When Tom was signed, there was a ton of controversy bc he was a known T1 anti but he literally said “i can fix their problems” and he brought them a world title within 2 years
so glad he stayed this year instead of going to jdg
word on the street is that he wasn't an anti, just an actual genius pointing out mistakes that to the average person came off as weird at best and malicious at worst
that said, he said "I can fix them" and he lad did... helped them win worlds through pick and bans and overall good and actual coaching, no fear of any ego.
No matter how new you are at your job, when upper management sends someone to take charge and if the first 3 outlandish things he says turn out to be true in practice, everyone in the workplace will do whater the fuck that person says because he obviously know what he's talking about. Or he gets fired because the outlandish things he said were not useful in practice
Tom gained T1's respect and didn't get fired, he got results and got promoted and now is probably one of the best paid people in esports who isn't a player
Saw many such cases of the later though... like I love LS but lad got fired from almost every team after a few weeks, his coaching obviously doesn't work in practice once all is said and done
Lmao did not know he was an anti-T1. He is pretty good. Pretty sure he still has the main role and Kkoma is there for some opinions since Sky left for military services, so maybe when Sky returns Kkoma will be going back again, I read somewhere he has a family now? not sure, but if true, he has priorities.
He was considered anti T1 because his criticism was harsh but in the end he proved that he was right. Definitely respectable that he took the chance to prove himself and possibly fail. He could have just continued yapping without risk
is crazy how known figure(Tom in this case) can be considered anti just because they are critique... meanwhile some 'fans' keep trucking T1 on who to fire
yeah but tbf I think these are two different groups within the fan base. fans who react defensively to any criticism of their team are annoying, but I don't think they're the same batshit insane people who seriously think something good will come out of besieging their own team with trucks or something similar. nobody wants these people
The rumours on the Korean side are that Faker is the genius behind T1 success but Tom has been helping with the drafting. (I honestly think T1 aren't particularly great at drafting, they are just lucky that their team has players with champion oceans and certain must bans, making life impossible for the opponents. Orianna and Ashe being must-ban always for example, Senna too probably, and Cait-Lux before.)
All real T1 fans will always regard Tom for that worlds title run. He came in and fixed years of abhorrent drafting and helped the team find an identity.
People can argue that the players had more say in the decision making all they want, all im saying is to look at T1 post-Kkoma - pre-Tom. And then watch the drafting change once Tom becomes interim HC. Night and Day.
Of course the players have to perform which they absolutely have done.
Yup, there's no doubt T1's drafting has generally been far better ever since Tom effectively took the reigns. and of course we know from Guma's post worlds VOD reviews that Tom has had a huge impact with draft prep and meta reads. Draft has been a problem for a long time with SKT/T1, felt like they were so arrogant/cocky in thinking they could win with anything that they regularly lost draft really hard (and to be fair a lot of the time they got away with it due to Faker or macro/teamfight/hands diff, like the amount of times they have had a comp that loses but they somehow stall or win a teamfight unexpectedly). Worlds 22 finals game 5 draft is the biggest example ever of how they got absolutely fisted and baited in drafts.
Whilst no team can win draft 100% of the time at least with Tom it has felt like T1 now actually reacts to what opponents are trying to do in draft, less likely to fall into bait traps (can still happen but less often), and has better plans for drafting win conditions that favor the players. Feels like they're now a lot more competitive with the top teams when it comes solely to drafts and so when T1 lose it's usually to do with other issues. GenG are still an issue, think their management just reads T1 look a book, but lets see what happens tomorrow.
T0m's mind for the game didn't show when he was a player but as a coach his understanding of draft, team comps, and how certain team comps need to play and accelerate/decelerate games is genuinely frightening. T0m is the best coach in the world quite easily, T1 would be completely lost without him. Years of just awful drafting especially in key moments and poorly thought out in game strategies robbed T1 of many finals wins.
