Interviewing the Chairmain with Way Too Long a Title

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      Thank you for taking the time to discuss the Altador Cup with us. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

     My pleasure, friend. As you already know, I am the Altador Cup Coordinating Committee's Prize Shop Subcommittee Chairman. Throughout the year, it is my responsibility to work with various vendors and several sponsors to determine an adequate selection of prizes for all of the participants and fans of the Altador Cup to have access to. While I certainly help the committee with other aspects of planning the Cup each year, these are my primary responsibilities.

     What is it about the Altador Cup that interested you in joining the Committee?

     Each year teams and fans from all over Neopia travel to Altador to celebrate the spirit of competition within the Cup. I think it is a testament to the dedicated fans of each and every team, who spend upwards of a month, or more in previous years, cheering for their teams to triumph and bring the Cup home with them. It is beautiful to behold such committed support from the fans each year. They really make the Cup such a great event! I wanted to join the Committee so that I could be a part of such a wonderful event, and I couldn’t be happier that my job is to help everyone who visits the Colosseum go home with something special.

     Are there any matches that you look forward to watching each year?

     Round robin matches are, I think, criminally underrated. While the finals obviously provide a lot of excitement because there are higher stakes on the line, I am just happy that each team gets a chance to play each other every year. Obviously, there have been experimentations with the format over the years, but I think we’ve comfortably come to appreciate the rivalry matches that wouldn't happen if it weren’t for the Round Robin.

     Have there been any Cups in particular that have stood out to you?

     I mean, I would be lying if I said last year's Cup didn’t hold a special place in my heart. Altador Cup XVI, was the first time that Altador brought home the Cup. Obviously, as an official of the Altador Cup committee, I try to remain unbiased in making any decisions that could impact the results each year. I will, however, admit, that, unlike other members of the Committee, I am a bit of a homer when it comes to which team I support. So last year was a pretty emotional experience for me. I’ll never forget when we finally got to see Foltaggio and company hoist the Cup above their heads.

     Were there any exciting timelines that you enjoyed watching play out this year?

     Darigan Citadel obviously had a slow start to the Cup this year. I will admit, after the first couple of days, I had pretty much counted them out of the event. The first week of the competition they looked like they would struggle to even put together a fairly middling performance this year. However, sometime during the second week, they seemed to find their form and went on an impressive run to make the Top Bracket for this year's Finals. Coming into Finals they were my dark horse pick to win it all, but I knew other teams, such as their key rivals in Meridell and Brightvale, wouldn’t be easy to overcome.

     Speaking of Darigan Citadel, it seems like a lot of fans were confused by not only their taking home the Cup, but their placement into the Top Bracket after the Round Robin. Could you weigh in on that?

     Every year, it seems, there are similar questions regarding at least one team's final placement in the standings. I think it stands as an incredible testament to the fervour in which our fans support their teams. First and foremost, the Altador Cup is a competition, and every team is vying for the top prize. I would say the fans of each team are equally, if not sometimes, more so committed to seeing the Cup return home with them. The nearly annual questions regarding such matters merely stands as testament to the fervour in which fans of the Cup support their teams.

     Right, but could you comment on what events transpired or on any factor that came into play for the Altador Cup Committee to intervene this year specifically? I am sure you understand that many of our readers are likely curious.

     Listen, I know that we on the Committee have a reputation of being cryptic at best when providing the public with information regarding such potentially controversial decisions. Unfortunately, I personally have no involvement with the subcommittee that handles those tough decisions. What I can tell you, is that the entire Committee takes extreme care when making these decisions, and will only do so when we feel the need to protect the integrity of the competition of the Altador Cup. First and foremost, that spirit of competition is what makes the Altador Cup special. So while I may wish I could give you more information, I really don’t know any more than you do. I am so busy with my own responsibilities during the Cup, that I rarely ever find out what led to these kinds of decisions to be made. I take pride in what my subcommittee does, and put all of my efforts into making sure that all of our participants and guests enjoy their experience as much as possible through our wonderful prize shop!

