THE TRUTH

About

Miguel Gatica

23 Years old from Costa Rica

Lifetime: 66 pro points.

12th Pro Tour Return to Ravnica

9th GP Costa Rica

3 times National Champion

More Posts (9)

Hello Magic Community around the world.

(I specifically asked the editor to leave this article as I wrote it, to preserve my thoughts intact.)

Several friends told me not to do write about this. But after spending a few days thinking about it, I read this quote that made me publish this.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

– Martin Luther King

Please read the whole article. Thanks.

14 days ago I received this email:

——–

Hello Miguel,

The WPN Penalty Committee received a report of your actions that occurred at a recent event. The Committee completed a review of this report. Based on this review, the Committee has determined that your actions were in violation of the Magic Tournament Rules.

The Committee has reached the following decisions:

– Your Wizards/DCI membership is suspended for a period of SIX (6) MONTHS, beginning on 12/16/2013. During this time, you may not participate in any WPN event as a player, organizer, volunteer, staff or judge. Your name will appear on the Suspended DCI Memberships page during the next scheduled update of that page.

– Any invitations to premier events you may have at this time, or may obtain during your suspension, are revoked.

– If you are a Certified Magic Judge, your certification is suspended. At the end of your suspension period, you may apply to the Magic Judge Manager for recertification.

– Your membership suspension will end on 6/16/2014. You will not receive any other notice about the completion of this suspension. Your name will be removed from the Suspended DCI Memberships page during the next scheduled update of that page after your suspension has ended.

– All information pertaining to this review and suspension will remain permanently on file. Future infractions of this nature will be considered repeat offenses and will result in appropriate penalties.

If you wish to appeal this decision, please reply to this email within 14 days. Any appeal of this suspension should be based on new and compelling information previously unknown to the WPN Penalty Committee.

Eric Sorensen (on behalf of)

WPN Penalty Committee

Wizards of the Coast

————

OK! WHAT DID I JUST READ!!!???

Let me tell you what happened and what was the “incident” they are refering to.

After Pro Tour Dublin I arrived to Louisville, I was going to play esper control. I did. As soon as I started playing I was not feeling comfortable and as soon I got my 2nd loss I was about to drop from the tournament in round 7 to go out with my friends, but since obviously I already made the trip I decided to continue playing.

I got paired against a mirror match. Great.

The first game went very long, at one point I took control of the game. I had Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver in play, Elspeth, Sun’s Champion‘s emblem, Elspeth tokens and he had 2 cards left in his library after activating my Ashiok.

And I was going to kill my opponent in the next turn. I proceed to attack with my elspeth tokens saying “attack you, I’m not finished”. Then my opponent proceeds to say “ok I go to 3 life”. And I said to him “ehmmm? , I told you I haven’t finished!” (I had the option of attacking planeswalkers) so we both agreed on calling a judge. When the judge arrives we both told him what happened.

I told them that he might not have heard me or understood me. The other player said well that could be the case. Then the head judge pulled me away. He told me to tell him what happened. Which I tried to tell him the same way. Same thing. “Attack you, I’m not finished”. He literally didn’t asked me more than 2 questions.

Then he called me again and told me”I’ll have to remove you from the tournament for lying to a judge”. I was totally in shock! But why? Why did I just got DQ from a tournament!?

So apparently I changed what I said, at that point I literally didn’t know what just happened, how can it escalate that quickly from something that was a matter of miscommunication in a game of Magic in which I was not even wanting to be part of… but which I was already winning also.

Recapitulation

At the moment everything occurred so fast. I didn’t expect this to happen. Why would I get DQed if I didn’t do something bad?

Putting more thought on it, I should have got a spanish speaking judge.

How can you DQ someone for ”lying to a judge” when his first language is clearly not english. For me it was a clear miscommunication between me and my opponent. But for them I was lying.

I do think I didn’t get the best treatment.

By the way why does the email not have a concrete reason?

The e-mail says I have 14 days to appeal.

I did, the first day.

But they went on vacations exactly the same day.

So basically I spent my holidays being miserable.

Without receiving an answer. The 14 days passed. No answers. And I’m sitting here not knowing what’s going to happen the next 6 months of my life.

Background

I have been playing this game for more than 10 years. I have done so many things for the Latin American community. I have invested a lot of time and money to try to live the “dream” of being a pro player. Of course I’m going to be angry for being accused of something that is not true.

I have never been DQ’d in a tournament EVER in my life. I DO NOT have a history of cheating. I’m pretty sure that people who know me can put their hands in fire for me to demostrate that I’m not what Wizards are acussing me of being.

I have received my losses and processed them. Yeah I have been angry for losing. I have learned from them. But NEVER cheated.

PRIDE. RESPECT. JUSTICE

I have been a long way down the road of Magic.

I have played in my life 5 Pro Tours and 6 Worlds/World Cups and bunch of Grand Prixes in the last year.

I know it is not a lot, but I have worked so hard to get to those events. Those events do mean a lot to me. It is not any Latin American who can say they have 79 lifetime pro points. (#7 lifetime in Latin America)

Clearly for a lot of people that’s unimpresisve.

But for us they do mean something. They do mean something to my fellow Costa Ricans also. Especially because we do not have the resources neither the opportunities in here.

Probably not a lot of you guys know but I got an entire centerfold article in the most important newspaper in Costa Rica. Talking about how passionate I’m for this game and the opportunities I have gotten thanks to this game.

People here are proud of me and they respect me. It is a mutual feeling since I’m also proud of being from Costa Rica and to achieve so much in so little time of putting a good effort.

Do you think I will put everything I have in line for that specific game or any game? Do you think I will put in jeopardy my whole life, my self respect, my country’s pride, my reputation and my friendships for that?

I could put a list of people who can tell you for sure who I am. How passionate I am for this game and HOW HARD I have work for what I have.

Something money can’t buy

My mom taught me to fight for what you want in this life. She also taught me to be a respectable human being. To be proud of who you are and where you come from. Never be ashamed to express yourself if you feel justice is not being done. Or if it is a mistake that effects you make sure you point it out.

I do respect my country, my friends, my family.

But I also respect Magic.

At this point I feel this is a bad dream. This can’t be happening.

Today it’s me. Hopefully tomorrow won’t be any of you.

It is the worst when you are being accused of something you didn’t do and you don’t have a tangible way to really show everyone what happened. I really hope they can review this again.

I love this game . I love my country.

I really believe justice can be made, do you?

Miguel Gatica

Twitter: @MiguelGatica123

MTGO: MGatica

Facebook: www.facebook.com/miguel.gatica.71