Timeout With NJ Cubano
By Lies | Published: June 24, 2009 9:08pm EST
MLG: Start off by introducing yourself to the mlgpro.com audience. NJ Cubano: I’m NJ Cubano, and I’m the Captain of NOX Raw Talent. I’ve been playing [Gears of War 2] since it first came out, and have enjoyed it ever since. I took it even further by playing it competitively through MLG and placed 9th at Meadowlands. After that, I became a pro at MLG Columbus with a 3rd place finish. MLG: Go into a little bit more detail about how you first got involved with MLG. NJ Cubano: I first started playing back in Gears of War 1 with my old team NYC Platano Con Salamis. We were a top ranked team on the GameBattles ladder every season, finishing 1st in the Summer 2008 season. I started to play top MLG teams in online tournaments and did really well. This is what led my team and me to try and compete at an MLG event, and Meadowlands 2008 was my first event. It was 10 minutes away so I decided to go. It was the best experience ever. We ended up placing 25th, but I wasn’t there for the placing - I was there for the MLG experience. MLG: My how things have changed. Your team, NOX Raw Talent, surprised a lot of people with their 3rd place finish. How did it feel to place so well? NJ Cubano: Yes, it is safe to say we surprised many people - including my family. We were the underdog team going into this event with the 8th seed, and no one saw us placing higher than 6th. We used that to play harder and better than we did at Meadowlands to prove what we are made of. Placing 3rd and going pro is a great feeling - probably the best feeling I’ve ever had at any event. Even though we got 3rd and pro status, we want to get 1st in Dallas even more so. MLG: Why do you think Raw Talent was so underrated? NJ Cubano: We are a group of players that weren’t very successful in the first Gears of War, and people thought we wouldn’t be much of a threat. People didn't see me as a top player since my highest placing before this was 5th at Las Vegas after being picked up by Prophecy. Also my teammate ZeRo XceL, from vBi, consistently placed pro but was never able to break Top 4. Immortal Spawn was with High Council, a well known team who was predicted to place Top 2 at Meadowlands 07 and ended up getting 17th. Lastly, Deadly placed semi-pro at every event in 2008. These were the types of things that people looked back on and used to underrate us as a team. Interview continues on page 2> |