     Speaking of the prize shop, it seemed like many of the items in the shop this year seemed to be a big hit with the masses that visited the colosseum this year. Some fans are already proclaiming it to be the best prize shop in the history of the event. Could you give us some insight on how this all came together?

     Last year, I noticed a slight lack of enthusiasm from the fans when it came to what was available from the prize shop. So this year, I sat down with my subcommittee and informed them that for this year, I really wanted to blow everyone away with the prize shop this year. I’d love to be able to take more credit than that, but if it weren’t for all of the hard-working members of my subcommittee and the amazing help from our lovely sponsors, I don’t think it would have even been possible.

     I know the Post Office is one of the sponsors for the Cup this year. It seemed like they were extremely supportive of your vision this year. How does it feel to have your face immortalised on a stamp?

     Words can’t really express how flattering it was when they brought that stamp out. That was something they worked on with other members of my subcommittee, as a sort of surprise for me. I am just gracious to have such wonderful sponsors and members on my subcommittee that help fill the prize shop each year.

     It seemed like the Thunder Sticks were also wildly popular. Though some fans have complained about all the noise they make and even claim to have experienced temporary paralysis from the deafening sounds they produce.

     A lot of work went into fine-tuning the Thunder Sticks. I worked personally with the manufacturers, Magical Marvels, ensuring that they were loud enough to make a statement, but not so much that they would inflict any permanent hearing loss. Maybe the fans who claim to experience temporary paralysis are merely caught off guard by the cacophonic melody they provide.

     Were there any particular prizes this year that you were most excited about?

     So, I really don’t think it would be professional for me to show favouritism towards any of the items our sponsors helped us procure for the prize shop. They all were so wonderful, and we are lucky to get the opportunity to work with each of them.

     So you’re saying that there wasn’t any particular prize that you were personally looking forward to? Not for the prize shop, but for your own personal enjoyment?

      Really? You’re really going to make me answer this aren’t you? Well, fine. As the Cup approached, I admittedly looked forward to the shop stocking Slushies again. It has been a while since we’ve been able to stock slushies, and I really enjoy trying all the various flavours. And I don’t think anyone can deny they are nice to cool off with on a hot summer day.

     If you were to reflect on this year’s Cup, how would you categorise it? Are there things you wish you could have done differently?

     Overall, I’d have to say that this year was a success! I think this Cup had a lot of exciting storylines played out, really close matches, and not to toot my own horn, but a wonderful prize shop!

     Moving forward to next year, have plans already begun for next year's Cup?

     Before we begin planning for next year's Cup, we try to sit down and take stock of our own thoughts regarding what was a success, what didn’t meet our expectations, and how we can improve the Cup. So far, nothing has been set in stone yet.

     Could you at least give us a hint as to what we have to look forward to for next year?

     Be on the lookout for new teams. There are many teams across Neopia, who haven’t managed to qualify for the Cup yet, but are itching to prove their mettle in the Colosseum.

     New teams? Does that mean one or more of the teams from this year will be sitting out next year?

     Expanding the format of the Cup is one of the options we have been discussing. That way, every team will get the chance to play every year. However, not every member of the Committee is on board with that decision. Contrary to popular belief, we are not a monolith. We each have our own personalities and beliefs regarding decisions surrounding the Cup. I, for one, welcome the idea of having more teams involved with the Cup each year.

     Are there any teams, in particular, you are looking forward to seeing in future Cups?

     Dacardia’s Yooyuball team looked particularly strong during qualifiers this year. I am looking forward to seeing them in a future Cup. Though, I do think they’ll struggle to compete with some of the juggernauts that have dominated the Cup over the years. That’s just because they’ve never played on a stage as big as the Colosseum. They lack that experience of playing in front of a massive crowd, but I think they have a lot of raw talent, so they should develop into a strong team.

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     Again, I would like to thank the Altador Cup Coordinating Committee's Prize Shop Subcommittee Chairman for taking the time to sit down and answer my questions. Altador Cup XVII proved to be an exciting event from start to finish. With exciting new projects in the works, we can all look forward to seeing what the Committee has in store for next year’s Altador Cup.