Have you ever seen the sequal to 'Mighty Ducks'? It's the one where the ducks
head into the olympics against Iceland and it's full of smarmy values and
stereotypes. For one thing, why is it every major opponent this team has is a
group of cocky kids who think they're the greatest, lead by a coach that's so
maniacal, only Christopher Walken could play it? And why is it the good guys
are always bad at first, then learn some great lesson to go on and become
champions?

Well, in the flick, the ducks learn to get back to basics. They remember what
it is they're playing for and why they started in the first place. They go
back to the streets and go back to what the game, like every other, is about.
Fun.

Sadly, there's a link to this and card games. Fun is what we're playing for
and it's why we started playing in the first place. When the TCG first hit
American shelves, nobody picked up the starter deck because they wanted to win
the STS.

Is anyone still playing a fun game anymore? Or is everyone playing a
tournament-honed killing machine, guaranteed to have your opponent screw in
turn two? I organize local tournaments at our mall, and have had to disqualify
some people for cheating. And to me, cheating seems to be a competitive
thing.

I'll admit it. I have a killing machine of my own. But I also have a Giovanni
deck. There isn't a poke in the deck that doesn't say 'Giovanni's' in it's
name. Do I win with it? Sure. But I also lose with it. It's called balance.
And it's something a lot of people keep talking about. Mostly ravenous players
calling for bans on cards. Banning doesn't- and won't- bring balance. Balance
is obtained only through returning to our own streets...

Don't get me wrong! The STS is great. I should enter one some day. But I
wonder how many of the people who place well in them go to their local league
without bringing the haymaker, pull out the fun deck, find a 5 year old who's
just learned how to play and let themselves enjoy the game.

Not that losing is an enjoyable sensation. Against some people, it's
embarrassing. When they throw their hands into the air, do a little dance and
chant 'I beat you! I beat you!' But a real player's been through this. A real
player's lost, and takes it honorably by shaking his or her opponent's hand,
telling them 'good game' and finding another battle. Not by demanding to count
the number of cards in their deck to see if there was one less or extra. Not
to see if maybe, just maybe, there were five Bills in there.

I'm not saying lose. I'm not saying 'don't play hay'. I'm saying have fun in
a non-competitive environment. Build a deck consisting of 4 Psyduck, 4 Misty's
Psyduck, 4 Sabrina's Psyduck and a Farfetch'd and call it the lame deck deck.
Then proceed to quack through the game. That's where you'll have the fun. Not
destroying your opponent on turn two.

You'll come to thank me in the end. Or flame me. One or the other. It doesn't
matter to me. I think I'm right. And while I play very competitive decks, I'll
still pull out my horrible-abomination-in-the-eyes-of-God deck and get
trounced... Or maybe I'll win with it. That, I think it's the true messure of
your still.

~Jareth Cade (the_snarf@usa.net)