As a lot of you may know, I have had a big voice on Pojo's and other message boards on my feeling's towards Wizards of the coast and the Professor Program. I think it's about time I wrote an article about it.

Currently, there are a lot of players mad about the current 15+ situation. And they have a right to be.

The fact that 1 birthday literally takes you out of the game is appalling. I doubt that people got into Pokemon to become underpaid Wotc employees by joining the Professor Program.

The Program has a point, however. The Professor Program allows Wotc to cut the cost of the expensive DSL staff (who basically helped judge, set up chairs, etc., at STS's). By doing this, they have more money to continue giving us Pokemon players great events to go to. But the Program isn't for everyone.

Regardless, 15+ still feels discounted. Why is this? No, they don't "complain" for the sake of hearing themselves talk, they want more opportunities to play. If any of you saw the Professor tournament at Worlds, you'll see what's wrong with the Program.

Many Professors put in a lot of hard work spending money on airfare and doing their 4 hour shift, only to get a tournament that only Janitors cleaning up the event got to see. The nail in the coffin there was when they didn't even spell Pokemon right on the Professor Championship Trophy.

What does 15+ want? They want a competitive division. Unlike what RaNd0m said in his articles, it's not the trips as much as it is the fact they want at least a little recognition for winning a Professor CHAMPIONSHIP. Although more trips would be nice ;-).

A lot of Wotc supporter's arguments is that TPC runs the show, and that there will never be a competitive 15+ Division again. To them, they say this is a fact.

I'm sure IM not the only one who's noticed 15+ players dropping like flies. Even 14-players are quitting because the future of the game looks so awful.

Are we complaining here? No. We are trying to look out for the company and give our opinion on the job they are doing. We buy the product, so we (as consumers) should have a say on what goes on. I mean, Rosa parks wasn't complaining when she didn't want to sit in the back of that bus. And well, 15+ doesn't want to sit in the back of the Pokemon bus.

There is got to be a way to get change. Tournaments promote the game. tournaments makes us want to buy more cards.

More tournaments = more sales.

As I stated earlier, the Program isn't that great, and players are dropping like flies. I want all of you people out there who are considering quitting just to forget that thought for a couple months, there is a possibility things might get better. Not like before, but better than it is now.

It is that possibility of a decent future that keeps me going. I don't want to see this game wither and die.

Thanks for your time.

-Martin Moreno
email: MartinReturns@aol.com
AIM: Martin Returns