TH
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- Joined
- Jun 18, 2004
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- wallsofjerichoholic.blogspot.com
Welcome to the “All-About-TEAM” section of the boards. Basically, everything you ever wanted to know about TEAM should pretty much be here. If you have any other questions, ask them, and I’ll answer them and edit them in. CHEERIO!
What is TEAM?
TEAM is a very loosely structured interfed. In fact, I don’t like using the word interfed because we don’t have any member feds, there aren’t any requirements for general participation for the most part, and you’re not bound to participate in anything beyond the match or tournament you’ve signed up for. Interfed is about the only word I can use for this without having to coin a new one. TEAM is the playground for people from all different feds across different circles to come together and compete against people they normally wouldn’t on a regular basis.
What does TEAM offer?
TEAM offers three major tournaments a year of varying degrees of eligibility, interfed Championships based almost solely on RP ability rather than a combination of that and angle like most normal feds and SuperShows, where people compete for those titles and make open or direct challenges.
What are those three tournaments?
The first one is the TEAM Invitational Tournament. This tournament usually happens in the beginning of the year, running from January to March or April, depending on the size of the field and the speed of the results turnaround. This tournament is styled after March Madness; it’s a single elimination tournament with regular styled matches throughout. Where this differs from the NCAA Tournament is that eligibility for entry is open to anyone who hasn’t previously incurred the wrath of Holzerman through various violations (plagiarism, rampant shooting, recycling work or chronic malignancy).
The second one is the Tournament of Champions. This tournament happens in the summer months, usually in the time period between May and July. In-character, this tournament is set up as a “one night tournament” pitting the best Champions across the eW spectrum against each other. Out-of-character, each competitor will RP in three rounds with varying themes. The theme for the first round is usually that of an on-camera wrestling promo. The second round theme is usually an off-camera, storyline promo. The third round is usually a wild card round with a unique theme.
The third one is the Chad Dupree Memorial Cup Tournament. Chad Dupree is a friend of FW.com who lost his life unexpectedly and tragically in the fall of 2004. The tournament is like the World Cup. Feds and stables from all around eW submit teams of four. These teams are split up into however many groups of four, and round robin competition begins. At the end of round robin, the top teams from each group make it to a single elimination team playoff bracket. Each separate meet between teams consists of three matches: a singles match, a singles gimmick match and a tag team match. Standings in the round robin portion are determined by points gained through meets. If a team sweeps each of the three matches in a meet, they gain three points. If they win a meet by any means other than a sweep, it’s two points. In the event of a draw, they gain one point. The playoffs are single elimination, so there are no draws, and mode of victory is irrelevant.
What Championships does TEAM offer?
TEAM offers four different Championship titles, each of them unique in nature.
The highest of the titles is the TEAM Championship of Champions. This is our equivalent of a World Championship. Matches are for the most part regular RP battles where all the regular rules apply unless otherwise stated. It’s TEAM’s only “standard” Championship. To be eligible for a TEAM Championship, you must be your fed’s World Champion at the time of the shot or at the time when your shot was named, you must have earned your shot through winning a tournament or you must have earned your shot through a special contendership match, usually earned through tournaments. The TEAM Championship of Champions is allowed to be defended off of TEAM cards; i.e. it can be a touring Championship. To inquire about hosting a TEAM Championship of Champions match, please PM me on the boards.
There is no specific order of prestige after the Championship of Champions. Each other title belt is seen as equal in value.
The TEAM FREE FOR ALL~! Championship is defended exclusively in battle royale matches. All comers are welcome, and all you need to do to enter a FFA~! match is to post a RP in the appropriate thread. This is the only type of match where the stacking rules may be ignored, but it is advised that quantity does not win out over quality. This is also the only TEAM Championship that is not a touring Championship, due to the chaotic nature of the way it’s defended.
The TEAM Challenge Championship is defended exclusively in gimmick matches. All matches have specific RP themes that must be followed in order to be able to win the match. Contenders either are chosen through my discretion or earn their spot through tournaments and special contendership matches. The TEAM Challenge Championship is a touring Championship. To inquire about hosting a TEAM Challenge Championship match, please PM me on the boards.
The TEAM Lethal Lottery Championships are TEAM’s Tag Team Championships. All matches are normal, tag team affairs, but the challengers are chosen through random pairing. No established tag team is eligible to receive a shot at these except in very special dispensations gained through tournament competition. If you are picked for a LL shot and do not succeed, you cannot challenge for the LL titles again until they’ve been contested one time after you’ve challenged for them. The TEAM Lethal Lottery Championships are touring titles. To inquire about hosting a TEAM Lethal Lottery Championship match, please PM me on the boards.
