The worst thing a fan’s favorite Esports team can do is lose every match. The likelihood of such a catastrophic scenario playing out is low. Not low enough to be impossible – just ask the 2018 Shanghai Dragons -, but low enough to prevent teams like Florida Mayhem or Washington Justice from pulling off the rare win.
One has to wonder however if complete ineptitude is more preferable to just low level play with potential. In Stage 2 the Washington just went 1-6, with only two matches not ending 3-1 in favor of their opponent. Their match against New Excelsior ended 4-0 and their lone win featured a 3-2 score.
In the case of a team unable to win or score against their opponents, a fan may eventually come to terms with reality and try to find enjoyment beyond win and loss records. Conversely, when a team consistently shows they have the potential to do damage against higher level opponents but fail to deliver consistent wins the entire affair becomes infinitely more difficult to stomach.
If you only watched the map wins over the Toronto Defiant, Chengdu Hunters, Atlanta Reign and Los Angeles Valiant, you’d think the Justice were contenders. That is far from the truth of it, but here’s the context.
Throughout Stage 2 the Justice made a habit of winning Map 2 tying the series at one a piece. Against the Chengdu Hunters, Atlanta Reign and Los Angeles Valiant they provided their fans with false hope before promptly dropping the remaining maps and losing the match. They won twice on both Paris and Temple of Anubis, similar two Capture Point maps. The other wins came on Junkertown in Map 4 against the Defiant and on Blizzard World in Map 3 against the Shanghai Dragons.
Logo Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
The Washington Justice remain talented, yet not very good. The victories that tied their matches at 1-1 serve as a microcosm for their story so far. They show their potential in sparks, moments such as when Corey “Corey” Niagra pops off while playing Widow, securing picks and points for his team. The spark dies out almost every time, as they failed to make the necessary halftime adjustments to win any of their matches that were tied midway through.
Things could potentially turn around however, as in their last match against the Boston Uprising they trailed 2-0 before pulling off a reverse sweep. The question remains however at the halfway point of the season will they look like the team that ended the stage with a 3-2 win or will they continue frustrate their fans and lose 1-3 as has almost been tradition. Of course there is another path, but you’ll have to ask the Shanghai Dragons how to feel under those circumstances.
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