Subject: Re: Making Excuses
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 21:40:39 -0400
From: zackaryr@k12.oit.umass.edu (Zackary Remillard (FCTS-99))
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

I have noticed a lot that people "make up" excuses of why they lose matches
in tournaments.  I've participated in many local tournaments and i've heard
people constantly say things like "I could have beaten you if i won the coin
toss" or "Yeah well It was luck that I got a bad draw".  Why can't people
just accept that they loss?  It's pointless to try to come up with excuses
of why you lost, its not like your opponet will take the match back and do
it over because you feel like you got a bad draw or anything.  People should
just be able to take the loss knowing that someone was able to defeat you.
I went to the Massachusetts Regionals and when I was playing, I could hear
people complain that they lost because of stupid reasons and then they left
the country club and go home because they lost.  Then I would see people who
were like "Well You Bested me, and I wish you luck further on in the
tournament".  Now why can't people be more like that, especially at large
events.  It brings back a time durring the Stronghold Pre-release in boston,
where a person stood up after loosing the match and took all of his cards
that he had and ripped them all up on the table, and then slammed them down
on the table.  Now if i were a judge and i saw that, i would possibly call
that unsportsmanlike conduct, just for the fact that no one should get that
angry because they lost.  The DCI should really get into this more and watch
the players more carefully and make sure they play at least fairly, and end
the match with like a handshake or something of the sort, just so it looks a
little more professional, since tournaments have been beginning to get on
the wild side and less professionall looking, like it should be.  Thats my
feelings on how things go.

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