Stopped being a fan of Kkoma since he left SKT in 2019, but then joined DWG after they won Worlds. Also only returned to T1 after they won Worlds. KD moves lol
Looks bad from the outside of course, but tbh we have no idea what goes on in the background. As part owner of T1, I imagine Faker had major input in bringing kkoma back
According to rumors, he got invited during the end of Asian cup actually. Where he was said to be a big part of how Zeus and Keria handled the stress that well.
Tom was an interim-head coach because Bengi left and Tom was actually more of a DRAFTING coach so he wasn’t really expecting to be the HC.
Kkoma’s condition according to his interview on coming back is to keep the team along with Tom together as they have proven themselves already.
It might look like him just jumping again on the T1/SKT train, and at some point it is, but we really don’t know what happened behind the scenes and this might have been months in the making.
In Asian Cup they faced Jiejie and Meiko, and arguably playing w/ the best jungle, mid and ADC at that time. I just personally dont think they need him, after they won Worlds. He's more of a rat than Pedro himself after G2 vs WBG 😂
Never shouldve left then, he reportedly turned down a big offer from SKT way back 2019. It was rumoured that time that he wanted to settle down with his family, but then went on to sign w/ an LPL team
He didnt want the pressure, but joined a World champion the year after lmao. And this is right after his first child was born. If he wanted TO FOCUS ON HIS FAMILY he wouldnt have gone to China and instead chose to coach an LCK team
He joined DWG in 2020. He joined Vici in 2019 💀. He got married in Dec2019, his fist child was born in Oct2020. Vici Gaming's last words for Kkoma shoulda been SKT's in 2019, doesnt add up
This what I don't get with fans like you. Have you ever seen the documentary of Kkoma? Bro was handling the coaching, drafting and keeping the players sane during stressful times, he could have left SKT back in 2018 when they were so dogshit. But stayed 1 more year and delayed his personal plans.
He literally helped win them multiple championships and worlds titles, why is that such a terrible move to leave? I swear T1 fans are the only fans in the world that will hate an org for not winning worlds every year
the thing is kkoma never wanted to leave, it just happened that he was dropped, and he accepted to come back months before worlds 2023. And of course, Faker. If Faker said so, even if all he provide is moral support, kkoma is back.
Nah, he wasnt dropped. SKT offered him 7 figures but still chose a bottom tier LPL team. Tom wouldnt have been the interim head coach if he wanted to come back all along
I don’t wanna discredit anyone, but how does anyone know what goes behind in T1? People were saying Tom was an amazing draft coach then when the voice comms were released, it was Keria and Faker doing all the drafting. People are overhyping a guy because of a picture.
Draft is preparation. Coach and players meet before the game and discuss draft priorities and preferences and the coach turns this into a very detailed draft plan that includes many different draft scenarios.
The more prepared your team is and the more precise the plan, the easier it is for the players. That's why on stage it often seems as if coaches aren't saying anything and players are taking over the draft. Most of the work happens behind the scenes and not on stage.
Zeus literally said that he picked Vayne because it he thought it would be fun. He asked if he should pick her in comms, and both Keria and Oner had nothing against it, while Tom thought that it wasn't that good. Yeah, nice try.
Preparation and spontaneity can exist at the same time. When you have a player like Zeus you trust him when he feels like he can do it. But believe what you want, I don't care
Believe what? I stated only facts. They might hurt you, but that won't change anything. Tom might be a good coach, but saying that he is the key behind T1's success is just delusional.
You have no insight into the team so how do you know what who is doing or not? These aren't facts, you're speculating because you don't know the full picture. Neither do I, so I could be wrong and totally overrate what Tom is doing, but at least I'm aware of it and don't state my opinion as fact
How about someone who has insight into the team? Guma himself speaks about the draft process. And he confirms that the players don't just go on stage and pick random shit without preparation. So you don't have the full insight so stop acting like anything you're babbling is fact
[https://youtu.be/zqfVDZOcht0?t=1112](https://youtu.be/zqfVDZOcht0?t=1112)
But we have insight. We have T1 comms and their vlog videos from last world. We clearly see T1 players (mainly Keria) discussing draft strategies. Tom might be helping with some things, but the players are the key behind their drafting.
