magic pro tour hall of fame

• World of Warcraft
• Baldur's Gate
• League of Legends
• Counter-Strike
• Ethics Policy
• Ownership Policy
• Fact Checking Policy
• Corrections Policy
• Affiliate Policy

Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour returns, Wizards of the Coast revamps competitive system

The Magic esports era is nearing its end after a three-year experiment that saw Magic Arena take center stage for the game’s competitive scene.

Wizards of the Coast has announced the return of a Pro Tour system similar to the competitive infrastructure that was in place before the big esports push. Gone are the Magic Pro League and Rivals League in favor of regional events that lead up to Pro Tours, major tentpole tournaments packed with large prize pools and World Championship invitations.

The current season will conclude with the New Capenna Championships in May and the Magic World Championship XXVIII tournament scheduled for later in 2022. These events will directly be involved in transitioning to the new Pro Tour model.

There will be three Pro Tour events for the 2022-23 season. The first of these will be near the beginning of 2023, according to Wizards of the Coast. No date is set yet. Players will earn invitations through Regional Championship events that are held in each of the 11 regions designated by Wizards of the Coast. Pro tours are expected to be approximately 300 players large with $500,000 prize pools per event.

The top finishers at each Regional Championship will be invited to the following Pro Tour. The 2022-23 season will also give out 64 bonus invites as a way to jumpstart the system. Other invitations will be determined by performance at the previous Pro Tour. Players who earn 10 or more match wins will be invited to the next Pro Tour. For the first two Pro Tours, however, invitations will be awarded for 9-7 or better finishes.

The top four of this year’s World Championship will automatically be invited to all three Pro Tours next season. 

Magic Hall of Fame members get awarded one Pro Tour invitation per season. This also comes with an invitation to that round’s Regional Championship if they choose to compete in that as well.

Each region will be managed by an organizer that’s in charge of holding Regional Championships. These regions are:

• U.S. – DreamHack
• Canada – Face to Face
• Europe, Middle East, and Africa – Legacy
• Australia/New Zealand – Good Games
• Chine – Beijing Kadou Culture
• Japan/Korea – Big Magic
• Southeast Asia – Oracle Events
• Taiwan – Game Square
• Brazil – City Class Games
• Mexico/Central America/Caribbean – Yellow Rabbit
• South America – Magic Sur

The top two from each U.S., EMEA, and JP/KR Regional Championship will earn invitations to the 2023 World Championship. Only the winner from each other region will earn an invite. Other World Championship invites will be earned by the following criteria:

• Top four from the previous World Championship
• 12-4 better players from each Pro Tour
• 32 entering via Adjusted Match Points (everyone tied for 32 will be invited)
• Magic Online and Magic Arena unannounced events

Next year’s World Championship is scheduled for the latter half of 2023 and will be a larger tournament than previous events. Around 128 competitors from around the world will qualify for the tabletop event with a $1 million prize pool.

The road to the World Championship will run through the Pro Tour for many players. These three-day tournaments will have 16 rounds with a cut to a top eight. Like past Pro Tours, each of the three tournaments will be split format with Booster Draft and Constructed.

Every Pro Tour will feature a Booster Draft of presumably the newest set. Each Pro Tour will feature a different Constructed format. The first will showcase Pioneer, followed by Standard then Modern.

Regional Championships will vary depending on the organizer. Each will be able to determine a format and tournament structure that best suits the region and event attendance. Qualifying rounds will be held at around the same time at certain Wizards Play Network stores in each region.

Outside of invitations to the World Championships, prize money, and other awards, Regional Championship competitors will receive special promo cards to commemorate the occasion. Players in each Regional Championship will receive an event-exclusive promo. The top finishers will get a foil version. 

For qualifying events, WPN stores will give all participating players a nonfoil Lava Spike. Top finishers will get a nonfoil Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. Regional Championship invitees will get a foil version. These promos are available for the first tournament cycle of the 2022-23 season.

Each regional organizer will offer more specific information on how they’ll be handling events heading into the first Pro Tour in 2023. Expect announcements on Regional Championships through the rest of the year.

All images via WotC.

Hall of Fame

• VisualEditor
• View history

The Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame enshrines the most significant and influential competitors of the game. It consists of an online museum dedicated to the Hall of Fame members, as well as Magic Hall of Fame Exhibit, which is displayed at selected events. Players are voted into the Magic Hall of Fame on an annual basis by a select committee.

Until 2019, the Hall of Fame was known as the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame. The Hall opened in 2005. [1] [2]

• 1.1 Removal from ballot
• 2 Selection process
• 4 Inductees
• 5 Controversy
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Eligibility [ | ]

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a player must have at least 150 lifetime Pro Points (prior to 2014, only 100 Pro Points were needed), must have participated in their first Pro Tour event (including Worlds prior to 2011) at least 10 seasons before the current voting year, and must not be currently suspended by the DCI . Starting in 2017, an added rule prescribes that a player must have at least two Pro Tour final-day finishes. [3] In 2019, that was amended to encompass the broader scope of high-level tournaments. The statistic was being recast as "Top Finishes," which included Pro Tour Top 8s, team Pro Tour Top 4s, World Championship (2012 to the present) Top 4s, Mythic Championship Top 8s/Top 4s, Mythic Invitational Top 4s, and Magic Online Championship Series Top 4s. [4]

As competitive Magic has expanded to include MTG Arena , Wizards of the Coast announced their intention to amend the future eligibility rules for the Magic Hall of Fame further in 2020. [4] They were exploring a lot of options, including opening the Hall of Fame to non-pro players who've had a profound impact on the game. [5] This would include people like Richard Garfield . A nominating committee was also under consideration. [6] In August 2020, it was said that going forward the new Magic Hall of Fame would not only feature competitive players, but also innovators, contributors, and longtime stewards, but has yet to be revisited in 2022. [7]

Removal from ballot [ | ]

Players who have been eligible for the Hall of Fame, but received less than 10% of the votes in three years, are removed from the ballot. Prior to 2018, this was restricted to three consecutive years. [3] Players who had been removed from the ballot could be reinstated by earning four or more Pro Points within one calendar year.

