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Quit Yer Whinin'

    Owning a game store I get to see a lot of different people come through.
Also, one of the reasons I feel that I am able to run my store well is
because I pay attention to my customers and players. Sometimes I listen to
them. Sometimes I just observe them. Well, like most stores, we always have
a few people who come in and complain. There are some people that seem
happier in their lives if they are able to complain. Other times, people
just sound as though they are whining.

    Well, a few days ago, during one of my observations, I had an epiphany.
I'm sure what I am about to tell you is going to surprise a few people.
Hell, if you are one of those complainers or whiners, this is probably going
to offend you. But a lot of those complainers and whiners aren't complaining
just because they lost a game. They aren't complaining because they got
manascrewed. They aren't even complaining because their opponent got lucky.
They are complaining because they don't like the game.

    I know this sound silly, maybe even outright stupid on some levels. Truth
is, a lot of these people are complaining because they didn't win. Plain and
simple. These people aren't complaining with they win. They simply don't
want to lose. Granted, no one really "likes" to use. But more importantly,
these types of players enjoy winning. They don't enjoy sitting around
playing games. They don't enjoy strategizing. They don't enjoy the company
of friends on road trips to tournaments. These same players don't enjoy
telling stories about how they got beat by another playing topdecking the
only card they could.

    If these players don't win, they aren't happy. Think about it. Are the
whiners and complainers that you know the same people that try to screw their
opponents on technical rules? Are they the same players that try to learn
rules just to screw their opponents? Do those same players argue with the
judge? I'd bet the times those same players enjoy talking about involve them
winning. I would even bet that those same players are poor sports during a
match. I also bet that those same players get mad at other players for no
reason at all.

    Like I said, no really likes to lose. We all want to win. However, I
can honestly say that many of the people I see that play this wonderful game
of ours truly enjoy the game and everything involved with it. As a matter of
fact, customer, friend, and long time Magic players, Rob Lawing and I were
discussing this topic a few weeks ago. He also agreed with my sentiments. I
feel they are totally justified, when I can look over and see how frustrated
someone gets when they lose compared to one of the local regulars that is so
excited they can't even stay in their seat.

    It's great when I can look over and see a kid so happy that he can't sit
still. I love listening to stories of people barely winning or losing
because of a tight game situation. I enjoy seeing people smile, laugh, hoot,
and holler when someone topdecks the winning card. It's ten times more
enjoyable when the two players involved can smile about it and enjoy the
moment.

    Also, when someone complains, it just brings morale down in general.
Negativity makes players new to the game really uneasy. And to the old
guard, it is just unprofessional and is a huge turnoff to tournament play.
That's one of the most important things that the whiners and complainers
ignore. They in many ways can directly and/or indirectly affect multiple
people around them.

    Now, don't get me wrong. This does not only pertain to those players
that complain about their matches. I am talking about all the players that
complain about any element of the game on a regular basis. Some people
complain about the formats. Some people complain about prizes or prize
packages. Honestly, this past Saturday evening, I was on Efnet, in channel
#mtgwacky, where I usually hang out. BDavis (Brain Davis) and Kibler (Brian
Kibler) among others were in a conversation about all commons decks.
Apparently, Davis was trying to figure out a deck to play for a local
tournament. What was so funny, was that everyone that was present in the
channel was trying to contribute to the conversation. That to me was a true
representation of people that enjoy the game. That's part of the reason I
enjoy writing for this website. I can share my enjoyment of the game with
everyone. Also, a lot of the writers genuinely like the game and aren't just
in it for the money.

    All, I really want to say to all the whiners and complainers is this:
QUIT YER WHININ' !!! Seriously, whining was cool when you were a kid to get
your way. If you don't enjoy the game, do something else. We are trying to
have fun, don't ruin it for the rest of us. The game is going to have a hard
time growing and expanding with the complainers all over the place. Keep it
to a minimum and complain to yourself at home. Don't bring it to the
tournament. We are paying money to play in these large events to enjoy
ourselves and try to qualify, not to listen to a sore loser whine :) It's
all really funny actually, since most people who know me will tell you that I
am rarely unhappy. Honestly, most people that have known me for my the past
4 and a half years here in Waco haven't even seen me get upset or angry at
anyone. If I can handle it in everyday life, I'm sure the whiners can
contain it at the table.

    Well, until next time, enjoy the game.

DeQuan Watson
a.k.a. PowrDragn
PowrDragn@pojo.com

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Biography

name: DeQuan Watson

    Many readers have gathered a lot of information about me through my
writings. For those of you that haven't though, this should tell you a
little more.

    I'm 23 years old and I own my own business. Well, more accurately I own a
game store. The Game Closet, my store is one of the premiere places to play
in the Texas. I play Magic on a pretty regular basis. I help people build
decks and teach the game to people multiple times a week. Owning a store is
neat, because it gives me another perspective to write my articles from. I
can usually tell what the average player likes and can judge some of the
tendencies of the average player a little better.

    However, I know a decent bit about pro level play as well. I myself have
played on the Pro Tour. I have multiple Top 8 finishes at Pro Tour
Qualifiers. I also have made Day Two at two Grand Prix tournaments. I was
also invited to the Event horizons Invitational last year. These are not
stellar achievements, but high enough to let you know I have my head on
straight when talking about the game. I also spend lots of time each week
talking to, e-mailing, or chatting with top level players. I get to see
their perspective on a lot of things as well. Between the two, I think I get
a good sense of balance of the game.

    Most importantly, I still enjoy the game for the sake of the game itself.
I like the time, the competition, and the general interaction of players. I
plan to be playing it until it goes away...if it ever does.

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