All of you throwing around your opinions about this situation and saying 'blah blah fk estro' or 'can't IdrA get ret on cj!?' are making me want to puke. You are all so fucking stupid its hilarious. Even with the limited information you guys have on the situation you're all still completely unable to assess the situation even slightly correctly.

First of all, the reason why Ret got on Estro in the first place is only because of Hwanni, Artosis, and maybe a few others like some people who are high up in IEG etc (and himself of course!). The actual team estro and the players on it have absolutely no reason to give a fuck. It's funny how you people say things like 'they should be supporting ret!' Sure in a perfect world with super cool players on the team thats what it would be like and none of the problems that caused Ret to get banned from the team would have happened.

But thats not the reality. You can't imagine what it's like to be a progamer in Korea right now. Nony acted like he was fully aware and seemed ready but he obviously wasn't even close to ready. Ret had no idea what he was getting himself into. The reality of these teams is this: Koreans do not think like foreigners at all. They have a set schedule and even if you make some request to break this schedule and your request makes complete sense logically and fundamentally they just won't break or bend their team routine/rules in any way whatsoever especially not for some newbie foreigner who just joined their team. It's just the way koreans are...you either conform to their standards or you get the fuck out. This is something almost impossible for non-koreans to grasp and is why Idra was able to get along so well after a while...his personality and lifestyle conforms exactly to what they want. He's quiet, mild mannered (except online LOL), and just sits there in his chair playing games all fucking day. He doesn't cause problems in any way. They like this. Nony was having some problems right away with the intensive training schedule and was making requests to estro saying he wants a bit more free time and less playing hours etc or some shit like that. BIG NONO. When you join a Korean team you are there for them, they are not there for you. Of course that does not fit a western mentality but in the progaming world there are far too many upcoming players, and the competition is so intense for them to actually focus their dedication on any player except for a star player. It's up to the newb players to impress them and do what they want. And saying they should try a bit more to help him out because he's non korean is just as retardedly racist as saying they are racist for not helping him.

Koreans are fucking xenophobic as fuck. They are not happy go lucky to foreigners at all (unless they speak korean or are drinking with them lol!). Once you join their team they are going to continue with their business and ignore you unless you manage to make actual friends with them somehow. I can imagine what it was like for Ret right now he'd ask a guy "Go game?!" which is probably the only communication he could really muster with them and they'd make up some gay excuse or simply say no. It's quite disheartening after a while and I imagine after a while Ret simply gave up even trying (that or he wasn't even on the team long enough for that to happen). The reason why it was a bit easier for Nony is he has a very open outgoing social smiley personality and that is something that Koreans will open up to. It's a very rare quality to be that kind of person AND be able to stand sitting in a chair slaving away playing a game 14 hours a day at the same time. I don't even think Nony had that. We'll never know how it would have turned out though because he made the wise decision to put his real life (congrats on marriage nony) above that of a life of slavery. Koreans are also superficial as hell. They are probably the most judgemental culture I've ever seen. They care about the way you look. They care about the way you carry yourself. If you're too different from them they will simply shy away. It's no secret that Ret is a big guy and yes you might say "rekrul ur an asshole for saying that" but believe me, as someone who has lived in Korea for over 6 years I guarantee you this did play a definite part in why the people on estro 'mistreated' ret. When they look at him I know exactly what they think: They think 'ahhh white slob.' It's just the way Koreans are. 3-4 years ago I was 90 KG's and people always reacted to well to me no matter what girls or guys. Now I'm 104 kgs the fattest I've ever been in my life and believe me I can feel a huge difference in the way I am treated in general. Not that I give a fuck because I'm mother fucking rekrul, but it's just a noticable difference that I see and I find it quite interesting actually. (for those wondering after new years I'm going USA for 6 months (FOR REAL THIS TIME LOL) to stop being alcoholic and hit gym/poker for 6 months in peace.)