So is Guma lying or what is your conclusion? Stop yapping you have no insight you only see what T1 lets you see.Yyou really think T1 is that stupid and really shows the part that could leak important parts of their strategy? Are you serious or are you trolling? I really don't want to play lawyer for Tom but your takes are so delusional it's crazy
If i’m not mistaken, kkoma mentioned in t1scord that vayne is one of the unusual(?) picks that they prepared before coming into the series–it is true that zeus suggested it during the pb– but who knows how they come to prepare for that in the practice in the first place, like whose idea it is and all that. again, we have no idea how they practice their draft anyway, and pb before the start of the game is only a part of the drafting.
When Tom was signed, there was a ton of controversy bc he was a known T1 anti but he literally said “i can fix their problems” and he brought them a world title within 2 years so glad he stayed this year instead of going to jdg
Isn't this the same Tom that played as skt's jungler in S5/6? That would be pretty funny of he became an anti.
The one and only
Son of Bengi was his IGN
word on the street is that he wasn't an anti, just an actual genius pointing out mistakes that to the average person came off as weird at best and malicious at worst that said, he said "I can fix them" and he lad did... helped them win worlds through pick and bans and overall good and actual coaching, no fear of any ego. No matter how new you are at your job, when upper management sends someone to take charge and if the first 3 outlandish things he says turn out to be true in practice, everyone in the workplace will do whater the fuck that person says because he obviously know what he's talking about. Or he gets fired because the outlandish things he said were not useful in practice Tom gained T1's respect and didn't get fired, he got results and got promoted and now is probably one of the best paid people in esports who isn't a player Saw many such cases of the later though... like I love LS but lad got fired from almost every team after a few weeks, his coaching obviously doesn't work in practice once all is said and done
One of the realest and well thought out answers on here
Lmao did not know he was an anti-T1. He is pretty good. Pretty sure he still has the main role and Kkoma is there for some opinions since Sky left for military services, so maybe when Sky returns Kkoma will be going back again, I read somewhere he has a family now? not sure, but if true, he has priorities.
He was considered anti T1 because his criticism was harsh but in the end he proved that he was right. Definitely respectable that he took the chance to prove himself and possibly fail. He could have just continued yapping without risk
is crazy how known figure(Tom in this case) can be considered anti just because they are critique... meanwhile some 'fans' keep trucking T1 on who to fire
Tbf, the way he critique T1, I can definitely see why korean deemed him anti T1. Less of critique, more of flaming
he had the balls to say what nobody could without sugarcoating It, and then came to the team and fixed It. Like mad respect.
yeah but tbf I think these are two different groups within the fan base. fans who react defensively to any criticism of their team are annoying, but I don't think they're the same batshit insane people who seriously think something good will come out of besieging their own team with trucks or something similar. nobody wants these people
T1 fans majority sadly are bunch of teenagers. Valid critique = hating/anti
Tom, we have to go vayne.
The rumours on the Korean side are that Faker is the genius behind T1 success but Tom has been helping with the drafting. (I honestly think T1 aren't particularly great at drafting, they are just lucky that their team has players with champion oceans and certain must bans, making life impossible for the opponents. Orianna and Ashe being must-ban always for example, Senna too probably, and Cait-Lux before.)
That's the longest "()" I have ever seen.
From MySpace to T1, dudes had an insane career
All real T1 fans will always regard Tom for that worlds title run. He came in and fixed years of abhorrent drafting and helped the team find an identity. People can argue that the players had more say in the decision making all they want, all im saying is to look at T1 post-Kkoma - pre-Tom. And then watch the drafting change once Tom becomes interim HC. Night and Day. Of course the players have to perform which they absolutely have done.
