other teams have at least similar potential and a better record.
I don’t blame Dolven for wanting to take his team. It’s hard to part with people you’ve been with for so long, especially when you’ve seen the amazing play they’re capable of. But separating business from your personal relations might be the most important skill a GM can have. You can find a job if you have horrible fiscal management (Isiah Thomas, CBA), and you can find a job even if you have bad talent evaluation (too many bad contracts for me to list). You can’t have both, and letting your emotions get in the way of running the franchise leads down that road. In short, if an Oompa-Loompa sent in a better resume, had better references, and wanted less money than my brother … sorry bro, you’re fired.
(Please don’t punch me on Christmas.)
