Sportsmanship is under scrutiny today again as we have another GT banning just one week after the Team Happy Bannings.
Apparently, some harsh words were said after a matchup at the Show-Me Showdown GT.
Things escalated quickly on Facebook with one player verbally abusing the other. The event organizers were quick to step in and handle the situation. Let’s look at what happened.
What Happened on Facebook
Fair Warning. There is some harsh language in the posts.
At this time it’s unclear who exactly was banned, with several things being said back and forth between the two. However, it appears to be the second player making the worst of the remarks.
Update: the organizers of Siegeworld and Gateway Gamers in St. Louis requested that we mention this player is not part of their event staff or involved with the event. Furthermore, they do not condone this behavior and stand behind the banning.
The player who was not banned has this to say about his opponent to us:
Long story short – Don’t be like that guy. And don’t be afraid to say something to those types of people so that they don’t bully their way through tournaments and will either clean up their act or leave the tournament scene. Also don’t be afraid to get judges involved – that is what they are there for.
What has sportsmanship come down to lately? This latest incident is all happening after the banning of an entire team at the ATC.
Warhammer is a GAME. if players aren’t able to respect their opponent more than what happens on a table with plastic minis, they should reconsider what they’re getting into.
Conduct Policy Announcement
After this came to the attention of the tournament organizers, they took action and ended up banning the player who said the harsh words. On top of that, they released a Conduct Policy Announcement for future players.
Tournament organizers took action as quick as they could. This kind of behavior won’t fix itself.
Sportsmanship needs to be on the list of points people can score at tournaments. It’s extremely important considering you’re playing with another human being with the intent of having fun. It’s a game at the end of the day.
Luckily, we have some ITC floor rules on the way to set the standard for events and for everyone to have a more positive atmosphere to play in. We don’t know what these rules will look like just yet, but we do know they are coming.
What do you think about this event? Is a permanent ban too harsh? Will we see more strict guidelines at events in the future? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
More articles on competitive tournament play
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