What are SuperShows all about?
SuperShows are numbered cards where TEAM holds Championship matches, special tournament finals and other special challenge matches. They are held between tournaments and at the end of tournaments. Each SuperShow has FREE FOR ALL~! and Lethal Lottery Championship matches. They may also contain challenge matches.
So wait, can I challenge anyone?
Sure, you can challenge anyone you want to. Be warned though, because if they don’t answer your challenge or they reject it, you’re not going to get that match.
What if I just want a match on the card against anyone who’s willing?
Then sign up in the sign-up thread in the Out of Bounds forum stating that you’d like to be booked, or post an open challenge. Either way, I’ll find you a match.
Do I have to sign up if I want in the FREE FOR ALL~! or the Lethal Lottery matches?
For the FFA~!, no. You just post a RP in the thread and you’re in the match. For the Lethal Lottery Championship, yes, you must sign up beforehand so I know what names to put in the hat. Be warned that unless otherwise stated, only two names are going to be picked for the match, so if you just sign up for the LL, and nothing else, there’s a chance you won’t get booked. The best way around that is to sign up for both the LL and an open challenge if you don’t get picked.
What are the general rules for TEAM?
Firstly, there are four general rules that’ll get you disqualified for various stretches of time.
The next thing to be cognizant of are the stacking rules. Basically, this prevents someone from putting up ten RPs in the course of thirty minutes and is meant to account for the busyness of people’s lives. Stacking, by definition, is putting up a consecutive RP to your previous one without your opponent putting up a RP of his/her own in between. In the interest of fairness to those with busy schedules but to guard against sandbagging, there is a 48 hour time-period before you can legally stack. Once 48 hours have passed without your opponent posting a RP, you’re free to post another one.
For tag matches, the stacking rules are expanded a bit. In addition to the 48 hour rule for responding on top of yourself, there’s a 24 hour stack rule in regards to responding on top of your tag partner. Basically, if your tag partner posts a RP, then you have to wait 24 hours to post a consecutive RP to his without one of your opponents replying in between.
Of course, once your opponent replies, you can post a RP as soon as you want to after.
To further discourage sandbagging and in particular, deadline sniping, TEAM has a special "buzzer-beater" rule. Basically, if someone posts an RP within an hour of the deadline (say, if the deadline's at 11:59:59 PM EDT, then anything posted from 10:59 EDT to the deadline is considered an eligible buzzer-beater that can be replied to), their opponent in that match has an extra 18 hours to put up their last RP. This rule is null and void if the RP in question is a legal stack. Also, the overtime period is for the opponent to use and that's it. No other replies that go up in that period will be counted.
An addendum to the buzzer-beater rule: if a buzzer-beater occurs in a tag match, either only one member of the eligible team may post, or one joint promo may be posted. That is, as long as it's only one RP being posted, that's fine. In three or four way matches, if a buzzer-beater occurs, then every other person in the match is eligible to post a promo. IE, if you have Joe Schmoe vs. Joe Blow vs. Joe Doe vs. Cameron Cruise, and Cruise posts a promo within an hour of the deadline, then all the Joes may post a promo in the overtime period. For three or four way tag matches, it's a combination of the above addenda.
For FREE FOR ALL~! matches, gauntlets, battle royales or any match that has five or more entities involved, then the buzzer-beater rule is NOT in effect. Sorry, too many people involved to start giving out extra chances.
One other note about deadlines and deadlining... from here on out, all deadlines are Eastern Standard/Daylight Time, just for uniformity's sake.
Those are the only real concrete ones I can think of right now. If you have any questions about gray areas, feel free to contact me, and I’ll clarify.
What happens if you post an illegal stack?
The post is removed and the contents are sent back to you via e-mail or PM for you to repost when the time is appropriate.
What happens if you break any of the other four rules?
Disqualification from the current event at the very least. Plagiarism will usually net you a lifetime ban, since I could get in trouble for hosting plagiarized work. Others are on a case-by-case basis.
Is there any other way to net a life ban from TEAM?
Repeat offenses of shooting, recycling or impermissible use. Other than that, nothing else. Everyone else is welcome, regardless of any OOC beefs or perceived “bias.”