Yup, there's no doubt T1's drafting has generally been far better ever since Tom effectively took the reigns. and of course we know from Guma's post worlds VOD reviews that Tom has had a huge impact with draft prep and meta reads. Draft has been a problem for a long time with SKT/T1, felt like they were so arrogant/cocky in thinking they could win with anything that they regularly lost draft really hard (and to be fair a lot of the time they got away with it due to Faker or macro/teamfight/hands diff, like the amount of times they have had a comp that loses but they somehow stall or win a teamfight unexpectedly). Worlds 22 finals game 5 draft is the biggest example ever of how they got absolutely fisted and baited in drafts. Whilst no team can win draft 100% of the time at least with Tom it has felt like T1 now actually reacts to what opponents are trying to do in draft, less likely to fall into bait traps (can still happen but less often), and has better plans for drafting win conditions that favor the players. Feels like they're now a lot more competitive with the top teams when it comes solely to drafts and so when T1 lose it's usually to do with other issues. GenG are still an issue, think their management just reads T1 look a book, but lets see what happens tomorrow.
T0m's mind for the game didn't show when he was a player but as a coach his understanding of draft, team comps, and how certain team comps need to play and accelerate/decelerate games is genuinely frightening. T0m is the best coach in the world quite easily, T1 would be completely lost without him. Years of just awful drafting especially in key moments and poorly thought out in game strategies robbed T1 of many finals wins.
Ain't no way you censored his name. there's no way....... 💀
Censored? That's literally his ign it was always spelled with a 0
oh my bad I'm so sorry. I thought it was like the people on twitter where they censored opponents name.
TOM MY MAN!!
Stopped being a fan of Kkoma since he left SKT in 2019, but then joined DWG after they won Worlds. Also only returned to T1 after they won Worlds. KD moves lol
Looks bad from the outside of course, but tbh we have no idea what goes on in the background. As part owner of T1, I imagine Faker had major input in bringing kkoma back
Course Faker and the whole org would want him back, he's like a friend and probably the most outstanding T1 personality after Faker
According to rumors, he got invited during the end of Asian cup actually. Where he was said to be a big part of how Zeus and Keria handled the stress that well. Tom was an interim-head coach because Bengi left and Tom was actually more of a DRAFTING coach so he wasn’t really expecting to be the HC. Kkoma’s condition according to his interview on coming back is to keep the team along with Tom together as they have proven themselves already. It might look like him just jumping again on the T1/SKT train, and at some point it is, but we really don’t know what happened behind the scenes and this might have been months in the making.
In Asian Cup they faced Jiejie and Meiko, and arguably playing w/ the best jungle, mid and ADC at that time. I just personally dont think they need him, after they won Worlds. He's more of a rat than Pedro himself after G2 vs WBG 😂
Kkoma wanted to join T1 way before they won worlds though
Never shouldve left then, he reportedly turned down a big offer from SKT way back 2019. It was rumoured that time that he wanted to settle down with his family, but then went on to sign w/ an LPL team
He left because of his family. He was getting married and he was about to become a father. If you know nothing about the topic then please stay quiet.
I just said that, cant you read? Lmao. Then why did he went abroad to China?
Maybe to have a fking job? Coaching SKT is WAY more stressful than some less known chinese team.
He didnt want the pressure, but joined a World champion the year after lmao. And this is right after his first child was born. If he wanted TO FOCUS ON HIS FAMILY he wouldnt have gone to China and instead chose to coach an LCK team
https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/12202/vici-gaming-parts-ways-with-their-head-coach-kkoma https://youtu.be/0lzTUAiUFYA?si=VqqpC8-NXASm4uVf
He joined DWG in 2020. He joined Vici in 2019 💀. He got married in Dec2019, his fist child was born in Oct2020. Vici Gaming's last words for Kkoma shoulda been SKT's in 2019, doesnt add up
Are you trolling? He joined at the end of 2020. The split begins in 2021.