Selection process [ | ]

Each year, eligible players are selected for the Hall of Fame through voting by a Selection Committee consisting primarily of certain Wizards of the Coast employees, reporters and commentators of the Pro Tour, high-level judges , previously inducted Hall of Famers, and professional players with at least 150 Pro Points.

For the first three years, the top five players on the ballot with the most votes were elected. This was changed in 2008; only players who received at least 40% of the votes would be inducted – or, if no one on the ballot reached 40%, the top vote getter. In theory, this means that as few as one player could get inducted, but also that the number of inductees could be in excess of five. In 2017, the threshold was raised to 60%. [3]

Each year, at the first Pro Tour of the new season, an induction ceremony is held to award Hall of Fame rings to that year's Hall of Fame elects, officially enshrining them into the Hall. Prior to 2012, this ceremony was at the Magic World Championships.

Benefits [ | ]

Being elected to the Hall of Fame used to have several benefits in addition to the recognition:

• Three byes at all individual format Grand Prix events
• Invitation to all Pro Tours and Nationals
• One bye at Nationals
• Complimentary sleep-in special at all Grand Prix events (where available)
• 35 QPs given each month in Magic Online Championship Series
• Prior to the 2016–17 season , this appearance fee was also awarded upon attendance at all other Pro Tours, as well as the World Magic Cup .

The Hall of Fame appearance fee was in addition to what, if anything, they received for their Pro Players Club level. For byes and Magic Online QPs, however, only the higher reward applied.

With the shift to MTG Arena and the COVID-19 epidemic, it is unclear how many benefits are retained - those in the Hall have not received invites to the Set Championships. With no Grand Prix or Nationals due to COVID-19, and no Hall of Fame ballot from restructuring, many benefits have been retired.

New benefits have been automatic entry into MTG Arena Qualifier Weekends, one Regional Championship and Pro Tour per season.

Inductees [ | ]

Controversy [ | ].

Although Mike Long was eligible since the first year of the Hall of Fame (2005), he was not inducted. Though he has the necessary statistical credentials and garnered some votes (21.7% in 2005 at the most), he was not voted in. Mark Rosewater is among those who have voted and argued for his induction. [8] However, his alleged cheating and his shady reputation repeatedly prevented his induction. He fell off the ballot following the 2012 voting, when he received 5.2% of the votes.

Notes [ | ]

References [ | ].

• ↑ Chris Galvin (June 06, 2005). " The Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame ". magicthegathering.com . Wizards of the Coast.
• ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 20, 2005). " Decking the Hall ". magicthegathering.com . Wizards of the Coast.
• ↑ a b c Mike Rosenberg (June 8, 2017). " Pro Tour Hall of Fame Updates ". magicthegathering.com . Wizards of the Coast.
• ↑ a b Brian David-Marshall (August 20, 2019). " The Call to the Hall of Fame ". magicthegathering.com . Wizards of the Coast.
• ↑ Magic Esports (August 22, 2019). " MagicEsports ". Twitter.
• ↑ Hipsters of the Coast (August 22, 2019). " HipstersMTG ". Twitter.
• ↑ a b Ben Drago and Bear Watson (August 27, 2020). " Esports Update: Changes to 2020-2021 Magic Pro League Play ". Magic.gg .
• ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 11, 2003). " It’s a Long Story ". magicthegathering.com . Wizards of the Coast.
• ↑ Round 16 Disqualification . Wizards of the Coast (April 27, 2019).
• ↑ David McCoy (April 28, 2019). " Yuuya Watanabe Disqualified from Mythic Championship II London for Marked Cards ". Hipsters of the Coast .
• ↑ Statement Regarding Yuuya Watanabe . mtgesports.com (May 09, 2019).

External links [ | ]

• Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame
• Hall of Fame Eligibility By Year
• 1 Outlaws of Thunder Junction
• 2 Outlaws of Thunder Junction/Commander decks
• 3 Secret Lair Drop Series: Equinox Superdrop 2024

Explain It to Me like I'm Five: The Pro Tour Hall of Fame

Jon breaks down what the Pro Tour Hall of Fame is, how players get in, and how you can affect that. Yes, you! If you've always wanted to know more about the pro Tour Hall of Fame, this is the article for you!

By Jon Corpora | @feb31st | Published 2/7/2023 | 4 min read

Depending on how many toes you have in the Magic waters, you might be familiar with Magic's Hall of Fame. You might even be aware that you, dear reader, currently have a vote in this year's Hall of Fame class, the ballot to which can be found here .

As much as we'd love to tell you to just vote for your favorite eligible TCGplayer columnists ( cough , cough ), instead, we're going to try and fill you in on the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, why we think it's sweet, and why you should want all the info before you vote.