What’s my obligation to TEAM if you sign up for an event?
That event you signed up for, unless you win a Championship. Then, you’re expected to make regular title defenses. Other than that, TEAM is obligation-free. You come and go as you please, as long as you fulfill your commitment to the singular event you’ve signed up for, be it a SuperShow or a tournament.
What happens if you no-show or do not fulfill that obligation?
I’ll get slightly annoyed, but that will not be a black mark against you for the future. No-showing is usually completely forgiven if you shoot me a note explaining your absence and/or apologizing for it.
Speaking of showing and not showing, when you do show, how are you expected to RP?
Um, well? In all seriousness, there is no bias against style, and you will not be judged adversely if you use storyline rather than promo or vice versa. The only times when you are expected to write in a certain style are when they’re specified in the RP thread.
To be brutally honest though, most people who do TEAM do it in the promo style. That’s not saying you SHOULD do promo, but it might be a hell of a lot easier. However, I stand by my word that there will be no discrimination against style, and I would have no problem putting a storyline guy over a promo guy if the storyline RPs were better than the promo RPs put forth.
One caveat. Regardless of the style, you are expected to RP about wrestling, the event, your opponents or something in a way that makes it clear your character is a wrestler. Do not enter a TEAM event with the expectation that you’re going to write a gangster or vampire epic with no bearing towards wrestling or your character’s in-ring persona, because you will be jobbed and jobbed in humiliating fashion.
Who books TEAM events?
For the SuperShows, it’s me and me alone, baby. For tournaments and the like, I recruit outside help. For the TEAM Invitational Tournament, I recruit from a wide pool of judges and take three votes for each match. For the Tournament of Champions, I judge every round, and I have four separate judges for each individual round. For the Dupree Cup, I have a dedicated staff of judges to decide every match with me.
How are TEAM results presented?
For the most part, you’re going to see a shortform style that resembles the ESPN news show SportsCenter. Highlights of matches are shown and described by the news anchors on a show called EPICENTER.
There are longform results, but they are saved for special occasions. Usually, if there are longformed matches, they are posted in conjunction with shortformed highlights.
Who writes TEAM matches?
I handle the shortforms exclusively. As for longforms, I always write at least one match if we’re going that route. Other matches are free to be written by anyone who wants to help out.
How should matches be written?
In standard script format. I usually prefer full-PBP as if it were reading as a transcript. Full narrative matches, like the ones seen in the angle feds, are allowed but generally frowned upon, as I feel the announcers are integral parts of any full write-up.
Who are the announcers?
There are two commentary crews, although only one of them has been used extensively in the last year. That main crew consists of Jess Chapel and The Iron Duke. Jess Chapel is a straitlaced announcer who usually sides with the faces. He harps on rules, but he’s very savvy about the spirit of competition and about wrestlers and their will to win matches. He’s prone to get excitable like Joey Styles, but he doesn’t have the tendency to rename moves after the wrestlers doing them. He places paramount importance on the fans.
Duke, formerly the color man for A1E, is English. He has a tendency to root for heels and for British wrestlers, regardless of alignment (see the first ever TEAM Invitational Final). He’s got a very hypocritical point of view for heels compared to his outlook for faces. He does agree with Jess from time to time about certain things. He also has a gambling problem, or at least his uncle does. Duke makes several references per card about gambling, odds and pleas to his uncle to bet on certain wrestlers.
The secondary announce crew consists of Mike Gosling and Joey Baggadonuts. This crew is only used during tournaments where events are being spread across several venues and where longform matches are being written for different locations. Gosling is even more straitlaced than Chapel and has no rooting preference whatsoever. He’s the picture of objectivity and an encyclopedia of wrestling maneuvers. He has a tendency to call people “Mr. [last name here],” and is polite to a fault sometimes.
Baggadonuts is a stereotypical wiseguy, although he doesn’t necessarily root for the heels. He waffles during the match and actually rips on anyone in the match. Unless they’re Italian of course, then they’re one of Joey’s paisons. He’s the picture of every Italian-American caricature in film and television.
Tom Holzerman and Steve Murray are your EPICENTER anchors. They don’t really have distinct personalities other than being amalgamations of any previous SportsCenter anchor of note (Keith Olbermann, Craig Kilborn, Dan Patrick, Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Kenny Mayne et al.). These guys are mainly written by me, just to maintain a steady voice throughout.
