Members of the LGRN crew decided to take a look at the season so far and give some thoughts on who might win when the Schmoedown Awards are handed out at the end of the season. Will all of this change by the end of the season? Almost guaranteed!
BABYFACE OF THE YEAR
- Daney Carvalho: Andrew Dimalanta. Not that he was a heel before, but his change in attitude turned him into a very likable and rootable champion.
- Fares Muthana: Brendan Meyer. He’s Mr. Young!
- Adelia Chamberlain: Shazam! I know that this award usually only goes to one person, but I’m giving it to Shazam. I can think of no better faces in the league than William Bibbiani and Brendan Meyer, and I cannot pick between them.
- Cory Cameron: Amarú Moses. It’s hard to root against Amarú. Unlike most faces he can throw trash talk right back at his opponent, and not only deliver on his words, but still be likable while doing so.
- Dagan S. Broad: Marisol McKee. The fans are all behind Marisol and the possibility of the first ever female singles champion. She has shown true emotion of a champ in her victories and is a big star in this game.
- Amber Coates: Liz Shannon Miller. Miller has proven herself to be a formidable force as a competitor in the game, and she doesn’t let a loss get her down. She truly is a cornerstone of the game with her kindness, enthusiasm, and unbridled knowledge.
- Josh Cohen: Coy Jandreau. He manages Dimalanta and Shazam!, two of the more likable champions we’ve had and has cultivated a team of likable faces. Overall, his facework has been consistently great.
HEEL OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Chandru Dhandapani. Well… is there other heels besides him and Shannon right now? Lol.
- Fares: Chandru Dhandapani. Self-explanatory.
- Adelia: Shannon Barney. Shannon is the best. That is all.
- Cory: Chandru Dhandapani. Chandru has also made a number of enemies in the Schmoedown this year. First he tried to overthrow his manager, Winston Marshall, with the help of his faction mate, Laura Kelly, and replace him. Also, not to get too deep into it, the Twitter feud with Mike and Shannon.
- Dagan: Ben Bateman. The true heel Boss is back this year. Many delights when he loses and boo in unison from their couches when he wins.
- Amber: Chandru Dhandapani. Like I said, Chandru cannot help but piss everyone off, right? One could say that if you can’t make friends, then you’re the best kind of enemy. And the frequency and intensity at which he infuriates competitors and fans alike makes him a star, albeit a hated one.
- Josh: Grace Hancock. One of the greatest heels of all time putting on a legacy defining performance as the villain of season 8.
FEUD OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Chandru vs Everybody. I think it’s self-explanatory by now.
- Fares: Chandru vs the World. It’s self-explanatory.
- Adelia: Chandru vs Mike (and Smets, Mara, and Rachel too, apparently). This has been a feud for sure, but as it has only existed on Twitter, I wouldn’t say it’s been totally great. That might change after their match, but so far, it’s the only feud that I can think of that comes close to being worthy of Feud of the Year.
- Cory: Ben Bateman vs Everybody. Stemming from the off-season, Ben Bateman has been an enemy to everyone that’s not on the Dungeon. Starting with Mark Reilly and John Rocha, his former teammates with the Exchange, but also branching out to managers such as Kate Mulligan and Samm Levine, who he promised to both of them that he would be joining their faction.
- Dagan: Chandru vs Mike/KOrruption. This might be a bit of recency bias, but the back-and-forth smack talk on social media alone has been nothing short of amazing.
- Amber: Chandru vs Everybody. For a little bit, Chandru almost didn’t have any friends. He went at Mara, Kalinowski, Chance… for a bit there, he even paired up with Laura Kelly in their ardent desire to get Winston replaced as manager of SWAG. He even got into it with Rachel Cushing over the picture he retweeted in the days leading up to his Innergeekdom Title match against Kalinowski at the Scum and Villainy Cantina… and it left the fandom divided.
- Josh: Kristian Harloff vs Grace Hancock. I’m a sucker for power struggle storylines and these two do a great job of selling it.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Ethan Erwin. Managed to get the belt back and do an incredible perfomance in Singles/Teamns and now IG. Might be Player of the Year if retains the belt/or get another one.
- Fares: Ethan Erwin. He bounced back and fixed his teams record after multiple disappointments.
- Adelia: Mara Knopic. Mara Knopic won the belt in her first match back and nearly defended it. She hasn’t played since but that alone makes her my pick.
- Cory: JTE. After not seeing JTE play for a few years, you’d think he’d come back rusty. That’s not the case here. He has helped lead the Finstock Exchange near the top of the standings with quality singles wins and piloting Rushmore to a teams tournament finals.
- Dagan: JTE. No one expected to see JTE play as well as he has after all the time off. Reached the teams tournament finals with Rushmore and is on a path to the singles title.
- Amber: Ethan Erwin. The buzzer round came in clutch for Erwin when he beat Dan Murrell for the Singles Title. Really, Erwin has been playing from behind for awhile, and to take the title back in a match against the GOAT is a huge comeback.
- Josh: Mara Knopic. Tough choice between her and JTE both coming off large absences. The difference is Knopic won a belt. However, watch out for Jeannine the Machine for this award.