So what is the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, anyway?

Taken directly from the official Pro Tour Hall of Fame page on the mothership:

"The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame will enshrine the most significant and influential competitors of the game. It will consist of an online museum dedicated to the Hall of Fame members, as well as the Pro Tour Hall of Fame Exhibit, which will be on display at selected events. Players will be voted into the Pro Tour Hall of Fame on an annual basis by a select committee."

tl;dr: If you do well enough at Magic over a long enough period of time, you get immortalized in the Hall of Fame.

Right now, there are 39 powerful wizards that make up the Hall of Fame.

Voting happens once a year, and it's normally limited to a select few people within the Magic community.

What do people in the Hall of Fame get?

Being a Hall of Famer objectively rules. As a member of the Hall, you get

· An invite to every Pro Tour forever and ever (They're hard to qualify for!) · $1500 appearance fee at every Pro Tour (Free money just for showing up!) · Three byes at every Grand Prix (Start out every Grand Prix with three free wins!) · The prestige of being in The Hall Of Fame (GRITTY INTANGIBLES!) · 15 QPs in every MOCS season (Magic Online stuff)

tl;dr: Folks in the Hall get a lot of awesome stuff. Not only that, but they also represent the game we love as ambassadors of play at the highest-possible level. For muggles, Hall of Famers are the starting reference point for Magic players. Because of all this, we should be real picky about whom we're voting in.

There are no specific requirements to be added to the Hall of Fame, but players have traditionally had a strong history of tournament performance. Ultimately, it's up to the voters to decide what statistics make a player worthy, so let's look at some data for current members, to give you a point of reference.

As you can see, most players in the Hall of Fame have three, four, or five Top 8s, so that range acts kind of like the threshold now for a player to get in the Hall of Fame conversation. Three's the minimum, four's better, and five is almost a lock for the Hall of Fame.

A quick note on the Pro Tour – just getting the opportunity to play in one is hard. There are only a few ways to qualify to play in one, and once you're there, you're playing against other people who had to undergo grueling processes themselves to qualify – you're playing against the best of the best. Maintaining a winning game percentage against the field over any period of time, let alone making Top 8 at all, is absurdly difficult. Magic is a hard game.

At this point, it's worth taking a look at the low-end exceptions and discussing how they got into the Hall of Fame. There are only two exceptions to what we'll call The Three-Four-Five Rule:

· Only one Top 8: Randy Buehler. Basically, Randy's career was cut short thanks to getting hired by Wizards of the Coast, but his contributions to the game are unrivaled and his median finish (which we'll get to) is virtually untouchable, with five Top 16s in 12 career Pro Tours. · Only two Top 8s: Raphael Levy. The current all-time leader in Pro Points by a healthy margin, Raph's stats are buoyed by his incredible longevity within the game. Levy also holds the record for most Pro Tour appearances, with 86 out of a possible 97.

It just now occurs to me that the first Pro Tour of the '16-'17 season will be the 100th Pro Tour. I wonder if Wizards of the Coast has anything planned for that.

In this chart, the lower number is best, because it represents the best finish; you go into a tournament wanting to finish as number one, so 18 is better than 118, and so on. Most players with a good overall median either don't have many years on the Pro Tour (Tommi Hovi, Olle Rade) or are simply so good that they defy all logic and reason (Kai Budde, Gabriel Nassif).

Randy Buehler is more former than latter; 12 Pro Tours means his sample size is pretty small, but I think 12 Pro Tours (a little less than three years) is still a fine sample. Doing well at any tournament requires some luck, but a Top 32 median finish over 12 Pro Tours (Randy's median is actually 18) isn't all luck, and to assert otherwise is crazy.

There are more criteria to think about than just Pro Tour Top 8s and median finishes. Those are just the tip of the Iceberg , and we're giving them to you in order to try and get you thinking statistically as well as intuitively. Three-year median, career earnings, career Pro Points – the criteria you can use to evaluate players are endless. The Pro Tour Hall of Fame is a big deal to us, and we'd rather have you taking more into account when evaluating your ballot, instead of less.

Jon Corpora pronounced Ca-pora @feb31st

All data comes via PT: Dragons of Tarkir Top 8 Competitor Adrian Sullivan . Thanks, Adrian!

Updating the Hall of Fame

This week, Wizards announced changes to make it harder to get into the Pro Tour Hall of Fame by requiring two recent (since 2012) finishes and raising the threshold for actually getting into the hall to 60% of the vote (up from 40%). The main goal is to make the Hall of Fame more exclusive. While I'm not a pro—so I don't have a personal stake in these specific changes—they generally seem fine. Considering that being enshrined in the hall comes along with lifetime invites to Pro Tours, it's probably better to have a smaller number of people getting in each year. By my count, there are already 44 members of the Pro Tour Hall of Fame in just 12 years , which means we've inducted an average of 3.67 players each year (although this rate has slowed a bit recently—we haven't had a five-person class since 2008, and we only had one four-person class in 2012). Even assume a three-person class each year moving forward, this would mean that in less than 20 years, we'd have more than 100 Pro Tour Hall of Fame members with Pro Tour invites, and while they won't all show up, that's potentially a lot of extra players, especially when you consider the Pro Tour only had a couple of hundred players when many of the current Pro Tour Hall of Famers were actively playing.

