Hello,
The following letter is to address, on behalf of the organizers of the Omaha Magic Circuit, recent controversies and confusions that have arisen. We (Rick, Justin, and Lee) are here to set the record straight, but will be glad to answer any further question in person or via email.
It has been brought to our attention that a competing store is promoting a challenge series similar to the Omaha Magic Circuit (OMC). In point of fact, this series was directly lifted from the OMC and does not have the endorsement of any Omaha store organizers.
The following are facts and can be verified as such:
1.The store in question was, in fact, invited to participate in the OMC, but declined, on more than one occasion.
2. The store in question did, in fact, claim in it's email release to be the 'creators' of the series. They also clamed to have 'written' a FAQ. Neither claim is true. The FAQ , in fact, was directly lifted from the release of the OMC FAQ, in many places simply cut and pasted. The document is a plagarized one.
3. The store in question did, after the OMC posted our schedule, copy down each date and format; this theft of our schedule allowed them to know what formats would be played on which dates. The store in question then counterprogrammed each date, taking care to keep the formats as close as possible in each case, ensuring that players would have to choose between the two challenges.
To sum up, the store in question made false claims, plagarized documents, and waited until our schedule was posted so they could steal it.
We bring these points up to do two things: first, explain the confusion that you, the player, may have about the competing challenges. Second, now that the facts have been ascertained, we wish to give the following statement.
The Magic community in Omaha has had it's share of problems in the past. There have been issues from store to store, and several incidents have left a bad taste in the mouths of many. But this incident is a new low in unethical conduct.
One of the main, exciting points to the OMC was that diffrent stores were coming together to participate in the event. Speaking on behalf of those stores, we were delighted to work together to produce an event that we could not only be proud of, but one that would make the players of Omaha proud as well. We were happy that the players from each store would make the trek to other locations, exposing the many diffrent places in the city to play Magic: The Gathering. All of us earn a degree of our livings from Magic, and to give back to the community felt good and right.
Unfortunately, for some when money is at stake, ethics and what is good for the community are simply not a priority. Instead of bringing a community together, some are determined to fracture it. Instead of giving anything back, some are only looking for a fast buck, and will do anything to get it. Instead of working with other stores, trying to create a sense of community, some people's greed causes them to try to keep everything for themselves.
We, the OMC administrators, are angry at the conduct shown here, but we will not back down simply because we were wronged, nor will we dignify this behavior by acting in a similar manner. We encourage each and every player in Omaha to examine why the OMC came to be, and why someone would be desperate enough to try and tear it down. We encourage each of you to find out the facts of what happened in this instance, something that we would be more than happy to discuss with anyone who needs further clarification.
WE BELIEVE IN YOU. We believe that you cannot be swayed or bought by those that would destroy the work of others. We believe that you will, as always, make a good decision about moving this community forward. We are proud to be your organizers.
While we hope to see each and every one of you at the OMC events, some of you may, in fact, choose to try out other options. While we disagree, we wish to make it clear that your will ALWAYS be welcome to participate in the OMC, regardless of that choice.
We are confident that all of you will make a good, informed decision now that the facts have been laid out.
Thanks to each and every one of you taking the time to read this letter, and we look forward to the beginning of the OMC.
Sincerely,
Rick Poehling
Justin Calero
Lee Kolb
*The above represents only the opinions of the author and the signers. They do not (necessarily) represent the views of Krypton Comics, Coliseum Gaming, or Ground Zero Comics and Games.