Top Esports, I want to criticize and rant and type a bunch of terrible things but I know that however bad I'm feeling, the players are feeling 100 times worse.
I became a diehard TES fan after their series against Gen.G at MSI. Creme's Tristana will forever live in my head. I'll never forget how it felt watching them claw back after a 0-2 start.
I know there's been so much disappointment this year. From spring finals to MSI to EWC to summer playoffs to Worlds, it's been disappointment after disappointment, but I've always supported this team. I trusted them because I knew they could do better.
In the end, it wasn't enough. It sucks to end your year with a loss like this because we all know you can do better. I kept thinking "when are they going to wake up" as I watched the games slip away from your fingertips. I could only watch helplessly from afar knowing that no matter how hard I cheer, I wouldn't be able to help you.
I don't care about fucking T1 vs LPL, I don't care about all the international choking memes, and I don't care about any of the narratives people want to spew. I don't care, but I know it affects the players, and I wish I could shield them from the social media vitriol they're receiving. Not to say that they don't deserve criticism, they absolutely do for their gameplay, but it feels awful nonetheless.
This team has brought me so much joy this year and I truly hope this roster can stay together for another year. Taking a chance on Creme and fostering his growth into an actual elite tier mid laner has been one of my favorite things to watch in the LPL, along with Tian's map control, 369's peeling, Jackeylove's mechanics, Meiko's shotcalling, beating Gen.G at EWC and then revenge on G2, Tian pulling out the Ivern picks at any given chance and completely taking over games, Jackeylove and Meiko's synergy bot, and watching their vlogs, voice comms, and interviews. Meiko and Tian mentoring Creme to be a more stable mid laner while 369 kept the team positive and Jackeylove acted as the reliable carry they could depend on reminded me of a family more than a team.
In the words of NRG Sen:
"what is being an esports fan if not having blind faith in your team. what is being an esports fan if not wholeheartedly believing that the universe will bend itself according to your will just because you believe hard enough."
It wasn't enough today, but I have faith in these players. I trust that they will recover from losses because they've done so so many times before. There is always a future to work hard and look forward to. I love this team so, so much, and I wish only the best for them.
Thank you 24TES.
