Dear players,
After
these past few weeks, I have obviously been questioned as a player, Judge, etc.
On July 20th, 2001, I was officially suspended from the Duelist' Convocation
International (DCI) organization for the infraction of False Tournament
Reports and Providing False Information to the DCI. I don't know if you heard
the story or know bits and pieces about it, but I helped a
player I hardly knew get a BYE at the ECSTS. Now I'm not quite sure if he
got that BYE, but ether way I knew it was wrong.
I’m quite sure he did
NOT get it, as all the results from your “tournaments” were nullified.
Would it have taken the sting out of your cheat if you had
accomplished your goal?
I was expecting a 30-60 day suspension because of my age and the size of the
infraction since my mistake wasn't "False Tournament Reports". I was
quite fine and I figured I deserved the break I would be getting.
Hold on a moment.
I just got back from the Wizards Suspension list and have the following:
Phil
Mondiello
DCI#: 54322189
Staten Island, NY USA
Suspension: 7/20/01 to 7/20/05
Infraction: False Tournament Reports (my italics)
Providing False Information to the DCI
Your
mistake WAS “False Tournament Reports”!
What sort of “break” were you expecting?
Did you think they were just going to tousle your hair, say “That’s
the kind of spirit we like to see, son. Be
more careful next time” and let you scamper back to your back-room Pokemon
king-making? Good Lord! Well, I suppose
that’s what we’re teaching future America these days – if you get caught
cheating, blame everyone but yourself, then call in the lawyers.
Listen, son – it’s a game. Just
a game. It is a source of
recreation. Nothing more.
It’s not your future, or money in the bank, or clothes off your back.
Pokemon is just a game. But you?
You were placed in a position of trust and responsibility far exceeding
your years, with the organization that made that game.
You fell from grace after you violated that trust, and you were, as they
say in the Navy, “made an example of”.
Consider for a moment how much money is riding on the trust we all place
in the DCI ranking process. How
many folks do you think would bother to play competitively if the DCI and its
Judges weren’t there to ensure an even playing field?
Even as you indulged in your power games, hooking your buddies up with
free rides to the Super Trainer Showdowns, you MUST have known the price for
getting caught.Mr.
Zantides and Mr. Grant from the DCI have been emailing me, and I've been
emailing back. For some reason they would rather ignore my question of "can
I get back in before I’m 17". Strange isn't it? Not at all. The subject is
obviously no longer up for discussion, as any parent could tell you.
Four years is four years. Count
‘em, do the math, and do the time with dignity. Phil, you cheated like a bandit with those tournaments because you thought
you would not get caught. You were
not overcome with remorse; you did not turn yourself in.
You kept it right up until you got caught, and then you maintained your
innocence until it was obvious they had the goods on you.
There is no reason to believe you were any less corrupt when it came to
any other aspect of the game, nor any reason we should believe your claims of
superiority. Just because you
weren’t caught cheating while playing, doesn’t mean you weren’t cheating.
As for losing the chance for the Mega Battle, that’s only logical.
Did you really think WOTC would want you to represent the Americans,
after what
So we’re supposed to ignore your corrupt behavior, and assume you didn’t
cheat to win simply because it’s obvious you didn’t NEED to cheat in order
to win? But that makes it all the
more ludicrous and tragic. What you
are asking us to believe is that YOU were the last person in the world who
needed to cheat. Yet, very obviously, you did. Will I be at the next STS? Yes, I will be at San Diego, but there only to
talk to the DCI judges about this matter in person so they can't avoid the
situation. They will go with the party line, which is: we already said all we’re going
to say on the topic. Ignore Phil
and he will eventually go away. This isn’t anything you haven’t already posted in numerous chat rooms.
Saying it one more time doesn’t make it any more true.
Unfortunately, I am not convinced you are a good person or a player.
In fact, all I get from this is that you are sore about getting caught.
Apparently, you (and many others) have been taught all along that: -
honest players are suckers, to be used and discarded on the path
to glory and riches. -
real “playas” ignore the rules as much and as often as they
need. It’s a badge of honor as
much as a way of life. -
the
cardinal sin of the “good ol’ boy” or “playa” is getting caught. -
if
you do get caught, deny everything. If
that fails, confess. Play youth and
ignorance for all they are worth. You
could have bowed your head and sent out a email message to the masses, saying
"I'm sorry I let you all down. Please forgive me. See you
around." And not said another word. You could have....but
in your pride and arrogance, it probably never even occured to you to do this.
This was probably the only way WOTC would have ever considered allowing you to
play again, but needless to say, you blew it. I am not sure what message you are trying to send, but from what I have read,
it was not professional jealousy that made you enemies out there at the
tournaments – it was your arrogance. And
what shows arrogance off to better effect than taking your position as #1 Player
in the world and turn it into a license for breaking “stupid DCI rules”? Regards, Steven Satak
A few weeks after that call I was told by a player at Alternate Realm I was on
the suspension list for four (4) years. Hesitant to believe this at first, I
automatically went home with Steve M. Sperling to check this out. Sure enough, I
was bumped to the NEW list on the DCI Suspension list.
After that I ranted and raved to DCI for a few days after until they called me
back. Unfortunately I was not home, and my father took the call and answered t
Well, for those of you who think Im a "cheater", and don't deserve my
2233 Pokemon Constructed rating, I can guarantee I gained it legitimately, and
deserved it. Might I add I lost the chance to go the the Tropical Mega Battle (TMB)
because of this.
Well, just some more information for the public, and hopefully this will change
some of your minds and realize I’m actually a good person, and player, and
that we all make mistakes.