SK is great and all, and he fits his team really well, but he just wouldn't make me confident. You don't need modesty when you're trying to lead, that's just bringing down the team a little. He does do a great job with his team, but it's just not the charisma you get from T2. I do think the team has gotten overconfident, but IMO T2 is the best leader out there, still. I guess I can't really explain it, but watching him he just always seems to know what to do with Str8. Now, Snipedown and Elamite, they're what's making the difference in the games, and they've been really unreliable. I'm hoping T2 has pushed them to the same extent SK has.
I can see where you're coming from on the personal note. I'm in no position to tell you who you'd rather have leading you, so fair play on that one. But as an objective judgement on what's happened with both, I'd actually say this is one thing that SK has proven where T2 hasn't. SK can and has lead teams with a brand new roster to a first place finish. Then he can get new rosters and not take like half a season to a season to get the team back in to it's stride. T2 is only recently shrugging off that selfish player image which was more founded in the past, sure he's a great leader in Str8, but he's had ages in what can really be considered a comfortable environment in which to grow in to the captain he is now. He's never been challenged as a captain like SK has, challenges that SK has risen to without fail. I'm not saying that SK would be better on Str8 than T2 or anything, not at all, but as an overall captain I'd pick SK any day. Whilst you are right there, that's not quite what I meant by modesty. What I'm talking about is the ability to look at yourself and your own team and think 'we can be better, let's get better'. But importantly, he has the ability to do that after a 1st place finish, something that is starkly lacking from not only T2, but Str8 in general of late, or so it seems, and even according to Str8 themselves. I think charisma is often made a little hazy with people simply identifying with the player when they watch them. It's a lot easier to see charisma in a player who the crowd loves, since seeing someone go crazy and seeing the crowd get behind them just increases that sense of them driving the game. SK doesn't get this often, but again look at the facts: tD have won the most events of any team this season, and (I think, I could be wrong) the most events in H3 overall. Compare this with Str8 of late, and it seems obvious to me who's doing their job better imo. Again, I think it's easy to confuse charisma and being a good captain in game with just identifying with him personally when watching. That may make him the best captain for the person watching, but as a versatile captain in the wider sense, it has to be looked at in a more removed sense imo. As for the team getting overconfident, imo a good leader doesn't let his team get overconfident, it's an essential part of role. If he himself is doing it, that's bad. The fact that it's even an issue in the first place is a problem, it really shouldn't be if he's the best leader. He's got the best team on the circuit, I don't think this is deniable at all, if he's the best leader then why aren't they winning? The role of leader in big part consists of bringing out potential in the team, ensuring consistency, leading. The fact that they aren't performing consistently is the biggest knock against him as a captain, he should be the one ensuring they do, whereas in fact I think he's as much a part of the problem as anyone on the team, though of course it's never as simple as could be reduced to percentages of blame or anything. Str8 need consistency, they need drive, they need to learn not to rest on their laurels. It is the captain who should be bringing everyone of these things imo, and all of those things are great strengths in SK. Now, maybe this is harsh treatment of T2, but what I'm getting at here is the real strengths that SK has as the leader he is and has been for a good while now, and holding T2 up against SK in these senses shows a lot imo. And again, SK wouldn't work on Str8, they need T2. But if T2 could get those qualities then Str8 just wouldn't lose, and he would be the best captain on the circuit, not just as cap of Str8, but in his own right. Imo his attention as a great captain is slightly too rooted in Str8. Give SK and T2 each a team of 3 randoms and see who can get them playing like a proper team quickest and most effectively. I'd pick SK any day.
Even if SK isn't the innately charismatic take control leader of a team, he has one thing even more important than anything you guys have said. His teammates trust him. Even one event ago I would have called tD just two talented teams of two stuck together, but in Dallas I didn't see anything to support that anymore. He's got Pistola and Heinz dancing to the Triggers Down tune perfectly, whereas in Meadowlands, for example, I saw a lot of the old Ambush run'n'gun wingman playstyle out of them while Hysteria played tD's game. I'm not saying SK is the best natural leader, because undoubtedly Walshy and T2 have that skill naturally. But being a natural leader doesn't quite apply as much to a group of people working together for a long time, and it comes down to trust. As for the Fearitself discussion, I guess I don't see what everyone else sees in him. Measured against other pro's he seems to be a very unimpressive player to me. Ghost I haven't seen much on the mainstage or watched a lot of VoD from, but he strikes me as the more mature player and dropping him was a mistake.
