Welp, Both NA and EU Play-Offs Became Unwatchable

FlashNeko·Aug 19, 2017·4 votes·629 views

In both regions the only interesting team in either tournament got eliminated in freak upsets.

It really sucks.

And feels bad.

14 Comments

ModWulf HelhammerAug 19, 20176 votes

C9 was the interesting team? You know, the team that made finals twice in a row in the past two splits, and is consistently in the top placements at the end of the season? That was the interesting NA team?

FlashNekoAug 19, 20172 votes

{quoted}

C9 was the interesting team? You know, the team that made finals twice in a row in the past two splits, and is consistently in the top placements at the end of the season? That was the interesting NA team?

Yup. They're actually exciting and fun to watch and tend to be the only NA team that doesn't go on vacation for Worlds.

DIG is going to get smashed in the next round and they're kinda boring personality-wise, CLG... I like Aphromoo but I don't like their chances. Immortals I couldn't care less about, and I'm sure people around here have seen me rant about how vile I find TSM.

So yeah... one day in and these play-offs look really disappointing.

GeminiRuneAug 19, 20172 votes

Wow. So basically popularity and figureheads judge whether or not the playoffs are good rather than the actual production of competition? So basically "fun" teams or winners win and it's a good show. They lose, it's a tomato-fest. That's perfectly fine right?

IncrediPhiLLAug 19, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Wow. So basically popularity and figureheads judge whether or not the playoffs are good rather than the actual production of competition? So basically "fun" teams or winners win and it's a good show. They lose, it's a tomato-fest. That's perfectly fine right?

Couldn't have said it better myself. This is why you won't see TSM lose. Because no one will watch it anymore.

FlashNekoAug 20, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Wow. So basically popularity and figureheads judge whether or not the playoffs are good rather than the actual production of competition? So basically "fun" teams or winners win and it's a good show. They lose, it's a tomato-fest. That's perfectly fine right?

Welcome to the strange beast that is pro sports.

A set of matches can be the most dynamic displays of all time and nobody would care a lick if the personalities involved aren't as equally dynamic. Why do you think SKT hypes Faker so much when you could argue any of their line-up is just as skilled or better than he is? Because he has a look, personality and presence people care about.

For better or worse, that's why the TSM chant has become a thing, they're marketed as a personality and lifestyle as well as a team because all their wins would mean nothing if the people didn't care about them.

Also for better or worse, C9 (and maybe CLG if they can find their confidence again) were the only other team in NA with as loud a team personality so when they go a lot of the excitement grows.

Maybe eventually Immortals or DIG can find a personality but right now... skill alone isn't enough to get people to watch if I don't care about the team at all.

GeminiRuneAug 20, 20171 votes

You see, that's the part where I feel bad for fans who devote their energy into those so called winners. Because at some point, they'll wind up the way you enacted: negative venting or on some board posting about misery that comes because there's no precious personalities you care about. I used to be a Curse fan. Broke my heart when LMQ shut down their Worlds hope. It was then I said being a fan does hurt. So I devoted my interest in enjoying the competition rather than funneling all of my interest in a single team. That gets boring. And it just drives you away eventually, especially if they fall apart.

Just because it happens at the very start doesn't mean it's all over and everything sucks. I mean what if SKT lost in the Wildcard round? The effect of that probably takes out the SKT fans, but the general hivemind is gonna be more "OMG SKT LOST! WHO BEAT THEM! MUST WATCH!" and they'll just pad the matter til they're next seen or back on form. But just because they lost wouldn't mean the value of the playoffs would corrode. The value of playoffs is better established not by the teams that are still in it but by the purity of the competition!

I'm no idiot to the dynamic of eSports. I've been all over the place viewing game after game - tourney after tourney - for years. I've seen these "same story" scenarios exist. I've seen the upsets. This was considered an upset just like UOL vs MSF. Somewhat like SKT vs SSG. They. Happen.

But you know. What am I but an opinion? I stay by my word. If it's become unwatchable, see you at the Gauntlet or even Worlds...if that even matters now.

WhiperSnapersAug 20, 20171 votes

tend to be the only NA team that doesn't go on vacation for Worlds.

cool your jets there pal... they only got out of group stage because SKT was finally able to break their losing streak to FW

Miror BAug 20, 20174 votes

People complain that only the same 2-3 teams in each region ever go to worlds each year. Now they're complaining when one of those teams gets upset in the playoffs. [zombie-brand-mindblown]

WhiperSnapersAug 20, 20171 votes

and how is a tournament with "freak upsets" suddenly unwatchable/uninteresting? ...People love watching and rooting for the underdogs in literally every form of competition. [zombie-brand-facepalm]

xJLx MCHammerAug 19, 20171 votes

Not to mention, with the most dumbest picks

Pretty no AP mid left

I'm waiting for the upcoming Cass nerf before only AD champions are only played

BigBellBruteAug 20, 20171 votes

Hate to say it but the Unicorns have reverted to their let's run it down mid and make a hero play style. That alone doesn't win championships. They need to go back to what got them so far in the spring split. Then they ran the 1-3-1 and 4-1 when it was advantageous. Unfortunately if all you have is hero plays, eventually you're going to run out of hero plays. And they did. They couldn't even take a game off what should have been an easy team.

IncrediPhiLLAug 19, 20171 votes

Yeah. League is a wash. Same team wins region and the same team wins worlds every single time. It's become a monopoly instead of a game. These playoffs are so bad every year because none of the players care about being successful. They know TSM is gonna get the trophy, by skill or otherwise.

Even if a team did have the chance to make this stuff exciting, they'd just throw anyway. No ulting on Ekko, blast coning into fights. Letting Maoki sweep a playoff series with 0 bans. I mean, it's a wash. Nothing but an illusion to please the biggest fan base so they can bring in viewers whenever their little team plays. Give us something competitive. Next.