Ring announcer is the silky smooth Marvin Darling, a middle-aged African American who looks and sounds a lot like Marvin Gaye. He doesn’t like to drag out ring entrances too much, but he always mentions one of each characters’ nicknames.
Alright, who are the backstage interviewers if you want use them in your RP?
For one, Chapel, Holzerman and Murray are off-limits. Holzerman and Murray just read headlines and highlights, and Chapel is also the head guy, so he doesn’t really have to interview people. Otherwise, you can use Duke, Gosling or Baggadonuts. Just be sure to keep them in character. There are some other backstage personalities that you can use:
Brian Weissbrod – People from MBE’s olden days remember a character named Sephiroth that I handled. Well, this guy used to be that same Sephiroth. He has white hair, but other than that looks young as the day is long. A very Anderson Cooper-like look. He doesn’t have a whole lot of personality, straight question and answer.
Squiggy Jackson – You might remember him as Roderick McRatrick’s personal interviewer. He doesn’t take crap from anyone (Except Roderick, it seems). He always asks the tough questions of everyone, and sometimes comes off as a bit of a cock. He’s harder on heels than faces, but he doesn’t treat the faces with kid gloves either.
Jericoholic Anonymous – Yes, my flagship character moonlights as a special TEAM interviewer. You need special permission to use him, and if you do want to use him, more than likely, you have to let me co-write your promo with you.
Kendra Jade Lawerence – She’s the big softie of the interviewers. Young, blonde and fresh out of college, she doesn’t feel the need to go for the tough question. She likes fluff pieces and softball questions. She’s also a bit of a flirt.
Any other staff of note?
Yep, the referees! It used to be that I used refs from feds I was familiar with, but since TEAM has taken on a life of its own, I figured why not use a dedicated crew.
Kevin Bates – Head referee. He’s in his 30s, but he’s been around the game for a long time, reffing several events in and around the Philadelphia area. He’s known for his toughness and his refusal to back down even in the face of the most daunting wrestlers’ demands.
Monet Samuel – I kinda stole her from ACW after it closed
. Yes she’s a chick, and that may lead wrestlers to believe she’s going to go easy on them. This isn’t the case. She’s extremely competent, and while she’s not in your face, she’ll get the job done.
Jimmy Louis – He’s a rookie, and the most easily influenced referee of them all. He backs down from irate wrestlers, and he very rarely calls for a DQ.
Mike Rome – Veteran staffer. Garden variety ref, doesn’t really stand out. Calls stuff as he sees them.
Gruff Groban – Older guy. Very gruff like his name suggests and stubborn. He calls things as he sees them, but it’s easy to get one over on him because he’s not in the shape he once was.
Do angles have any bearing on results?
Not on the results themselves, unless it’s been decided before RP has ever begun that we’re going to angle a match. Everything’s decided purely on RP.
So do you accept angles at all?
Sure I do, but I don’t recommend planning out long-term arcs. If you have a one-show angle or a two-to-three show feud, I’ll work with you. However, TEAM is supposed to be geared more towards the competitive side of things, and with the come-as-you-may nature of things, angles usually end up blowing up in your face. I’d say stick with the tournaments and making challenges for your own personal dream matches and you’ll be okay.
Okay, so the results are posted and you don’t like the results. What do you do?
If I were a dick, I’d say sit back and take it, but I’m not. You do have recourse if you think the results weren’t fair or you didn’t like that you lost. You can come to me in PM/IM/e-mail, and I will address your complaints in a civil manner as long as you stay civil with me.
There’s one thing I absolutely do not tolerate as a forum moderator and that’s public b*tching. The moment you post a thread complaining about results not going your way, the thread will be deleted. It’s that simple. There’s a process to go about if you don’t like what’s going on. Putting the system on trial publicly and trying to create discord is not the way it goes.
Be warned that if you complain on other OOC forums that I reserve every right to come over to those forums and snipe right back at you in the tone you’re sniping towards me and my results. If you take a civil tone publicly, I’ll come over and talk things over civilly. If you scream bloody murder, I’ll come over and be a condescending dick. Like the New Radicals once sang, you only get what you give.
What do you expect out of your RPers?
Just one thing. To have fun. That’s all I want you to get out of your TEAM experience. If you have fun, if you felt like it was an enjoyable experience, then I feel like I’ve done my job. I want you to come in and feel loose, whether it’s your first or 100th TEAM event. If you’re not having fun, then I feel like I’ve failed.
That’s all. Hope this clears everything up, but if you have further questions, feel free to contact me in any way you feel necessary. Hope to see you on future TEAM cards!
