Chris Gogolen - Sportsman of the Weekend!

[arebelspy]

I just heard a story that I thought deserved sharing, and major props.

Game 8 of Day 1, final game.

Chris Gogolen is 5-2. He is playing Stephen Cellucci, also 5-2. Whoever wins is guaranteed in Day 2, at 6-2. Whoever loses will be 5-3 and might make it, or might be right outside the top 8. Stressful.

They play the game, time is called, and they are both very low on life force, and it is very close.

Chris Goglen is ahead in life force as time is called as they finish the turn basically immediately. However, if there was one more turn (i.e. time had been called just 20-30 seconds later), Cellucci would have been able to do enough damage to win the game outright.

Chris Gogolen concedes the game.

Gogolen can take the win and shrug and say "well, you didn't win within the allotted time, the rules are whoever has more gets the win" and very legitimately guarantee his spot in Day 2. Instead he, the consummate gentleman, says... you won this one, congrats. He risks being the bubble person, but does what he thought was the just thing.

That's a super classy move, IMO, and I think deserves major props. I'm glad he still qualified for Day 2, because he deserved it.

Well done, Mr. Gogolen. I'm super happy to have you in our community, and thank you for setting an example for us all on sportsmanship.

[Darth_Link]

Wow. Mad props.

[kryptofis]

I am super glad that you shared it, so few of those these days...
Well done, Chris, well done!!!

[marines28]

Indeed, Chris is a super guy. I watched this game & was curious about the ending. Stand-up guy!

[TB]

amazing. classy move.

[Xanth]

That’s very awesome of you, Chris. You rock.

[NoLimit]

I took this as a show of good faith from Chris. I felt respected by the action, and I certainly respect him for it.

It was a situation where the end game was a pure math problem. As Chris sat and contemplated whether there was any way he could win, he said something like, we won’t go to time, I won’t do that to you. And he followed through on it.

I really respect the integrity.

[gogolen]

Cool story bro!


Look, I want to win as much as the next guy (well, probably more than most guys) but it's a hollow win if you know you're beat. Steve took a loooong time on his last turn trying to find the solution to keep me from draining him/using first strike to cause 6 total damage. So I am sure plenty of people would have rationalized that, and thought "well if you need one more turn to win then you should have played your last turn a little faster." But he found the solution...one I admit that I didnt see either. And at that point I could drain him down to 3 (when I had 4), and maybe first strike ping for 1 or 2 more, but it wasn't going to be enough to win, and on his turn he had enough drains that I couldn't block to get my last few cards.

I can count the number of times in 20 years that I have won a game using "rules lawyering" on one hand, and I felt nauseous about it afterward (and again now just thinking about those 2 games). that's just not the way I want to win games (or championships). If the only way I make Top 8 is because I pull something like that, then I probably don't deserve to be there.

It's not a great analogy, but we hear about athletes using PEDs in so many sports to gain an advantage and win, only to be caught afterwards. And even if you reverse the win, you award the prize money to the person who should have won, you give the championship to the other team, etc... you can never get that actual moment back. The moment when you hear your name called, when people congratulate you on your accomplishment, when you get to reach out to your loved ones/supporters and share the good news. That moment is gone, stolen away by someone else, and that's probably one of the worst things you can do to a fellow competitor.

Thankfully karma was kind to me, and i finished 7th (sorry Mike- but doing the math you still end up 9th)

[chriskelly]

Impressive Chris. Forget Quarren, you’re the real MVP.

[gogolen]

Impressive Chris. Forget Quarren, you’re the real MVP.

let's not get carried away here, but then again I don't know what Quarren does, so maybe you are right.

[marines28]

Impressive Chris. Forget Quarren, you’re the real MVP.

let's not get carried away here, but then again I don't know what Quarren does, so maybe you are right.

[marines28]

Impressive Chris. Forget Quarren, you’re the real MVP.

let's not get carried away here, but then again I don't know what Quarren does, so maybe you are right.

The dude in Pirates of the Caribbean.

[gogolen]

Impressive Chris. Forget Quarren, you’re the real MVP.

let's not get carried away here, but then again I don't know what Quarren does, so maybe you are right.

The dude in Pirates of the Caribbean.

I know what he looks like, just no idea what his text said- something about non-shielded sites, which didnt seem relevant since almost nobody plays LS hoth. Didnt know about the 2nd part of his text that made all those annoying trooper interrupts Used instead of Lost

[Steviegets112]

I would have taken the win

[gogolen]

I would have taken the win

I know you would have, and I respect your honesty in admitting that

[quesosauce37]

gogs is a class act, this isnt news to me

i'd like to say that i would have done the same thing, but its not often that im on the bubble in the last game

[Kessling]

(sorry Mike- but doing the math you still end up 9th)

No need to apologize!

[imrahil327]

[DTartagOne]

Good man Mr. Gogolen. Definitely one of the classier moves I have seen, or heard, in a long time.

Also glad to see you made the Top 8.

[Gravityshadow]

Awsome, both Chris and Steve!