​11-16-2010

"Brad Dick Retires in Oklahoma City"

Full PR Below:

After twelve years (1998-2010), of being the owner of Eximius eSports, I regretfully announce that I will be shutting the doors of the organization and I will be retiring from E-Sports managing. It has been a great run for the organization and me. I have had hundreds of people come through Eximius eSports and have met many people. I have had the privilege and opportunity to attend countless LAN Tournaments and dozens of appearances for E-Sports. The people that I have met have made a big impact in my life; life is all about relationships and I feel that I have established many. To all of those who I have met, it was an honor to have met you.

It is hard to believe that Eximius eSports first started out as a public server clan in 1998. I never would have thought it would grow to what it became. We may not have been the greatest North American organization, but the one thing I always tried to stand for was honesty. My theme has always been, “Never offer something that you do not already have.” Most of you know that money does not grow on trees, nor did it in Eximius eSports. We never had the $100,000 a year contracts with DeLL or Creative, we had smaller ones with multiple companies who stood by us through thick and thin for over ten years. To those companies I say thank you for your trust in me and the organization.

I have always tried to set a good example for my players in Eximius eSports and the average gamer. I always tried to talk, act, and dress as if they were coming to a business for an interview. I believe I was not only making them feel confident in the organization, but I was trying to prepare some of these younger people for life. If I helped just one person in the way I conducted myself, well then I succeeded. Some of my greatest joys in my twelve years was getting the chance to see young players move into the E-Sports spotlight as one of the greats. Not many people can say they have watched a new generation of gamers move through the industry. It makes me smile to say that I was one of the few, but makes me even happier to know that there are still people like Jason Lake, Alex Conroy, Craig Levine and Scott Smith are still here for you. I appreciate all of you and what you have done for eSports.

God bless and hope good luck in all of your future endeavors. 

-Brad Dick

9-7-2007
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"LanDodger.com Interview with Brad Dick"
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1) Before we get to the serious stuff, given the community we call home, I can’t help but ask about your … how do I put it … “unfortunate” last name. Have you heard all the jokes already, or does somebody slip in a new one every once in a while?

​Brad Dick: To be honest, I have heard them all. My name is not unfortunate, I am proud of my heritage, and where I come from. Next question!


2) You made a team for the CPL in an attempt to raise the prize pot. What was your CPL highlight as a player?

Brad Dick: My highlight as a player was me killing Pr0D and Remix in the same round. They rushed me middle on de_dust2 in attempt to go to the “B” site but I took them down with my AWP. We somehow still lost the round, guess my brother could not take them down! But for serious, I honestly did do that for the good of the community. Some say Brad why do you do this for the community when most of them flame and hate you? My response is always those who do not know me, hate me. They love to join in on the “Let’s hate Brad Dick bandwagon.”  Younger players do not come to appreciate things that you do. For instance, my radio show, “Armageddon,” It brings me little revenue and little publicity. I do it for the enjoyment of the community, the Counter-Strike Source community is the only community that has something like that where you can call in and ask questions.

3) You’ve gone through the process of picking up a Source team quite a few times, now. What are the qualities you look for in a team?

Brad Dick: The biggest quality I look for is the application. If you can show me on paper that you take the time to fill it out, be serious about it, then I will take you seriously. I do not know how many times I have had teams come up to me and say, “Brad Dick when you want to win CEVO-P hit me up.” Then when I ask those players to please fill out the application, the majority of them blows it off or just does not care. I applaud those teams that do not think they are too good to fill out paper work. To those who think they are too good to fill out paper work, get used to it if you ever want to be in the Championship Gaming Series. Of course I look for how good the team is, if you’re not CEVO-P then I really do not take a lot of interest in your team. CEVO-Main gives me and Eximius Sports no publicity at all. Gotfrag covers CEVO-P exclusively, when was the last time you saw them cover CEVO-Main and CAL-Invite? Maybe a year ago…. When reviewing applications I let my brother look them over as well. He is not as familiar as I am with the Counter-Strike Source community. I do this so I do not become bias; when Mike looks over applications and gives his input then I go to him and tell them how good I think the team is.

4) Your current Source team (formerly known as recKoning) has a reputation for being online, and there were certainly some loud detractors at the CPL BYOC. Was that a distraction for the team?

Brad Dick:I like distractions; my team needs to learn how to play under that type of pressure. Our goal is to get them to the Championship Gaming Series. They may have some fans in the back taunting them telling them they are horrible, that’s just sports! When Mikey “phatts” Spitaleri was taunting my team during the Electronic Gaming Evolution match I loved it. Was I sad that they lost in a close match? Sure, I was disappointed but not mad. That match made my players better; it taught them to stay focused. Some say I am quite the motivator. I guess I get that from coaching wrestling and baseball in real life. With my motivation I help keep them focused.

5) Everybody at the CPL BYOC probably heard a Brad Dick clap or two. Do you see a noticeable difference in their play when you’re rooting them on?

Brad Dick:Oh my goodness yes, I promise you ask any top team if it makes a difference when a manager is clapping and cheering you on. My yelling and screaming even throws the other team off focus a bit.

