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Michael Clauss (extra points for getting the above reference) I thought I was out. I figured everything had been covered in the first three articles. My wife had fixed me a Mint Julep and we were sitting on the porch watching the sunset over our ancestral lands. Life was good, and then I made two mistakes: 1. I went inside and turned on the computer. 2. I clicked on CCGprime. As the site came up, the following headline appeared: AL SHOSHA DIVAREEM - IN DEFENSE OF MAHER by Dan Bock I'm going to be diplomatic and say it is a flawed assessment of the issue. But it does illustrate some points which I didn't discuss or didn't articulate very well in previous articles. It also gives us more information to work with because Bock is clearly a FOM (for definition, see article 2) and has collected some facts from the man himself. To begin, we need to break the article down into its essential components. And while he skips from topic to topic, there are two themes that run throughout his article. The first theme is what I will refer to as 'the goodness of Maher.' Bock calls it "the Acts of Loving Kindness." Basically he is arguing that Maher's personality and good works mitigate his cheating. At one point he says "[b]y banning [Maher] for 6 months, you are literally shaking [M]agic to the core....The whole system becoming unstable, or at worst collapsing." How does he back this up? By listing some kind acts which Maher has participated in; such as buying people dinners, letting people crash at hotel rooms for free and helping younger Magic players hone their skills. By the time I was finished reading his list of examples, I was picturing Mother Teresa cracking open an Odyssey starter deck. In fact I am willing to concede the point that Maher is a nice guy. I have yet to meet anyone or read anything that would indicate the opposite. In terms of his personality he is, and will always be, the 'great one.' But he was also a nice guy when he became involved in what the DCI described as, "considerable tournament fraud that increased the rating of Maher...resulting in [him] getting invited to the World Championships." Let's try it from this angle. Imagine I'm playing Pope John Paul II in the semi final match of a PT. We're shuffling up for the fourth game when I notice he's shuffling ala McCarrel. -- Do I turn him in? Yep. -- Do I attempt to get him DQed without prize? Absolutely. -- Even if he tells me he's donating his winnings to charity? ESPECIALLY if he's donating his winnings to charity. And I take that approach because who he is does not excuse him for what he does. One more thing to consider. What if Maher had the personality of Fuller? Or maybe not even that extreme. What if he was just some guy with a neutral personality who had won a PT. Is character used in defense of that person? Ultimately, This is one of those points that I can disagree with until the tips of my fingers become purple from typing and it makes no difference to some people. The more you identify with/are friends with Maher, the less likely you will accept my analysis. Leaving the land of emotions, I will now focus on Bock's second and more relevant theme. With facts collected from Maher himself, Bock argues that the DCI is more to blame for the suspension (kind of the 'Devil made me do it' defense). One way he does this is by minimizing Maher's cheating. For instance: "[W]e know that there was cheating going on at a store in Madison. This store is so despised, that no serious player has stepped a foot in there in years. The casual and serious players alike make a trip across the city just to find regular gaming....To surmise, this store was not a pleasant place to be. Fake tournaments were held there. A lot of them. Some benefited Bob Maher. So, he reported that this was going on." Now, if you remove one four word sentence ('Some benefited Bob Maher') and read the above passage again, it makes Maher look like a hero. I just get the image of him flying into the store (wearing tights and a cape) rounding up the evil-doers and delivering to WOTC's doorstep. But that's not what happened. Because as we know form an earlier quote Maher participated in "considerable tournament fraud." The wording of the passage is so suggestive that you have to wonder if Bock should be a political spin doctor on CROSSFIRE. I mean just consider the sentence 'some benefited Bob Maher." It's not even really an admission of the cheating. It's almost as if the co-conspirators chose Maher randomly and bestowed upon him a ratings "gift" which he used to gain access to the Pro Tour. The second way Bock shifts blame from Maher is to imply that the DCI manipulated him into confessing. The relevant quote is: "Bob was presented with the following choices; Confess to a lesser crime, and take a plea bargain of sorts. Maintain his innocence, and let the investigation continue to its natural conclusion. In this scenario Bob was given updates on how it was progressing. The last thing he heard before this offer was, 'five years, like Theron Martin' in an ominous sort of voice." Bock says Maher told him this. And while it does implicate the DCI in activities worse than just gross incompetence, the statement cannot be completely true. Earlier in the article, Bock states: "So Bobby M did the right thing and released all information, full disclosure to the DCI, hoping they would take action against the guilty party/parties." So if Maher confessed, how could he be in a position to "maintain his innocence" once he told the DCI? The answer is either a) Bock made the statement up (something I find dubious if he is a FOM) or b) Bock misspoke. What he meant to say was the DCI manipulated the investigation in order to generate the least amount of negative publicity. And this would definitely fall into the 'not good' category for Zantides and friends. -- By the way, as to the 'plea bargain' option, what is a greater crime than "considerable tournament fraud?" Maybe eating Richard Garfield's liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti? Anyway, to recap: 1. If you are going to defend someone, don't use emotional appeals. 2. If you are going to place the blame somewhere else, make sure your argument is air-tight. If there is one bright spot to Bock's contribution, it is providing more information about the incident. Along with the above "threat" made by the DCI against Maher, we also know now that the cheating started around January, 1999; seven months before Worlds. And since it probably took a number of matches to build up his rating, it could have went on for weeks and maybe even months. Do I still stand by my assertion that Bob Maher's whole Magic career is based on "considerable tournament fraud" and the penalties I outlined in previous articles should be enforced? Yep. Do I still believe that the DCI is inept/corrupt and players need to demand that changes be made in the way investigations/suspensions are carried out. Double yep. Until next scandal, Michael Clauss enderwiggan55@hotmail.com No portion of this web site may be used in any way without expressed written consent. All rights reserved. Magic the Gathering and it's respective properties are copyright Wizards of the Coast. Privacy Policy |
  
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