HOFers Urge PT Nagoya Boycott

by News | posted at 2011-04-05 22:37:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Pro Tour, PT, Hall of Fame, HOF, Nagoya, Raphael Levy, Antoine Ruel, Olivier Ruel

A group of Hall of Fame Pro Tour players from France are encouraging players to boycott Pro Tour Nagoya in light of the recent events there following a devastating earthquake in March. Raphael Levy, Olivier Ruel, and Antoine Ruel have started a Facebook campaign called "Would you attend PT Nagoya?" and which they described as having the following message:

"The Pro Tour and Magic have been a part of our lives for more than 11 years. Our journey took us to Japan several times and our love for the country grew stronger every year. The tragic chain of events that followed the earthquake on March 11th is likely to keep us from stepping on Japanese ground safely anytime soon. We feel for the people that suffered and are still suffering the consequences of such a disaster. On the day we are writing these lines (4th of April), the power plant in Fukushima is still leaking and the Japanese authorities are unable to give details about the risk of a journey to Japan. The power plant issues aren’t anywhere close to being fixed and the damage done to the environment, which doesn’t only mean around the power plant, but over the whole country is highly worrying. We believe that going to play a Pro Tour in a country that is going through the most serious environmental crisis of its history, where the risks are potentially life-threatening is not worth it. We have created this group to discuss the actual situation and ask WotC to either cancel or relocate the Pro Tour. The Pro Tour means a lot to us, and if the PT actually takes place in Nagoya Japan on the scheduled date (10-12th of June), we won’t be attending and I’m sure a lot of players are considering the same thing. If you have suggestions, details about the situation in Japan, or a word to share with our Japanese friends over there, please feel free to share your thoughts. Olivier Ruel, Antoine Ruel and Raphaël Lévy"

Wizards of the Coast has already been forced to reschedule Grand Prix Kobe following the devastation, but they're still holding that event and have not cancelled. Official word so far regarding the Pro Tour is that it will not change location, and the degree of difficulty for moving such a large convention on such short notice makes it relatively impossible to move the event. In its nearly two decade history, no Pro Tour has ever been cancelled including an event in Valencia, Spain which saw once-in-a-century level flooding that inundated the tournament site.

The group has attracted over 100 members in just 72 hours, including some big names who have publicly claimed they won't be attending the event. Recent Grand Prix Champion Jason Ford posted to the wall of the group stating:

"As things stand right now, I will not be attending PT Nagoya. While the majority of this decision stems from parental approval, their concerns are quite real. As one friend put it, 'I would feel pretty dumb if I just ended up with cancer in 20 years.' Yes, I know, some of this may be a slight exaggeration on the circumstances currently occupying Japan, but I can honestly say that I have no real means of interpreting what is going on overseas other than the information that I am being fed in the news. I cannot tell whether or not there are significant health risks in traveling to Japan right now, but they are certainly much higher than staying home.

I understand that some player's livelihood largely depend on Magic, and thus, the Pro Tour, but as a student who really considers this to be no larger than a hobby, I can honestly say this - Let's not forget that we are talking about a game here. I'm not sure where Magic ranks as a priority in everyone else's life, but you would be out of your mind to say that it comes before your health.

Best wishes to anyone attending and especially the people of Japan during these times,

-JFord"

Meanwhile, other players have publicly stated they are confident in the safety of the situation, including the French players' fellow Hall of Famer Frank Karsten. He pointed out recorded radiation increases so far in Japan equate to the same dosage one would receive from consuming a large number of bananas, and that while he hasn't decided if he will attend his reason for not committing is related solely to personal and professional matters, and has nothing to do with the ongoing impact of the disasters in Japan.

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