The wisdom of giving Hall of Fame members lifetime Pro Tour invites is another question entirely. There are certainly benefits—we wouldn't get to see all-time greats like Jon Finkel and Kai Budde play Magic if it weren't for these invites because there's no way they could find the time in their real lives to go through the grind of earning an invite. So in one sense, giving out these free invites is a great way to connect to the history of the game. On the other hand, while I won't name names, we've also seen examples of some people using these invites like free vacations, not really testing, playing poorly, and seemingly not taking the Pro Tour seriously, which just ends up feeling bad for everyone. It doesn't make the game look good, and it doesn't make the player look good. All in all, it seems that the good outweighs the bad, especially considering that Wizards can pick and choose who it covers, which means we shouldn't have to watch the "free vacation" players on camera unless they are in contention, and if they are in contention at a Pro Tour, they likely took the event at least somewhat seriously and the "free vacation" label probably doesn't apply.

Generally speaking, the Pro Tour Hall of Fame isn't in bad shape at the moment, and the recent changes don't really seem like a bad thing. However, the Hall of Fame could be so much more than it is right now. At least for me, the Pro Tour induction ceremony is one of the best Magic events of the year because it gives everyone a glimpse of how much the game we all love really means to people, not just in terms of having a fun hobby but their real day-to-day lives.

These moments make Magic real and provide examples of why the game is so important to so many people. We already know the game itself is amazing, but what makes Magic the great game it is are the people, and while we've seen an increase recently (especially from Corbin Hosler, who does a great job) in telling the stories of the people in the game, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony is the one time each year when this is fully on display for everyone to see. We need more of these moments and more of the stories of the people who make up the game we all love, which means it's time to expand the Pro Tour Hall of Fame. 

Drop the "Pro Tour"

Now, I'm not proposing that we need to change the way the Hall of Fame currently interacts with pro players. While we can argue about Pro Point levels and numbers of Top 8 finishes, generally speaking, the current system seems to be working fairly well. However, the Hall of Fame could benefit a lot by dropping the "Pro Tour" from the name.

The first Pro Tour Hall of Fame class was back in 2005, and in the past 12 years, the game has grown in ways that Wizards probably couldn't have imagined, sparking an entire industry of YouTube videos, written articles, podcasts, and the like. Back then, it likely made sense to have a Pro Tour Hall of Fame because making it to the Pro Tour was the primary path to "success" in Magic . Today, things are much different, and the road to success is Magic is much more varied. We have popular content producers who have never played a Pro Tour match. We have cosplayers and artists giving Grands Prix a convention-like feel. We have formats like Commander, podcasts like Limited Resources, and comedy from groups like LoadingReadyRun. All of these things combined have changed the very meaning of Magic . While the competitive grind to the Pro Tour is still very much an important part of Magic , it's no longer the only part of Magic . Basically, the game of Magic has moved away from being exclusively about the Pro Tour to encompassing a wide range of passions and pursuits, and it's time for the Hall of Fame to follow suit by becoming the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame, rather than just the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, so it can promote and recognize everything the game has become, rather than just one aspect of the game.

Once again, let me make this very clear: this wouldn't impact pro players in any way, shape, or form. The voting would remain the same, the qualifications would remain the same, and the benefits would remain the same. If need be, the Pro Tour Hall of Fame name could remain as a wing of the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame. This change isn't about the pros; it's about everyone else who makes Magic the amazing game it is today. 

If we look around at the halls of fame of other sports in North America, every one has some mechanism for recognizing non-players for their contributions to the game. The National Baseball Hall of Fame , for example, includes not just players but managers, umpires, executives, and pioneering contributors. The NFL Hall of Fame regularly recognizes owners and coaches, while the Basketball Hall of Fame makes room for contributors like Meadowlark Lemon of Harlem Globetrotters fame. 

This is arguably even more important in Magic than it is for other sports, considering that there's a massive group of Magic players who interact with the game primarily on a non-pro level. If you're a football fan, you almost certainly watch NFL games; if you're a baseball fan, you're pretty much guaranteed to spend time watching MLB games. On the other hand, a majority of Magic fans don't watch the Magic Pro Tour or even follow the pro scene (the last Pro Tour topped out at just over 40,000 viewers during the finals , while Wizards says there are 20,000,000 Magic players in the world , which means 0.2% of Magic players tuned in for what is essentially the Super Bowl of Magic ). There's a reason why hardcore gameplay videos featuring one of the best players in the world might get 30,000 views on YouTube while a countdown video ranking the 10 worst cards in Magic  gets 400,000. This isn't a knock on high-level play but more a recognition that most Magic is played on kitchen tables in the hands of people who don't really care about the Pro Tour. 

So, my request is this: after expanding the Hall of Fame from "Pro Tour" to " Magic: the Gathering, " create a system for contributors to be recognized and enshrined. This would be 100% separate from the "Pro Tour" part of the Hall of Fame (although it would be part of the same induction ceremony). Instead of having other pro players vote, have a voting system that involves the general Magic public (which would be a fun event in and of itself and doubtlessly create a ton of conversation and hype) combined with Wizards and perhaps some sort of Community Committee chosen by Wizards and designed specifically for this purpose. People enshrined in the "contributor" part of the Hall of Fame wouldn't get Pro Tour invites or any other special benefits, apart from some sort of plaque / trophy and a paid trip to the Pro Tour (as a non-player) where they are being inducted, to take part in the ceremony. 

