Team Str8 Rippin

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Str8 Rippin was a professional Halo 2 and Halo 3 team that is signed to Major League Gaming. For a number of events during the 2005 MLG season, Str8 Rippin members played for Team Trademark Gamers. Since this time, the team has come to be represented by team captain and MLG superstar Tom "TSquared" Taylor.

The foursome of Str8 Rippin was a major force during the Halo 2 Era of Major League Gaming, compiling finishes in the top groupings of tournaments for three seasons during which the team has existed. After ending Halo 2 on a high note, the team has stayed together and plans on continuing to compete in the upcoming Halo 3 era of Major League Gaming. The team has continued to be a fan favorite with high expectations in the coming professional gaming challenge of Halo 3.

Contents

[edit] Current roster[1]

  • Flag of the United States Tom "TSquared" Taylor
  • Flag of the United States Bryan "Legit" Rizzo
  • Flag of the United States Neighbor
  • Flag of the United States Elamite Warrior

[edit] Notable former players

  • Flag of the United States Gavin "Havok" Smith
  • Flag of the United States Leland "MimiC" Jones
  • Flag of the United States Brett "Naded" Leonard (filed for free agency in order to help form Team Perfect Storm)
  • Flag of the United States Carlos "Cpt Anarchy" Morales (released 2007-01-12[2])
  • Flag of the United States Alfonso "AYB Fonzi" Chartier (filed for free agency February 2007)
  • Flag of the United States Brandon "Defy" Jenkins (left team before Orlando during the 2006 season to team with friends on Legendz)
  • Flag of the United States Peter "Foulacy" Dietrich (left team after Meadowlands 2007)
  • Flag of the United States Cody "WaLKa" Walker (quit halo after San Francisco 2005)

[edit] History

Str8 Rippin was formed for the 2005 MLG Season. Str8 Rippin's original roster consisted of Foulacy, BlackJak, AYB Fonzi, and WaLKa. The team then switched its players heading into the late 05 season. The players were acquired by British club Trademark Gamers by MLG Las Vegas 2005, but the team transferred back to Str8 Rippin for the 2006 MLG Season. The 2006 season opened with a Str8 Rippin composed of Tsquared, Foulacy, AYB Fonzi and Defy. In July 2006, after a disappointing 7th place finish at MLG Chicago, Defy filed for free agency in order to get back together with his former teammates, Mack and Vash with whom he claimed to have better chemistry [3]. Str8 Rippin replaced Defy by acquiring Cpt. Anarchy from Team Ex.[4] At the end of the season however, Cpt. Anarchy was released from the team, along with AYB Fonzi.

At the Halo 2 National Championships at the end of the 2006 MLG season, Str8 Rippin finished 3rd and won $30,000 as a team. Str8 Rippin has strong rivalry with MLG teams Final Boss and Carbon. On December 18, 2006 MLG signed the players of Team Str8 Rippin to a 3-year, million dollar deal.[5] Team Str8 Rippin has appeared on all MLG shows shown weekly on the USA Network from November to December 2006 [6] and since on G4TV's Halo 3 show airing in the fall of 2007.

The team at the start of the 2007 was composed of Tsquared, Foulacy, Legit and Naded. After the MLG Charlotte event in 2007, where the team placed 5th after losing to first place finishers Final Boss and second place finishers Carbon, team members Legit and Naded left Str8 Rippin to join Perfect Storm. They were replaced by Neighbor from Team Make It Rain and BigTimer. After MLG Meadowlands, Tsquared's longtime teammate Foulacy left Str8 Rippin, along with BigTimer. Tsquared recruited highly touted players Havok and MimiC for the MLG Dallas tournament. After the MLG Dallas event, Legit (who had left to join Perfect Storm) rejoined Str8 Rippin along with Tsquared's good personal friend, ElamiteWarrior (formerly of FBI The Agency) to replace MimiC and Havok. The team, composed of Tsquared, Neighbor, Legit, and ElamiteWarrior made a breakthrough at MLG Chicago by becoming the first team other than Carbon and Final Boss to make it to a tournament's Championship match in approximately one year (MLG Chicago 2006 was the last time that this had occurred).

In the following MLG event in Orlando, Str8 Rippin took the final step and won the tournament, defeating juggernauts Final Boss 6-2 in the Championship match in one of the upsets of the season, becoming the first team other than Final Boss and Carbon to win an event in two seasons[7]. As a result, Str8 drew a lot of support heading into the MLG Championships in Las Vegas, with MLG front-man Sundance DiGiovanni going so far as to pick them to win the tournament and the $100,000 1st place prize [8]. MLG Las Vegas proved to be a slight disappointment for the team, as they lost to Team Carbon in the Losers Bracket Finals in finishing 3rd for the tournament. All in all, Str8 Rippin finished out the Halo 2 Era as one of the Elite teams on the MLG Circuit, and one that was a fan favorite throughout.

[edit] Notable accomplishments

  • 5th place MLG Meadowlands 2008
  • 1st place MLG Orlando 2007
  • 2nd place MLG Chicago 2007
  • 7th place MLG Dallas 2007
  • 10th place MLG Meadowlands 2007
  • 5th place MLG Charlotte 2007
  • 2nd place MLG New York 2006
  • 2nd place MLG Dallas 2006
  • 3rd place MLG Anaheim 2006
  • 3rd place MLG Orlando 2006
  • 3rd place MLG NYC Playoffs 2006
  • 3rd place MLG Las Vegas National Championships 2006
  • 1st place WSVG National Championships 2006
  • 3rd place MLG San Francisco 2005
  • 3rd place MLG Houston 2005
  • 3rd place MLG Orlando 2005
  • 3rd place MLG St. Louis 2005
  • 1st place MLG Philadelphia 2005[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Official Meadowlands Pro Teams, Seeds...
  2. ^ MLG - "STR8 RIPPIN: Team Change"
  3. ^ Defy's MLG Pro page
  4. ^ Cpt. Anarchy's MLG Pro page
  5. ^ $1.75 Million in Pro Contract
  6. ^ Team Str8 on USA Network
  7. ^ MLG Orlando Halo 2 Finals Game-by-Game Description
  8. ^ Sound Arguments 23 - National Championships Preview
  9. ^ Team Str8 Rippin's last game (at Philadelphia) before changing to TmG

[edit] External links