– Tom Holzerman
What is TEAM?
TEAM is a very loosely structured interfed. In fact, I don’t like using the word interfed because we don’t have any member feds, there aren’t any requirements for general participation for the most part, and you’re not bound to participate in anything beyond the match or tournament you’ve signed up for. Interfed is about the only word I can use for this without having to coin a new one. TEAM is the playground for people from all different feds across different circles to come together and compete against people they normally wouldn’t on a regular basis.
What does TEAM offer?
TEAM offers three major tournaments a year of varying degrees of eligibility, interfed Championships based almost solely on RP ability rather than a combination of that and angle like most normal feds and SuperShows, where people compete for those titles and make open or direct challenges.
What are those three tournaments?
The first one is the TEAM Invitational Tournament. This tournament usually happens in the beginning of the year, running from January to March or April, depending on the size of the field and the speed of the results turnaround. This tournament is styled after March Madness; it’s a single elimination tournament with regular styled matches throughout. Where this differs from the NCAA Tournament is that eligibility for entry is open to anyone who hasn’t previously incurred the wrath of Holzerman through various violations (plagiarism, rampant shooting, recycling work or chronic malignancy).
The second one is the Tournament of Champions. This tournament happens in the summer months, usually in the time period between May and July. In-character, this tournament is set up as a “one night tournament” pitting the best Champions across the eW spectrum against each other. Out-of-character, each competitor will RP in three rounds with varying themes. The theme for the first round is usually that of an on-camera wrestling promo. The second round theme is usually an off-camera, storyline promo. The third round is usually a wild card round with a unique theme.
The third one is the Chad Dupree Memorial Cup Tournament. Chad Dupree is a friend of FW.com who lost his life unexpectedly and tragically in the fall of 2004. The tournament is like the World Cup. Feds and stables from all around eW submit teams of four. These teams are split up into however many groups of four, and round robin competition begins. At the end of round robin, the top teams from each group make it to a single elimination team playoff bracket. Each separate meet between teams consists of three matches: a singles match, a singles gimmick match and a tag team match. Standings in the round robin portion are determined by points gained through meets. If a team sweeps each of the three matches in a meet, they gain three points. If they win a meet by any means other than a sweep, it’s two points. In the event of a draw, they gain one point. The playoffs are single elimination, so there are no draws, and mode of victory is irrelevant.
What Championships does TEAM offer?
TEAM offers four different Championship titles, each of them unique in nature.
The highest of the titles is the TEAM Championship of Champions. This is our equivalent of a World Championship. Matches are for the most part regular RP battles where all the regular rules apply unless otherwise stated. It’s TEAM’s only “standard” Championship. To be eligible for a TEAM Championship, you must be your fed’s World Champion at the time of the shot or at the time when your shot was named, you must have earned your shot through winning a tournament or you must have earned your shot through a special contendership match, usually earned through tournaments. The TEAM Championship of Champions is allowed to be defended off of TEAM cards; i.e. it can be a touring Championship. To inquire about hosting a TEAM Championship of Champions match, please PM me on the boards.
There is no specific order of prestige after the Championship of Champions. Each other title belt is seen as equal in value.
The TEAM FREE FOR ALL~! Championship is defended exclusively in battle royale matches. All comers are welcome, and all you need to do to enter a FFA~! match is to post a RP in the appropriate thread. This is the only type of match where the stacking rules may be ignored, but it is advised that quantity does not win out over quality. This is also the only TEAM Championship that is not a touring Championship, due to the chaotic nature of the way it’s defended.
The TEAM Challenge Championship is defended exclusively in gimmick matches. All matches have specific RP themes that must be followed in order to be able to win the match. Contenders either are chosen through my discretion or earn their spot through tournaments and special contendership matches. The TEAM Challenge Championship is a touring Championship. To inquire about hosting a TEAM Challenge Championship match, please PM me on the boards.
The TEAM Lethal Lottery Championships are TEAM’s Tag Team Championships. All matches are normal, tag team affairs, but the challengers are chosen through random pairing. No established tag team is eligible to receive a shot at these except in very special dispensations gained through tournament competition. If you are picked for a LL shot and do not succeed, you cannot challenge for the LL titles again until they’ve been contested one time after you’ve challenged for them. The TEAM Lethal Lottery Championships are touring titles. To inquire about hosting a TEAM Lethal Lottery Championship match, please PM me on the boards.