To me, this seems like a no-brainer for a bunch of reasons. First, it's very low cost for Wizards , with the only real expense being flying an extra person to the induction ceremony and some work hours setting things up. Second, it would generate a ton of hype and be great advertising for Wizards . The Pro Tour Hall of Fame is already a huge conversion topic, and it involves a statistically insignificant percentage of the Magic community as either players or voters. Imagine the popularity of something similar but involving the entire community, instead of this small sliver. Third, and most importantly, there are a ton of community members who deserve this recognition. 

What Do You Mean, "Contributor"?

Now, let me make this clear right off the bat: I shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. The Professor from Tolarian Community College shouldn't either, or Wedge at The Mana Source , or Marshall from Limited Resources , or whoever else happens to be popular at the moment. While it's possible that all of these people  could  be deserving of a contributor slot eventually, what the contributor part of the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame should not be is a contest to see who is most popular right now. Thankfully, this is easy to fix by setting up requirements for eligibility—just like pro players need to have played their first Pro Tour at least 10 years ago to be considered, we'd need some similar guideline for contributors. The goal would be to give honor and credit to people who have had a long-term positive impact on the game but don't happen to be Pro Tour all-stars. 

While I hesitate to even throw out names because I'm sure I'm going to miss a lot of people, especially from years past, I can give you some broad ideas of the types of people I believe would be deserving of contributor slots right now, today, and also some groups that will likely be deserving in the future:

Wizards People: 

It's hard to argue that people like Mark Rosewater, Aaron Forsythe, and of course Richard Garfield shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. I believe that every other major sports hall of fame has the game's creator enshrined, and people like Mark Rosewater and Aaron Forsythe are akin to "owners" in sports, who are another group that often finds their way into the hall of fame.

At this point, there are some Magic artists who have been helping to make iconic Magic cards for over 20 years, which certainly seems worthy of a contributor slot in the Hall of Fame. We couldn't enshrine all artists, of course, but it's hard to imagine too many people being against artists with the track records of John Avon or Terese Nielsen finding their way into the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame.

Commentary People:  

Here, the two big ones that come to mind are Brian David-Marshall and Rich Hagen, although it's very likely that more names will join this list as time passes. 

Content People: 

Right now, this would include people like Evan Erwin, who pretty much pioneered Magic content on YouTube, but I'm sure there are other early content pioneers who deserve recognition as well. As time passes, this group would contain podcasters, writers, YouTube personalities, and the like.

Community People: 

This might not be the best name for the category, but here I'm envisioning people like Sheldon Menery, who has had a huge impact on Commander, along with tournament organizers and even game store owners.

We often forget about the judges who keep our tournaments running smoothly, but there's precedent for giving outstanding judges membership in the Hall of Fame—the National Baseball Hall of Fame regularly enshrines umpires. While this wouldn't include every judge or even every high-level judge, someone like Riki Hayashi would certainly be deserving. 

While Chris Pikula should be in the Pro Tour Hall of Fame already, his work to end cheating during the wild west early days of the Pro Tour would certainly be worth considering for the contributors wing, as would an alternate version of Willy Edel (who is hugely important to Magic in South America) who wasn't already in the hall based on his Pro Tour play. 

The Future:  

The other exciting aspect of this is that we don't know what will happen in the future. In just the last couple of years, we've seen the rise of Magic cosplay, and while I'm not sure there's any cosplayer who should be inducted into the Hall of Fame right now, there are some like Christine Sprankle who likely will be in a few more years.

The Nuts and Bolts

The exact way to make this change work is certainly open for debate. While I really like the idea of somehow involving the vote of the community—because I think it would generate a ton of conversation, hype, and advertising for Wizards— it's also possible that Wizards (or a small group created by Wizards ) could simply enshrine deserving members (much like the old timers / veterans committee in the Baseball Hall of Fame, which has the ability to induce players they deem worthy without going through the voting process).

The number of slots that should go to contributors is debatable. In basketball, contributors are granted entrance into the hall of fame quite regularly, with the recent norm being somewhere around two each year, on average. On the other hand, the baseball hall of fame enshrines non-players fairly infrequently. For Magic , enshrining one contributor each year could be fine, although it might have to be more at first to work through the backlog (even just from my short list, there are at least 10 people who are shoo-ins, and I'm sure there are more whom I'm not thinking of at the moment, who are from before my time, or who are from other countries that I'm not as familiar with). 

The long and short of this is that we, as the Magic community, have members who deserve to be recognized and honored for their massive contributions to the game. Every other major sport has a way of recognizing these people through their halls of fame, and the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame should follow suit. Doing so doesn't cost Wizards any significant amount of money, and it seems that these community-driven Hall of Fame votings would be some of the most popular events of the year. While not in the same way, many of these people have dedicated their lives to making Magic the amazing game it is today, just as much as a Pro Tour Hall of Fame-level players have, and as a result are just as deserving of recognition and praise. 

The Downside

From my perspective, expanding the Hall of Fame from "Pro Tour" to " Magic: the Gathering " seems like all upside, although I could imagine some members of the pro community disliking the change, either because they feel like it somehow trivializes their accomplishments or threatens the "sanctity of the game." Here, once again, I'd counter by pointing out that the current setup of the Magic Hall of Fame is the exception rather than the rule. Having the "clown prince" in the Basketball Hall of Fame doesn't diminish the accomplishments of Michael Jordan or Bill Russell, and having Henry Chadwick (creator of the box score and the founder of statistics in baseball) in the National Baseball Hall of Fame doesn't make Hank Aaron's home runs worth any less. 

