Only for some players. For most players, and for Pokemon, each event is an EVENT in and of itself.
The Grinder is not a sanctioned tournament. It is not promoted. There is no Logo for it.
There are no prizes for it, save the prize that is its sole function, the invites.
There are no trophies. No medals. Not even any door prizes.
No, not the same thing as a Premiere event at all.
I could not disagree with you more. Worlds is only available for very few select, very special individuals. The Grinder was the people’s tournament. It was THE MOST IMORTANT PREMEIRE event of the year for many many Pokémon players. Way more then would ever compete in a Worlds. These were the players who would make souvenir Trainer Pokémon cards featuring pictures of themselves and/or their family and pass them out to the players they meet at the Grinder year after year after year. I have received cards from some European players 4 years in a row, and my family has passed out our Trainer card for the past three years during the Grinder.
For us players the chance to play one tournament in the very room that Worlds was going to take place was the ultimate way to cap off our Pokémon year and celebrate our love of the game of Pokémon with other players for many different continents who while not necessarily sharing our language or culture did share a common connection with a mutual love for the game of Pokémon.
The Grinder, Pokepop, was the only Premiere event that mattered for us, and to have it ripped away and destroyed before our very eyes is extremely hurtful. Before this year there was no single Pokémon event that our family looked forward to more than the Grinder. Heck, three years ago we flew to Hawaii when we really could not afford it at the time (it took us 3 years to pay it off) because we had such an incredible experience in Anaheim the year before. Playing until 3:00 am in that event in Anehiem is still by far the Pokémon highlight of my life. I have met so many wonderful players from so many different countries at the Grinder that I will always appreciate it for that. Last year when, in the final round I had 3 losses and I knew I would not make it to worlds, but I was still excited to play in the final round. And then I got paired against the father of the Japanese Junior girl who finished undefeated in the grinder and would go on to win worlds the next day. We spent the first few turns of that round discussing how our children did in the grinder and talking about how happy we were to be able to compete in it. He was so happy that his daughter grinded in and I was very happy for him. Our game went down to one prize a piece before he pulled out the come-from-behind win, and we were both extremely happy to have played that day.
Now that can never happen. If last year played with this year’s rules then we both would have been forcibly removed from the event hours before we ever go the chance to meet, and I would not have the story to share that I met and played against the father of last year’s Juniors World Champion.
So, Pokepop and others, I don’t see how you can say the Grinder is not Premiere. As it has been the focal point for so long of so many player’s Pokémon Calendar, that it could not be anything but Premiere. Players like us who love the game of Pokémon for itself do not play it for Prizes, or ranking points or accolades. They play it because they actually love playing the game, and for the relationships that we have made with other likeminded individuals who also love to play the game. We are the ones who manage the leagues and teach new players the game and watch with pride one, two or three years later when they are winning Cities, States and Regional Championships and then go on to compete in Worlds. We are the ones who drag our trade binders with us to events just in case someone might want a card that we have 6 extra copies of. Heck after 12 years of playing I still get tingle when a tournament game is about to begin. One of my favorite moments of Pokémon is that time when my opponent cuts my deck in a tournament and I get to look at my starting hand for the very first time. The feeling of anticipation when I look to see if I have a good start or am I going to have to get lucky with some timely topdecks is unlike anything else. I love to play a deck that no one anticipates and see them try to figure out my strategy before it becomes clear to them. I love it when my opponent makes a really good play that I was not expecting and then I have to scramble to come up with an answer to a problem that I did not think I was going to have to deal with a turn or two before, and I absolutely loved doing all of this for one afternoon for 6 or 7 rounds in a far off place versus players that I could never have faced before unless I was in that one room at that one time at that one day of the Grinder.
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---------- Post added 03/30/2011 at 02:14 AM ----------
Sorry, you got it backwards. The "big year end party" is Nats. Each region's Nats is their big party. Worlds is set for (and always has been) the best of each country to come together and declare a champ. PUI created the LCQ as a way to round out the field that 1st yr in FL ('04) There are side events and league at Worlds for fun time. You can always find a game @ Worlds in the open play area, the lobby, just about anywhere.
PUI/P!P doesnt "owe you" a LCQ....it is a priviledge.
Keith
I have been to Nationals and it is no comparison to Worlds. Nationals is just a bigger Regionals, no more special than that. Worlds is Worlds, you get to meet players from all over North America, South America, Australia, Europe and Asia.
No way Nationals can ever compete with that. I went to my first Grinder in Anaheim, and once it was over I could not wait to compete in it again. I went to my first Nationals in St. Louis and while it was nice, I have had no desire to return. Yes you can play in the Open game area, and I have each and every year, but it’s not the same as playing in a real tournament under real tournament conditions. The Grinder was special, there was no event like it. Not even Worlds could compete with it. While Worlds is the most prestigious international Pokémon event of the year, it was not the largest international Pokémon event of the year. That honor belonged to the Grinder and the Grinder alone.
“Owe us a LCQ... a privilege....?” For five years we have planned our vacations and our lives around the Pokémon calendar, much to the chagrin of some of our family members who cannot fathom why we waste so much time and effort for a “stupid kid’s game.” And when that pay off for 52 the weeks of running a league, judging prereleases, running tournaments for Battle Roads, Cities and then Battle Roads again, running fun tournaments at anime conventions to help grow that game where we provide all of the prizes out of our own personal pockets.... we do all of this and then fly down spending thousands of dollars to where ever Worlds is being held for our one chance to compete against players from all over the world, and now we are told that our presence is not only unimportant but is in fact not desired, we are supposed to be thankful to be treated like that by the very people who benefit financially from our efforts and the money we spend and encourage others to spend? I am sorry I am not going to say thank you when someone tells me that my family is of no importance. The Grinder was OUR Pokémon event each year that we looked forward to unlike any other. At least they could have had the decency to make this change months ago, before people purchased non-refundable airfare tickets. Now we are locked into going to an event that does not exist.