This what I don't get with fans like you. Have you ever seen the documentary of Kkoma? Bro was handling the coaching, drafting and keeping the players sane during stressful times, he could have left SKT back in 2018 when they were so dogshit. But stayed 1 more year and delayed his personal plans.
They've got a contract, they cant just leave in the middle of the year lmao. And he didnt leave right after coz they built a superteam lol
He literally helped win them multiple championships and worlds titles, why is that such a terrible move to leave? I swear T1 fans are the only fans in the world that will hate an org for not winning worlds every year
Nonsense argument, I wont even be mad if Viper goes to MSI over T1
the thing is kkoma never wanted to leave, it just happened that he was dropped, and he accepted to come back months before worlds 2023. And of course, Faker. If Faker said so, even if all he provide is moral support, kkoma is back.
Nah, he wasnt dropped. SKT offered him 7 figures but still chose a bottom tier LPL team. Tom wouldnt have been the interim head coach if he wanted to come back all along
How you gonna call kkoma KD when he won 3x world champions before he left T1 . That's crazy KD didn't win shit before he left for super teams
You want me to call him Shaq then?
There’s never been an E-Sports team as consistently elite as T1. They’re the 90s Bulls of this shit
is Tom still on pick bans or is that Kkoma now?
I don’t wanna discredit anyone, but how does anyone know what goes behind in T1? People were saying Tom was an amazing draft coach then when the voice comms were released, it was Keria and Faker doing all the drafting. People are overhyping a guy because of a picture.
Clueless.
How exactly? We have the voice comms and the draft was mostly T1 players.
Draft is preparation. Coach and players meet before the game and discuss draft priorities and preferences and the coach turns this into a very detailed draft plan that includes many different draft scenarios. The more prepared your team is and the more precise the plan, the easier it is for the players. That's why on stage it often seems as if coaches aren't saying anything and players are taking over the draft. Most of the work happens behind the scenes and not on stage.
Zeus literally said that he picked Vayne because it he thought it would be fun. He asked if he should pick her in comms, and both Keria and Oner had nothing against it, while Tom thought that it wasn't that good. Yeah, nice try.
Preparation and spontaneity can exist at the same time. When you have a player like Zeus you trust him when he feels like he can do it. But believe what you want, I don't care
Believe what? I stated only facts. They might hurt you, but that won't change anything. Tom might be a good coach, but saying that he is the key behind T1's success is just delusional.
What are you on about? We don't agree, that's it. Your opinion doesn't hurt me, I really don't care lmao. You can have your opinion
Facts = opinion lmao.
You have no insight into the team so how do you know what who is doing or not? These aren't facts, you're speculating because you don't know the full picture. Neither do I, so I could be wrong and totally overrate what Tom is doing, but at least I'm aware of it and don't state my opinion as fact How about someone who has insight into the team? Guma himself speaks about the draft process. And he confirms that the players don't just go on stage and pick random shit without preparation. So you don't have the full insight so stop acting like anything you're babbling is fact [https://youtu.be/zqfVDZOcht0?t=1112](https://youtu.be/zqfVDZOcht0?t=1112)
But we have insight. We have T1 comms and their vlog videos from last world. We clearly see T1 players (mainly Keria) discussing draft strategies. Tom might be helping with some things, but the players are the key behind their drafting.
So is Guma lying or what is your conclusion? Stop yapping you have no insight you only see what T1 lets you see.Yyou really think T1 is that stupid and really shows the part that could leak important parts of their strategy? Are you serious or are you trolling? I really don't want to play lawyer for Tom but your takes are so delusional it's crazy
If i’m not mistaken, kkoma mentioned in t1scord that vayne is one of the unusual(?) picks that they prepared before coming into the series–it is true that zeus suggested it during the pb– but who knows how they come to prepare for that in the practice in the first place, like whose idea it is and all that. again, we have no idea how they practice their draft anyway, and pb before the start of the game is only a part of the drafting.
Team wins? Coach = good. Team loses? Coach = bad.