If Michael Jordan is okay with Meadowlark Lemon in the Basketball Hall of Fame, then Magic players should be able to deal with Brian David-Marshall or Mark Rosewater in the Magic Hall of Fame.

The other possibility is that including more non-players will actually be beneficial for the pro players. For example, Wizards just gave a Hearthstone streamer a special invite to the Pro Tour in the hopes of drawing some of his audience to the Pro Tour coverage, and more coverage means more potential sponsorships and more money for pro players (whether or not this strategy works remains to be seen, but it can't hurt to try). Likewise, Wizards would draw a different audience to the Hall of Fame ceremony (and coverage of the Pro Tour, since the ceremony is part of Pro Tour coverage) to watch someone like Evan Erwin or Mark Rosewater give their speech, which benefits pro players in the long run. 

In the past,  Magic 's selling point was that you could play the game and see the world by qualifying for the Pro Tour, and while this dream lives on, it has also expanded. When the Pro Tour Hall of Fame was started, all of the biggest stars of Magic were pro players, but the Magic world has changed over the past decade. Now, many of the most popular and productive members of the Magic community have never played a Pro Tour match and instead contribute by making videos; judging tournaments; creating formats, podcasts, and articles; cosplaying at events; or creating artwork. While the Pro Tour and pro players are part of what makes the Magic community great, the game has moved past being exclusively about the Pro Tour. It's time for the Hall of Fame to catch up to this new reality and, rather than recognizing just one type of greatness as displayed by pro players, recognizing all of the different types of greatness displayed by the community that goes into making Magic the best game in the world.

Anyway, that's all for today. What do you think? Should we expand the Hall of Fame to include contributors who aren't Pro Tour all-stars? If so, who would you like to see included? Did I forget about any aspects of the community that are deserving of recognition? Let me know in the comments, and as always, you can reach me on Twitter @SaffronOlive or at [email protected].

More on MTGGoldfish ...

Crime Novelist got a lot of hype during Murders at Karlov Manor spoiler season, but it hasn't seen much play. Can we write a Timeless crime novel and use the three-drop to combo? Let's see!

A reference table of all the instant-speed tricks in Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

This week the crew builds around some of the sweetest new legends from Outlaws of Thunder Junction!

Joe Dyer dives into more important cards in Pauper!

Articles Sidebar

Recent articles.

• Much Abrew: I Write a Timeless Crime Novel Much Abrew: I Write a Timeless Crime Novel
• Outlaws of Thunder Junction Instant-Speed Tricks Outlaws of Thunder Junction Instant-Speed Tricks
• Outlaws of Thunder Junction | Commander Clash S16 E13 Outlaws of Thunder Junction | Commander Clash S16 E13

Article Search

• Outlaws of Thunder Junction Spoilers — March 30 | Dragons, Extra Upkeep and Theft Outlaws of Thunder Junction Spoilers — March 30 | Dragons, Extra Upkeep and Theft
• Weekly Update (Mar 31): Outlaws of Thunder Junction Previews Weekly Update (Mar 31): Outlaws of Thunder Junction Previews
• Single Scoop: Mashing The Best Decks Together Single Scoop: Mashing The Best Decks Together

More from this Author

• Against the Odds: Vannifar Surprise (Standard) Against the Odds: Vannifar Surprise (Standard)

More Great Content

Against the Odds

Building janky brews based on your votes.

Budget Magic

Building FNM-worthy decks without breaking the bank.

Playing Pauper

Highlighting the Pauper format where only Commons are allowed.

Commander Clash

Four-player Commander battles featuring a new theme every week.

Budget Commander

Build awesome Commander decks on a 20 tix budget.

Vintage 101

Learn about the most powerful format that spans Magic's entire history.

MTGGoldfish Podcast

Join Crim (TheAsianAvenger), Seth (SaffronOlive) and Richard (BlackTuna) as they discuss the weekly news and answer user submitted questions.

Much Abrew About Nothing

Showcasing offbeat brews from around the internet.

Rough Drafts

Weekly drafts featuring a variety of formats new and old.

Layout Footer

Never miss important MTG news again!

All emails include an unsubscribe link. You may opt-out at any time. See our privacy policy .

Toggle Dark Mode Toggle Dark Mode

Price preference.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Do Not Sell My Personal Information
• Submit Tournament Results

All original content on this page is © 2012-2024 MTGGoldfish, Inc. and may not be used or reproduced without consent. Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC. © 1995-2024 Wizards. All rights reserved. MTGGoldfish, Inc. is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast LLC. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network, TCGplayer.com, CardKingdom.com, CardConduit.com, Cardhoarder.com.

Sign in Using an Existing Account

Sign in Using an MTGGoldfish Email Account

Forgot your password? Reset it here .

Don't have an account? Sign Up for free!

Important Updates

At MTGGoldfish, we value your privacy. As such, we're letting you know that we've updated our Privacy Policy to reflect the new rule set forth by the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We've updated our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Please take a moment to review them and accept to continue.

I Agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

Exercising your rights.

If you are a resident of California, you have the right under the CCPA to opt out of the sale of personal information to third parties. Use the options below to exercise this right, and please review our privacy policy for complete information on how your data is used and stored.

The Prickle

Smart arts reviews., the illusionists 2.0 | moscow, crocus city hall.