MATCH OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Andrew Dimalanta vs Alex Damon I. Basically both perfect rounds and a tons of sudden deaths with challenges.
- Fares: Dimalanta vs Damon I. It has the full package. Unbelievable trivia play, the challenge which was great game play, and the last question. It wasn’t that Damon didn’t know, it was just that he ran out of time, and it was a great setup for a rematch.
- Adelia: Dimalanta vs Damon I. 51-50. That’s really all that needs to be said, isn’t it?
- Cory: Marisol McKee vs Jeannine the Machine. I understand that Damon vs Dimalanta I is the favorite for match of the year. But, McKee vs The Machine, for me means way more for the Schmoedown than realized. This match had so much emotion, and catapulted both women to the top of not only the Schmoedown elite, but also in the eyes of the fans.
- Dagan: Dimalanta vs Damon I. Despite being in the ‘digital era’, this may not only be the match of the year, but one of the greatest Schmoedown matches of all time. 51-50 final score. We will never see anything like this one again in the game.
- Amber: Mike Kalinowski vs Chandru Dhandapani. NO SPOILERS, I PROMISE. When the match airs on 8/27, be prepared to mark this down as the best match of the year. To say it was not a spectacle would be a lie. To have seen it live was one of the greatest pleasures of mine since becoming a fan of the MTS… and I was in Atlanta for Bateman-Murrell Sudden Death.
- Josh: Shazam! vs KOrruption II. Very tough choice but this match was so back and forth. Shazam! once again showcasing its dominance early on, Chance’s incredible Speed Round, Shazam! misses the 5/KOrruption come back from down 9, the double South Carolina sudden death miss, and then finally Bibbs winning it all. A very memorable match.
MOMENT OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Andrew Dimalanta beating Alex Damon. A moment a lot of people have been waiting for.
- Fares: Mara Knopic winning the belt back. Mara Knopic coming back in her first match and winning the IG championship was great to see given her large absence from the Schmoedown.
- Adelia: Kristian announcing Dimalanta as the new champion. Just Dimalanta’s reaction showed you how much it meant to him, and the drama of that match just added to it for me.
- Cory: Dimalanta’s challenge in sudden death to keep title hopes alive. This moment was the start of a series of events that will go down in Schmoedown history. Andrew Dimalanta initially gets ruled incorrect a few questions into Sudden Death, challenges, the call gets overruled to keep Dimalanta alive, and two questions later, wins the match to end Alex Damon’s reign as Star Wars champion.
- Dagan: Bibbs ‘clears the table’ in sudden death to retain the teams’ titles. After starting with a -1 in points total and dead last in the faction standings, Coy has led the Quirky Mercs to first place and multiple title match wins with Shazam and Andrew Dimalanta.
- Amber: Mara Knopic realizing she won the IG belt. Every single time I see the clip of Mara winning and yelling to Dan that she did, I get emotional. Mara is not only a proven competitor but she’s a pure soul, and you see her emotions get the better of her when she wins. This was such a beautiful moment.
- Josh: Dimalanta’s challenge in sudden death to keep title hopes alive. One of the most important challenges in Schmoedown history. To see in real time Damon’s 5th defense be taken away was surreal. One of the hardest challenges to call for and Dimalanta doing so won him the belt and lead to the Quirky Merc’s comeback.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Griffin Newman. Of all the Rookie Class 2021, Newman is the only one who got toe-to-toe with Schmoedown vets and great FFA performance.
- Fares: Thomas Harper. He won a tournament and he’s undefeated.
- Adelia: Thomas Harper. Thomas Harper has had some really impressive wins over some great players and it will be interesting to see if he can dethrone Andrew Dimalanta in their upcoming match. If he can become the Star Wars champion, then I think that combined with a tournament win solidifies his position as my Rookie of the Year.
- Cory: Thomas Harper. Believe the hype. Thomas Harper is the real deal. Yes, there are a lot of great players in the Star Wars division that can win at any time, but the way Harper goes about his business is second to none.
- Dagan: Thomas Harper. Won the Star Wars tournament and is the current #1 contender for the title. Has only a few missed questions total and is 4-0 to start his career in the Star Wars division.
- Amber: Paige Frabetti. Even though Paige lost her first match to Peggy Gubbins, she has consistently come out and played her heart out, showing that she deserves to be Rookie of the Year.
- Josh: Thomas Harper. At this point given Harper has already won a tournament it’s tough to pick against Harper. Especially with very impressive wins against Adam Witt, Ace, and Gold Leader.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Coy Jandreau. Managed to get his players to from -1 to #1, gain two belts and defend twice and have a #1 contender for Singles.
- Fares: Coy Jandreau. Coy managed his team to two belts, defending them twice, and have a number one contender match in singles.
- Adelia: Samm Levine. We knew what Samm Levine’s free agent signings of Ethan Erwin, Drew McWeeny, and Liz Shannon Miller were capable of, but most of the people that he drafted have proven their worth as well. Levine has steadfastly had his players’ backs, wholeheartedly defending them during challenges and challenging on their behalf when he felt necessary, and I think he’s been the best manager so far this season.
