Well said. I think the biggest setback to the quality of the broadcast is the integration of Full Sail students. At times, it feels as though production decisions are being made primarily to incorporate them into the process. Nick is an amazing caster, and I am sure his job of making everything work cannot be easy under these circumstances. I agree that the production was not up to the standard we have come to expect and enjoy in the past. My assumption is that the current MCS budget requires cost-cutting decisions, such as holding events at Full Sail and fulfilling whatever agreements—possibly including the use of their students—come with that arrangement. I personally think EA did a lot in the past in an attempt to grow the MCS, but it never materialized into what we had all hoped it would become. Now, it is apparent that, at least for this year, there has been a reduction in the resources being poured into something that is not growing. The hard truth that competitors do not want to face is that the majority of Madden players do not view MCS competitors as anything more than glitchy or cheesy players who run the same things repeatedly, based on the best ways to exploit the game’s inadequacies. They see MCS players as the enemy who have ruined the experience because everyone they face tries to copy that play style. I obviously do not share these views. I understand that the majority of people who play or watch Madden have no idea how much they do not know about the game. They miss the chess match and the complexities unfolding on the live stage and see only what they expect to see. Regardless, watching MCS tournaments does not change their perspective. Instead, it reinforces their belief that everyone runs the same schemes, uses the same players, and repeats the same formula every year. Competitive Madden, in its current state and with its current formula, is not gaining enough new supporters. For the MCS to grow, people need to feel as though there is someone they genuinely want to support. Every singing or dancing competition show is built around viewers taking a liking to certain contestants and rooting for them to survive each week. I do not think this year’s format is ideal for competitors, but it has a better chance of creating storylines and familiarity from one broadcast to the next. That can give people a reason to tune in and root for someone they have come to like. With that being said, if creating those storylines is the intention, then part of the equation must be featuring the competitors at every possible opportunity within the parameters the production team is working with. The competitors also need to show emotion and help create memorable moments that people will still be talking about the next day. One of the best things for MCS viewership would be to have the streamers who have spent years building loyal communities competing on the biggest stage—players such as Dubby, Skimbo, Kmac, Problem, Dottimus, GoatGeezy, Vohes, and others. At this point, I believe that if we ever want to see the MCS start trending in the right direction, we have to stop waiting for EA to do it for us. Every competitor who wants the MCS to survive for their own benefit should ask themselves, “What can I do to help create a product that people want to watch and support?” I do not believe that process begins on the live stage. That is one of the reasons I was so critical of players who were not streaming their ladder games. I feel that it was a missed opportunity to get people invested in a player’s journey and the adversity they had to overcome to reach the live stage. I understand that streaming can create a competitive disadvantage, and this year’s format made it logical for players to do everything necessary to reach the Pro League. However, if competitors want the MCS to remain viable, there comes a point when they need to ask themselves what is best for the overall health of the esport. If they do not start asking that question now, they may eventually find themselves asking the dreaded “What if?” later in life while looking back on the good times we had when the MCS was still around.