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6) Do you think that kind of energy gives you an advantage over quieter teams, or does it depend solely on how the players react (some people live off the crowd; some people try to shut it out, etc)?

Brad Dick:Well, I feel that if any team has enthusiasm it helps. When my team arrived at the airport I told them to start thinking of different chants. They were like, “Chants!?” I told them that chanting rallies your team and makes the other team lose focus. A manager standing behind a team brings enthusiasm, confidence, and energy itself. Being in eSports the past eight years I have seen enthusiastic managers like Jason Lake, even passive ones like Mark Dolven. Both managed incredible teams and both are incredible managers. Mark Dolven can be passive because he had faith in his team; if you have that you don’t need to yell as much. Jason Lake has always been passionate in everything he does; so enthusiasm is best for his personality. I try to compare myself to the great managers in eSports and try to learn as much as I can by observation and talking to them. I met Mark last Winter CPL for the first time. Jason and I have not spoken face to face; although would love to meet him or have lunch with him one day. When I first became a manager I was more the relaxed type, I was still somewhat loud and enthusiastic, but I felt that I needed something a little more. I began wearing suit and tie similar to Jason. People come up to me and say, “Why are you trying to imitate Jason Lake?” I simply reply, if more managers would do what Jason Lake does by dressing in a tie, eSports may get bigger than what it already is. My energy is electric! I get it from my coaching; I pace up and down the mat during the match because I am nervous. I guess my pacing is how I cope with my nervousness; I do it while I manage as well.

7) Where will Eximius compete next, both online and on LAN?

Brad Dick:Good question Mike and you know to be honest I am not quite sure. Our guys are going to probably be at the NewEgg LAN in October, from there they are going to try and go to DigitalLife. I know they are going to be competing in the qualifier. After that Winter CPL, I have not though whether I want to take a second team to that event or not. After Winter CPL our complete focus is the Championship Gaming Series Qualifiers. As for online our main focus is CEVO-P. 

8) You’ve gained quite a bit of experience running an organization, and I’m sure you’ve had more than a couple bumps along the way. What advice would you give to anybody looking to start an organization?

Brad Dick:The biggest piece of advice is don’t let yourself get down when you lose a team or two. You have to keep pushing through it. The reason why I think Eximius Sports and I have been successful is that I do not let it bother me when a team is released or leaves. It only strives me to get better. I have applied that throughout my entire life; when someone told me I could not do it, I got it done. Another thing that I encourage you to do if your making an organization is don’t lie to teams. That is horrible for you, your organization, and to eSports in general. I have seen so many organizations say they will give thousands of dollars to teams and then leave them out to dry. If you do not have the money on you to give then do not offer it. That is probably my biggest pet peeve about organizations these days. When I go to a team I tell them what I got, and when they will get it.

9) If you could pick one player (excluding current Eximius members) to build a team around, who would it be?

Brad Dick:You know, that is a difficult question and it is almost impossible to answer that. There are so many good players out there. If I did not mention you then I am sorry, I have not met every single person in the Counter-Strike Source community, although one day I hope I do. But the two people I would build a team around are Steve “Sasquatch” Csikos and Grant “Griff” Hall. Both are extraordinary people and great players. Steve is a great leader, and keeps his team on task. Grant impressed me from the moment he said hello to me at the Summer CPL. His handshake was firm and he said to me, “It was a pleasure to meet me.” In the eight years that I have been in eSports I don’t think I have more professional guy than him. If we had more people like these two in eSports I promise you that we will go far. Instead we have more people who like to get on forums that spend their nights ranting, raving, and spamming.

10) Last question: The first part of the CGS is complete, and we’re waiting for the other regions to finish up their play so the World Championships can start. How do you think Region 1 went?

Brad Dick:I think region 1 went great. As for Eximius Sports we did not have very good luck. We had Team Definition at the Buy.com LAN; they did not do to bad. After the release I felt I could put together a lineup that would do well and make into the Championship Gaming Series. When I put one together, it fell to pieces because of egos. But as for the Championship Gaming Series Season I, there was nothing better. They did everything right from the lights, to the cameras, to the interviews and videos. They hired incredible help with Craig Levine, Mark Dolven, Jason Lake, Alex Conroy, Kat Hunter, Brian Flander, and Dave Geffon. All of them have great experience and I am excited to see who they bring on next season. The World Championships in November is going to be something that we will never forget. I envy those who are in the Championship Gaming Series right now because they are making history. We need to remember that the Championship Gaming Series is the pinnacle of eSports. We need to continue to support it as much as we can. I for one whether apart of it one day or not will continue to support what they are attempting to do with eSports. Last but not least, I would like to thank the Eximius Sports sponsors. I would like to thank my friend Phillip Hagan Wicket for being our first sponsor. Most of you have seen our shirts and at the top our shirts say, “In Memory of PHW.” Phillip passed away this past March, I love you my friend, rest in peace. But most of all I would like to thank God. He has given me a great life, he is pulling me along this crazy dream in eSports and only he knows what tomorrow lies.