I’m batting middle of the order this year, explaining my Writer’s Vote for the 2006 Magic Invitational. We were asked to vote on different players based on their “best combination of talent and personality.” With that said, here’s my vote for this year:
1st: Tim Aten
Tim has more untapped talent and personality than tapped talent and personality – but unfortunately he’s been his own worst enemy when it comes to showing the world his talent and personality. Enough of the self-loathing already, Tim! Seriously, I track down this guy’s forum posts to see what he has to say.
2nd: Osyp Lebedowicz
Osyp is the outgoing opposite of Tim. Where Tim is caustic and poisonous (in a good way), Osyp is cheerful and pixyish. As far as positive personality and contributions, Osyp finishes at the top of this pack.
3rd: Jeroen Remie
There are few people who love the game of Magic as much as Jeroen. He contributes to the culture of the game through his gamesmanship, writing, and general demeanor. If you locked Jeroen Remie and Gadiel Szleifer in a room together for an hour, you’d return to find nothing but a Black Hole. Matter and anti-matter, fo-sho.
4th: Antonino DeRosa
How could you not vote for “one of the most cosmopolitan competitors in the game.” After all, “he splits time between homes in Italy and Florida and is also a member of the New Jersey-based Team TOGIT, giving him access to several communities of players with whom to hang out and practice.” Plus, his Pro Player card caused near-riots, and he’s quite the ladies man.
5th: Jeff Cunningham
Jeff, move towards the light! Jeff’s “Untold Legends of the Million Dollar Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour” series was the brightest spot of Magic writing last year, and has been sorely missed. Hopefully, a trip to the invitational would get Jeff back full time into Magic.
PS: Editorializing time. Next year, how about making the writer’s vote a vote for writers instead of just by writers? There are dozens of people who have contributed greatly to the Magic community over the last year through their writing (Ted Knutson, John Rizzo, Bennie Smith, Pete Jahn, MaGo, to name a few) who are not eligible for the Invitational (as things stand) due to their lack of Pro standing. However, each of these people have done more to help foster the Magic community by, well, giving to the community through their writing, than virtually everybody on this ballot combined.
PPS: Mike Flores should have won this category this year, but won a vote previous to this one – otherwise, I would have given him the absolute top vote, ahead of everyone else on this list.