What are SuperShows all about?
SuperShows are numbered cards where TEAM holds Championship matches, special tournament finals and other special challenge matches. They are held between tournaments and at the end of tournaments. Each SuperShow has FREE FOR ALL~! and Lethal Lottery Championship matches. They may also contain challenge matches.
So wait, can I challenge anyone?
Sure, you can challenge anyone you want to. Be warned though, because if they don’t answer your challenge or they reject it, you’re not going to get that match.
What if I just want a match on the card against anyone who’s willing?
Then sign up in the sign-up thread in the Out of Bounds forum stating that you’d like to be booked, or post an open challenge. Either way, I’ll find you a match.
Do I have to sign up if I want in the FREE FOR ALL~! or the Lethal Lottery matches?
For the FFA~!, no. You just post a RP in the thread and you’re in the match. For the Lethal Lottery Championship, yes, you must sign up beforehand so I know what names to put in the hat. Be warned that unless otherwise stated, only two names are going to be picked for the match, so if you just sign up for the LL, and nothing else, there’s a chance you won’t get booked. The best way around that is to sign up for both the LL and an open challenge if you don’t get picked.
What are the general rules for TEAM?
Firstly, there are four general rules that’ll get you disqualified for various stretches of time.
- Plagiarism
- Recycling material
- Shooting (i.e. making OOC comments in an IC setting)
- Using someone else’s character without their permission
The next thing to be cognizant of are the stacking rules. Basically, this prevents someone from putting up ten RPs in the course of thirty minutes and is meant to account for the busyness of people’s lives. Stacking, by definition, is putting up a consecutive RP to your previous one without your opponent putting up a RP of his/her own in between. In the interest of fairness to those with busy schedules but to guard against sandbagging, there is a 48 hour time-period before you can legally stack. Once 48 hours have passed without your opponent posting a RP, you’re free to post another one.
For tag matches, the stacking rules are expanded a bit. In addition to the 48 hour rule for responding on top of yourself, there’s a 24 hour stack rule in regards to responding on top of your tag partner. Basically, if your tag partner posts a RP, then you have to wait 24 hours to post a consecutive RP to his without one of your opponents replying in between.
Of course, once your opponent replies, you can post a RP as soon as you want to after.
To further discourage sandbagging and in particular, deadline sniping, TEAM has a special "buzzer-beater" rule. Basically, if someone posts an RP within an hour of the deadline (say, if the deadline's at 11:59:59 PM EDT, then anything posted from 10:59 EDT to the deadline is considered an eligible buzzer-beater that can be replied to), their opponent in that match has an extra 18 hours to put up their last RP. This rule is null and void if the RP in question is a legal stack. Also, the overtime period is for the opponent to use and that's it. No other replies that go up in that period will be counted.
An addendum to the buzzer-beater rule: if a buzzer-beater occurs in a tag match, either only one member of the eligible team may post, or one joint promo may be posted. That is, as long as it's only one RP being posted, that's fine. In three or four way matches, if a buzzer-beater occurs, then every other person in the match is eligible to post a promo. IE, if you have Joe Schmoe vs. Joe Blow vs. Joe Doe vs. Cameron Cruise, and Cruise posts a promo within an hour of the deadline, then all the Joes may post a promo in the overtime period. For three or four way tag matches, it's a combination of the above addenda.
For FREE FOR ALL~! matches, gauntlets, battle royales or any match that has five or more entities involved, then the buzzer-beater rule is NOT in effect. Sorry, too many people involved to start giving out extra chances.
One other note about deadlines and deadlining... from here on out, all deadlines are Eastern Standard/Daylight Time, just for uniformity's sake.
Those are the only real concrete ones I can think of right now. If you have any questions about gray areas, feel free to contact me, and I’ll clarify.
What happens if you post an illegal stack?
The post is removed and the contents are sent back to you via e-mail or PM for you to repost when the time is appropriate.
What happens if you break any of the other four rules?
Disqualification from the current event at the very least. Plagiarism will usually net you a lifetime ban, since I could get in trouble for hosting plagiarized work. Others are on a case-by-case basis.
Is there any other way to net a life ban from TEAM?
Repeat offenses of shooting, recycling or impermissible use. Other than that, nothing else. Everyone else is welcome, regardless of any OOC beefs or perceived “bias.”
What’s my obligation to TEAM if you sign up for an event?
