I have a confession, and an apology for Ricky. Perhaps this will reach him, perhaps not, but I think it is something I should write, and some people should read.
I grew up in the bay area, and in the arcades there. I loved the scene, the fights, the games, and the people. My main hang out was the Golf Land in Milpitas.
Back in those days I would occasionally run into a player that stood out, he often was with a tall black guy I assumed his friend. In that particular golfland there was only a small handful of people that I would run into, that would be able to defeat me on a regular basis, and only one that could totally destroy me in the matches. (this was during the SnkVsCap2 Era)
Yet, when I fought this person that would destroy me, I looked at him, the way he carried himself, the overall personality he gave out, and I spoke badly of him when my friends and I left, not because of the gameplay or of my defeat, but because of the person himself.
I have always played street fighter in some form, sometimes less then others. In the last year street fighter 4 brought it all back and I returned taking the game more seriously again.
Imagine my shock when I recognized during the Evo stream who was being placed #1 in US, and #2 in the world. Yes, it was the person I fought, lost to miserable, and looked down on and spoke poorly of.
During that stream in the finals I realized a truth I had ignored, it didn’t matter what kind of person he was, or was not he had an amazing fighting spirit, and deserved respect for it.
So Ricky I am sorry for the rude things I thought in those days, and you have taught me a valuable lesson. Instead what I should have been doing was treating you in a friendly manner, and understanding it doesn’t matter who the person is, all that matters is the fight.
