After watching the Seattle Seahawks fake a punt, when they were up by 30 points in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills, I knew I had to write this article.
If you don't watch football, Pete Carrol who is the coach of the Seattle Seahawks called a ridiculous play to make his opponents, the Buffalo Bills, look pathetic. The Seahawks were ahead by 30 points in the fourth, which is a position that no NFL team has ever lost from.
I watch a lot of football. I've been a die hard Texan fan since their first season. What Pete Carrol did is an embarrassment, and a terrible display of sportsmanship. He is the same coach who won 58-0 against a struggling Arizona Cardinals team...
Everyday, I read on ESPN about selfish people. A division III basketball player, Jack Taylor of Grinnel, scored 138 points against a helpless and very bad team. Jack Taylor shot 108 times... and only made 52 baskets... If he really was good, why play division III? Why not go to a division II team or heck a division I team? Stories like this are more common now then ever, recently a women's high school basketball team put up 98 points... against their opponent's 2.
How does this relate to Magic? Sharks are the Pete Carrols and the Jack Taylors of the community. They are self-serving people who care only about gaining value at the expense of the community. They take and take and take. Never, think otherwise. Sharks are savages willing to rip children, new players, and even each other. They are the ones who go to the store without a deck and have no intention of playing the game we enjoy. They treat trading magic cards as a real job. They don't even like the game and view it only in terms of profits. They never buy anything from the store. They would rather go to KFC and buy a soda there than pay the "inflated" prices at the local games store. And they even have to justify gas money and time spent at the store.
They have no self control. When they begin to feed... it becomes a frenzy in moments. No-one is safe. Not store owners, not experienced traders, and especially not kids who are just starting. They are not satisfied with making one good trade. They want to make sure by the time they are done trading, your binder has no card over 5 dollars. They are relentless and will keep asking to see your trade binder.
They will ask you the dreaded "what do you value this at" question. If you say a lower value they will pull the card out and hold you to that value. If you say a higher value, they will tell you its true value and make you feel like you are trying to cheat them.
And worst yet, they will use excuses such as pack to power to justify their addicition to ripping. They will say your cards will go down in price soon. If this were true, then why do sharks want those cards? Why would anyone want cards that are certain to go down in price? Sharks never change... well almost never...
I was a shark. I "packed to power" four Jace the Mindsculptors, four stoneforge mystics, and a ton of other staples. There were some nights I couldn't sleep because I felt so bad about trades I did. Other nights I couldn't sleep because I felt bad about not maximizing on my opportunties and leaving valuables in the trade binder.
I was sharked for 5-6 years by various people in various cities. Only recently did I develop enough magic knowledge to become a shark. I successfully sharked for a few months before something happened to put everything in perspective.
My fiancee cancelled our engagement and wedding. I was devastated; we been engaged for three years. Not knowing what to do that day, I went to my local magic store. I played magic... really played. The people who I had sharked for months were there to listen and to support me. Two locals took me out for drinks after FNM. And only then, did I realized Magic is a community of people. People who feel bad about lopsided trades and being ripped. But also people who forgive and who can relate.
Since then, I've used my knowledge to prevent sharking. I believe teaching speculation is one way to reduce the need to shark. And that is what I hope to do. I promised to be honest in this blog.... many of my friends are sharks.... they know better to shark in front of me. I don't care who is sharking ... I don't like it. And I will always intercede if the trade is lopsided.
Your local magic store is a community. And it is important part of our lives. We shouldn't let others destroy it.
No comments:
Post a Comment