That event you signed up for, unless you win a Championship. Then, you’re expected to make regular title defenses. Other than that, TEAM is obligation-free. You come and go as you please, as long as you fulfill your commitment to the singular event you’ve signed up for, be it a SuperShow or a tournament.
What happens if you no-show or do not fulfill that obligation?
I’ll get slightly annoyed, but that will not be a black mark against you for the future. No-showing is usually completely forgiven if you shoot me a note explaining your absence and/or apologizing for it.
Speaking of showing and not showing, when you do show, how are you expected to RP?
Um, well? In all seriousness, there is no bias against style, and you will not be judged adversely if you use storyline rather than promo or vice versa. The only times when you are expected to write in a certain style are when they’re specified in the RP thread.
To be brutally honest though, most people who do TEAM do it in the promo style. That’s not saying you SHOULD do promo, but it might be a hell of a lot easier. However, I stand by my word that there will be no discrimination against style, and I would have no problem putting a storyline guy over a promo guy if the storyline RPs were better than the promo RPs put forth.
One caveat. Regardless of the style, you are expected to RP about wrestling, the event, your opponents or something in a way that makes it clear your character is a wrestler. Do not enter a TEAM event with the expectation that you’re going to write a gangster or vampire epic with no bearing towards wrestling or your character’s in-ring persona, because you will be jobbed and jobbed in humiliating fashion.
Who books TEAM events?
For the SuperShows, it’s me and me alone, baby. For tournaments and the like, I recruit outside help. For the TEAM Invitational Tournament, I recruit from a wide pool of judges and take three votes for each match. For the Tournament of Champions, I judge every round, and I have four separate judges for each individual round. For the Dupree Cup, I have a dedicated staff of judges to decide every match with me.
How are TEAM results presented?
For the most part, you’re going to see a shortform style that resembles the ESPN news show SportsCenter. Highlights of matches are shown and described by the news anchors on a show called EPICENTER.
There are longform results, but they are saved for special occasions. Usually, if there are longformed matches, they are posted in conjunction with shortformed highlights.
Who writes TEAM matches?
I handle the shortforms exclusively. As for longforms, I always write at least one match if we’re going that route. Other matches are free to be written by anyone who wants to help out.
How should matches be written?
In standard script format. I usually prefer full-PBP as if it were reading as a transcript. Full narrative matches, like the ones seen in the angle feds, are allowed but generally frowned upon, as I feel the announcers are integral parts of any full write-up.
Who are the announcers?
There are two commentary crews, although only one of them has been used extensively in the last year. That main crew consists of Jess Chapel and The Iron Duke. Jess Chapel is a straitlaced announcer who usually sides with the faces. He harps on rules, but he’s very savvy about the spirit of competition and about wrestlers and their will to win matches. He’s prone to get excitable like Joey Styles, but he doesn’t have the tendency to rename moves after the wrestlers doing them. He places paramount importance on the fans.
Duke, formerly the color man for A1E, is English. He has a tendency to root for heels and for British wrestlers, regardless of alignment (see the first ever TEAM Invitational Final). He’s got a very hypocritical point of view for heels compared to his outlook for faces. He does agree with Jess from time to time about certain things. He also has a gambling problem, or at least his uncle does. Duke makes several references per card about gambling, odds and pleas to his uncle to bet on certain wrestlers.
The secondary announce crew consists of Mike Gosling and Joey Baggadonuts. This crew is only used during tournaments where events are being spread across several venues and where longform matches are being written for different locations. Gosling is even more straitlaced than Chapel and has no rooting preference whatsoever. He’s the picture of objectivity and an encyclopedia of wrestling maneuvers. He has a tendency to call people “Mr. [last name here],” and is polite to a fault sometimes.
Baggadonuts is a stereotypical wiseguy, although he doesn’t necessarily root for the heels. He waffles during the match and actually rips on anyone in the match. Unless they’re Italian of course, then they’re one of Joey’s paisons. He’s the picture of every Italian-American caricature in film and television.
Tom Holzerman and Steve Murray are your EPICENTER anchors. They don’t really have distinct personalities other than being amalgamations of any previous SportsCenter anchor of note (Keith Olbermann, Craig Kilborn, Dan Patrick, Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Kenny Mayne et al.). These guys are mainly written by me, just to maintain a steady voice throughout.
Ring announcer is the silky smooth Marvin Darling, a middle-aged African American who looks and sounds a lot like Marvin Gaye. He doesn’t like to drag out ring entrances too much, but he always mentions one of each characters’ nicknames.