Agreed, tD in it's current form is solidifying, and with the do-anything leader that SK was before, it's just beautiful to watch. I think FiS is solid. SK (I think I mentioned him once? Idk ) saw potential in him, and whilst he did drop him for Heinz when Pistola joined, I think we can all see why now. He's got a great ranged BR and great positioning, which combined make a great support player. FB also saw strength in him after the Neighbor days ended, and they just wouldn't have gone with someone who couldn't hold his own, if anything their problem around those days (and possibly still, we'll see) was taking that too far. He's not a shining star, but I'd love to have him as a support player on my team any day, he's just one of those rocks. Ghost, idk. I'm kinda with you in that I don't know how I feel about him, sometimes I couldn't care less, sometimes he really sticks out as what's winning games. I'd still pick him over FiS, at least for roughly what I think Instinct really need right now.
SK is probably the smartest and quickest thinker out there. Sure he may not be the most individually skilled player, but there should be no arguing about whether or not he fits on TD.
SK does not "trump" T2! SK fits his team perfectly, I never said that he didn't, but so does T2. In either case, you can't just toss them into a bunch of guys and expect it to work out (though it probably would after a while, considering who they are). T2 is just a better player than SK to add to that...he really is a smarter and far more charismatic version of Neighbor that can actually lead a team. With the inclusion of Heretic and T2's magic stickies, I'm giving it a TD/Str8 end, with Str8 winning in 6 games. I'm seeing Carbon in 3rd or 4th, Instinct down at 6th or 7th, and perhaps FB making something of a comeback to 5th-8th place.
Yeah you're right, it wouldn't work out. But what I was getting at was that I'd go with SK's team on captain alone if the two teams of randoms were to play. People talk about player-coaches, especially with respect to Walshy. But in terms of someone who can make a team play to their best consistently, keep them going both in the game and out of it, SK springs to mind. And, in other sports, isn't that a key part of being a good coach? Again: underrated! Again, it's very hard to say what leading a team means when looking at it from the outside. SK is clearly doing the right thing within his team, they're winning a lot (and again, I think it unfair to say that this is just the specific dynamic of current tD, he's done it consistently with very varied rosters), and that's what counts. Outward charisma isn't quite the same as being a leader within a team, though it does have the bonus of helping to get in to the other teams head and play on your terms. This is really one of Str8's strengths to be fair, and in this sense I can see your praise in T2 being founded. SK may not do this so much, but again that's more Hysteria's role within the team, and SK gets in to opponents' heads with his gameplay, again see: Dallas - tD vs. Carbon - Amp TS. All that said, I do see Heretic playing in to both Str8 and tD's hands. If Str8 really turn up at Anaheim, I'd love to see a Heretic Ball game between tD and Str8. I haven't scanned through the round by round gametypes and compared them with the brackets to see if this is possible (dunno if Heretic Ball is on the lineup for WBF or Finals), but it'd be epic if so. I think your points about Heretic being a potential strong point for Str8 are true, but then I think the danger comes from it not only being potentially good for tD too, but even Carbon as well. Anaheim is going to be epic.
Actually I think that charisma gets the most out of his team as he can. I don't think it's an outward thing, I think he's doing it all for his team. But yeah, I can agree that he's been unable to get consistent play out of what's probably the most skilled and balanced team (theoretically, if they're all playing to their fullest possibilities), opposed to SK who's done a great job of keeping his team (which, with the pickup of Pistola, is IMO close to the skill of Str8, and will probably surpass them unless Str8 starts stepping up again) playing great. That's the weird thing with Str8, and I'm not sure if it's T2 or just the team in general being heavily dependent on Snipedown, who's ridiculously emotionally charged when he's playing. So I can agree SK surpassed T2 in some stuff, but I think T2's mix of skill and charisma makes him the leader I'd want personally.
Oh yes. I'd love any chance I can get to try out my Trittons. @Pegasi's earlier comment on how Instinct won't take 1st- True. I feel that Instinct will have to take more time to adapt with a new player. I'm totally biased because I'm a big Instinct fan. Instinct won't take first at Anaheim, butI really want to seeStr8 make a big comeback from Dallas and take first. It's going to be tough to challenge tD, but it will be quite the enjoyable series to watch.
I wish i was going to anaheim! But im going to the desert, and i dont have and xbox. Sad thing is, i live 10-20 minutes away from anaheim. Ohh well, next year. Good luck to all those competing!
Cardon 3-0 against The Influence What a surprise! With an epic Oddball game tie on Heretic. Naded goes clutch!
Yet another tie oddball game on the MLG mainstage...lawls. Oh and Defy was going insane with the trash talk on Talent and Batmayne. He called poor bats fatty throughout that entire second Heretic game
HEAVEN AND EARTH.... what happened to them? I can't find their series yesterday anywhere. Nvm, I guess they lost 3-0 to sQ HaE is playing Active Rush now, yay
Classic beat Instinct (!) 3-2 Big upset for the Instinct fans out there. Although, FiS did do pretty well in the new team. LB did turn up to be the leader on the team also. Broadcast at 5 o'clock PT