Team IE practise and Selection.

DeVore

Practise is on Saturday this weekend (10pm sharp be there at 9:45).
Beast and Ser please contact me as I want to speak to you and you want to speak to me (trust me!)

Well it has been no bed of roses selecting a team this time round.

I have to take a lot of different things into account, which many of our armchair selectors dont think about.

1. We need the best team we can put forward if we are to survive financially. This cant just be "the guys who went last time" or "devs mates even tho they are rusty now".

2. People play on lans without coming onto the net so just cos you aint seen them online in a while doesnt mean they arent playing.

3. People I can work with and I am happy to associate myself with.

4. People who are loyal and reliable and *interested*. Its no good wanting a free trip if you dont want to turn up to practise.

There are a few people who in my mind HAVE to go in some way shape or form.
Those people are Koopa, Ser, Beast, Bunny, Von, Overlord and Jay.

People are undoubtedly going to whine about a number of these people. However they have shown commitment to the team from day 1 and they are undoubtedly all in the top 10 players in Ireland IMHO.
If there is a better team, it didnt show up on either night of our trials.

There is at least one official place left.
I had hoped Mickah would play but he says he wont. I am still waiting to hear about Lorcan as I dunno if he will be allowed travel with us. I wouldnt do it for anyone else but I will take Lorcan abroad as he has a mature head on his shoulders. I'd love to see him play in the 2 v 2's
Chaos's name is also bouncing around in my head but I just dunno....

BTW respect to Skulker for traveling on his own steam to nethouse from galway for the trial.

Arguments about Ser's inclusion have been put forward to me from a few different people. I've considered them and I dont think they really hold water.
Ser is good. Well good enough to be on the team. I dont hold any remote grudge that he played for UK (how many of us wouldnt have!).
He's not going to be seen as the saviour of Team.ie. We have a stronger net presence then that and one man doesnt make a team. I believe Chris will be a team player. I know I wont accept any member of the team thinking they are indispensible and I'm sure Chris doesnt think that either.

There ARE other people going and I'm happy to put their names forward as representing Ireland. The only difference is that I have limited funds and can only cover the accom of a limited number of people. I will try and cover the travel of most people going (MP is getting a bus which I hope to fund).

I know Zero and MP are both intending to travel as are the lads from Nethouse (who are also sponsoring us). So just because I havent listed your name here doesnt mean you cant go. It just means we cant fund the trip for you completely.

Theres a lot more I could say but I'll sign off here. This is the worst bit of the job and I hate it.

DeV.

KinDreD

I wouldn't have played for the UK...because im Irish and infact not from the UK......

DeVore

<sly_dig> Kindred, didnt you demonstrate recently that you'd play for anyone just to get a game of your beloved q2 PPP </sly_dig>

DeV.

KinDreD

No i always played with LsD......

TwoShedsJackson

and with anyone else who'd pretend to be in LsD

ButcherOfNog

ROFLMBO

KinDreD

the fact the others played for LsD has nothing to with me i was always in LsD...

H_K

ahh dont turn this post into a stupid petty argument, its an intelligent information post, ye should leave it that way.

Pat

Jay

Is Tomb dead or alive???

damo

is the trial for duels on this saturday, or is the team picked, or have they already been held or something, and how much does it cost to get in on saturday?

DeVore

Tomb is not dead and I'll see if he can come on Sat.

The war team is pretty much picked (shortlisted) and I will probably concentrate more on duels and 2 v 2's this weekend. (about 50, 50 with wars)
At the moment I think OL and Jay will be going as the 2 v 2'ers (possibly not together), with the rest of the team also splitting into 2 v 2 teams.

The dueler position remains outstanding with Koopa telling me a while ago that he didnt think anyone else (not already going) was really up to the competition on a lan. That may have changed.

I stand by what I said at the start. Unless you can go 12 rounds with Koopa every game (one good game doesnt count) and cause him difficulty then I have better things to do with the cash then bring dead wood. (btw this isnt directed at Damo, I mean this for everyone).

We have duelers (Koopa, Beast, OL and Bunny). Koopa is going because he's a freak, the others are going for other reasons or else I would think twice about bringing them for duels alone.

If anyone thinks that can hack it... 9:30 in nethouse for a 10pm start.

As with all our training sessions, the nethouse is footing the bill and staffing the cafe (Ta Coyote and Chief!!) so its free to us.

DeV.