Article:CODPedia Interview with Muddawg

CODPedia sits down with Muddawg

Eric "Muddawg" Sanders is currently a player on Curse Orange. He is a 22 year old from Philadelphia, Pa and a college student. While starting early on in Halo, he eventually decided to commit himself to Call of Duty and put his all into making it big. He made some noise in the community when he became the coach of EnVyUs half way through Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. He eventually decided he wanted to compete again and got back on the grind. He has had a fairly successful first half of the year and I was able to recently sit down with him and discuss the past, present, and future in regards to his career.

I understand you got your start in Halo, how was your experience with that game and what made you switch? Were there certain things you picked up in that game that were beneficial in your rise in Call of Duty?

I absolutely loved Halo, it was the first game I cared about getting progressively better at. I picked up my shot (especially with a sniper) from Halo. I also picked up my small talk/baiting from Halo. There isn’t a minimap in that game so you didn’t really know what your teammates were doing with constantly communicating.

After making the switch, at what point did you realize competitive gaming was something you wanted to pursue?

I realized I wanted to pursue competitive gaming at the end of Black Ops 2 when I realized I could compete at the highest level if I put the time in.

Towards the latter half of Black Ops 2, you coached EnVyUs. Do you think this experience helped you develop as a player? If so, in what ways? Did you learn anything from any of the players on nV that might have helped?

Favorites
Favorite gun in Ghosts? L115 sniper
Favorite Movie? Remember The Titans
Favorite Call of Duty Title? Black Ops 2
Favorite Video Game in General? Halo 2
Favorite Sport to Play? Watch? To play, lacrosse. To watch, football.
Favorite Sports Team? Philadelphia Eagles

The experience helped develop me as a player by teaching me how to explain how the game should to be played. I think I’m a much better teammate now due to the fact that I can help my teammates understand what needs to be done and why. I learned a ton from the players on nV, more importantly things outside of the game. Joey, Ray, Damon, and Jordan will always be lifelong friends of mine. Hastr0 was also an amazing guy to have around; he knows this industry better than anyone.

Call of Duty Ghosts has received some serious criticism from many of the pros, what are your thoughts on the game now that it is nearly half way through its life cycle? How do you feel about Sledgehammer Games developing the next game? Will this help or hinder the growth?

Personally, I think the game is pretty bad. It’s boring to watch compared to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and there is a much lower skill gap, especially in terms of the mental aspect, which is something that drew me to Call of Duty in the first place. I’m excited about SHG creating the next game, they have openly announced they want to support eSports. I think they will help the scene grow, especially if they provide frequently support throughout the life of the game and listen to pro player feedback.

With the formation of Xfinity and your guys’ run through the CoD Championship US Regionals, you seemed to become a favorite among fans and pro players alike? What do you think has made you such a likable person in the community? How does it feel having this kind of support?

To be honest, I’m not sure why I have become such a likeable person in this community, but it’s absolutely amazing to have this type of support. I read every single tweet sent to me and do my best to respond to them. I know what it was like to be on the outside looking in a few months ago, so I try to talk to my supporters as much as I can. In terms of becoming a “favorite” amongst the pros, I think they want to see me do well because of my work ethic. I just focus on bettering my game and let other people talk outside of the game.

Muddawg1 — The image many pros and fans alike had as their Twitter avatars

After a crazy a week or so of roster changes and a few rule changes by MLG, you ended up on Curse Orange. What was going through your head while all of this was happening? Did it ever cross your mind that this might be the roster you end up with?

It was certainly a crazy few days, especially the day before roster lock. I can’t really describe what was going through my head, but I was not pleased to say the least when I heard I wouldn’t be competing in Season 2. I never expected this team, but I’m very happy about it.

Now that you’ve had a little bit of time to scrim with the team, what are your thoughts on how you guys are playing together? What role have you taken on the team? Do you have plans of moving into the team house?

We are getting better and better each day. Attach and Miyagi are amazing players with a ton of potential. I (along with Crow) have basically taken on the role of mentoring the other two. I’m changing a lot of the things I do and filling in whatever gaps the team needs. I’d rather my teammates be comfortable with what they are doing and adjust my own playstyle.

"You shouldn’t be playing if you expect anything else."

What are the team’s expectations going into UGC Niagara and for Season 2 of the MLG League?

We are expecting to win UGC Niagara and to finish 01 1st in Season 2 of the league. You shouldn't be playing if you expect anything else.

Out of every player you've played with in your career, who has been your favorite teammate? Why?

My favorite teammate I’ve played with would be a player named Savior. No one really knows him, but he is the best call of duty player I have ever played with. If he ever decided to make a return in the next Call of Duty, I’d pick him up in a heartbeat.

What is your most memorable event? Single series at an event? Any defining moments?

My most memorable event would probably have been regionals. Qualifying for CoD Champs and placing Pro with 3/4 of the same roster that I placed 32nd with at Columbus was an amazing feeling. Nothing feels better than when hard work and loyalty pays off. I wouldn’t have wanted to do that with any team other than Crowster, SinfuL, and Doubt.

Muddawglacrosse — Muddawg was a Division I lacrosse player

How have you been able to manage being both a Division I athlete and a professional Call of Duty player at the highest level?

I actually don’t play Division 1 anymore, it would be impossible to play Cod professionally and play D1 Lacrosse at the same time. Professional Cod probably takes up about 2x as much time each day than playing D1 lacrosse did.

What are you majoring in? What would you like to do with that degree?

I am majoring in business at the moment, but I don’t really have an idea what I want to do with the degree yet. I definitely want to work in the field of eSports though.

What are some things you like to do outside of Call of Duty?

I like to watch football and basketball as well as spend time with my friends, nothing out of the ordinary really.

Have you thought about what you want to do after your career as a player ends? Are you considering a future in gaming or a completely different field?

I would love to have a future in the gaming industry, but we will see where life takes me.

Published on 07. May 2014

'Interview by Aleksandar "xiSerbia" Samardzija - @xiSerbia'

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Article:CODPedia Interview with Muddawg

CODPedia sits down with Muddawg

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