Alright, who are the backstage interviewers if you want use them in your RP?
For one, Chapel, Holzerman and Murray are off-limits. Holzerman and Murray just read headlines and highlights, and Chapel is also the head guy, so he doesn’t really have to interview people. Otherwise, you can use Duke, Gosling or Baggadonuts. Just be sure to keep them in character. There are some other backstage personalities that you can use:
Brian Weissbrod – People from MBE’s olden days remember a character named Sephiroth that I handled. Well, this guy used to be that same Sephiroth. He has white hair, but other than that looks young as the day is long. A very Anderson Cooper-like look. He doesn’t have a whole lot of personality, straight question and answer.
Squiggy Jackson – You might remember him as Roderick McRatrick’s personal interviewer. He doesn’t take crap from anyone (Except Roderick, it seems). He always asks the tough questions of everyone, and sometimes comes off as a bit of a cock. He’s harder on heels than faces, but he doesn’t treat the faces with kid gloves either.
Jericoholic Anonymous – Yes, my flagship character moonlights as a special TEAM interviewer. You need special permission to use him, and if you do want to use him, more than likely, you have to let me co-write your promo with you.
Kendra Jade Lawerence – She’s the big softie of the interviewers. Young, blonde and fresh out of college, she doesn’t feel the need to go for the tough question. She likes fluff pieces and softball questions. She’s also a bit of a flirt.
Any other staff of note?
Yep, the referees! It used to be that I used refs from feds I was familiar with, but since TEAM has taken on a life of its own, I figured why not use a dedicated crew.
Kevin Bates – Head referee. He’s in his 30s, but he’s been around the game for a long time, reffing several events in and around the Philadelphia area. He’s known for his toughness and his refusal to back down even in the face of the most daunting wrestlers’ demands.
Monet Samuel – I kinda stole her from ACW after it closed
. Yes she’s a chick, and that may lead wrestlers to believe she’s going to go easy on them. This isn’t the case. She’s extremely competent, and while she’s not in your face, she’ll get the job done.Jimmy Louis – He’s a rookie, and the most easily influenced referee of them all. He backs down from irate wrestlers, and he very rarely calls for a DQ.
Mike Rome – Veteran staffer. Garden variety ref, doesn’t really stand out. Calls stuff as he sees them.
Gruff Groban – Older guy. Very gruff like his name suggests and stubborn. He calls things as he sees them, but it’s easy to get one over on him because he’s not in the shape he once was.
Do angles have any bearing on results?
Not on the results themselves, unless it’s been decided before RP has ever begun that we’re going to angle a match. Everything’s decided purely on RP.
So do you accept angles at all?
Sure I do, but I don’t recommend planning out long-term arcs. If you have a one-show angle or a two-to-three show feud, I’ll work with you. However, TEAM is supposed to be geared more towards the competitive side of things, and with the come-as-you-may nature of things, angles usually end up blowing up in your face. I’d say stick with the tournaments and making challenges for your own personal dream matches and you’ll be okay.
Okay, so the results are posted and you don’t like the results. What do you do?
If I were a dick, I’d say sit back and take it, but I’m not. You do have recourse if you think the results weren’t fair or you didn’t like that you lost. You can come to me in PM/IM/e-mail, and I will address your complaints in a civil manner as long as you stay civil with me.
There’s one thing I absolutely do not tolerate as a forum moderator and that’s public b*tching. The moment you post a thread complaining about results not going your way, the thread will be deleted. It’s that simple. There’s a process to go about if you don’t like what’s going on. Putting the system on trial publicly and trying to create discord is not the way it goes.
Be warned that if you complain on other OOC forums that I reserve every right to come over to those forums and snipe right back at you in the tone you’re sniping towards me and my results. If you take a civil tone publicly, I’ll come over and talk things over civilly. If you scream bloody murder, I’ll come over and be a condescending dick. Like the New Radicals once sang, you only get what you give.
What do you expect out of your RPers?
Just one thing. To have fun. That’s all I want you to get out of your TEAM experience. If you have fun, if you felt like it was an enjoyable experience, then I feel like I’ve done my job. I want you to come in and feel loose, whether it’s your first or 100th TEAM event. If you’re not having fun, then I feel like I’ve failed.
That’s all. Hope this clears everything up, but if you have further questions, feel free to contact me in any way you feel necessary. Hope to see you on future TEAM cards!
– Tom Holzerman
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