In my opinion, I think Magic is very similar to Golf and the PGA Tour. It's very much an individual's game, with an exponential amount of subtleties that could drive a person crazy. Tiger Woods is one of my favorite athletes in the world. At the top of his game, he was unbelievable. Anyone familiar with his golf game would probably agree that his ability to perform under pressure was astounding. His ability was able to make every other golf "pro" look amateur-like in skill. At his recent low, he is but a mere mortal placing 4th in the last 2 Majors. For a Magic player to place consecutive top 4 is almost unheard of. What is the reason for his "decline"? I believe it's real life. In his earlier years, there was Golf, his Father and Himself. Not too much to worry about one would think. It almost seemed as if his father was the driving force behind him, as well as the guiding force that kept him focused.

In light of the recent Father's day, I was reminded about how old I am and how long I've been around Magic. My son, who's now 14, started playing Pokemon because many of the kids played the game at school. He naturally evolved into Magic, which was probably Wizards of the Coast's plan. I never wanted to be the type of father that pushed my kids into interests, so I would walk away when he played so I wouldn't be overly critical or make him nervous. At times, I would watch from afar only to witness an adult opponent try to take advantage of my son with a rule or play, to which I'd certainly have intervened. My son enjoyed the game of Magic, but really never felt the intense desire to win that I have. I probably can thank the Xbox 360 for that. He doesn't play much Magic anymore, so maybe he grew tired of people making comparisons of him to his father and just decided it was better to remain anonymous in an unrelated game? Either way, as his father, I support whatever he chooses to do. While I still have a great father to thank for his support and understanding, I've always wondered what goes through his mind. I'm not even sure if we were or are that close. It's something I guess I may never have an answer to. However, I do know he means the world to me and without my parents, I'm sure I would've taken a different path in my life.

It's funny, but on the Magic scene, not a lot of people really ever thinks about being a mentor, an idol or a father. Years ago, at a random U.S. Nationals, there were 11 of us playing poker at the convention center while we waited for things to happen. In attendance were some of the games most recognizable faces, including a couple of National Champions. We were playing our game of Hold 'Em when two younger kids came by and asked for the autograph of one of the National Champions. After signing the cards and after a little bit of heckling from the peanut gallery, everyone came to the realization that Magic was catching on and that kids were watching. Soon, there would be player cards and people would be asking for autographs on those too. While its unfortunate that the player cards didn't become more collectible or that the "sport" of Magic didn't catch on like the World Series of Poker has. It still has it's opportunities to inspire and make an impact on those who play it.

I remember many of today's players such as Antonio De Rosa (previous US National Champion) and William Postelthwait (current World Champion WoW player) were just kids, maybe 10 or 11 years old. Antonio was always a smart kid, and he grew up to be a good man. Billy (William) followed that same pattern. He played in the small storage room of a local comic shop with 10 other kids (who are no longer involved with Magic), he asked a ton of questions and became a great CCG player. I even met Billy's parents and began taking road trips with him, creating memories I'm hoping he doesn't tell everyone about. Ben Stark, a sickly scrawny kid who muttered constantly while playing, grew up to be one of the great players of the game and a huge inspiration to the many who reside in south Florida. Travis Turning is another kid that I know from the days of his early highschool years. He's grown to become a very good player and perhaps still hasn't hit his peak yet. I hear he speaks highly of me in his circle of friends in Tallahassee, sometimes making me feel awkward and yes perhaps even old. I guess that's my role in many cases, the role of a "Mr Miyagi" or, more recently, "Mr Han".

There were other people, others who I played for ante and won Nether Voids or Mana Drains from. People who went to college, got married and maybe even started families. Others who I could never imagine leaving the game and now I'm invited to their wedding. Those who might've been the worst characters in the game or least likely to have ONE friend, much less a fiance and a baby. I've met fathers who started playing because of their sons and sons who started playing because of their fathers. These are examples of people you run across during YOUR journey to the winner's circle. Maybe I've played a part in their lives, maybe I was just a random guy who bumped into them looking at tournament pairings. People have come and gone from the game, only to come back for a prerelease or a PTQ. I don't really need to be part of a clique or a team. Guys I hang out with are genuinely friends and I enjoy their company. We don't talk too much about Magic anymore, nor do we really stress about the next day's tourney. We worry more about money, kids and prostates. HA! We still talk to so many who are new to the game and have questions about the game. We still take it serious enough to remember that we can make an impact. I've had recent opportunities to co-star on ManaNation, which had taken podcasting to the NEXT level and I continue to write for them, which allows me the wonderful opportunity continue my influence on the game.

99% of people who play this game will NEVER win a tournament that has more than 100 people in attendance. However, you'll probably run into ten times that many people who will play, who will win and lose at the tables next to you. I cannot say that I've made an impression on half of the people I've encountered. Nor could I say that those I have made an impression upon would have a positive one of me. What I can say though is that I tried to be friendly, that I tried to listen to every person's bad beat story IN ITS ENTIRETY. I've even accepted the ranting and raving of a bad sportsman who had lost or won against me. It's part of the game, it's part of not getting too absorbed in the moment and sometimes you can't ignore it.

The purpose of this article wasn't to show my mileage, but maybe to help you realize that each of you do make an impression on others. You do have the opportunity to inspire someone whether that person be your son or some other relative of you, you still play an important role to someone. The longer you stay in the game the more likely it will happen... Every day should be Father's Day!