I've said it before but Jojo was a player I tried to sign for years. After spending two seasons with him in RGL, I knew why and that I was correct. Jojo is an excellent combo Scout (though I'm sure he could tear it up on the flank) but more importantly cares about the team / his teammates. Very good at giving constructive criticism and also receiving it, which is a rarity in our scene. As this past season concluded Jojo told me he has that itch (and the time) to grind his Scout and that should terrify you. Do not be fooled by his S7 Main results. Put him on combo, and watch him work.

He's a great Demoman, teammate, and person. Routinely did disgusting things on the damage department. Great insight on how to improve both individually as a player and team. Can be super vocal if you need a more leading voice in Mumble, but is capable of taking the backseat and just nuking the enemy team quietly. It's a huge regret that I couldn't play more seasons with him because he's got insane talent and again is just a good dude. Unfortunately zbra does play Highlander which is a disease that can never be cured, but other than highly recommend.

Honestly the discussion that the series will help generate is one of the main reasons I took on this challenge. The other of course being a deep-dive into NATF2's history and all that. As long as we're civil to each other, I'm really looking forward to it. Seeyou in the first installment, coming soon™.

Invite teams only had to play 14 matches because of their division size, so they finished one week earlier than everyone else. That doesn't include the buffer week that RGL allows all divisions in case they have to reschedule any match beyond the original eight weeks, so it makes it appear as if Invite took an extended break. The start of playoffs was announced as early as mid-August. It is unfortunate it happens to fall during Thanksgiving week for the US but that's not really their fault. Would you want them to delay it yet another week? Now there's more pressure time-wise since you know there's another arguably more important holiday at the end of December.

Get the fuck outta here. Why should teams barely over .500 get to play in the postseason? Why should nearly 2/3rds of the division go to playoffs? Why should it be top 8 single elimination compared to top 4 double elimination? RGL finally makes a good decision about playoffs for the first time in seven seasons and people complain about it.

I don't know how the penalties actually affect the standings. When the points system was used it just subtracted from that. Now the rules say it takes half a win away. So technically FX is 10.5-4 and LMNOP 9.5-5? Shit is weird. Maybe if those two teams didn't get penalized this would've been much clearer.

yeti has secured the #1 seed for playoffs. dynasty has secured the #2 seed for playoffs.

FX DEATH CULT has clinched a playoffs spot. If they win vs. yeti they'll secure the #3 seed. If they lose they could be 4th depending on rounds%.

Kronge Realm, Goblin Zone, and The Couch Esports have been eliminated from playoffs via rounds%.

That leaves two teams: LMNOP-Sports and stock market (I refuse to call them by their current name).

LMNOP can clinch a playoffs spot if they win vs. dynasty. stock market can clinch a playoffs spot if they win vs. Goblin Zone AND LMNOP loses.

I've played against hypno for a season and have rang / tried him out on numerous occasions. He's got solid DM and seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. Personality-wise should be a good fit for most teams, especially if they're on the chiller more relaxed side of things. Best of luck.

From what I was told last season, the scheduler prioritizes rounding the bases (each team playing every other) before anything else. Then the bye is given to the lowest ranked teams that haven't previously gotten a bye. So the original schedule should've been the correct one with both Goblin Zone and stock market getting a bye. I don't know why they changed it but does it really surprise you that RGL is doing different shit to what they said, again? Also to be fair, since RGL is cringe and uses rounds% to determine tiebreakers between two teams of identical W-L, a bye is actually (usually) detrimental for teams fighting for playoffs.

By the way if any of the three teams that died didn't, then we wouldn't find ourselves in this situation.

Edit: They actually did the exact opposite from last season. Last season they prioritized giving bye weeks to prevent rematches (despite it fucking over teams on the bubble). This season they prioritized giving rematches and letting the bye fall to teams not in the running. Just RGL things.

We're talking a difference of 30% of teams sticking together versus 20%, at the end of the day that's still a failing grade. Considering ESEA IM needed to be saved practically every season - especially post-bitcoin scandal - no, it's always been this bad. Don't forget we straight up lost IM for two seasons because we didn't get enough teams.

Speaking of, we were previously told that if Invite got enough teams, they would be more lax with restrictions in Advanced. Reminder that so far in RGL's run we have had a six team Invite twice, and a seven (really six and a half) team Invite once, which is just pathetic. But now that we'd had three consecutive seasons running qualifiers, their stance hasn't changed, so I don't know what's up with that.

Are you implying that the lack of long-term teams is a newer issue? Because if so I got bad news for you...

Case Keenum vs. Teddy Bridgewater. Truly a TNF battle for the ages.

Only one way to find out.

froyotech: b4nny, slemnish, and meyy vs. whoever wins Newcomer this season. Best of five. Do it or fear.

The fact that RGL can restrict someone because they think they're "demonstrably better" just undermines the previous two stipulations. It doesn't really matter if you go 12-4 or 4-12 in X division but if you drop down one below, RGL can just say "nah you're too good boom class restricted." They also consider any backing up + roster riding as experience / a factor, which is fucking stupid and hopefully is no longer the case.

Absolutely not. RGL used the point system for the first two seasons when Daf was head admin, and this is the same person that legit said "top six playoffs tell me who the top four teams are" during S3.

Ironically(?), if Daf was a normal human being and used top four playoffs then the Plumpwench group would not have been super stupid and thrown the match to ruin Cat Posse's playoff hopes, because it'd have been impossible for the latter under top four.