REVIEW: Don’t miss a moment of this truly special evening with the world’s best magicians @crocuscityhall #theillusionists #crocuscityhall https://t.co/i54rUuGCWi — The Prickle (@ThePrickle) January 26, 2018

This might be the greatest magic show you will ever see. Seven of the world’s greatest magicians have returned to Moscow’s 7,500-seater Crocus City Hall, following last year’s sell-out success. Both the small-scale sleight-of-hand and the Vegas-style illusion acts are world-class.

First up, the illusions: Italy’s Andrew Basso performs Houdini’s death-defying underwater escape, the show’s climax, with ultimate carnival bravado. France’s Enzo provides some truly unique and gobsmacking illusions of his own invention in a winning, enigmatic style. England’s Josephine Lee amazes with some perfectly choreographed magic that blends video projection and real-life.

However, there’s also plenty of astonishing close-up. The opportunity to see South Korea’s Yu Ho Jin, 2012 FISM World Champion, cannot be underestimated. Providing the opening and closing acts, he manipulates cards and coins with such utter dexterity and class that it feels like real magic. America’s Leonardo Bruno also offers a charming illusion levitating paper in a lady’s hand, standing with her in the audience. Don’t worry: hi-tech cameras and enormous video screens capture every last detail.

Definitely get there early: arena type queues and security are in place, plus magicians perform out in the lobby, and there’s even a little magic shop to visit. There’s no bell in the interval, so don’t get lost. You don’t want to miss a moment of this truly special evening of the world’s best magic.

Until 28 January 2018. Tickets £25-£165.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

Magic Johnson raves about Michael Cooper making Hall of Fame

Magic Johnson answered his cell on the first ring and in a nanosecond his excitement was at a fever pitch.

“My boy made it! My boy made it! My boy Coop made the Hall of Fame!” Johnson exclaimed. “Damn! I was hollering, man, when I heard it. I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited for him, man.”

His “boy” is Michael Cooper, the defensive virtuoso on those dominant Lakers championship teams in the 1980s who indeed has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made Saturday, but Johnson had been overjoyed for a few days before it became official, his happiness at a high because Cooper was finally being recognized among the greats in the game of basketball because he was an integral part of five Lakers championships.

“This is one of the greatest Laker moments in the history of the franchise because here is a guy who is making it to the Hall of Fame and he didn’t even start,” Johnson said. “That tells you how great he was and also how everybody else knew how great he was. We knew how great he was and it’s good to know that everybody else felt the same way about his contributions to the game of basketball.

"It’s not just to the Lakers, but to the game of basketball was strong enough to make it to the Hall of Fame. To hear Larry Bird, all these guys say that he was the toughest defender that they had to go against, that says it all right there. And then myself knowing that because I practiced against the dude so I already knew he was the best defender.”

Cooper never backed down when taking on the assignment of guarding some of the NBA’s greatest during his time: from Bird to Bernard King to Alex English to Dominique Wilkins to Isiah Thomas to Michael Jordan.

And that was why Cooper was the NBA’s defensive player of the year in 1987 and why he made the All-Defensive team eight times during his 12-year career with the Lakers, five times on the first team.

“He always wanted the best player,” said Johnson, himself a Hall of Famer. “He just said, ‘I got him.’ And he didn’t back down from nobody. That’s what got him into the Hall of Fame as well, because he believed in his talent and didn’t back down to nobody. He would talk trash, but he would back it right on up.”

The great Jerry West will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame for the third time, the latest as a contributor to the game.

The announcement was made Saturday at the Final Four in Phoenix, the class of 2024 having 13 new members: players Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Seimone Augustus, Walter Davis, Dick Barnett and Michele Timms, coaches Charles Smith, Harley Redin and Bo Ryan, broadcaster/coach Doug Collins and owner Herb Simon.

They will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in August.

Former Lakers star Byron Scott said he, James Worthy, former Lakers trainer Gary Vitti and their wives were having lunch a few months ago with Cooper when he lamented about having not made it when he was a finalist for the class of 2021. Then Cooper, 67, became a finalist again for the 2024 class during NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.

“Coop was like, ‘Man, if it happens, it happens,’ ” Scott recalled. “Then James walked in and was like, ‘What’s up future Hall of Famer?’ I said, ‘You are going to get in, man. There are some other defensive players that got in so you are going to get in this time.’ He was like, ‘If I do, I do. No big deal.’

"So, when I heard the news I was so happy and proud for my brother. It was so long overdue because he is still considered one of the greatest defensive players who has ever played in this game. So, how can you not have him in the Hall of Fame? It’s a beautiful thing.”

Cooper played his entire NBA career with the Lakers, spanning 873 games. He was drafted in the third round in 1978, the 60th overall pick. He was a thin 6-7 wing player who had played basketball at Pasadena High and Pasadena City College before going to New Mexico.

He averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals a game.

But it was Cooper’s defense that made him stand out. And now he has joined “Showtime” legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Jamaal Wilkes, Worthy, Johnson and coach Pat Riley in the Hall of Fame.

“It shows a lot of kids that if you concentrate on defense, if you’re unselfish, if you will play your role and be happy and buy into that role, while you can still do the other things,” Johnson said. “People forget this: Coop could have started for any other team in the NBA and probably been an All-Star almost every year.”

The two became close friends, immediately hitting it off during Johnson’s rookie season in 1979-80.

They developed the “Coop-a-loop,” which was Johnson throwing a lob pass to Cooper, who threw it down with a one-handed dunk.