As for the players and the managers 'mistreating' Ret. WTF. I not gunna go into detail in this post about any of the little reasons why estro wanted ret out or why ret felt uncomfortable due to the way the koreans were acting as that information is at his own disgression to give out or not, but believe me there were many many things causing problems from both ends. But imagine this: You're on one of the lower tier pro-teams in the most intensely competitive pro-gaming circuits in the entire world by far (the only one actually lol). You're a player slaving away all day every day grinding it out only eating fucking rice and some stupid fucking microwavable chicken having no life being a complete slave with minor freedom and not making any money and have no education and ur hoping to play the best players you can to slowly grind up your skill level and hopefully if you're talented and lucky enough you make it to A-team then finally get in the big show. Are you really going to want to play games against some non-korean newbie who just joined your team and you can't even communicate with or are you going to keep playing against your gosu practice partners with whom you can actually discuss things and go over replays with without having fucking non stop awkward 'how the fuck do i communicate fuck fuck' moments. OBVIOUSLY you'd rather stick to playing your Koreans. Now imagine you're a manager/coach and at first you try and be nice and helpful and tell your players to play this guy. These are players that you've been working with for a long time and are your fellow koreans. Then your players start coming to you with complaints about the person or his lack of ability etc and saying they don't want to play him. Then you want to help him but then you realize you can't even communicate to help him with his strats. After a while you're just gunna be like 'fuck it fine don't play him do whatever you want' to the other players. Obviously, thats not ideal, and its definitely not how I woulud run my show; I'd fucking get out my KTF baseball bat and tell them in that case play him 5 games right now if you lose a single game you're getting the fucking beats. But thats just me, and thats a perfect world. This is not me, this is koreans and their koreans way, in a very imperfect progaming world that turns it's players into slaves.

I don't even know why someone would try to come to Korea and play starcraft 1 right now at all. It's a complete waste of time. I know people like Artosis like to advocate that you have to play starcraft1 a lot to improve your chances of becoming good at starcraft2. But he's dead wrong...he not exactly an unintelligent person, but sometimes he has mental blocks that cause him to do stupid things like play only one race for 11 years straight instead of dabbling a little in zerg or toss. Whether or not you'll be good at starcraft2 relies on how much effort you put when SC2 comes out and how talented you are. Sure it helps to understand RTS games and starcraft immensley but you can do this from ur own home on ICCUP and accomplish the same result. You don't need to divert from your current lifestyle and fly to a brand new country to be a slave to accomplish this result. So no, SC2 skill is NOT a reason to become a progamer.

You might also say "Hey but it's always great it's an adventure to a new country!" Thats not what it is. You're going to be a slave. Either you're a rich kid and too much of a brat to conform to the koreans (Draco), or you're just too outgoing to become a gaming slave to the koreans/care more about ur real life (wife(nony)), or you do not conform to what they want you to act like (Ret). This is why all these players had problems and eventually gave up (I'm assuming this is the end of the road for Ret in korea for SC1 right now). It's simply not an adventure. It's slavery with a few breaks out on the town with the nerd crew in kangnam having some beers outside 7-11's unless Rekrul decides to show up and play the robin hood role. A real adventure to Korea would involve a few week vacation, or working there with a real job and studying Korean. Not slaving away in a smelly progamer house.

There are only two things to be gained from being a starcraft1 player in Korea right now. One is that you'll establish yourself on a team and will be in a good social position for when SC2 comes out and will be open to many possibilities in the future due to connections and fame later on. Another is that you'll be the best foreigner and can make a bit of cash in the foreign competitions. Those are the only two real good reasons. It's just far too tough of a life here.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not judging idra ret etc or anyones decision to come to Korea and be a progamer...to each his own but it's just not an intelligent life decision for most people. It's just too hard in so many aspects. If you think you have the skill then wait for SC2 and do some other more intelligent things in the meantime instead of wasting ur time in a slave camp. Idra came at the right time and got lucky in many ways to be on CJ and had the right conforming personality so it was great for him...but for Nony a guy who was engaged or Ret a guy with a GF and who was going to school and who was a ZvT, ZvP, TvZ player? Gimme a break. How the fuck can you come to korea when you don't even play zvz yet!!! Once again anyone can do whatever the fuck they want with their lives and I don't judge anyone for anything but it's just not something a wise person would try to do especially when they have a life outside of the game.

The downsides just too far outweigh the upsides for most people.

And for those of you saying "idra can't you put in a good word for ret?" CJ does not give a fuck what Idra thinks. They will ask everyone at estro their exact opinions etc etc etc and obviously these estro players are not going to be saying anything that will make CJ want to take Ret. Now, I'm not totally sure about this...it's possible CJ has room for him and enough money etc. and simply don't give a fuck and can let him on...but with all the trouble so far and two first round courage losses I'd be willing to bet a lot of money and give odds that he doesn't get on that team lol.

Either you say Ret and estro are equally at big fault each or neither are at fault...it just wasn't meant to be, same difference same result.

Don't come to korea hoping to be a progamer. Because you're gunna waste your time. But if you're stupid enough to come I'll still be there for you