- Cory: Samm Levine. We have finally seen the full potential of what Samm has done as a manager. The Usual Suspects are probably the hottest faction in the league right now by way of what Samm has done. Not to mention that he is possibly the king of challenges.
- Dagan: Coy Jandreau. After starting with a -1 in points total and dead last in the faction standings, Coy has led the Quirky Mercs to first place and multiple title match wins with Shazam and Andrew Dimalanta.
- Amber: Adam Witt. My pick for Manager of the Year isn’t even a true faction manager. Don’t get me wrong, I have lots of love for Shannon, Kaiser, Coy, and Winston… hell, I love them all. But in Kaiser’s absence, Witt has taken up the mantle of manager and he’s helped competitors to more wins than he (sadly) has on his own record (Star Wars is really hard, guys.). Witt is a great motivational speaker, keeps things light and fun, and his challenges are on point even if controversial.
- Josh: Samm Levine. To me this award comes down to Levine vs Jandreau. What gives Levine the edge is not only was multiple Mercs going into matches underperforming and unprepared, which lead to the Mercs being knocked out the most this season, but the comeback Levine had this year is incredible given how far out his competitors were from title shots at the start of the season.
INNERGEEKDOM PLAYER OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Mike Kalinowski. The only one who got the belt three times and win with all odds against him.
- Fares: Mike Kalinowski or Chandru Dhandapani. It’s Mike if he beats Chandru, and it’s Chandru if he beats Mike.
- Adelia: Robert Parker. Yeah, I know, I know, but Robert Parker has been asked 71 questions this season, and he has only missed one. He might not be playing for the belt because of that one missed question, but I feel like it’s only a matter of time until he is.
- Cory: Mike Kalinowski. 3 time IG champion. Nothing else needs to be said.
- Dagan: Mike Kalinowski. The current champion took the title back for an unprecedented third time against Mara Knopic proving why you should never bet against the Killer in IG.
- Amber: Mike Kalinowski. Kalinowski has improved his gameplay so much since his weird rut last season. He is as entertaining as he ever has been and knows how to sell to the crowd, heel or not.
- Josh: Chandru Dhandapani. This pick is made with the future in mind, but I think Chandru not only defeats Kalinowski on August 14th but also defends against Amarú Moses clearly earning this award (Note: I have not seen the cantina matches yet).
STAR WARS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Andrew Dimalanta. For the same reasons as he is the player of the year.
- Fares: Andrew Dimalanta. He took the belt from a longtime champion, and then beat him again to cement his legacy. And he avenged his loss to Laura Kelly and showed us that he’s top dog.
- Adelia: Andrew Dimalanta. Andrew Dimalanta’s season so far has been incredible. He defeated Alex Damon, the man who had been considered by many to be unbeatable, not only once but twice, and then followed that up with an impressive win over Laura Kelly. Whether he can continue this level of play in his next match against Thomas Harper remains to be seen, but for the moment, he’s my pick.
- Cory: Andrew Dimalanta. He beat Alex Damon, not once, but twice in the span of 2 months.
- Dagan: Andrew Dimalanta. The man beat Alex Damon twice and successfully defended the Star Wars title against Laura Kelly. ‘Nuff said.
- Amber: Andrew Dimalanta. I have a lot of reasons to like Drew. It was hard for me to pick Drew over Nicki Dimalanta simply because she has been on a tear this season, but Drew did indeed win and defend the Star Wars championship when very few people thought he would.
- Josh: Andrew Dimalanta. Given my choice player of the year, it’s clear I would choose Dimalanta for this award.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
- Daney: Andrew Dimalanta. Managed to get a belt from Damon and defend against him back-to-back and also defended against Laura.
- Fares: Ethan Erwin. He has an IG win, multiple teams victories, and is now the current champion of the world. He beat Paul Oyama and Ben Bateman.
- Adelia: Ethan Erwin. Erwin is having one hell of a season. Between singles and teams (and now dipping his toes in IG), he’s gone on a terrific run lately, and for me, he’s been the most impressive player so far this season.
- Cory: Ethan Erwin. It goes without saying that Erwin is having the best run out of any player we’ve seen this season. He has wins over Oyama (singles and IG), Bateman, Murrell, Danger Zone, and Deception, all while regaining the singles title. The power may be in his newly gifted hat, but he is in line to be the first triple belted player by the end of the year.
- Dagan: Ethan Erwin. The current singles champion just beat the GOAT, Dan Murrell for the second time. He’s also had a very strong showing in teams with Lightning Time this season. Ethan is just on a tear this year.
- Amber: Mara Knopic. Mara came back at the beginning of the season to fans and players alike claiming that she would have ring rust. She took out the first defending Innergeekdom since Jason Inman in her first match back. She may have lost the title but she deserves the nod.
- Josh: Andrew Dimalanta. Being the top point scorer for the #1 faction with 23 points. Beating the unbeatable Alex Damon twice in title matches. Defending the belt twice. So far, a historic year.