Subject: [ISSUE] Italian Grass Root Support
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 09:00:29 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Ted J. Vessenes" <vessenes@cig.mot.com>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

[ISSUE] Italian Grass Root Support

Does anyone else find it amazingly convienent that a few weeks after
worlds, when almost every pro tour player has given props to DCI for
enforcing their rules on Gabriele Pisicchio, a bunch of here-to-fore
unknown Italians start giving their undying support to him?

What about the convienent fact that all the emails are within 2 days
of each other?  Worlds has been over for weeks, but none of these
people said anything then.

Or how about the convienent fact that Luca Cristino, who happens to
have an easy-to-create hotmail account, has _exactly_ the same
typing style as Gabriele Pisicchio?  (Note that both of the articles
have no blank lines between paragraphs, use CAPITAL LETTERS to stress
points, and use the characteristic ?!?! pattern to describe outrage
after a question.)

I find that so amazingly convienent that I choose to believe it's an
engineered hoax.

Let me close with a few final retorts:

Many of the emails pointed out that Gabriele received a harsher
punishment from the DCI than non-Italians.  I will humbly suggest
that the reason for this is that Gabriele cheated twice, whereas
no on else cheated once they were first caught.  This is *NOT* an
anti-Italian crusade.  This is an anti-cheating crusade.  Personally
I have nothing against Italians, and I try not to let the actions
of one person affect my opinion of other citizens.  This becomes
harder when I see questionable actions from many of their citizens.
*ahem*.

Other emails pointed out that Gabriele Pisicchio could have trouble
at future tournaments because people will think he's a cheater.
Allow me to suggest this: People's opinions are decided by repeated
actions, not by one time occurances.  Gabriele already has a record
of cheating that pre-dates Worlds, so if people aren't going to
trust him, that's Gabriele's own fault.  As for people accusing him
of cheating in future situations when in fact he is straight...  Just
because DCI Judges are strict does not mean they are stupid.  Most
of the time they know what's really going on.

Also, consider the case of Mike Long.  Long got accused of a *LOT*
of cheating.  Some of it was probably true, some of it probably
wasn't.  But notice how absolutely no one has accused him of anything
at worlds, or since then?  People might not like him or trust him,
but they don't go on a witch hunt unless something provokes them.

Something as crazy as this string of letters from Italy.

*ahem*

-Ted