“I used to tell him in training camp, ‘Man, you jump so high so just take off and I’ll get it to you,’ ” Johnson said. “That became the ‘Coop-a-loop!’ ”

Johnson recalled how Cooper had a big moment for the Lakers against the hated Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the 1987 NBA Finals.

Cooper made six three-pointers in that game, which was then an NBA Finals record. He missed just one of his 7 threes and had 21 points, 9 assists and three steals in just 26 minutes.

“He hit six three-pointers in the NBA Finals. Not the regular season. The NBA Finals! Every shot they were cheering for him,” Johnson said. “They wanted him to make another one. He blew Game 2 wide open by hitting those six threes. Aw, man! So, you see why I’m so happy my boy made it to the Hall of Fame.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

• Preplanned tours
• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Theatres in Moscow

Cultural life of Moscow city is various and rich! Operas, ballets, symphonic concerts... Russian composers have created some of the most beautiful classical music. Russian classical music is very popular in Moscow. It is performed in many beautiful historical venues. Do not forget to include a visit to a concert hall in your itinerary when you are planning your stay in Moscow! And do it in advance.

There are almost no restrictions on dress code in Russian theatres. Visitors may wear jeans and sports shoes, they may have a backpack with them. Only shorts are not allowed.

A typical feature of Russian theatre – visitors are bringing a lot of flowers which they present to their favorite performers after the show.

Here are some practical advices where to go and how to buy tickets.

The Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is the oldest, the most famous and popular opera and ballet theatre in Russia. The word “Bolshoi” means “big” in Russian. You can buy a ticket online in advance, 2-3 months before the date of performance on the official website . Prices for famous ballets are high: 6-8 thousand rubles for a seat in stalls. Tickets to operas are cheaper: you can get a good seat for 4-5 thousand rubles. Tickets are cheaper for daytime performances and performances on the New Stage. The New Stage is situated in the light-green building to the left of the Bolshoi's main building. The quality of operas and ballets shown on the New Stage is excellent too. However, you should pay attention that many seats of the Bolshoi’s Old and New Stages have limited visibility . If you want to see the Bolshoi’s Old Stage but all tickets are sold out, you can order a tour of the theatre. You can book such a tour on the official website.

If you want, following Russian tradition, to give flowers to the performers at the end of the show, in the Bolshoi flowers should be presented via special staff who collects these flowers in advance.

In August the Bolshoi is closed.

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre

This theatre is noteworthy. On one hand, it offers brilliant classical opera and ballet performances. On the other hand, it is an experimental venue for modern artists. You can check the program and buy tickets online here http://stanmus.com/ . If you are opera lover, get a ticket to see superstar Hibla Gerzmava . The theatre has a very beautiful historic building and a stage with a good view from every seat. Tickets are twice cheaper than in the Bolshoi.

The Novaya Opera

“Novaya” means “New” in Russian. This opera house was founded in 1991 by a famous conductor Eugene Kolobov. Its repertoire has several directions: Russian and Western classics, original shows and divertissements, and operas of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is very popular with Muscovites for excellent quality of performances, a comfortable hall, a beautiful Art Nouveau building and a historic park Hermitage, which is situated right next to it. You can buy tickets online here http://www.novayaopera.ru/en .

Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center

The Opera Center has become one of the best theatrical venues in Moscow. It was founded in 2002 by great diva Galina Vishnevskaya. Nowadays its artistic director is Olga Rostropovich, daughter of Galina Vishnevskaya and her husband Mstislav Rostropovich, great cellist and conductor. Not only best young opera singers perform here, but also world music stars do; chamber and symphonic concerts, theatrical productions and musical festivals take place here. You can see what is on the program here http://opera-centre.ru/theatre . Unfortunately “booking tickets online” is available in Russian only. If you need help, you can contact us at and we can book a ticket for you. 

Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and The Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory

These are two major concert halls for symphonic music in Moscow. Both feature excellent acoustics, impressive interior, various repertoire and best performers. You can check the program here http://meloman.ru/calendar/ . You need just to switch to English. Booking tickets online is available only for owners of Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian phone numbers. If you need help, you can contact us and we can book a ticket for you. 

Moscow International Performing Arts Center (MIPAC)

This modern and elegant concert hall houses performances of national and foreign symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, solo instrumentalists, opera singers, ballet dancers, theatre companies, jazz bands, variety and traditional ensembles. Actually, it has three concert halls placed on three different levels and having separate entrances. The President of MIPAC is People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov, conductor of “Virtuosy Moskvy” orchestra. You can see pictures of the concert halls here http://www.mmdm.ru/en/content/halls . The program is impressive in its variety but is not translated into English. You can contact us at and we can find a performance for you.

Moscow thrashes Warsaw. Ambassador Walter Stoessel, Jr. brings the game behind the Iron Curtain

Ambassador Walter Stoessel , a keen player and lover of the game, had introduced platform tennis to both Moscow and Warsaw, and had courts built in both capitals.

The Warsaw Chapter of the APTA sent the association a report on an inter-embassy tournament played on April 26 and 27 between them and a team from Moscow that included Stoessel, the American Ambassador in Moscow.

The Moscow Chapter claimed the title of Champions of the Eastern Hemisphere based on their triumph in the tournament, in which they won eight of the contests.

Pro Tour March of the Machine Final Standings

Looking for more from Pro Tour March of the Machine? Find it here.